![]() ![]() Though Ali has swiftly made a name for herself in Cleveland, her plans didn’t always include moving to the Midwest. The inaugural 2021 installment of The Runway at The Madison From Canada to CLE “We want to send the message that this is for everyone.” “Ballet has always been considered a traditional upper-middle class ‘white’ activity a lot of people of color wouldn’t consider watching ballet as something to do with their time off,” says Ali. (This year, ballerinas Tabitha Miner-aka “Tabitha in Motion”-and Schuyler Berger opened the show with a duet.) For Ali, it’s not just about rounding out the events, but also changing the face of how we experience them. To that end, Ali infuses other artistic elements such as ballet performances into each installment of The Runway. “The idea with Fashion Talks is to produce elevated events that help people think of fashion in a different way.” ![]() “Cleveland is so used to T-shirts and street style,” says Ali. According to Ali, the high-fashion mentality marks a departure from what she sees as Cleveland’s typical style sensibilities. That mindset also extends to the runway, where everything from traditional Pakistani gowns to patchwork denim to luxury leather goods to blinged-out bodycon dresses is on full display. “We look more for confidence and energy than what a model looks like,” explains Ali, adding that almost all the models are local to Cleveland. For instance, anyone can audition to be a model for Fashion Talks events-no professional experience or specific look/body type necessary. “From conceptualization to mood boards to the end result, it’s an amazing process seeing it all come to life.”ĭiversity and inclusion are top values for Ali, and those are strongly reflected in the Fashion Talks philosophy and approach. “Every year, I am more excited to produce the show,” says Ali, who held the past two editions at The Madison and Cleveland Museum of Art. Hosted by Nola Movement founder Nike Olabisi-Green, the event also highlighted three “Ladies of Influence” making a difference in Cleveland: Lillian Kuri, incoming president and CEO of Cleveland Foundation Jing Lauengco, entrepreneur and brand strategist and Lesa LaForce, modeling agency owner and philanthropist. Set against the stunning backdrop of Severance Hall, the show highlighted local brands such as Love, Niki Boutique Porshia Esperanza Threads and Back to You Designs-along with Ali’s own Nomia Studio accessories line. Sunday, June 25, marked Fashion Talks’ third annual installment of The Runway, an ambitious fashion show showcasing local, national, and international designers. I wanted to fill that gap.”Įnter Fashion Talks, a boutique fashion services and events agency with the aim of “elevating diverse creatives” in style and design. “But when I Googled Cleveland Fashion Week, nothing really came up at the same level as New York or Toronto. The enterprising 20-something had produced large-scale fashion shows in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver and quickly discovered the potential was there to mount events of similar scope in Cleveland.Īimon Ali, founder of Fashion Talks“As I was starting to meet people in Cleveland, I learned that there are so many amazing creatives who are on par with top-tier talent I had seen in Toronto,” says Ali. When Ali moved to Cleveland from Toronto in 2018, she brought her penchant for the fashion industry with her. Cleveland’s prominent stature in arts and culture has always been a calling card for the city, but fashion has rarely been at the forefront-that is, until Aimon Ali entered the conversation. ![]()
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