3-Day Hartford Fashion Week Kicks Off With VIP Preview

Hartford’s second annual Fashion Week — this year Oct. 13 to 16 — will showcase the work of eight Hartford-area designers, as well as designers based in Providence, Boston and New York.

The weekend kicked off on Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. with a VIP preview at Hoffman Audi, 700 Connecticut Blvd., in East Hartford. New York designer Zoe Clark showed her work and designers had the chance to show off pieces from their collections for audience members who purchased a VIP ticket to other HFW shows. Watch the video above.

Katrina Orsini founded Fashion Week last year when she lived in downtown Hartford and funded it with a grant from the city’s Marketing, Events and Cultural Affairs Department. She lives in New York City now and MECA has been dismantled, but she’s powering on.

“There was a little panic when MECA was shut down that we wouldn’t be coming back,” Orsini says. “But we were able to make the grant money back last year, and we do have ticket sales. If we cover our costs, we’ll do it again next year.”

On Oct. 14 from 8 to 11:30 p.m., Connecticut design firms Theo’s of Hartford, Troy Anthony, Crinkled Chiffon, ShirleyMarie and Saints by

S.J. will participate in a runway show at Union Station. On Oct. 15 the same venue will host a runway show by Connecticut designers FasChinn, LaMoo and Matthew Reisman, as well as Zoe Ilana Grinfeld of Providence and EKBallroom of Boston. It also will be from 8 to 11:30 p.m. About 80 local models will participate.

On Oct. 16 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fashion Week hosts an Off the Runway trade show at Union Station of designers and artisans who create wearable art.

“There was an outcry last year for some way to show shoes and jewelry and things that you really can’t put a whole show together for,” Orsini says.

Tickets to the runway shows are $40 general, $60 VIP. A one-ticket deal offering admission to both shows is $65. There is no admission fee to the trade show. For tickets and details, visit hartford.fashion/.