Last week Pittsburgh had the pleasure of hosting its very own fashion week to highlight and set new standards for the city’s fashion scene. The celebration consisted of three fashion forward events throughout downtown Pittsburgh. Ya girl was able to attend two of the three events and get all the info about Pittsburgh’s up and coming fashion elite. I won’t lie, this blog is a lot of pictures, but its fashion week…I mean what other way should I go about this?

Taken from the @pghfw Instagram

The Social

The Social was the mixer kickoff event of Pittsburgh Fashion Week and took place at Sienna Mercato on Penn Avenue, downtown.  This was a great kick off because it was a free event in a central location and really set the scene for the rest of the week.  Below are some of the incredible looks captured at The Social.

@cheygilmo and @smartblackperson

@meech_mackey @raestxx and @kashonasmith

@jayjayrichie and @soggyk101

@maxryandesigns

@backofthestorecouture

@lejlaavdagic24 @sameeratursonzadah and @pgh_model

The Runway

The most anticipated event of the week was by far the fashion show which was the third and final event. It took place at the PPG building and featured 8 different designers in and around the Pittsburgh area. The designers included Andre Jones, Laura Pascuzzi, Mad Recital, Oona Natesan, Bernice Yu, King Reld, Anna Lemley, and Elaine Healy. I have broken up each designer’s segment with pictures below. I also have a ton of live footage from the event on my Instagram in the highlights section if you’re interested.

**And I am so sorry as some of the pictures are blurry –it’s hard to get a good photo on an iPhone while there is constant movement. Thank Black Jesus I had Prin Robinson of @sbyr_photography with me to capture some of the runway magic!

Andre Jones @whoisandrejones

Photo by @sbyr_photography

Photo by @sbyr_photography

Photo by @sbyr_photography

Bernice Yu @berniceyuck

Oona Natesan @oonanatesan

Anna Lemley @annamlemley

I wasn’t able to get many stills of Anna’s collection, so here is the video of her final catwalk

Eliane Healy X King Reld @elainehealy.atelier @kingreld

Photo by @sbyr_photography

Photo by @sbyr_photography

Mad Recital @mad_recital

Photo by @sbyr_photography

Photo by @sbyr_photography

Lauria Rose @lauriarose_designs

Photo by @sbyr_photography

My Thoughts

For those that may not know, Pittsburgh is one of those cities that have the potential to be extremely cultured and low-key is, but high-key isn’t, if that makes sense. The designers featured in the fashion show were incredibly talented and have a vision for style that is truly impressive; it was also quite refreshing to even have a full on fashion week in Pittsburgh this year. I loved the experience, the atmosphere, the clothes, and the fact that a high percentage of designers and models were either women or minority or both. You all know how I feel about representation, so that was beautiful to see—especially in high key uncultured Pittsburgh. Now, speaking as a plus woman, I found myself in the same predicament as every other high fashion event that I’ve attended. With the exception of Andre Jones, who used a few thicker models during his runway presentation, there were no plus designers, models, molds or creations and frankly, it was rather redundant.   I do appreciate that Pittsburgh is starting to move forward in the quest for fashion culture, but as we move forward, let’s incorporate every body type. With all the talent in and around the city, Pittsburgh has a real shot to do something big in the fashion world, and speaking as a consumer in the 21 billion dollar plus industry, Pittsburgh definitely has the market for it. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the week and want to see it continue. It is my hope that despite the creative director of this year’s Pittsburgh Fashion Week, Elysia Panda, putting her future efforts into different projects and stepping down, this is something that will continue to bloom and grow through the years. It’s time to put Pittsburgh fashion (including plus) in the spotlight!

My Looks

The Social- Top Fashion to Figure, Skirt F21, Shoes Ashley Stewart, Necklace Amazon.

The Runway- Crop Top F21, Strappy Bra Lane Bryant, Blazer and Shoes Torrid, Shorts Fashion to Figure.