Say it with us, “Party and Fashion, Party in Fashion!” Tampa Bay Fashion Week is right around the corner and if you couldn’t tell by now, we are very excited! It’s the first time we will be showing designers alongside retail brands, and it will all be going down at International Plaza and Bay Street. We have fantastic events planned, so pull up your calendar and get ready to plug in some dates (if you haven’t done so already!)

Fashion Week Tampa Bay officially kicks off 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at the Sip & Shop Soiree. Located and hosted by one of our lovely sponsors, The Hideaway-Downtown Tampa, this is an event to network with fashion industry professionals, enjoy drink specials, raffle prizes, and shop with local designers and accessories brands. A free, 2-hour event, this exhibitor boutique features local businesses that support a fashion-forward Tampa Bay. Peep the vendors here.

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Photo by Susan Jeffers

From 11 a.m.–1 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22, we will have our Fashion Photos and Prosecco event. Located at the home of another lovely sponsor, Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, we invite you to Step into The Cube in downtown Tampa to experience fashion photography with prosecco and cupcakes on the side. The third floor will be reserved for an exclusive members-only experience with Leslie Joy Ickowitz, VERTICAL Tampa Bay’s founder and editor-in-chief, delivering a presentation on the fashion photography featured in the magazine, along with behind the scenes stories about select photo shoots. For FMOPA museum members, the event is free, and for non-members its $10, but you can join as a member in advance at fmopa.org.

Nova535 Event Space

Join us later in the evening from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at NOVA 535 for the 7^th annual Swanky Soirée event. It’s an evening of fabulous food, flavorful wines, flaming coffees, decadent desserts and more, all benefiting Brookwood Florida. Brookwood Florida provides a unique, life-changing program for non-pregnant, non-addicted, at-risk girls between the ages of 13 and 20. Price tag is $150, and you can purchase tickets here.

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Our first runway show will be held Sept. 23, Friday night. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. Located at International Plaza & Bay Street, the designer line up is:

• Elizabeth Carson Racker
• Floridita by Charlotte Marin
• Free People
• Lilly Pulitzer
• Pandora
• Sanford Brown-IADT School of Design Student Showcase

We will be right back at it Saturday late morning, at International Plaza & Bay Street. Doors open at 11 a.m. and the second runway show starts at 12 p.m.

The designer line up is:

• Ally B Swim
• Athleta
• Banana Republic
• Madame Adassa by Marsha Vacirca
• Neiman Marcus
• Tracy Negoshian

Seats for both dates are sold out, but standing room is available at no cost to you! Just grab your tickets here.

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Also on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., we will host Kid Couture Workshops at Glazer Children’s Museum. The kids run this event so you must have a child to attend. It’s the Glazer Children’s museum 6^th birthday and they’re celebrating with free admission. There will be fun workshops, stylish crafts and more so grab your cute kids and enjoy some family-friendly fun.

Can you see why we’re so excited? With this jam-packed itinerary of events, we will be partying into the sunset!

See you soon!

-Stylista Jessica