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Models will sport everything from fall wear to extravagant Halloween costumes to traditional Indigenous garments as they strut the runway at Syracuse Fashion Week.

“The thing with fashion is there are no rules. Everybody should be able to wear what they want, when they want and have fun with it,” Zoë Francemone, sponsorship coordinator for SFW, said. “That’s what we try to bring out.”

Syracuse Fashion Week will return with the “Syracuse Style” show at the Palladian Hall at The Treasury this weekend in downtown Syracuse. The show combines elements of fashion with fantasy, featuring 14 designers and over 100 models from the greater Syracuse area.

“Syracuse Style” benefits the Food Bank of Central New York, a non-profit organization that aims to eliminate hunger in nearby communities through educational initiatives, advocacy and food distribution. Since its conception in 2014, SFW has raised over $20,000 for the organization, creator and executive director Lisa Marie Butler said.

“It’s small, but every little bit helps and the cumulative effort is pretty amazing,” Butler said.

In April of 2024, Syracuse Fashion Week hosted three different shows: “Local Love,” “The Underground Show” and “SFW Gala.” But this fall, Butler decided to stray from the typical routine and host one larger, combined show.

“Syracuse Style” will showcase a variety of designers representing different aspects of the Syracuse community, including the region’s Indigenous cultures.

Model Irv Lyons Jr. will walk down the runway wearing a red handprint across his face. The statement commemorates Indigenous women who have suffered abuse and highlights Lyons’ identity as a member of the Oneida Nation Wolf Clan.

“I want viewers to think about the native population in Syracuse and to recognize our culture, our contributions and that we always bring peace and friendship in whatever we do,” Lyons said.

For designers like Mary Homer of Beading Wolves, “Syracuse Style” is a chance to connect with and express cultural roots. This is the second time Homer’s tie and purse collection will be featured in Syracuse Fashion Week.

Homer creates pieces inspired by the Haudenosaunee with traditional beadwork practices. Her line is titled after the Oneida word for strength, Katsatstʌ́hslaˀ, and pays homage to her family’s Indigenous heritage and culture.

“I’m motivated and inspired by being a descendant of a matriarchal society,” Homer said.

The designer also aims to bring awareness to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women movement, through her featured pieces and Indigenous models.

This weekend’s “Syracuse Style” will partner with cosmetic sponsors — Clinique, MAC and Estée Lauder — to create bold looks that complement the pieces.

For Francemone, Syracuse Fashion Week is a chance to push boundaries and step further into the cosmetic industry that inspires her.

The show will include several returning local designers and clothing stores like Beading Wolves, Flower Skate Shop and Michelle DaRin.

For the first time, the Kate Spade Outlet at Destiny USA is featured in Syracuse Fashion Week. The store’s display will include accessories like handbags, outerwear and statement jewelry. The pieces are meant to make a statement but remain functional, Kate Spade store leader Leigh Sharkey said.

“I wanted to incorporate fun and playful things that bring you joy when you wear them and things that make you feel really confident as you put on your outfit each day,” Sharkey said.

Syracuse Fashion Week provides an outlet for designers like Homer to express themselves in untraditional ways while promoting the work they do.

“I do hope people walk out of there and say, ‘Wow, you know, there’s so many wonderful creative people in the central New York area,’” Butler said.

Published on October 10, 2024 at 1:17 am