LA Fashion Week: FBI Fashion Gala to Feature MAFI Award
The Moss Adams Fashion Innovator Award—known as the MAFI—will return to the Los Angeles Fashion Week lineup in October at a fashion fund-raiser hosted by Fashion Business Inc.
Titled “California Dreaminghellip;A Fashion Celebration for a Cause,” the event, which is part of Style Fashion Week L.A., will feature two runway shows, one highlighting the work of the MAFI winner and the other showcasing the work of FBI members and other up-and-coming California brands.
“It’s a celebration of California fashion and how diverse it is,” said FBI founder Frances Harder. “It will celebrate all segments of apparel—everything from surfwear to red carpet.”
The Oct. 20 event will be held at Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles. The evening will feature the return of the MAFI award, which was part of the original lineup of the Los Angeles Fashion Awards. “We are very pleased to partner with Fashion Business Inc. for the return of the Moss Adams Fashion Innovator Award,” said Martin Hughes, director of apparel for Moss Adams. “The award celebrates the innovative fashions of California, and we both play a significant role in the development of those companies.” MAFI nominees will be selected by FBI board members and select members of the media.
In addition to presenting sponsor Moss Adams, event sponsors include Los Angeles juniors brand Rhapsody Apparel, Woodbury University, Venable LLC, FTC Commercial Corp., CIT Corp., The New Mart, Ezra Brutzkus Gubner LLP, Merchant Factors, Rosenthal & Rosenthal, Rock Revival, Buchalter Nemer, Platform LLC, AIMS and Bubblefish Media.
Rhapsody will be featured in the group show, and company President Bryan Kang has offered to sponsor the other emerging designers’ participation in the show.
Co-produced by Bubblefish and FBI, the event will feature a reception with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and “cool jazz” before the show. Harder said she is also planning to have additional entertainment at the event. The evening will raise funds to support the efforts of the FBI, which is a 501c3 educational nonprofit.
Admission is $20 for FBI members and $45 for nonmembers, and tickets can be purchased at FBI’s website (www.fashionbizinc.org). For more information, contact livia@fashionbizinc.org.
