Word started spreading through the city’s style circles on Monday, mainly via Facebook, that another Dallas Fashion Week initiative is underway.
Before the collective groans begin, we can at least assure you that the newest Dallas Fashion Week plan has nothing to do with the previous train wrecks organized by Oscar Fierro in 2009 and Mahiri Takai in 2012. There is also no association to Fashion Week DFW, originally scheduled to take place this month.
Indeed, to those who follow Dallas fashion, the disappointing history of local events dubbed ‘Fashion Week’ is all too familiar. For a refresher, click the links below.
Click here to read Fashion Week Dallas?
& Ready Or Not, Another Dallas Fashion Week Is In The Works
Not to start things off on a negative note, but the fact is, we’ve witnessed shoddy, under-funded, and poorly-planned fashion week duds one too many times. …Shall we run to the cries of wolf again? Why not. Could be some cool claws and teeth to look at this time.
Founded by Executive Directors David Marlett and Melissa Poe, the latest Dallas Fashion Week plan goes by DAFA. A new Facebook fan page currently shows 148 Likes, and DAFAWeek.org is marked with a clean landing page. It notes that DAFA is coming in Spring 2014 and a prominently placed tagline reads, “Returning Dallas to its rich traditions of high fashion and impeccable taste.”
Melissa Poe
Poe’s name may sound familiar to fans of the Style Network reality show Big Rich Texas. Of note, its cast has developed an infamous reputation here in town, for a number of reasons. But that’s a different story.
As for David Marlett, he is the founder of BlueRun Media, as well as a CPA and a University of Texas-trained lawyer. Per his official bio, he is also a photographer, novelist, screenwriter, and director. BlueRun currently lists some ten film concepts and four television mini-series concepts, each authored by Marlett, in the early stages of development.
Further, Marlett is the founder of the National Crowdfunding Association (NLCFA), an organization dedicated to the support of the American crowdfunding market. According to the NLCFA, “Crowdfunding is a way to get small amounts of money from a large number of people to fund a particular project.” Kickstarter, for example, is a well-known crowdfunding website. Click here to view a brief video explaining the basics of this type of fundraising effort via the NLCFA website.
David Marlett
We visited with Marlett via phone yesterday. “We’re not saying a lot right now,” he began, before launching into a 20-minute chat.
The new DAFA Director first emphasized his fashion week’s independence from any underwhelming past efforts here in Dallas. He and partner Poe envision a world-class series of events for their fashion week, modeled after those in New York City and Europe.
As the duo work to build their boards and councils of advisors in the coming weeks and months, a crowdsourcing effort – per one of Marlett’s areas of focus – is also part of the DAFA plan. He explains, “We’ve got some cool ways of getting the community involved.”
To be clear, this Dallas Fashion Week will seek funding, in part, from the public. Various incentives will be offered to those who pledge funds.
For now, those are the DAFA details as they stand. As always, we at DFW Style Daily are committed to the Dallas fashion scene and to our local designers. Any Fashion Week-related skepticism stems from a desire to see Dallas talent represented with the utmost polish and professionalism.
We’ll keep you posted on developments as we are able. In the meantime, the DAFA fan page asks that individuals who wish to be involved send a Facebook message.
(Image credits, from top: 1. Facebook.com; 2. John Russo via StyleNetwork.com; 3. PRWeb.com; 4. Facebook.com)