Fashion Director Jameson Deloatch and Show Manager Ciera Pope share their own stories, try along with some trade secrets.
By Joanna Ernst
For the fifth consecutive year, the team at RVA Fashion Week has created a premiere showcase modeling up-to-the-minute fashions at the trendiest shopping scenes in the Greater Richmond area.
For 2013, the week kicked off on Sunday in sizzling style at the City Skyline Trunk Show, which took place at Observation Deck at City Hall.
On Tuesday, the Warehouse Fashion Show put the spotlight on modern day Richmond’s Scott’s Addition area in the Warehouse District.
Wednesday, May 1, Trina Turk makes her only in-store appearance this spring at Saks Fifth Avenue in Stony Point. On May 1, ten percent of sales throughout Saks will be donated to help preserve the Valentine Richmond History Center’s textile and costume collection. Fashion Week will close on Saturday night at the Valentine Richmond History Center, Costume and Textile Gala, a black-tie celebration amid elegance and entertainment.
The Artful Wedding, hosted by Richmond Bridge magazine, takes place on Wednesday evening. Abby Larson, founder and editor of nationally acclaimed wedding blog Style Me Pretty, will share her expert advice. Each bride can bask in the opportunities for her big day with the resources of Richmond’s most innovative wedding experts. Now this A-list party is in full swing with fashion swag.
“We are hosting a tented fashion show in Carytown with nine of their local boutiques,” Ciera announced. “This event will take place outdoors in the Cary Court parking lot on Thursday, May 2nd.” This Carytown Fashion Showcase promises to bring the boutiques of Carytown’s “Mile of Style” to the forefront.
“I am very excited for the Designer’s Showcase on May 3rd at Plant Zero,” shared Jameson. “The designers on board are so very diverse and talented. We had more than 30 designers show up for our Designer Call last November, and we narrowed it down to ten creative and skilled designers.” The Designer Showcase will strut the stuff of top local designers, custom lines and versatile trends for every occasion.
Both Pope and Deloatch attended VCU, rising through the fashion ranks through hard work and committed dedication. When asked what inspired them to pursue fashion, both members of the RVA Fashion Week team described how their dreams grew.
“During my senior year of high school I became more interested in fashion,” said Ciera. “During a recruiter’s seminar, I first learned about Fashion Merchandising and decided to pursue that degree. Because of my interest in fashion, it seemed like the perfect concentration.”
“I was raised in a small town that, in my opinion, did not have a fashion presence,” said Jameson. “The nearest mall was 30 miles away and consisted of a sneaker store and two department stores. My mother always said I had a fun and colorful personality and that sometimes, unfortunately for her, it would show with my fashion choices as I grew up,” he joked.
Jameson continued, “I would always be found with outfits that were a bit out of the norm. I have always wanted to look different from everyone else in the room and stand out as my own person. I then realized that I truly had a passion for fashion and that I would enjoy working with it in any type of capacity.”
Ciera originally attended University of Maryland Eastern Shore for Fashion Merchandising before transferring to the program at VCU. “VCU was much more of a challenge,” she explained. “The school itself was a better fit because it was much more diverse, and there were so many other fashion-related activities.”
“My favorite class was the Fashion Show Production class taught by Mrs. Arrington,” Ciera noted. “I learned a lot about how behind-the-scenes fashion shows work, and it sparked my interest in show production and event planning.”
Jameson was introduced to Ram Nation in high school and fell in love with VCU culture. “In my junior year of high school, my sister-in-law would pick up my best friend and me and bring us to Richmond. One weekend, we were on campus for Homecoming and attended a Ludacris concert, another weekend we went to NPHC’s Fall Block Show, and she also took us to a groupMODA Show,” he reminisced.
“I applied to more than ten colleges and was accepted to all of them,” Jameson continued. “But I loved the feeling that I had whenever I was at VCU. I knew that I would go to VCU and accomplish three things: I would join groupMODA, become a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and participate in as many organizations as I could.”
He did all three and then some. Jameson started as a model with groupMODA, which “promotes fashion in a diverse and non-stereotypical manner,” according to Jameson. After a year of modeling, he directed his first show his sophomore year. He also has served as Fashion Director for Dexterity, a show that took place in Metro DC, as Co-Director for the first Return of the Curls, Natural Hair and Fashion Show and as Lead Stylist for RVA Grooves.
As if his plate isn’t full enough, Jameson has been furthering his higher education and will obtain his MBA degree this June. “I know that I ultimately want to be my own boss and entrepreneur, and my program at University of Phoenix provided me with the foundation to make that dream a reality,” he explained. In the future, he hopes to work in Fashion PR in New York and own a women’s clothing boutique.
Ciera has modeled for groupMODA, Strut at VCU and the Southern Women’s Show. She has also participated as a Stylist for Women’s Empowerment Fashion Show and RVA Fashion Week 2009. Additionally, Ciera has been Model Manager for the last two years of RVA Fashion Week. In 2010, while at VCU, she served as the Model Committee Lead for VCU’s Annual Juried fashion show at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
On the side, Ciera also sports her own jewelry line, Random by Ciera.
“No two pieces are exactly alike,” she explained. “My pieces usually include rope, beads, or chains. Some of my pieces look more vintage, especially the button earrings, while some rope-style necklaces are very bold statement pieces. I have had some of the men’s wooden bead bracelets sold in Rumors.”
In the near future, Ciera intends to move to Atlanta, get more event planning experience under her stylish belt and manage her own event planning company. “Once I have more marketing and promotion for my jewelry line, I would love to have it sold in stores nationally,” she added.
As far as fashions for the African-American community, both Ciera and Jameson weighed in with what they’ve witnessed from center stage.
“Originally, when you thought of African-American fashion style, it was more of the hip-hop scene,” Ciera explained. “But today, and especially in Richmond, you really get a mix of fashion from African-Americans. You have the preppy, the boho-chic, the vintage, the Free People style, the matchy-matchy, and so much more. In Richmond, it is hard to define what is now considered an actual African-American fashion style.”
Jameson added, “I believe that African-Americans heavily impact the fashion scene in the Richmond area. Sometimes, as an African-American male, I feel that I am not often expected to enter the room as a Director, or in any leadership capacity. However, after engaging in conversation, I believe this is then discarded. I believe that I have been able to be successful in my projects because I have come to the table with a hardworking, dedicated and creative mindset.”
So what’s hot on the hangers this year? According to Ciera, RVA fashion culture is as creative as our community. “Richmond is completely diverse,” Ciera said. “There are so many different styles here. You could walk down Broad Street and, on one side, see a guy in black ripped denim jeans, a blue denim patchwork vest with buttons, Chuck Taylors and a baseball cap. And on the other side, you’ll see a guy in a Ledbury style-shirt, slim-fit khaki cropped pants, a bow tie, and buck head shoes. The Richmond community has a very eclectic fashion sense. Everyone has his or her own version of the same styles.”
Get the full schedule for RVA Fashion Week at rvafashionweek.com.
