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On November 5, Rockland Fashion Week will culminate with a fashion show of 10 designers, including clothing by the event’s organizer, Hope Wade.
By Sabrina Sucato, with additional reporting by Matt Moment
New York Fashion Week is coming to the Hudson Valley.
Scratch that. Rockland Fashion Week is not the same as the Big Apple original, at least insofar as the crowds and citywide frenzy are concerned. What the two shows do share, however, are a passion for design, a hunger for emerging talent, and a desire to uncover the next big thing.
It’s lucky, then, that the mastermind behind Rockland County’s fashion week is an alum of not just New York Fashion Week, but the London and Caribbean runways as well. Hope Wade, founder of Hope Wade Designs, is an established fashion designer across the globe.
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Her pieces have appeared everywhere from the Miss World Pageant and Miss Jamaica Universe to the White House, when Rockland County’s Grammy- and Academy Award-winning songstress Darlene Love wore one of her couture gowns for a performance in front of President Obama. (That gown later made its way to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.) She won a Best of Hudson Valley award for Up and Coming Designer, and she was a top three finalist on Project Runway: A Critique With Tim.
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A graduate of New York City Technical College and Cooper Union College, Wade began her career in advertising and graphic design. Following a handful of highs and lows, she fell into fashion design. After making a dress for her church’s New Year’s Eve service, she felt inspired to pursue the craft more seriously. When her friends saw—and thus, fell in love with—her work, they began ordering custom pieces. Fast-forward to today, and Wade is a recognized designer around the world.
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Wade is a proud resident of Rockland County. “Rockland is sophistication,” she enthuses. “Rockland is art, fashion, poetry, malls, young people, older people with stories. It’s culture, it’s religion, it’s diversification, it’s bright, and it’s beautiful.” Already a strong proponent for Rockland County’s burgeoning creative scene, Wade knew the region was on the precipice of expansion when she organized the first Rockland Fashion Week in 2019.
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This Year’s Rockland Fashion Week
The fashion show will take place on the first floor of the Palisades Center (in front of H&M) on November 5. The event will showcase 10 designers including Wade’s own line, Hope Wade Designs. In collaboration with Montefiore Nyack Hospital, 10 breast cancer survivors will walk the runway.
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Additional programming for the Fashion Week includes a dog fashion show on November 3 and a week of educational assemblies at local middle and high schools. Representatives from Rockland Fashion Week will teach about the “Business of Fashion,” exposing students to the possibility of a career in the fashion industry.
The Rockland County Fashion Week show takes place inside the Palisades Center on November 5 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the event website.
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