Fashion Week Columbus' Wedding Runway Show: Meet Joan Madison
Fashion Week Columbus begins Oct. 3, and the annual Wedding Runway Show is Oct. 8. Leading up to the event, we're featuring the designers whose collections you'll see at the bridal fashion show. For more, visit theFashion Week Columbus website.
Meet Joan Madison
Age: 50
Hometown: Jamaica, Queens, New York
Background: Graduated from FIT and Syracuse University with a degree in fashion design; my background includes working at some of the most respected dress houses in the industry, including Ellen Tracey, Liz Claiborne, Ann Taylor and the Limited. Currently, I own Joan's Bridal Couture, a full-service Bridal Salon in Reynoldsburg.
Approach to fashion: I do not follow the latest fashion trends or what's hot and new; my approach is to interpret and create my own style by being unique and creative.
Style is … not just the clothing you wear and how you wear it. It's also your attitude and the way you carry yourself.
Most looking forward to … this will be my third year participating in Fashion Week as a bridal designer. However, this year I will be showcasing my eveningwear collection for the Finale Runway Show as well, so I am excited to share and bring to the runway another side of my creativity.
My Fashion Week Columbus collection in five words or less: Refined, stunning, unique, red-carpet
The celebrity I'd most like to dress: Lupita Nyong'o
The Columbusite I'd most like to dress: I enjoy dressing all of my brides and prom girls.
The worst fashion faux pas: Not wearing the appropriate shoes to complement your outfit; the wrong shoes can destroy your look entirely.
I never leave home without … my scissors, box of stickpins and tape measures
My favorite local boutique: Joan's Bridal Couture, of course!
My hope for Columbus fashion: There are a lot of fashion companies headquartered in Columbus. However, the environment is not conducive to fashion designers. We lack the resources to truly be competitive, like having high-fashion fabric stores and suppliers. My hope is that Fashion Week exposes the strong base of local designers so that more resources will come to town … to help build a foundation we designers need for our continued growth.
Photos courtesy Fashion Week Columbus