O'More Fashion Show 2016

Connie Richardson, co-founder of Nashville Fashion Week, often reminds us that, "Nashville Fashion is more than just a week." So, before I show you any more of NFW2016 (and there are still scores of looks from gifted designers to peruse) I want you to see the kind of talent coming from Nashville's prestigious O'More college of design. The college offers bachelor of fine arts degrees in interior design, fashion design, fashion merchandising, graphic design and interactive design. This year they held their annual fashion show in a hanger at John C Tune airport - on my birthday.

Talk about a party.

Every great party needs a spectacular dress. Mine is an American made Tadashi Shoji from Couture for a Cause. The vintage bag is from Pura Vida Vintage, and the incredibly comfortable stiletto booties are from DSW. My manicure is a nod to Prince. The collection in the bottom photo is by my inimitable friend Amanda Valentine and, although it's a spontaneous shot, it looks like a promo poster for an X-Men movie. Maybe I should start a superhero fashion squad called the S-Men (and Women).

I certainly could've culled from an entire fashion universe at the O'More Show. Twelve designers showed 15 collections. My better half shot over 900 photos. Here are the highlights.

There were a few hiccups here and there in the form of fit issues and adorably unpredictable tiny tyke runway models, but there's no question this production was an unmitigated success. The evening culminated with the announcement of the awards given to top junior and senior collections. Senior Stephanie Caporella was awarded the Distinguished Designer Award and junior Sara Hinkle received the Design Achievement Award. Both awards are given to students who display exceptional talent in the creation of their business plans and runway presentations.

Two designers really stood out to me. Hannah Donelly really understands how to dress a curvy woman, and Brittany Westmoreland's screenprints and hand-dyed textiles are hauntingly beautiful.