Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but fashion often is not, coming instead out of the creative spirit of designers who read public sentiment and then set trends.
Over the last five years, Jersey City Fashion Week (JCFW) has served as the host for impressive works by celebrated designers, and the upcoming event from Sept. 22 to Sept. 25 should be no exception.
JCFW will honor U.S. Senator Cory Booker and State Senator and Union City Mayor Brian Stack with the People of Influence Award. As public figures dedicated to helping others throughout their communities, Sen. Booker and Sen. Stack will each receive awards at the 5th Annual JCFW Festival on Sept. 22 during the VIP Show. The VIP Show will take place at Maritime Park starting at 5:30 p.m.
Leontine Abdullah will take center stage as a featured celebrity designer. Those who attend will get an exclusive look into Abdullah’s new line, the Leontine Collection. The Los Angeles native has stitched, sewn, and styled for Hollywood’s top celebrities, including Farrah Abraham, Torrei Hart, and Rick Mora.
Abdullah is known for her custom-jeweled couture gowns, which have graced the red carpet of the Academy Awards, BET Awards, NAACP Awards and several notable A-list events.
In 2013, Abdullah took the fashion world by storm when she stepped up to the plate and showcased her work in the first ever Alaska Fashion Week. She continued the momentum throughout 2014 and showcased her designs at Montana Fashion Week.
In the same year, Abdullah was nominated for the Versace Designer of the Year Award at the EOTM Awards.
For 2016, Abdullah will head to Europe and debut her House of Leontine collection at London Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.
Before Abdullah made her way in the world of fashion she had a career on the big screen. During her ‘tween years, she appeared in more than 30 movies, including “Karate Kid 3,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” and “Rodney Dangerfield’s Television Show – Where’s Rodney?”
She took a leap from acting to become a model for Vogue Modeling Productions, where she had the chance to wow the crowds lining runways all over the world.
Abdullah made her way back in front of the camera as a featured fashion designer on the reality television show, “America’s It Girl.” While on the show, Abdullah was able to highlight her unique ability to drape a gown in 30 minutes.
When she’s not showcasing her latest designs around the world, Abdullah donates her time to the fashion community. She teaches free sewing and design workshops at Mood Fabrics in Los Angeles. She also finds time to teach model workshops in Anchorage, Alaska and New York City.
As a trendsetter, Abdullah says her passion is to design and create fashion lines for women on a global scale. And the motto she lives by has allowed her to do just that: “Creativity and vision go together. In order to create, you must first have a vision.”
Five years and still going strong
This year marks the 5th year anniversary for Jersey City Fashion Week. The event is produced by DLJ Give to Live Community Foundation 501(c)(3), a project of United Charitable Programs. The organization supports charitable causes through fashion, sports and entertainment.
For 2016, JCFW will donate to Fashion Art XChange, a Group, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson and Union Counties.
The Hudson Reporter is one of the event’s principle sponsors. The five days of fashion events are designed to raise money for Jersey City and Hudson County community organizations.
An event that rivals its counterpart in New York, JC Fashion Week will likely present the work of dozens of designers, and will give a glimpse of emerging fashion that would not be available elsewhere.
The event is designed to highlight fashion and local Jersey City businesses, and to give back to the community, said Desha Jackson, founder of DLJ Give to Live Foundation.
“Jersey City is diverse, so I wanted Jersey City Fashion Week to reflect that.” – Desha Jackson
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“We were discussing different projects, and it was realized that while there was a fashion week for the state of New Jersey, there was not an individual fashion week for just Jersey City,” Jackson said. So she launched the program with help from the United Charitable Program.
Although Jackson is not a native of the city, she practiced law in the city for a number of years, and said she wanted to help and give back to the people of Jersey City.
“Jersey City is diverse, so I wanted Jersey City Fashion Week to reflect that,” she said. “Our theme for September 2016 is Fashion in the Park – JCFW Fashion Festival: Celebrating Five Years of Fashion, Entertainment and Community.”
In prior years they have donated to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Hudson County, York Street Project and Art House Production’s Stages Program, a community- based theater academy for kids and teens in grades 4 to 12; Dress for Success, Rising Tide Capital, The Hope Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, Snowflake Youth Foundation, GridIron Gang, Jersey City Recreation Fund, Mo Hair Foundation, The Concordia Learning Center, Habitat for Humanity, Covenant House, Hope House, and the Keystone Griffins.
“In addition to our shows this year we are planning a concert,” Jackson said. “Tamara Laine from the show ‘Chasing New Jersey’ on Channel MY9 will host our Saturday show and concert. JCFW recently added a young designer’s contests for high school and college designers entitled Creative Runway and a Hair and Make Up Artistry Show to its weeks line up.”
Opening night is on Sept. 22 There will be a VIP show including celebrity, international and couture designers at Maritime Parc in Liberty State Park.
Sept. 23 features Store Day and Night of Lights, a free event from noon to 9 p.m. at various locations in Jersey City, including a fashion film screenings, a form festival pop up at 7 p.m. at the Port-O-Lounge, 286 First St.
The catwalk in the park show and concert is scheduled for Liberty State Park on Sept. 24 from 5:30 to 10 p.m. in the historic rail terminal building at the end of Audrey Zapp Drive. The event will feature ready to wear and children’s designers and includes designers Noreen Frances, Sonia Booker, Moaqua Phillips, Dominicci, Lorraine Muriello, Ange Tedego, Jean Fredeling. Featured designers also include Swim by Lee and Bernard Moore.
The concluding event called “Estilo Comida Moda,” where organizers say fashion, food and style collide for the soul. A fashion brunch is tentatively scheduled for the VB 3 restaurant and bar on Sept. 25
For more information go to www.jerseycityfashionweek.com.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.