Leanne Marshall Brings Sustainability with Uncharacteristic Edge to the NYFW Runway

New York, NY (February 14, 2018) -- The always anticipated Leanne Marshall New York Fashion Week runway show brought romantic elegance with a hint of edge to Spring Studios this Valentine's Day.  The newly engaged fashion designer highlighted Cupid's day by placing a custom-made Valentine by Lovepop on each and every seat with a Fall/Winter sketch and love note to her fans. Hundreds of industry experts instantly felt a personal connection to Leanne opening and closing their interactive pop up cards as they took their seats and waited for the show to begin in the gorgeous light-filled gallery overlooking the Hudson River. Moody melodies overtook the space, and the first model took to the catwalk in a trendy wet hair look by Aveda and an uncharacteristic structured navy sheath dress. Audience heads began to turn with delight as chunky knitwear pieces, subtly striped separates, and oversized jackets passed through the runway threshold.  

Leanne Marshall stunned today with a vibrant runway dripping with gorgeous gowns and sweatered separates. Her palette consisted of charcoal, midnight navy, dusty rose, metallic bronze, citron, and cyan. The unexpected color combinations flowed gorgeously from one capsule to the next with her signature silk chiffon silhouettes, wool shift dresses, and organic cotton outerwear.  Waved and scalloped cutouts added a touch of drama and served as a departure from her usual penchant for flowy fabrics. Each piece in the collection was crafted sustainably, whether from leftover, hand-dyed bridal materials or organically sourced cottons.The show also featured a bevy of beautiful faces in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Forty models strutted the runway, many of whom were plus sized and real sized, echoing the designer's desire to dress all women. Flaunting the beauty of every body, Leanne chose to steer away from the norm and feature fitted, body-hugging silhouettes.  In true Leanne Marshall fashion, the runway show closed with a stunning, voluminous gown. This season in a statement making citron, the drop waist showstopper featured lace illusion and crinkle silk organza details. The designer's sweet fiancé Remy made his first catwalk appearance handing over a lovely bouquet of festive red roses to his bride to be as a loving "aw" trickled throughout the crowd. Notable attendees included actress Lizzy Green of Nickelodeon's Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn, Emma Myles and Francesca Curran of Orange is the New Black, musician Leslie DiNicola, Youtuber Sasha Anne, Taylor Louderman of Broadway's Mean Girls, actress Annie Q, Lisa Nicole Cloud of Married to Medicine, model Joy Corrigan, host Kristine Leahy of American Ninja Warrior and Fox Sports, and Vallery Lomas winner of ABC's Great American Baking Show. ##About Leanne MarshallLeanne Marshall was born in Yuba City, California. When most little girls were playing house, Leanne was playing fashion designer with a sketchbook, colored pencils and spare bits of fabric. In no time at all, with the help of a local seamstress, she began bringing her sketches to life. At age 18, Leanne won the Levi’s Dockers Scholarship and was awarded a year of free tuition at The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco where she went on to study. In mid 2007, she was able to leave her money job behind and make the leap into designing her own label full-time.  In 2008, what would become a career defining year, Leanne was selected as a contestant for Season 5 of Project Runway. With an unwavering determination, she made it all the way to the finale where she showed her, now famous, wave inspired collection in shades of turquoise, ivory and sand. The judges, and audiences worldwide, were captivated by her final collection and Leanne was crowned the winner.  Fresh after her Project Runway win, Leanne relocated to New York City where she continued to develop her line. Her collections have shown at New York Fashion Week and fashion weeks around the globe every year since 2008. Her work has been seen on Carrie Underwood, Ashley Benson, Salt, Ariana Grande, Andi MacDowell, Julianne Hough, Dasha Palanco, Jackie Cruz, Jane Fonda, Paula Abdul and many others. Her dresses and gowns have graced the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides, US Weekly, The Post, TV Guide, The New York Times, People, Grazia, Elle, LIFE, National Geographicand countless others.  Leanne Marshall’s sophisticated designs are known for their light, flowing lines, feminine details and timeless elegance. Each dress is made in New York using only the highest quality materials. The Leanne Marshall Brand is a staple for the woman who wants a dress that will showcase, not overshadow, her beauty. Attention to high quality standards, proper flattering fits and silhouettes, and her unique ethereal approach to design have made Leanne a go-to for the today’s woman. With touches of classic and modern, sophistication and youth, Leanne Marshall has captured an effortless grace and timeless elegance in her collections.  

 

 

 

For more information visit www.leannemarshall.com or follow on social at @leannemarshallofficial.   

About MISS GARCIAMISS GARCIA is the Spanish luxury footwear brand acclaimed for its standout styles, effervescent colors and impeccable, hand-crafted quality. The brand was founded in 2013 by entrepreneur and company CEO Elena Garcia who wanted to create a line that women everywhere would find compelling and irresistible. To learn more information about MISS GARCIA, please visit missgarcia.com.About AvedaFounded in 1978 in Minneapolis, MN, Aveda creates high performance, plant-based products for beauty professionals and consumers.  Aveda innovates in botanical technologies, combining the principles of modern science and Ayurveda, the ancient healing art of India, to develop performance-driven hair, skin and body products—made with pure flower and plant essences—that are created with respect for the Earth, and a comprehensive menu of ritual-based treatments for holistic beauty. Go behind-the-scenes at Aveda on the blog at www.livingaveda.com

Fashion and the Global Goals. Style & Resilience Co- Organizes the First Sustainable Fashion event at the United Nations.

16 November 2017 - Thursday Briefing 

"Fashion and Sustainability: Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good"

Using Fashion as a Vehicle for Change

DPI NGO Briefing followed by a Sustainable Fashion Showcase

Date: 16 November 2017

Time: 11 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.

Location: Conference Room 4, UNHQ, NY

Women’s National Book Association

Dena Mekawi, Founder of Style & Resilience, and representative of Women’s National Book Association co-organized the Sustainable fashion show at the United Nations, November 16, 2017, along with the DPI NGO sub-committee , United Nations DPI. Taking the passion she had for style, fashion and beauty, into the United Nations 17 Global Goals framework. Dena says “  I wanted to creatively engage millennial into really understanding how they consume fashion. Fashion consumptions affects unpaid labor, forced child labor, especially in developing countries for women and girls, with the access and resources we have, now more than ever people have the tools to shift into a better circular economy.” 

Dena creatively came up with the social media marketing, along with the hashtag  #rolemodel4fashion, as a representation of models beyond runway models. Mirroring models within fashion, being the change makers and shifting how we consume fashion, makes us real role models. 

Did you know, the fashion industry’s CO2 emissions are projected to increase by more than 60% to nearly 2.8 billion tons per year by 2030- the equivalent of emissions produced by nearly 230 million passenger vehicles driven for a year.

#rolemodel4fashion. Also, over 50% of workers are not paid the minimum wage in countries like India or Philippines.

What if someone told you it takes 2,700 liters of water to grow enough cotton for one T-shirt, an amount equal to one person’s drinking water for 900 days? 

This was just one of the statistics about the fashion industry’s social and environmental effects shared at this month’s United Nations Department of Public Information/Non-Governmental Organizations briefing, “Fashion and Sustainability: Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good: Using Fashion as a Vehicle for Change.”

The briefing, moderated by Patrick Duffy, founder of the Global Fashion Exchange, featured panelists from global organizations working to enact change in the industry and was followed by a fashion showcase, the first of its kind at the UN. Five designers presented sustainable clothing collections to an audience comprising designers and companies, students from multiple New York universities, NGOs, UN officials, and ambassadors.

One way Ottoboni wields that power is by avoiding “fast fashion,” a term referring to companies releasing new clothing collections quickly and cheaply, leading to more textile waste and consumption of resources.

While some sustainable purchases cost more, Ottoboni suggests those with limited budgets can consider spending more on a garment that will last longer instead of buying new clothes more often.

She also believes that in the long term, “ethical sourcing and things like that will become a norm and become less expensive as demand increases.”

The enthusiastic audience at the UN briefing and showcase suggests the trajectory is already in motion, and Ottoboni is especially encouraged by this statistic: 65 percent of consumers are now actively seeking sustainable fashion.