AICI GL BAL

York-level show, then the better emerging designers
don’t want to put their brands on it — and who could
blame them”
And Swinney’s team doesn’t disappoint. Though it
was the first annual FXD week, designers expressed
how impressed they were with the production. “Trust
me, I’ve been to a lot of fashion shows, and this
one was set up really well,” says designer Michelle
Lesniak from Oregon (another Project Runway alum).
Going backstage at the Fashion Industry Gallery, the
designers’ areas were spacious, well lit, and clean.
The hair and makeup stations hummed. No panic, no
pushing, no screaming.
Amassing experience and industry connections,
Launch787 and its sister brands have a great deal
of leverage moving into other markets. It will be
intriguing to see which cities open up to the fashion
event concept and, most notably, are able to sustain it.
Thea Wood, AICI FLC, is an image consultant based in
Austin, Texas, and serves as managing editor for AICI
Global. She is the co-author of Socially Smart and Savvy.
The Association of Image Consultants International | 9