My Soapbox: Nathan Hurst & Cincinnati Fashion Week

Nathan Hurst, founder of Cincinnati Fashion Week, is hard at work gearing up for the second year, which kicks off with a “Warhol Factory” inspired Launch Party May 9 at the former Contemporary Arts Center on 5th Street. Fashion Week is only two weeks away, so Soapbox’s Ann Lawson caught up with Hurst to ask him what we can expect new this year, how the Midwest fares in the design world, and, of course, what we should wear to the weeklong schedule of fundraisers and fashionable events.

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Q: What can we expect during Cincinnati Fashion Week 2011 that is unique from other fashion weeks?

Hurst: Cincinnati Fashion Week extends beyond just putting on an event. It’s aimed at leaving a lasting sense of community, ingenuity and vigor within the US through high learning opportunities, the launch of Cincinnati Design and Fashion Fund (CDFS) and the whole process of bringing industry level fashion to a previously unacknowledged part of the country.

Q: So what is different this year from 2010?

Hurst: We’ve really upped the ante with a larger production this year and we are bringing in a higher level of design aesthetic and designer for the event. Our events are also more geared toward education including Mary Basket at the Cincinnati Museum and the Men’s Fashion Refinery featuring Artfully Disheveled and Kaleidoscope. 

Q: At a fashion event like this, what should those in attendance wear?

Hurst: I always say to wear what you are comfortable in. But I would say if there is a dress in your closet or a pair of shoes that you haven’t found somewhere to wear, put it on and rock it out. I wouldn’t say it’s about dressing to impress as much as it’s about dressing to break out of the norm. Dress for yourself, don’t dress for other people. 

Q: This year one of your stated purposes for FW is focusing on creating opportunities and retaining talented designers. What outcomes are you striving for this year?

Hurst: The long term goal of Fashion Week is to create an economic opportunity for local designers and artists interested in fashion and retain those people graduating from local schools as well. We hope to show them there are opportunities regardless of where you live. Also, we want to bring in talent from other places and show them you can be fashionable here. As for the community as a whole, we would hope to incite them into doing something by showing them you can do what you want by creating your own opportunities. 

Q: What do you think are the hot new trends this Spring/Summer?

Hurst: This spring is all about lots of color. There are a lot of bright and bold colors; coral lipstick and turquoise eye shadow. Lately, I’ve been wearing just stark white with intense colors – berry reds, tropic blues. As a guy, I’ve been mixing a lot of plaids as well. I’ve been wearing my plaid in the spring even though it’s more of a fall thing. 

Q: Where do you look for inspiration?

Hurst: I never really look for inspiration. I tend to gain inspiration from different places. I don’t tend to get it from a book. I’m a photographer, and whenever I look through a camera lens, I tend to see things differently, which inspires me. I’m not necessarily a trend watcher. We all see the same thing in the world, through pop culture and the runway and current events. In fashion, that seems push people towards the same aesthetic. 

Q: Do you have a favorite designer right now?

Hurst: Christopher Kane. He is very fresh. He has a way of mixing traditional ideas with more contemporary fashions. I’m most familiar with [his] Spring 2011 collection. He mixed these old world laces and silhouettes with a bright color palette. I really like his ingenuity. His Fall 2010 was also really amazing. He took images from outer space and screen printed them onto fabrics. Everything about it was other-worldly – on these really fun and flirty silhouettes. 

Q: Where do you shop in Cincinnati?

Hurst: For my own clothes I shop at H&M and Nordstrom. When I’m pulling product, I love vintage. I shop at thrift stores like Chicken Lays an Egg. I repurpose them for my own wearability. 

Q: How do you think Cincinnati’s fashion culture compares to other midwestern cities?

Hurst: I think the Midwest is in its own little bubble. I would say we are all pretty similar; Indianapolis, Columbus, Louisville. There are a lot of very talented, very fashionable people, but I don’t think it’s something we are being credited for.

Photography by Scott Beseler.