Vegas Fashion Week Debuts Nov. 12–16

Style With Vision and Original Designs Will Be Celebrated

BY DEBBIE HALL / PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEN SAHAGUN PHOTOGRAPHY

This fall, the fashion world will converge in Las Vegas for the inaugural Vegas Fashion Week, scheduled from Nov. 12-16. This exciting event will highlight fashion as a powerful force in culture, creativity and commerce through a week filled with runway shows, citywide activations and immersive experiences.

Presented by the Las Vegas Fashion Council, Vegas Fashion Week will feature:

• Fashion shows and presentations
• Educational talks
• In-store activations, trunk shows and VIP shopping experiences
• Community engagement and entertainment

“We really felt that 2025 was the perfect opportunity to launch Vegas Fashion Week, and this time of year is the perfect time to host our inaugural event. We’ve had a vision to launch this series of events for many years, and it has been part of the vision of the fashion council since day one,” Carrie Carter Cooper, founder and executive director of the Las Vegas Fashion Council and founder of Vegas Fashion Week, explained. “The city is ready for Vegas Fashion Week with the growth and evolution of our city, with entertainment, sports teams, Formula 1, the Sphere and more.”

Along with local, emerging and established designers and international style leaders, a designer who has competed on “Project Runway” will also be part of the event. The week will engage residents, visitors, and industry professionals in the celebration of fashion, beauty, and innovation. A variety of locations and activations are happening citywide so everyone can engage throughout the city.

“We’re proud to present a diverse range of talent from students and emerging designers to established names and luxury brands. Our runway will also showcase an inclusive selection of models representing all ages, ethnicities, and sizes. It’s an honor to highlight the incredible talent within our city and contribute to the growth of our fashion community,” Carter Cooper said.

Another goal of the event is to encourage tourism to Las Vegas. “We’re in need of a little extra boost these days, so we will present activations including fashion shows, presentations, entertainment and educational presentations.”

Kickoff events and activations will begin at The Shops at Crystals on Nov. 13.

Presentations will be at Fashion Show Las Vegas on Nov. 14 and will primarily focus on students, local designers, and emerging designers who don’t have full collections yet in this stage of their journey.

“We’re providing them with a powerful platform that’s highly public facing. Vegas Fashion Week is designed to be a consumer-focused presentation, bringing fashion directly to the community,” Carter Cooper added.

Educational presentations, which will be free to the public, are being finalized (check out the website for updated details). They will focus on students, local designers and anyone interested in the fashion industry.

The evening presentation on Nov. 15 at Worre Studios (worrestudios.com) will feature a variety of designers who have full collections and may be known brands. The featured designer from “Project Runway” will also be in attendance. The state-of-the-art studio features incredible projection screens and immersive experiences.

Chic Compass: How do you handle the colossal scale of live events?

A large lighting load-in is a carefully thought-out ballet of gear, cases, and trucks managed to get from a bare floor to a working rig in four to five hours – whether a modest hotel ballroom or Madison Square Garden. My early years in China gave me great experience in logistics and planning. There weren’t a lot of lighting companies at the time, so I learned if I didn’t bring it with me, I wouldn’t have it.

The key is to break the project down into smaller chunks. Whether a show requires a group of six or 60 lights, every project needs the same things: structure on which to hang or attach lights, as well as power sources, data networking, and space on a truck to get there and back. They need all the necessary gear and skilled technicians to connect the dots between lighting and media instruments while realizing the intentions of the creative design.

As the job gets more extensive, more people are required to cover specific sections. The more prep work we can do in the shop before, the quicker the set can get onsite and into position. Color coding with gaffers’ tape is an essential skill as we address and label everything.

The final event will take place at Peacock Alley at the Waldorf Astoria in its exquisite tearoom as an informal modeling presentation on Nov. 16 featuring world-renowned designer Anne Fontaine.

“We’re thrilled to have TAO Group Hospitality as our nightlife partner, presenting exclusive after-parties from Nov. 13–15 and signature cocktails curated just for Vegas Fashion Week. Throughout the week, we’ve created experiences designed to appeal to every audience. This inaugural event is an exciting moment for our city, celebrating creativity across the fashion industry while spotlighting the incredible talent that makes Las Vegas shine,” Carter Cooper said.

“Vegas Fashion Week is more than a celebration of style — it’s a statement about the power of fashion to shape culture, drive innovation and build community. As the Las Vegas Fashion Council brings this vision to life, we are proud to spotlight the incredible talent that defines our city and to welcome the world to experience Las Vegas as a global fashion capital.”

Mark your calendars for Nov. 12-16 and visit vegasfashionweek.com for tickets and more details. Follow on Facebook @LasVegasFashionCouncil, Instagram @officialvegasfashionweek and X (formerly Twitter) @LVFC_NV.

Carrie Carter Cooper

Carrie Carter Cooper has lived in Las Vegas since she was 4 years old, which she considers home and identifies as a native of Nevada.

“I was a model myself, and that’s certainly my passion and my interest. I was primarily a runway and print model; I did that for many years in Las Vegas. I also lived in Tokyo and Europe and worked for David Copperfield for a couple of years as a dancer and assistant on stage with his touring shows and Vegas residencies. So, I definitely have an extensive background in fashion with modeling, production and event planning.

“In 1997, I started my company Best Agency, a model and talent agency, and event planning production. We create entertainment concepts for hotels, casinos and shopping centers and produce events. We are very proud of our full wardrobe, decor and prop departments, as well as the wide range of talent and services that we provide.”

Photo of Carrie Carter Cooper courtesy of Jerry Metellus Photography, Bo Brinkman and Iryna Pume

Carter Cooper, being a native of Nevada with Las Vegas as her home, is very philanthropically involved in the community. She thought it would be a beautiful tie-in to take her background and history in the fashion industry, event planning and production world, along with her philanthropic interest in giving back to her community.

“I launched the Las Vegas Fashion Council in 2012. We are a nonprofit focused on raising funds for scholarships for students to further pursue their education in fashion. We have awarded 41 scholarships to date. We do so in partnership with the Public Education Foundation, which is our liaison between our organization and local high schools with fashion programs. It’s been a beautiful partnership. In addition to that, we create platforms and annual signature events that we share throughout the year, such as the Little Black Dress Design Competition, Eco Couture and artLIVE. Some of our educational presentations and the Fashion Focus Forum bring forth experts in the fashion industry, including established designers, hair and makeup professionals, photographers and more.”

The Las Vegas Fashion Council provides these platforms for students to take what they’re learning in the classroom and bring it into real-life situations. Local designers are provided opportunities to be seen, share who they are and what they’re creating, giving them exposure for people to hopefully purchase their items and further encourage them along their journey in the fashion industry.

“We make it a priority to actively engage and seek out meaningful collaborations with organizations like MAGIC and other major conventions. This summer, we were honored to partner with MAGIC to showcase local and emerging designers, providing them with a powerful platform to present their work to an international audience. The talent and creativity we witnessed reaffirmed just how vibrant and innovative our city truly is.”

For more information on the Las Vegas Fashion Council, visit lasvegasfashioncouncil.com.