October 16, 2024 The Newspaper Serving LGBT Los Angeles

L.A.’s Premiere LGBTQ+ Fashion Week Long Overdue

The fashion industry can be rigid, tough. And until recent years, tall, white, skinny and cisgender.

But designer Nik Kacy is ready to shake that all up with Los Angeles’ first LGBTQ+ Fashion Week, which kicks off Friday night with an exclusive fashion show.

“If you want to give back to our community, this is a great way to do it,” Kacy said. “Getting the entire community together and celebrating everyone.”

Kacy is no stranger to the exclusivity of the fashion industry. Growing up trans and non binary, Kacy said that they were never able to find shoes that adequately expressed their sense of style.

“Why do products and materials have to have genders?” Kacy pondered. So they created their own footwear line. It is with this success in the fashion industry that the Montrose Hotel reached out to Kacy, asking them to help put on a fashion show.

Photo: Courtesy Nik Kacy.
Pop-up events from Saturday, Oct 6. Through Tuesday, Oct. 9 from. 4–7 p.m. at the Montrose in WeHo.

Kacy liked the idea, but they wanted to expand it to a proper LGBTQ+ fashion week, rather than a one-nigh-only event. After all, both New York and San Francisco have an LGBTQ+ Fashion Week, why not L.A.? Kacy has organized a weeklong event, gives the queer designers, models and performers more access to the Industry, with pop-up events all over L.A. throughout the upcoming week.

“It was about the fact that most of us in the queer community, we struggle,” Kacy said. “We have so many extra hurdles. Entrepreneurs have access to bigger Industry events, like L.A. fashion week. All these fashion weeks around the world are prominent in our line of work, yet we can’t afford to be in them.”

It was with this in mind that Kacy started planning and organizing. They decided that if the LGBTQ+ community couldn’t access the Industry, they’d bring the Industry to the LGBTQ+ community. Kacy was particularly mindful of being inclusive of those who are ordinarily left out of the spotlight.

“We just wanted to give priority to trans, non binary and people of color,”Kacy explained. “Those are the people we don’t get to se enough so those a are priority, but that isn’t to say we didn’t want to exclude cis-gender or non-POC. I wanted to include everyone in all of our community.”

Equality Fashion Week begins tonight with an exclusive rooftop fashion show at the Montrose Hotel. Pop-up events from Saturday, Oct 6. Through Tuesday, Oct. 9 from. 4–7 p.m. at the Montrose West Hollywood Lounge. For more information, visit the Equality Fashion Week website HERE.

Related Posts

Suspect Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Sell Stolen Warhol Artwork in Beverly Hills Auction House

October 1, 2024

October 1, 2024

The Warhol Print Was Originally Sold by a West Hollywood Gallery  Brian Alec Light, 58, of Hudson, Ohio, is expected...

Santa Monica Artist Dave Quick’s “Return from the Burn” Exhibition to Open at Bergamot’s Lois Lambert Gallery

July 10, 2024

July 10, 2024

Pre-Burning Man Showcase Features Kinetic Art and Sculptures Coated with Playa Dust, Opens July 13 With upwards of 80,000 attendees,...

Film Review: Down Low

July 30, 2023

July 30, 2023

FILM REVIEWDOWN LOWRated R90 MinutesReleased March 11, 2023 By Dolores Quintana “Down Low” is funny. It’s a lean 90 minutes...

Film Review: The People’s Joker

July 23, 2023

July 23, 2023

FILM REVIEWThe People’s JokerUnrated92 MinutesReleased September 13, 2022 (Toronto Film Festival) By Dolores Quintana “The People’s Joker” is a heartfelt...

The Problem with Pride Outfits and How You Can Change It

February 20, 2023

February 20, 2023

Since pride month’s official declaration in 1999, we’re reminded every June of how far America has come following New York...

Happening Now: West Hollywood’s LGBTQ+ Arts Festival

May 23, 2022

May 23, 2022

By Susan Payne Happening now through the end of June, WeHo Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival celebrates the artistic contributions of...

WeHo Premieres the ‘Moving Image Media Art’ Exhibition Series

February 2, 2022

February 2, 2022

The City of West Hollywood announces the premiere of the Moving Image Media Art (MIMA) program and the worldwide debut...

Green Qween New Queer-Owned Cannabis Shop Will Open Downtown

February 2, 2022

February 2, 2022

Green Qween, a new queer-owned and queer-driven cannabis shop, will open in downtown on April 20th.  The shops owners, Andrés...

2022 ‘WeHo Reads’ Series Celebrates the ‘Road to Joy’

February 2, 2022

February 2, 2022

The City of West Hollywood invites community members to celebrate literature and local authors with its 2022 WeHo Reads literary...

MJ Rodriguez, 1st Openly Transgender Actress to Win Golden Globe

January 18, 2022

January 18, 2022

Michaela Jae “MJ” Rodriguez has made history by becoming the first openly transgender person to win a Golden Globe.  The...

LGBTQ Haven in Long Beach

January 18, 2022

January 18, 2022

Long Beach is quickly becoming more and more of a safe haven for LGBTQ individuals with its queer spaces exploding...

WeHo Offers Sandbags To Help Residents With Heavy Rain

December 14, 2021

December 14, 2021

The City of West Hollywood is offering free sand-filled sandbags to West Hollywood residents and businesses as heavy rains fall...

Synergy Scholarship For LGBTQ+ Students

December 13, 2021

December 13, 2021

The Synergy scholarship for LGBTQ+ students is now open for submissions.  Created by California native GT Dave in June of...

LACMA Spotlights Queer Black Artists & Subjects

December 7, 2021

December 7, 2021

“The Obama Portraits Tour” and “Black American Portraits” exhibits at LACMA not only celebrate portraiture, but also queer Black artists...

Pride Poets’ Corner: Featuring Corey Saucier & the Dirge for 24 Hour Fitness

December 7, 2021

December 7, 2021

On November 30, 2020, the 24 Hour Fitness location in West Hollywood, which had been in the community for 25...