A new LGBTQ+ fashion week is coming to LA. And it’s free. And there’s free wine.

It’s called Equality Fashion Week, and it’s celebrating the Queer Fashion Community in all its colorful spectrums in a 5-day experience of LGBTQ+ artists and designers, including pop-up meet-n-greets & fashion displays.

Queer fashion events on this scale are a very new phenomena that will undoubtedly continue growing. Just 5 years ago, dapperQ began transforming New York fashion week with huge queer events that topped regular programming. Rainbow Fashion Week also launched in New York in 2013, followed by Oakland, which began queer fashion week in 2015. A queer fashion show came to London last year (2017) and now it’s LA’s time to shine, thanks to queer footwear designer Nik Kacy.

Equality Fashion Week opens on October 5th, a day before the commencement of LAFW, with a Fashion Show hosted by Carmen Carrera to key industry professionals. Then, from the 6th – 9th, there will be "Meet the Designers" Pop-Up Events. Unlike the shows Kacy has done in the past, the opening event on the 5th is not open to the public. On making the opening event invitation only, Kacy told me, “It might not be a popular decision, but it's an experiment and hopefully it will help give these designers and performers a chance to reach people they otherwise would have never been able to. Fashion weeks in the mainstream cost thousands of dollars to just be part of for designers. I wanted to give this opportunity to help our community finally access the press and industry folks that can actually help catapult their careers.”

Equality Fashion Week will showcase LA-based queer couturiers and emerging designers including Sharpe Suiting, Hologram City,  Nik Kacy Footwear, Fem/Haus, Lior Boroda, DapperBoi and Stuzo Clothing. Kacy chose designers with an emphasis on getting more opportunities for people of color, trans folk, and nonbinary individuals.

The events from the 6-9th are free, open to the public, and even offer complimentary wine. They invite you to come and go as you please!

For more info and a full schedule of events, visit www.equalityfashionweek.com.

Cover photo credit: Rob Eves