Written by| Myles Matthews
Wednesday September 11, 2019 was a day of remembrance. They day began as people paid their respect to the fallen victims of the attacks that occurred over a decade a go. New York City was in full swing as fashion week was coming to a close. As I pulled into Manhattan on the way to Brooklyn, you felt the energy of the city in full swing. In a city full of creators there was a collective that I set my sights on to see that day, that go by the name VNF Productions.
They are a team that consists of three very professional individuals. As I walked into their space as they prepared for their first ever show during New York Fashion Week, the feel was not that of a first time production. From the attire of the workers, how they greeted their guest, the aesthetic of the venue, and the strict schedule that they followed, anyone from the outside looking in would have thought their team had been around for years. I asked Noah Love, who is one third of the collective, what inspired them to pull off an event like this in such a detailed oriented way and he told me, “ We have the understanding that we are millennials and people of color, and so everything we do is under a microscope… Being the new kids on the block we wanted to make sure that we impressed ourselves and the market.”
Impressing the market was something that they did very well. Their show attracted some notable people that were in attendance. Model Fazon Gray and Actor/Model Donnell Blaylock were amongst some of the notable guest in attendance. Gray told NBT, “The show was amazing it exceeded all my expectations. It felt amazing to see so many black models, people who were apart of production, and casting who put together such an amazing event.” That seemed to be the theme of the event as Donnell Blaylock followed up in the same sentence saying, “For my first show seeing us do so well, because we were thriving on the front end and the back end with production so I am proud.”
Their line up of emerging designers was hand picked by the team, and was nothing short of spectacular. The line included Simone Sullivan, Intro By Damian Joel, Tashiann Yasmine NY, Jessica Chang Studio, Anya Haber, The ETANA New York Collection, and The Bloom Collection by Floresca Isme. From Anya Haber who shocked the crowd as she unveiled her universal concept to Damian Joel who introduced his gender neutral line inspired by the Gullah/Geechee nation, displayed how VNF truly has an eye for who is up next in the fashion arena.
As VNF continues to elevate their brand to a household name in the industry, they also look to continue to push the conversation forward and open doors for people of color. As people of color continue to influence the industry in its entirety, they feel as though it's time to give more people a seat at the table. Noah Love told NBT, “The message behind VNF is to make sure that we aren’t just in the room, but are creating these spaces where we can include ourselves.” The vision is clear behind what their purpose is as professionals in this industry. Day by day their brand will continue to emerge as the premiere production company of choice during fashion week. When this time comes they will have younger followers who are inspired by the work that they put in, so I left them with a final question, to those who aspire to be in the position that they are in today what would you tell them? Vena, who is also one third of VNF told NBT, “It’s an infinite creative realm and the boundaries are limitless…so just do it! You are going to go through hard times and struggle, but do it anyway and it will be all worth it in the end!”
VNF showed their commitment to their process and it has continued to pay off. With their dedication and their expertise in all areas fashion it is only a matter of time before Vena, Noah, Floresca and VNF Productions become the standard in fashion.
