Columbus's ninth annual Passport 2 Fashion runway show returns to Vue Columbus this Friday, bringing together designers and models of every age, race, ethnicity, gender identity and body type. Tickets run $45 for general admission or $60 for VIP access, which includes an early reception before the runway lights come up. The Brewery District showcase promises a mix of styles, from Indian textiles and punk- and goth-influenced looks to West African luxury pieces and indigenous avant-garde design.
Passport 2 Fashion founder Aditi Bhatiya, who also founded the parent nonprofit DiverCity614, described the show as a multicultural fashion and art extravaganza intended to foster belonging, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Bhatiya told the paper the event reflects Columbus's diverse community, and that fashion is for everyone, with the goal of making sure every attendee feels seen and celebrated.
Runway Show Schedule Pairs Fashion With Shopping
The night unfolds in stages, according to Experience Columbus: a 6 p.m. VIP reception, 7 p.m. general admission doors, a 7:30 p.m. runway show, and a 9:30 p.m. afterparty paired with a pop-up market billed as Shop the Runway, where guests can buy pieces directly from the designers. Performances are woven directly into the runway segments rather than staged as separate breaks.
Headlining this year's runway is designer Himikalas Pamela Baker, founder of T.O.C. Legends House of Design, whose past work includes designing regalia for Squamish representatives at the 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, the Dispatch reported. The show will also feature a streetwear showcase built around Black design identity, plus student and alumni collections from fashion programs at Ohio State, Columbus College of Art & Design, Hocking College and Kent State University. Bhatiya said the designers involved bring multiple talents to the stage beyond their clothing lines, per the same report.
DiverCity614 Launches Year-Round Push Beyond the Runway
Beyond Friday's show, parent nonprofit DiverCity614 is unveiling The Next Destination, a new year-round workforce initiative meant to convert runway exposure into lasting business opportunities. According to PRLog, the program will offer workshops, mentorship and business connections aimed at helping diverse fashion creatives build sustainable careers rather than one-night showcases. DiverCity614 runs Passport 2 Fashion alongside its sister program, Passport 2 Flavor, as its two flagship efforts to use fashion, food and storytelling to foster cultural inclusion.
The show also carries public financial backing. The Greater Columbus Arts Council awarded Passport 2 Fashion a $10,395 Project Support grant for 2026, down from the $12,880 grant it received for last year's production.
Columbus's Fashion Industry Muscle Behind the Catwalk
The event taps into a fashion scene bigger than most outsiders realize. Columbus holds the third-largest concentration of fashion designers in the country, trailing only New York City and Los Angeles, according to Livability.com.
That density is fed by deep corporate roots. Central Ohio is home to more than 8,200 corporate headquarters and distribution jobs tied to major retail fashion brands, including Abercrombie & Fitch, Victoria's Secret, Express and Bath & Body Works, per the Columbus Fashion Alliance.
The region's logistics muscle matters just as much as its design talent. The Rickenbacker Inland Port Foreign-Trade Zone processes roughly 70 percent of all U.S. apparel and footwear imports entering foreign-trade zones, according to Mann Publications, giving Central Ohio's designers a supply chain most cities can't match.
Classroom to Catwalk Pipeline
Passport 2 Fashion also functions as a training ground. Hocking College's Fashion Design & Retail Merchandising program partners with the show and the Columbus Fashion Council to give students hands-on experience staging original collections on a commercial runway, according to Hocking College.
Bhatiya, who spent eight years supporting marketing and industry initiatives for the Columbus Fashion Council, was honored with the 2023 Next UP Columbus Award and named a 2023 WELD honoree, according to SPESA. She also runs The Spice Age Group, which houses her digital marketing business, event-planning firm and catering service. Ticket and program details for Friday's show are available through passport2fashion.org.
