Eight New Orleans-area designers will step onto a Canal Place runway Thursday night, each hoping to sew their way into New York Fashion Week. The Stitch New Orleans, a design competition that hasn't been part of New Orleans Fashion Week in more than five years, kicks off from 6 to 10 p.m. on Level 3 as the centerpiece of the festival's 16th season.
The competition is presented by the Tampa Bay Fashion Experience, according to Canal Place, and it marks the return of a Fashion Week competition event that had been dormant for more than five years, per NOLA.com. Eight local designers will show 10-piece collections and compete for a spot in New York Fashion Week, the outlet reports. Behind the revival is Taneka Bowles, founder of the Tampa Bay Fashion Experience, who brought The Stitch to New Orleans Fashion Week.
Who's Competing for a Ticket to New York
Eight designers will compete for a ticket to New York.
Judging the collections will be Bowles herself, along with Tamica Lee, Pedram Pasha Taheri of Pedram Couture, and Lisa McRoberts Lewis. Two designers will be selected as semifinalists and invited to the Christian Siriano Fashion Design Boot Camp in New York City, according to Canal Place. Those two are expected to return to New Orleans for a final runway showdown in January 2027, where the eventual winner will earn a shot at showcasing a collection at the NYFW Art Hearts Show in February 2027.
A Five-Year Gap, Now Closed
New Orleans Fashion Week itself dates back roughly 15 years, originating as an effort to spotlight New Orleans-made fashions and retailers, per the NOLA.com report. Tracee Dundas, the festival's founder, told the outlet that the event has blossomed into an annual showcase of designers from across the Gulf Coast, with past participants hailing from as far as Thailand and Kenya.
This year's festival will hold its main designer and retail showcases at Canal Place on Sept. 25 and Sept. 26, following Thursday's competition, featuring 26 established designers. NOLA.com's report lists a roster that includes Laura Citron, Ellen Macomber, Mimi Holaday, Felicia Gillon of Pamoja Na, Casmé, and Pedram Pasha Taheri. The festival also partners with the Aveda Institute and Delgado Community College, giving students hands-on experience in modeling and cosmetology, according to the same report.
Fashion, Philanthropy and a Football Connection
Bowles, a New Sarpy native whose LeBoyd family is third-generation St. Charles Parish and includes graduates of Destrehan High School, is also the wife of Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, per NOLA.com. Her nonprofit work blends fashion and philanthropy, donating fashion show proceeds to local organizations that support neurodivergent individuals and low-income housing efforts. She is also a longtime donor to Son of a Saint, a New Orleans nonprofit that helps fatherless boys, the outlet reports.
Bowles told NOLA.com that fashion has shifted toward sustainability and sourcing in recent years, and noted that fashion weeks now exist in almost every major American city. She pointed to the internet as an accessible platform for creators and designers looking to grow their brands. New Orleans Fashion Week, for its part, says it aims to provide in-person experiences that showcase new and diverse talent — the kind of hands-on moment eight local designers will get on the Canal Place runway Thursday night.
Shopping Alongside the Runway
Beyond the competition itself, Thursday's event will feature NOFW's Luxe Marketplace, a curated shopping destination showcasing local designers, jewelry, beauty brands, accessories and lifestyle products, according to Canal Place. Tickets and additional event details are listed on Eventbrite.
