Kamloops-based fashion designer and models prepare for New York Fashion Week

KAMLOOPS — Kamloops-based designer Delayne Dixon is making her return to the Big Apple for New York Fashion Week 2022.

“This’ll be my first show in three years, and I’m not usually nervous when it comes to shows,” said Dixon.

“The nerves don’t really hit me until like, the minute of my show, and I’m backstage and I’m like, ‘Oh my god.’ Usually I get emotional towards the end because it’s all these months and months of hard work you’re seeing come into fruition.”

“I’m just so excited to have so many Kamloops people come with me, too… Fashion Week is a monster event and I just hope everyone has fun,” she said.

Seven Kamloops-based models of all different experience levels will join her in New York for the chance to walk in her show.

(Photo credit: Delayne Dixon).

“Some of them have modelled before in Vancouver and the area, but the other ones are pretty new to it, but they’re gorgeous and inclusive which is awesome,” said Dixon.

“We’re planning on doing a runway coach day in a couple weeks, just so everyone knows what to expect.”

She’s been working on the outfits for this year’s show for about six months. She focused on making the pieces more luxurious than what she’s done before.

(Photo credit: Delayne Dixon).

“The collection itself is pretty spicy; it’s definitely my brand.”

“I work with a lot of red and black and animal prints and sort of sassy stuff, so there’s red and black zebra print, there’s some faux leather, some faux fur.”

(Photo credit: Delayne Dixon).

“You kind of learn as you go when you run a business, what people are buying, what people aren’t buying, I do sell quite a lot of casual stuff, but the price points are so, for me, out of reach sometimes. With Shein and Zara and H&M, you can buy all these casual things for like twenty bucks.”

“I really had to rework my business model a little bit where I want my brand to be essentially… be couture, red carpet. It’ll be a slow transition — I’m not gonna force myself into anything — but I’m just gonna keep going and see where that takes me.”

(Photo credit: Delayne Dixon).

The models will hit the runway on September 10.