– Zang Toi Is Featured Designer –
– Carly Pearce and Runaway June Add Musical Flair –
–16th Annual Event Is April 28, 2021, at Schermerhorn Symphony Center –
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 29, 2021) – Set for April 28, 2021 at Schermerhorn Symphony Center, the Symphony Fashion Show will highlight Zang Toi’s Fall 2021 collection, with very special guest appearances by rising country stars Runaway June and Carly Pearce. Angela Bostelman and Sarah Reisner are the chairs of the event, which is presented annually in partnership with Gus Mayer. Sandra Lipman is the executive chairman.
A very limited number of Patron tickets will offer in-person access, with social distancing and protocols to ensure the safety of all attendees. On April 1, tickets offering virtual access to the event will go on sale to the public.
“We look forward to hosting an enchanting and unforgettable evening of Parisian chic fashion and glamour,” Bostelman, Reisner and Lipman said. “You will enjoy performances by many gifted musicians and a spectacular runway show from internationally renowned designer Zang Toi. We are honored to present this event in support of the Nashville Symphony at a time of significant need for the organization, and our hope is that guests leave feeling even more committed than ever to the Symphony, one of our city’s greatest treasures.”
“Paris, My ❤️Collection was inspired by the GORGEOUS memories of my many trips to Paris staying at The Ritz, Place Vendome,” said Toi. “The runway show will feature GORGEOUS and GLAMOROUS looks in shades of Paris Pink, French Lavender and Marie Antoinette Yellow paired with black, charcoal and grey.”
Toi has built a tradition of elegance for more than 30 years. Coming from humble beginnings, he was born and raised in a small village, Kuala Krai, in Kelantan, Malaysia. At age 20, he landed in New York City, where he studied at Parsons School of Design. In August 1989, Toi opened his atelier and soon after, U.S. Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour featured him in the March 1990 issue. Toi was one of the first Asian designers championed by the renowned editor. Today, the world continues to recognize his passion for timeless beauty as he builds on a strong tradition of elegance.
“I love going back to Nashville again and again...it is a love affair that started 28 years ago, and it remains stronger than ever,” noted Toi. “Not even a pandemic lockdown can stop me from creating a GORGEOUS collection to share with my GORGEOUS loyal ladies.”
Gus Mayer has partnered with the Symphony Fashion Show for 11 years. Founded in 1900, Gus Mayer is a leading fashion retailer offering compelling and exclusive clothing, shoes and accessories for women. The Birmingham, Alabama-based, family-owned upscale specialty department store has two locations – The Summit in Birmingham and The Mall at Green Hills in Nashville.
Music is always a highlight of the Symphony Fashion Show, and this year’s event will feature performances by students in the Nashville Symphony’s Accelerando program, which is designed to prepare gifted young students of diverse ethnic backgrounds to pursue music in college and beyond. This nationally recognized initiative rewards dedicated music students in grades 5-11 with opportunities to pursue their dreams.
Though still relatively new, guest artists Runaway June have already accomplished many feats that some artists never attain in their lifetimes. Their single “Buy My Own Drinks” marked the first time a female trio or group has broken into the top five on the Mediabase Country chart since The Chicks in 2003. Not only have they gained radio chart success, Runaway June has become an ACM- and CMT-nominated band, been named CMT’s “Next Women of Country,” scored major tours and opening slots with some of the biggest names and icons in music (including Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan), and performed on national TV, including Good Morning America, the CMA Awards, ACM Awards and CMT Awards.
Lighting a fire with her debut album Every Little Thing and the Platinum-certified history-making title track, ACM Awards Female Artist of the Year nominee Carly Pearce has become “Country’s ‘it’ girl” (ABC Radio), touring alongside Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts and Luke Bryan. With the most CMA Awards nods for any new artist in 2020, she won Musical Event of the Year. On her new seven-song collection 29 (available via Big Machine Records), Pearce finds creative simpatico with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne following the unexpected death of her mentor and former producer busbee. As she marks a new chapter coming of age, she earns three ACM Awards nominations for Female Artist, Single and Music Event of the Year with her Platinum-certified, No. 1 duet with Lee Brice “I Hope You’re Happy Now.”
Bruce Pittman is the event designer for the Symphony Fashion Show. A Nashville native, he has worked in the hospitality industry for the past 20 years. “I’m thrilled and humbled to be a part of the Symphony Fashion Show,” said Pittman. “Incorporating Zang’s bold and eye-catching fashion in our event design was a fun and rewarding experience. Using one of the show’s signature colors, we designed a ‘red carpet’ entrance that leads to the grand lobby entrance featuring a larger-than-life, 14-foot floral-accented Eiffel Tower. This provides the ideal setting for show-stopping photo opportunities that truly capture the event’s ‘Paris, My ❤️’ theme.”
All guests will be socially distanced and seated at tables in the concert hall facing the runway. Each guest’s table will be draped in white, with lights beneath the table emitting a soft glow to add to the festive ambiance of the evening. Florals at each table will be set low and long, accentuating color-blocked arrangements showcasing the event’s bold pink, lavender and yellow colors.
Element Salon and Gus Mayer Birmingham are partnering with the fashion show to provide hair and make-up for the models. The event’s florist is LMA Designs, and the props and drape company is TN Event Designs.
Only Symphony Fashion Show Patrons will gain access to the in-person event at the Schermerhorn. As the health and safety of all involved is paramount, the Nashville Symphony has partnered with HCA Healthcare/TriStar Health to serve as the Official Health and Safety Partner to deliver a safe and enriching experience for all involved.
The event also will be live-streamed for “La Mode à la Maison [Fashion at Home]” virtual ticketholders.
Proceeds from the Symphony Fashion Show support the Nashville Symphony’s education and community engagement programs – which annually reach tens of thousands of Middle Tennessee children and adults through free concerts, classroom activities, hands-on instruction and more – as well as helping to sustain the Nashville Symphony’s mission of achieving artistic excellence through outstanding performances, world premieres, commissions and GRAMMY®-winning recordings.
Past designers for the Symphony Fashion Show have included Jason Wu, Zac Posen, Carolina Herrera, Brunello Cucinelli, Christian Siriano, Oscar de la Renta, MARCHESA, Monique Lhuillier, Isaac Mizrahi and Pamella Roland. Artists who have appeared as the featured entertainer at past events include Lauren Alaina, Little Big Town, Kelsea Ballerini, Sara Evans, The Band Perry and Mandy Barnett.
More information is available at NashvilleSymphony.org/sfs21.
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