Cleveland’s fashion profile is on the rise, and the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) will be at the center of high fashion discussions this Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 6 p.m. in Gartner Auditorium when Column & Stripe, CMA’s young affiliates group, presents the second installment of its acclaimed Art of Fashion series, Art of Fashion: Makers and Innovators Panel.

The free event brings together designers and creatives whose work is shaping both the local and national conversation on style, craftsmanship, and cultural influence to discuss the future of fashion and Cleveland’s growing role in the national fashion scene.

Opening remarks will be made by Mourad Krifa, Ph.D., KSU’s Margaret Clark Morgan director of the School of Fashion Design and Merchandising.

Andrea Rager, CWRU associate professor of art history.The discussion will be led by a panel made up of voices who are shaping the future of fashion through design, storytelling, and innovation, and moderated by Case Western Reserve University art history associate professor Dr. Andrea Rager.

Tomorrow’s event spotlights Cleveland’s own talent and creative voices. The panel will feature designers, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders who are pushing boundaries in fashion, art, and culture, who will discuss creativity, innovation, and how local makers are shaping Cleveland’s role in the national and global fashion landscape.

The panelists include William McNicol, founder and designer of William Frederick; Fashion Talks Foundation founder Aimon Ali, who was named one of the 25 Most Inspirational Women Leaders; Found Surface and the Impossible Art Store founder and designer Aidan Meany; and Tamara Marono Garza, Kent State University School of Fashion graduate, and apprentice for both William Frederick and Carla Fernández, and featured in both Fashion Talks and CMA’s The New Black Vanguard opening.

The panel for the Aug. 20 Art of Fashion: Makers and InnovatorsThe Art of Fashion: Makers and Innovators Panel event will be especially valuable for creative entrepreneurs, students, designers, and anyone interested in the intersection of fashion, culture, and community, says Fashion Talks’ Ali.

“Attendees can expect stories about building brands, overcoming challenges, and the impact Cleveland creatives are making both locally and beyond,” she adds.

The first installment of the series, Art of Fashion: Christian Siriano, took place on Aug. 6 at CMA. More than 600 people attended to celebrate one of the most renowned American designers: Christian Siriano.

“Having over 600 people at our first event with Christian Siriano showed us how much hunger there is in Cleveland for fashion, art, and cultural experience,” says Ali. “With Makers & Innovators, we’re shining a light on the local creatives who are pushing boundaries and shaping what’s next.”

For the Wednesday, Aug. 20 Art of Fashion: Makers and Innovators Panel, doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the program beginning at 6 p.m. in the CMA’s Gartner Auditorium. Although the event is free, registration is required.