The Linly Heflin Fashion Show
Written and styled by Tracy James
This month marks the 16th anniversary of my freelance fashion consulting company, ChicMadeSimple. As you might imagine, having a full-time career in fashion in Birmingham, Alabama, requires one to be a sort of jack-of all-trades under the style umbrella. If I lived in, say, New York or Los Angeles, I might only do personal shopping or business style seminars or magazine editorials, for example. But frankly, I love the variety my location affords!
One of the most fun aspects of my job is coordinating runway shows. Many, many years ago, I earned my stripes in this arena by coordinating shows for Parisian, invaluable experience I carry with me to this day. For the past few years I have had the honor of coordinating for Gus Mayer the annual Linly Heflin Fashion Show. (Who the heck is Linly Heflin? See inset.) This October was the organization’s 59th year of the event! Most people don’t realize what orchestrating a fashion show entails, so this month I’m giving you a special behind-the- scenes peek.
The Linly Heflin Unit
“Educate a woman and you educate a family.”
Linly Heflin has served the Birmingham community for nearly 100 years, since its inception in 1919. Today, Linly Heflin is a committed group of 100 women dedicated to the mission of educating deserving Alabama women at Alabama colleges and universities. The Scholarship Fashion Show, first held in 1959, continues to be Linly Heflin’s primary fundraiser.
