When you think about Columbus’ Center of Science and Industry (COSI), the interactive educational museum for all ages, it’s likely that you are imagining small children running through crowded exhibits, a packed planetarium and a family soaked to the bone, having not quite escaped the wet wrath of the ocean room.
Trust us when we say, after this night, you will never look at COSI the same way again.
This Friday-Sunday, Fashion, Art, Culture and Entertainment (FACE) 614 — an organization dedicated to bringing together Black creatives in order to showcase their work and provide connections — is partnering with COSI to host Excellence Black Tie, an installment of their First Fridays event series.
Jazmin Horston, who works with FACE 614 to organize all the behind-the-scenes work necessary for this event, said the event is a celebration of Black artistry in Columbus that encompasses everything from the culinary arts to a full-blown fashion show on Saturday night.
Though this may be the first time you’ve heard of it, this event is far from new. Horston said this is the fourth year that this specific event will be held, building on the momentum of the organization’s other popular events, like the annual Color of Summer weekend.
Horston said from the beginning, the attitude toward the gala — and the nonprofit’s events as a whole — has been to raise the bar, striving to make it bigger and better than the last.
“It just started to grow. We do Color of Summer, and then we just did Blanc Mode in [late August] and then, of course, Excellence Black Tie,” Horston said. “This is our biggest [event] of the year.”
In order to learn as much as possible about the event, Scarlette Magazine spoke to two designers showcasing their fashion expertise on the runway this weekend: Marchell Lavon, owner of self-titled fashion line Marchell Lavon, and Kevin Holley of Renaissance Couture.
Holley, having been involved in First Fridays for years now — specifically spending the last two years participating in Excellence Black Tie — backed Horston up without letting a beat drop.
“It’s almost like a destination or an event,” Holley said. “It’s not just a party, you know, and it provides opportunities for fashion designers, food, poetry, comedy and music [to be shared].”
From the event’s kick-off on Friday night with the theme “Sneakers & Blazers,” to the last hurrah, the Excellence After-Party, this year’s Excellence Black Tie weekend is sure to stun. Horston said the true star of the show, however, is Saturday’s fashion show.
When curating her runway collection, Lavon said she draws inspiration from the diverse range of designs she has created over the years, combining high fashion with everyday style.
“I’m very creative, so I have a lot of pieces that I’ve sewn through the years,” Lavon said. “You’re going to see a lot of different pieces when you see my collection [this] weekend.”
Though not every designer would choose to demonstrate such range at a theme-specific runway show, Holley said he agreed with Lavon’s take. Despite the organization it takes, Holley said it’s much more valuable to show a variety of items, as well as showing garments that are more appealing to the “common man.”
"I need to show you something that you can envision yourself wearing today, right now and tomorrow,” Holley said.
As the event nears, both Holley and Lavon shared their thoughts on what goes through their minds before a show.
“I’ve always liked different things, you know, and I’ve always liked what I liked,” Holley said. “It doesn’t have anything to do with the garment — it’s the experience.”
Holley emphasized the inclusive spirit behind the event, highlighting its significance beyond just the Black community.
“This is not just an African American event, but it’s put on by Black people,” Holley said. “That’s really important, not just because Black people are doing it, but because other people see people doing this, and it gives them an opportunity to be creative in their mind.”
Horston said this event is built on community support and the goal to inspire others who exist in the world of creation. She said for those who participate, this event is so much more than business or clothes; it’s about coming together in an effort to create something larger than themselves.
“To see everything come alive, it’s something magical when you see it all come together,” Horston said.
Tickets for the event start at $40. For more information about the event, including to purchase tickets, visit the Eventbrite listing.
