Over two dozen designers and 100+ models will perform the third annual event at Shea’s Performing Arts Center
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Black History Month is about more than honoring the past — it’s also about celebrating the future of Black achievers who are breaking new ground.
In downtown Buffalo, a creative collective is doing just that.
The group is known as Buffalo Fashion Runway, and its members say they’re redefining what a fashion show can be.
“Buffalo Fashion Runway is what I like to say is a culmination of the things that’s the true identity of Buffalo — like resiliency, collaboration and innovation,” said Najja Bouldin, a strategic partner with the organization.
Their marquee event, “Black Carpet III,” builds on the success of the first two sold-out productions. But organizers say this is more than a runway show. It’s a multi-sensory experience blending fashion, performance and art — all while highlighting local creative talent.
Executive Director Chad Williams says this year’s show is structured in three acts.
“Telling the story in three different acts — the past, present and future — about Buffalo and the history and intertwining fashion into that,” Williams explained.
Inside a creative workspace on Main Street, artists and designers are transforming sketches and concepts into wearable art and elaborate stage designs. This year’s third annual event, set for February 28, moves to a grander stage at Shea’s Performing Arts Center, allowing for a much larger-scale production.
“So this is where all the magic is happening,” Williams said, gesturing to the busy studio.
Bouldin hints at what audiences can expect — without giving too much away.
“They’re making scaled models of institutions in Buffalo. And that’s not an easy task,” she said.
Behind colorful curtains and alongside intricate set construction, a mix of emerging and experienced designers are honing their craft.
Zaniya Vaughn, who worked on the first Black Carpet show, is now pushing her designs even further.
“I did a lot of brainstorming, sketching, selecting colors, silhouettes and things like that — and then just basically taking my ideas from 2D to 3D,” Vaughn said.
Her latest collection draws deeply from Black history and lived experience.
“My theme revolves around the resilience of Black history and just the transformation that my culture tends to go through with struggle — and how that can create new innovations and new perspectives,” she said.
For Jadon Buckley, a designer protégé who learned sewing basics through Buffalo Fashion Runway, fashion is also a form of commentary.
“I was one of maybe about 10 students and Buffalo Fashion Runway came in and we were taught the sewing basics,” Buckley said.
Now, he uses upcycled fabrics, accessories and notions to craft pieces that sometimes carry a social message.
“This piece impacted me because of what’s going on in the world with ICE,” he said.
That blend of artistry and activism is central to the organization’s mission. Williams says his own journey into activism was sparked by personal injustice during his college years — a turning point that shaped both his brand and his leadership.
The combined passions of art and advocacy, organizers say, are meant to inspire how Buffalo reimagines its future.
“When we come together — seriously come together — and allow ourselves to use diversity as our strength, that would not only support our city, but probably support a national model of how to really kind of pull yourself up by the bootstraps,” Bouldin said.
Williams hopes audiences leave with a renewed sense of possibility.
“I want them to be able to see what we have right here at home in Buffalo and just have a newfound sense of what is possible,” he said.
Black Carpet sold out in each of its first two years, and organizers expect tickets to go quickly again. You can find ticket information on the Buffalo Fashion Runway website or Shea’s Performing Art Center website.
A portion of ticket sales will benefit the 5/14 Memorial, honoring the victims and families impacted by the May 14 tragedy.