Tampa Museum of Art hosts high fashion to raise awareness of domestic violence

Tampa Bay area fashionistas will unite at the Tampa Museum of Art (TMA) to see the acclaimed New York City-based designer Zang Toi’s spring 2016 collection, Saturday, September 19 in a runway event that kicks off at 7pm.  The fashion show, the sixth annual CITY: Fashion+Art+Culture, is a collaboration between the Tampa Museum of Art and its new partner this year Saks Fifth Avenue Sarasota.   

Zang Toi, a celebrated designer championed from early in his career by U.S. Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, has won national awards for his designs and has been repeatedly featured in fashion and mainstream media -- from Vogue and Vanity Fair to The New York Times, among many others.

“Zang Toi is very excited about the Tampa Museum of Art as the venue to showcase his Spring 2016 collection for the very first time following his recent show at the New York Fashion Week this last weekend,” commented Sally Schule, Saks Fifth Avenue Sarasota’s Director of Marketing.

“Making the arts accessible to everyone is a priority for the Tampa Museum of Art,” says Robin C. Sharp, Museum Trustee and Chair of CITY 2015. TMA spokeswoman Nancy Kipnis says that in addition to bringing  “a fresh approach to fashion and one-of-a-kind entertainment” to downtown Tampa, the event is a fundraiser benefiting the Museum’s exhibition and education programming. Last year the event raised $116,000.

Kipnis notes that this year and through the support of presenting sponsor Verizon Wireless, the event aims to create awareness in the fight against domestic violence. “Throughout the evening, messages of inspiration to domestic violence survivors striving for the freedom and confidence to stand out and express themselves can be shared by tagging event photos throughout the evening with #StandOutWithVZW,” says Kipnis.
 
Organizers warn the event sells out every year. For ticket information, follow this link to CITY: Fashion + Art + Culture
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Read more articles by Kendra Langlie.

Kendra Langlie is a freelance writer and communications consultant for regional and global businesses. Though she has always been passionate about arts and culture, she spent many years in the tech and B2B corporate worlds both in the U.S. and abroad. With a degree in Economics and International Relations from The American University in Washington, DC, she considers politics her favorite sport and follows it avidly with as much humor as she can muster. Based in the Carrollwood neighborhood of Tampa, Kendra is a mother and wife, a news junkie, and lover of all things creative.