Nashville Fashion Designers You Should Know

Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, Amanda Valentine is the youngest of five children. Her fate as a fashion designer was quite possibly sealed during her childhood when she would use old drapes and turn them into outfits. She earned a degree in clothing and textile design from the University of Nebraska and moved to Nashville in 2006. Amanda has worked as a wardrobe stylist on music videos, photo shoots, and red carpet events. She was selected to compete on the 11th season of Project Runway and was voted back by fans for a second time on season 13, where she placed second. Today, she runs and produces her clothing line, Amanda Valentine, in a converted factory space in Nashville. The line is a colorful collection of fun, artistic pieces.

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Luxury women’s wear designer Cavanagh Baker is a Birmingham, Alabama native and a 2014 fashion design graduate of the Savannah College of Art & Design. Now based in Nashville, Cavanagh opened her design studio in 2016, where she works to create dramatic and glamorous made-to-order pieces. Her collection is available exclusively at her Nashville studio, where she has a small collection of ready-to-wear pieces in addition to her signature made-to-order work. Cavanagh Baker takes a very hands-on approach to customer service, welcoming clients into her studio for consultations and fittings. Her target customers are Nashville area performers, who she dresses in everything from shorts to evening gowns.

Behind Pink Elephant Designs is fashion designer Truly Alvarenga, who sketches, designs, fits, and sews all of her garments. She earned a degree in fashion design, graduating at the top of her class from IADT Nashville. She also held a double internship with Anna Sui in NYC prior to graduation. Truly has done wardrobe styling for music videos and even designed gowns that people wore to the White House. She started her company in Nashville in 2009 and currently creates pieces that fall on both ends of the fashion spectrum. From leather jackets to elegant evening wear, you can find her creations at boutiques in the Nashville area, as well as through the Pink Elephant Designs shop online.

Jewelry designer Brooke Seraphine’s fascination with gems and minerals began at a young age—she was born into a family of scientists, including a geologist father. Today, she owns Seraphine Design, where she creates eye-catching pieces for women using her signature stone, the Peruvian pyrite. She designs for women who want jewelry that reflects who they are. To achieve this, Brooke pulls inspiration from the natural beauty of nature, designing pieces that are sparkly, glamorous, and colorful. She uses solid brass and plated base metal, and the semi-precious stones that she uses come from locations all across the world. Her signature pyrite originates from a mine outside of Lima, where local artisans cut and sand the stones before they make their way to Nashville and New York.

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After spending many years as a drummer and founding member of the rock band The Ettes, Maria “Poni” Silver started her women’s streetwear line, Black By Maria Silver, in 2011. Silver, who is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, designs the line for the modern voyager, offering travel-ready pieces made from mostly recycled fabric, and ethically produces it in-house.

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From maxi dresses and blouses to rompers and tights, Ola Mai is a fashion line produced in Nashville and designed by Leslie Stephens. Inspired by and named after Leslie’s great-grandmother, Ola Mai, the pieces created for the Ola Mai collection exude elegance and flow, encouraging women to express themselves freely.

Founded in 2013 in Nashville, Ceri Hoover is a premium leather accessories company. Ceri employs American artisans to handcraft bags and shoes made from materials sourced from leather purveyors around the world. The high-quality pieces feature timeless designs and intricate details and are available in over 150 boutiques nationwide. Founder Ceri Hoover takes a very straightforward approach to her designs; she creates bags that reflect her personal sense of style and that allow other women to do the same.