My vision has always been to discover emerging talent and create meaningful opportunities for those who deserve to be seen. The fashion and entertainment industries are incredibly inspiring, but they can also be difficult to enter. For many talented individuals, the greatest challenge is not ability—it is visibility. Breaking through the industry's barriers and gaining that first meaningful opportunity often feels like the hardest step of all.

Seeing our previous winners sign with major modeling agencies and make their acting debuts in feature films has been the most rewarding validation of this mission. Their success proves that when exceptional talent is given the right exposure, remarkable careers can begin. Our goal is to continue creating those life-changing opportunities for the next generation of creative talent worldwide.

CEO of Dallas Fashion Week, Nataliya Novа

You describe Dallas Fashion Week as a platform that opens doors for emerging talent. What opportunities do you want these awards to create for the next generation of models?

Dallas Fashion Week is More Than a Runway; it’s a cultural platform designed to be a complete model development ecosystem, giving emerging models access to opportunities that extend far beyond the runway.

During our shows, models have the opportunity to work with top photographers and videographers, build professional portfolios, network with designers, and connect with agents, makeup artists, hairstylists, and other industry professionals. We create an environment where meaningful relationships and future opportunities can develop.

Our reach also extends beyond the event itself. Through our email marketing network reaching approximately 75,000 people across the Dallas Metroplex, combined with media and digital exposure, event coverage can generate millions of views, giving emerging talent an opportunity to build visibility and strengthen their professional presence.

But I always emphasize one important principle: every creative is an entrepreneur.

Your career is your personal brand. Your personality, charisma, discipline, and ability to create opportunities for yourself are just as important as your talent. No one can simply hold your hand and open every door for you. We can provide the platform, the connections, and the opportunities—but you have to push the pedals yourself.

Success comes when you combine talent with initiative, consistency, and the determination to pursue your goals.

What qualities make a model truly inspiring beyond appearance, and what do you look for when recognizing exceptional talent?

I look for professionalism, confidence, discipline, strong work ethic, and the ability to collaborate effectively. A successful model needs to understand the market, respect the people they work with, and know how to function as part of a team.

Fashion is an extremely fast-paced and dynamic industry. Every producer, photographer, designer, event, commercial, or film project may have a completely different creative vision and working process. Exceptional talent requires the flexibility to adapt, listen, and contribute professionally to each environment.

For me, an inspiring model is not a “diva.” Attitude matters. The strongest models combine talent and confidence with humility, reliability, adaptability, and respect for the entire creative team. These qualities are what turn potential into a sustainable career.

Award-Winning Models Charles Rivas, Haley Paul, Savannah Mitchell, Aly El Sharkawy

How do you see the relationship between fashion, creativity, and personal storytelling in shaping a successful model’s career?

Fashion, creativity, and personal storytelling are deeply connected because a successful model is not simply displaying clothing—they are communicating a story, a mood, and a point of view.

Modeling also requires a certain level of acting ability. Whether you are walking a runway, representing a luxury brand, or becoming the face of a commercial campaign, you need to understand the character and emotion you are communicating and make the audience believe in it.

Most importantly, you are your own brand. Every step you take, every word you say publicly, and every photo or video you share on social media contributes to how the industry perceives you. Your public image should be intentional and aligned with your market positioning.

Being a successful model also means becoming a public figure, and with that visibility comes pressure and responsibility. Building a sustainable career requires not only talent, but also self-awareness, consistency, and the ability to manage your personal brand both in front of the camera and beyond it.

Model Award Winner Trey Carter

Many emerging models struggle to find their first meaningful opportunities. What advice would you give to those who are trying to break into the fashion industry today?

Many emerging models struggle because they enter the industry without first understanding where they want to position themselves. My advice is to identify your niche and learn the specific criteria the market is looking for—whether that is commercial, editorial, runway, beauty, or another area of modeling.

I also encourage models not to underestimate the opportunities in television and film. Modeling can be an excellent entry point into the broader entertainment industry, and many talents have skills that can translate naturally to on-camera work.

At the early stage, it is important to build a versatile and strategically developed portfolio that demonstrates an extended skill set rather than showing the same type of image repeatedly. Your portfolio should communicate not only what you look like, but what you are capable of doing.

Most importantly, treat your career as a business. Understand your market, develop your skills, build your personal brand, and actively pursue opportunities. Talent may open the first door, but preparation and persistence are what keep the doors opening.

Elijah Bleu, DFW Leading Hair Stylist

Dallas Fashion Week brings together brands with diverse creative identities. Can you share a few brands that have stood out to you and explain what caught your attention about their vision?

One of the things I particularly enjoy about Dallas Fashion Week is discovering not only new models, but also brands with a powerful story and a purpose behind their creativity.

For example, it was a pleasure to introduce J. Christoph https://jchristoph.com, a luxury handbag brand whose designs are inspired by aviation and the world of aircraft. What made the brand especially meaningful to me was that its story goes beyond fashion—the company connects its business with a social mission and supports efforts addressing human trafficking.

I believe these are the kinds of stories that deserve a platform. Fashion is not only about how something looks; it can also communicate innovation, personal values, purpose, and social impact.

CEO of J. Christoph, Jared Lilje

As a cultural platform, it is important for us to introduce brands from different niches and celebrate diversity in creative vision. For His Glory (FHG) https://www.fhgmerch.com/about is a great example of a street-style brand with a meaningful message centered around individuality, purpose, and faith.

For His Glory is more than a fashion brand—it is a call back to who you really are. The brand creates clothing designed to speak truth and stand for justice. I appreciate brands like this because they are not simply following trends; they are using fashion as a way to communicate a deeper message and connect with a new generation of creatives.

FHG Fashion Brand

This is exactly the kind of diversity we want to see at Dallas Fashion Week: brands with different aesthetics, backgrounds, philosophies, and stories, all contributing to a broader conversation through fashion.

Which emerging models have made a particularly strong impression on you through their journey with Dallas Fashion Week?

Every model who walks at Dallas Fashion Week is carefully selected from a large pool of applicants, often several hundred. Being chosen to walk the DFW runway is already a meaningful accomplishment and recognition of a model’s potential, dedication, individuality, and presence. We are proud to provide emerging talent with an opportunity to gain experience, visibility, and connections within the fashion industry.

Among them, our DFW Most Inspiring Model Award winners hold a particularly special place. The award allows us to recognize models who have demonstrated not only talent, but also personal growth, confidence, and the ability to inspire others. Every season, it is rewarding to discover new faces and watch their journeys continue to evolve.

We are also seeing a significant shift in the market, particularly in the growing demand for children and teen models. More brands are launching dedicated kids’ divisions and including younger talent in their advertising campaigns. This reflects a broader social shift as well. Today, family is increasingly viewed as one of the greatest forms of luxury—something deeply personal, meaningful, and valuable. I believe fashion is responding to that change by creating more opportunities for young talent and representing different generations in its campaigns.

I am delighted to highlight Ava Barrera, an 11-year-old aspiring model, performer, and future fashion designer whose creativity and confidence are already making an impression.

Model Ava Barrera

Modeling has helped Ava develop confidence, creativity, discipline, and self-expression. Through runway, theater, and dance, she is learning the importance of hard work, teamwork, and believing in herself.

As Ava says: “Fashion and modeling let me express who I am, and I hope to inspire others to be confident, creative, and believe in themselves.”

Avery Gore is a wonderful example of an emerging model who is steadily building her journey with Dallas Fashion Week. One of her notable accomplishments was earning 1st Runner-Up in her division at the PTD Dallas Competition. Avery has now graced the DFW runway for two seasons, having been carefully selected among hundreds of aspiring models who applied to participate. Her journey with DFW reflects her talent, dedication, and individuality, and it has been wonderful to watch her confidence and presence continue to grow with each season.

Model Avery Gore

Dallas Fashion Week has recently expanded its network of partnerships and collaborations. Could you tell us more about some of your recent partnerships and how they are contributing to the growth and evolution of Dallas Fashion Week?

Haggar Clothing was proud to participate in our recent Dallas Fashion Week season as we celebrated the brand’s remarkable 100-year legacy. Having such an iconic American brand as part of the season was especially meaningful, highlighting the connection between fashion, heritage, and the evolving creative landscape of Texas. For a century, Haggar has represented timeless American style and innovation, and its participation added a powerful sense of heritage and authenticity to our runway. We were honored to create a platform where a brand with such a distinguished history could be celebrated alongside today’s emerging designers, models, and creative talent. This collaboration reflects what Dallas Fashion Week strives to do—bring together established industry leaders and the next generation of talent while celebrating the rich fashion culture of our region.

Haggar Clothing

Dallas Fashion Week was proud to partner with B&B Theatres to host an exclusive preview of The Devil Wears Prada 2, bringing together the worlds of fashion and cinema for a memorable experience. The event offered our fashion community an opportunity to celebrate the highly anticipated sequel while creating a unique setting for designers, models, industry professionals, and guests to connect beyond the runway The Angel’s Sip, bringing fashion, lifestyle, and elevated hospitality together. The collaboration added a sophisticated social dimension to the Dallas Fashion Week experience, allowing our guests and creative community to gather, connect, and celebrate in an atmosphere that reflected the energy and elegance of our fashion platform. Both partnerships represent our vision of expanding Dallas Fashion Week beyond traditional runway shows and creating.

More Than A Runway: Nataliya Nova

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