Fashion show kicks off Phoenix’s January sports frenzy

Fashion show kicks off Phoenix’s January sports frenzy

Downtown Phoenix is going to be the hub of the frenzy of events surrounding the Pro Bowl, Super Bowl and Waste Management Open. The fun started on January 22, 2015, with The Kick Off the Super Bowl in Style event organized by Ketonya Bankston.

Bankston, Founder of Style Stalkers, is a retailer and professional model with an NAU degree in fashion merchandizing. The fashion show was held at the Bentley Gallery/Bentley Projects, a renowned contemporary art gallery in downtown Phoenix.

Four diverse designers were featured in the show. Joanna de’Shay is a brilliant young designer, an ASU graduate, who was born in Ghana. Her Black Russian label is designed for realistic women’s figures and tastes. Natasha Duran-Lynch’s women’s line is called Hues of Ego. Mauricio Montebello, who calls himself, a “MexiCAN,” brought his line from Las Vegas. Luis Aviles is also a Mexican designer, who is now based in San Diego. The designs at the show ranged from casual sportswear to dramatic evening gowns for women and business to sportswear for men.

Cities compete for the Super Bowl and other national sports events in search of the significant economic impact to local communities. Though there is debate about who benefits the most or how much cities have to expend in hosting the events or whether profits are exaggerated, the Super Bowl is profitable (e.g., the net for Indianapolis was over $340 million in 2012). With three major events, Arizona is very excited about the anticipated million visitors and up to $500 million impact of the 2015 events.

But this kick-off had another, more altruistic goal: it is a fundraiser for a local nonprofit, called Future for Kids (FFK). FFK’s mission is “to provide mentor driven out-of-school time programs and camps that focus on academics, athletics, and ethics to improve the lives of youth who face adversity.” Executive Director Madonna was present to thank the organizers, as well as the audience that included sports stars like former Arizona Cardinals Robert Tate and Ketonya’s husband—Michael Bankston, Sr—who is a FFK board member.

The show was a good start to the downtown festivities and evidence that it will not all be about touchdowns and profit-making.