Fleurish runway event returns to Ijams April 16
Published April 11, 2023

Fleurish 2022; image by KARA HUDGENS PHOTOGRAPHY Co.

KNOXVILLE -- Ijams Nature Center will present its second annual Fleurish: A Sustainable Fashion Event on Sunday, April 16, from 6-9 p.m. This year’s theme is Keep Growing.

Fleurish is a collaborative runway show showcasing how sustainability, conservation and beauty intertwine with our lives, and how personal decisions to make more eco-conscious choices can make a difference.

This year’s event has grown to include 17 local designers, more than 60 models, and many local hair stylists and makeup artists. Their mission is to create eco-centric looks incorporating sustainable materials and innovative recycling methods, and reusing what was once discarded.

Fleurish 2022; images by KARA HUDGENS PHOTOGRAPHY Co.

New this year is an upcycled fiber art installation led by Victoria Walsh of Craft Appalachia.

Sponsored by Clayton Homes, Boston Beer Co., KARA HUDGENS PHOTOGRAPHY Co., and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., the event begins with a cocktail hour cash bar featuring live music from Rica Chicha. The show also includes a runway performance by local musician Brent Hyder and ends with a meet-and-greet with designers. Festivities will be held on the Ijams Visitor Center plaza; the runway will wrap around the newly renovated Universal Pond.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online at Ijams.org/fleurish. All proceeds benefit Ijams Nature Center. Sneak peaks are available on Instagram at @fleurishknoxville.

Ijams Nature Center is a nonprofit, 318-acre educational nature center for all ages, abilities and walks of life. Ijams’ mission is to encourage stewardship of the natural world by providing an urban greenspace for people to learn about and enjoy the outdoors through engaging experiences. Located just three miles from downtown Knoxville, Ijams features 12+ miles of hiking and mixed-use trails, a public access river dock, swimming, boating, biking and more. The center offers hundreds of educational programs annually for all ages. The Ijams grounds and trails are open every day from 8 a.m. until dusk. The Visitor Center is open daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, visit Ijams.org.