Congratulations to our 9th Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipient,
Megan Prange, Owner & Creator of Prange Apparel.
We are proud to announce Megan Prange, owner and creator of Prange Apparel as our 2019 Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipient. A committee from The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee selected Prange from a diverse group of experienced fashion industry applicants based on specific criteria set by the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund co-founders.
“I am beyond thrilled to be this year’s Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipient! I first learned about Nashville Fashion Week seven years ago and since then have been a huge believer in the amazing opportunities if offers to everyone who participates in it every year,” says Megan. “I am honored to be a part of it and am incredibly grateful for the opportunity the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund will allow me.”
Megan Prange started Prange Apparel six years ago in response to the demand from independent designers and boutique owners for small batch production. At the time, Megan was doing freelance pattern and sample work for local designers when she noticed the struggle they were having scaling their businesses. They couldn’t keep up with the demand by sewing everything themselves.
She decided to go out on a limb and open a small batch manufacturing business. She started off with just three home sewing machines and a few interns.
Six years later, Prange now has a full-scale business that employs twenty-five full time employees, has over 30 industrial machines and a client base that spans from coast to coast.
“The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund Award represents an investment in the creative and inspired individuals looking to expand the perspectives that will contribute to their personal growth and the growth of their role in the fashion industry,” says Amy Fair, vice president of Donor Services at The Community Foundation. “Megan joins a terrific and ever growing list of talented individuals who’ve put their vision to paper for a compelling experience that inspired the Award selection panel.”
The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee is an endowed fund that supports the next generation of fashion industry professionals with ties to Middle Tennessee by providing an annual financial award and resources for experiential professional development opportunities to advance the career of select local talent with demonstrated experience in a fashion-related field based on pre-established criteria.
Previous Nashville Fashion Forward Fund recipients include apparel designers Van Hoang, Maria Silver, Eric Bornhop, Julianna Bass and Lauren Leonard Phelps; fashion photographer Brett Warren; accessory designer Ceri Hoover, and Elise Joseph, brand strategist and creative director.
The establishment of the Nashville Fashion Forward Fund in 2010 by the co-founders of Nashville Fashion Week was inspired by the professional development provided by the Council of Fashion Designers (CFDA) through programs such as the CFDA/VOGUE Fashion Fund. The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund is a component fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee that is funded with charitable donations and proceeds from Nashville Fashion Week. The Nashville Fashion Forward Fund ensures that Nashville Fashion Week is not just a signature high-profile event to celebrate creativity, but also an ongoing, sustainable focus for philanthropic support of our community.
