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[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”thumbnail” src=”https://fecfe2.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/WEB-2017-ECC-IDENTITY_photo-SARAH-PEZDEK.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][x_custom_headline level=”h3″ looks_like=”h4″ accent=”false”]Initiative Kicks Off With Sponsorship of Electric City Couture’s “IDENTITY” Fashion Show on Saturday, July 8, 8pm at New York State Museum, Albany[/x_custom_headline][cs_text]As part of our ongoing effort to develop and promote the Creative Industries in the Capital Region, Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy (ACE) is launching the Fashion Upstate initiative, bringing together experienced and aspiring industry professionals through events, networking, educational opportunities and more.

Fashion Upstate kicks off with sponsorship of Electric City Couture’s “IDENTITY” Fashion Show on Saturday, July 8, 8pm at the New York State Museum, and will announce other events this summer and beyond.

Click here for more about “IDENTITY” Fashion Show.

The IDENTITY fashion show will feature New York State-based designers and 35 models in a single show exploring fashion as an expression of identity, simultaneously celebrating and raising questions about this timely social issue. Designers include:

• Meg Kluball (Clifton Park)
• PopImpressKA by Olga Papkovitch (Manhattan)
• Marjolaine’s Touch by Marjolaine Arsnault (North Creek)
• Adam Van Buren (Albany)

The FASHION UPSTATE committee is headed by Corey Aldrich and Carmen Duncan. Aldrich is Producer and Founder of Electric City Couture, an organization that exhibits original designs by emerging designers primarily through runway fashion shows and gallery fashion installations. Duncan is Chief Coach and Founder of Mission Accomplished Transition Services, an Albany based nonprofit organization that prepares millennials to find their purpose, develop their skills and transition into the global workforce, higher education and charitable activities. Mission Accomplished currently runs the Fashion Edition, a career education and coaching program for aspiring fashion professionals. Mission Accomplished will be playing an active part in helping to develop millennial educational programming as part of the new FASHION UPSTATE initiative.

“The Creative Industries are thriving here in the Capital Region,” said Maureen Sager, Project Director of ACE. “Over 35,000 people are employed in Creative companies or endeavors, including over 13,000 freelancers and entrepreneurs. ACE is forming targeted committees on a wide variety of topics, including Film, Freelancers, Workforce, Culinary Arts and Agriculture, Young Professionals, and now, Fashion. We’ll be drawing on the amazing advantages of this region: our thriving downtowns, proximity to New York City and Boston, affordability, cultural institutions, fantastic food, and plethora of higher education institutions.”

“There’s a large number of very accomplished fashion professionals in the Capital Region,” said Sager, “and we believe that networking and alliance-building will help this industry grow.” Duncan added, “The alignment of minds and resources has brought FASHION UPSTATE to fruition. FASHION UPSTATE will create a platform to highlight our fashion economy and give the next wave of aspiring young fashion professionals access to career opportunities and the who’s who in the industry. Teamwork makes ALL dreams work!”

“I am thrilled to be working with Mission Accomplished and ACE on this exciting and important initiative that will help drive awareness to a segment of the creative economy that is strong but currently not organized,” said Aldrich. “Working with Maureen and Carmen to help build a fabulous and productive fashion movement in upstate NY will be directly in alignment with the goals and mission of Electric City Couture’s ongoing quest to support a regional fashion economy.”

Future FASHION UPSTATE events include a tour of Marika Charles fashion design and manufacturing facility in Schenectady on Thursday, July 27, 5:30 – 7:30 pm. Participants will see how a fashion company operates, and learn about the fashion jobs that are available in our region. Refreshments and entertainment will be provided. Online registration will open soon on www.upstateACE.org.

Want to get involved in Fashion Upstate? Write to maureen@upstateace.org.

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WMHT, Youth FX, Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy and Film Upstate kicked off a new event series called “Rogue Film School” on Thursday, June 1. Our first installment featured veteran casting director / producer Heidi Levitt, who has cast over 100 features, and worked with directors Oliver Stone, Wayne Wang, Werner Herzog, Wim Wenders, Sally Potter, Mark Ruffalo and many more.

Heidi shared stories of how she started in the business (her personal interest in theater and a college internship with casting directors Risa Bramon and Billy Hopkins got her on her way), and the innovative ways she has approached her job, from trolling New Orleans in search of jazz musicians for director Alan Parker to opening directors’ minds to actors of color. She told the audience of 30 filmmakers and enthusiasts to “get right back up when you get knocked down.” She shared her disappointment when a project she was developing with Werner Herzog fell apart five years ago, still feeling a pinch when she sees Herzog, who has made 3 or 4 films since their project fell apart. “Oh, it’s no problem, Heidi,” he tells her cheerily every time she sees him. Her decades-long collaboration with Wim Wenders has been similar. Wenders has made many classic films – Wings of Desire, Paris, Texas – but none of the projects that Heidi has worked on with Wenders have hit that mark. “He just keeps going,” she said. “He isn’t worried about it.”

Heidi also shared a trailer from a project she’s been developing for 20 years – a television series titled “Exiles on Main Street,” featuring stories of immigrants in cities across the United States. She learned last week that the series, which was picked up for development and distribution by a major cable network, had suddenly been dropped. While admitting that it’s tough news, she is not going to let it stop her. “Who knows, maybe we’ll find an even better deal,” she said. She discussed how the industry has changed drastically in 30 years, and that the budgets and margins are so much tighter. She remains hopeful, and completely committed to her work.

Heidi was interviewed by Bhawin Suchak of Youth FX, an amazing not-for-profit organization that teaches filmmaking skills to city youth ages 14-19. We’re really looking forward to developing more of these “Rogue Film School” events. Stay tuned!!