Building off of their very first fest in 2025, the Wright House of Fashion returns to the streets of downtown Iowa City this weekend for the second Beyond Fashion Festival.
The festivities kick off with an alleyway fashion show behind Studio 13 on Friday at 6 p.m. The streetwear fashion show will see a mix of returning and first-time models.
On Saturday, the Wright House will welcome vendors and fashion lovers to shop the wares at their home on S Gilbert Street.
“While this is only the second year of Beyond Fest, it’s our first year hosting events in our own space, which makes it especially significant,” fashion coordinator Lex Wells said.
Participants can also head over to Merge on Saturday to check out the AMIDST Fashion Lounge. The lounge is a collaboration with Dubuque-based AMIDST Magazine and is designed as a chill stop for festival-goers to recharge, take photos or partake in a live podcast recording.
Like the first Beyond Fashion Fest, the weekend includes a keynote and multiple panels on fashion and its greater impacts. “The Rural Economic Art and Fashion Panel” will explore the challenges and opportunities that come with building a fashion scene in rural Iowa.
“Fashion in Iowa plays an important role not just as a form of self expression, but as a growing part of the state’s creative and economic landscape,” Wells said. “In a place that isn’t traditionally recognized as a fashion hub, building a community around it has become even more meaningful.”
The festival culminates Saturday evening in the Beyond Fashion Show, which will feature local, regional and national designers. Guest headliner Jamie Saunsoci will represents Indigenous fashion and art.
“Saunsoci is an enrolled member of the Santee Sioux Nation in Nebraska, and her work reflects a deep connection to culture, identity and storytelling,” Wells explained.
Asked where she sees the festival going in the future, she said, “I hope to see Beyond Fest not only recognized within the community, but on a national level. There is so much talent here, and it deserves to be showcased more often. I see Beyond Fest becoming a platform where young creatives can grow, flourish and really discover their passion.”
