An open letter from Chad Williams, cofounder of Buffalo Fashion Runway, about filling Shea's for Black Carpet fashion events and the direction of Buffalo's creative community.
Buffalo, Buffalo, Buffalo!
It’s your favorite transplant from Brooklyn, Chad Williams, reporting live and direct from the Series B feed. Fresh off a Shea’s victory and happy to check in with the city.
Two weeks ago, I was standing backstage at Black Carpet III, the first-ever fashion show at Shea’s Performing Arts Center.
People of all ages, races and Western New York neighborhoods were filtering into their seats. More than 100 models were preparing to walk the runway.
And I was thinking, man, we’ve captured something really special here. All of this energy, this talent, this love in Buffalo needed somewhere to go.
Just a few years ago it was a mere dream.
Dan Abbotoy and I would talk about it every time we saw each other. We would go back and forth about the potential, what it could look like, and what it could mean for Buffalo. But for a long time that’s all it was, talk. Those conversations went on for maybe a little over a year.
Then one day in 2023, something clicked. We looked at each other and said, let’s really do this thing. Buffalo Fashion Runway was born.
We knew we could not build it alone. So we began bringing on people we trusted and believed in. That’s when Eman Wajed, Rodney Chatmon, and Caine McDermott joined the mission. Five founders from different backgrounds and disciplines, each bringing our own unique strengths and perspectives.
When we all came together, we like to say we formed like Voltron. Five individuals bringing different strengths together to build something bigger than ourselves.
Something by Buffalo, for Buffalo, to better Buffalo.
What is Buffalo Fashion Runway?
Buffalo Fashion Runway is a nonprofit organization at the intersection of fashion, community, and culture.
Our mission is to spotlight emerging designers, artists, and creatives while building platforms that bridge communities and create opportunities.
We want to celebrate Buffalo’s diversity through dynamic fashion shows, immersive cultural programming, and educational initiatives.
We create spaces where people from all walks of life can gather, connect, and celebrate culture. This work goes beyond the threads, using fashion as a tool for storytelling, empowerment, and community building.
One of the biggest expressions of that vision is Black Carpet, our annual celebration of Black history, culture, and excellence that takes place every February.
From Northland to Shea’s
The first Black Carpet took place in 2024 at Northland Workforce Training Center, and when 500 people showed up, we were blown away. The event doubled in 2025 when we held it at the Connecticut Street Armory.
This year, more than 2,000 people were in the building for Black Carpet III. Standing backstage, watching the audience fill in, I can’t describe the mix of excitement and nerves. I honestly felt like I was flying. Humans yearn to participate in movements, in collective progress. It’s very humbling to be a part of an experience like that.
We opened Shea’s doors to community members who may have never stepped foot in the theater before. People of all backgrounds, ages, and neighborhoods came together in a space that has traditionally hosted Broadway productions and national acts.
For many people in the audience, it was their first time inside Shea’s.
The audience reflected the city itself. People from different neighborhoods, generations, and backgrounds coming together to celebrate creativity and culture in a shared space.
The show itself was a full-scale cultural production featuring more than 130 models, 20+designers, 25 performers, and a tribute honoring 10 Buffalo Black Icons whose leadership continues to shape our city.
The energy in the room was something you had to experience to fully understand.
Fashion as a creative economy
What’s happening through Buffalo Fashion Runway is about more than fashion shows.
When designers create collections, photographers capture the moment, musicians perform, models walk the runway, and small businesses collaborate, an entire creative ecosystem begins to grow.
Cities like New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles have long benefited from strong creative industries. Buffalo is now building its own version of that momentum, powered by local talent and community support.
Buffalo has always been a city of builders, and right now a new generation of creatives is helping shape what the next chapter of this city looks like.
Black Carpet is one example of what’s possible when creatives are given a platform.
Gratitude for the Village
Before closing this sermon, because yes we are in church, I want to take a moment to express gratitude.
First, shoutout to the Core Four. Dylan Assil, Maggie Rose Hoak, Derric Jordan, and Jean Rios. These individuals help make up the Buffalo Fashion Runway leadership team and currently dedicate their time, talent, and treasure on a volunteer basis because they believe deeply in the mission.
A huge thank you as well to Jordan Walbesser and BootSector for believing in us from the very beginning and helping power this work. Having partners who believe in your mission early on makes all the difference, and their support has played an important role in helping Buffalo Fashion Runway grow.
Another sincere thank you goes to all of our sponsors and partners who helped bring Black Carpet III to life, including the John R. Oishei Foundation, our presenting sponsor, whose leadership and support helped make this historic moment possible. Vision alone does not bring events like this to life. Resources do. We are incredibly grateful to the organizations and individuals who believed in what we were building and helped turn that vision into reality.
And finally, to the Buffalo community. The community that believed in us from the beginning. The community that continues to show up. The community that supports and uplifts everything we do.
Everything Buffalo Fashion Runway creates is for you.
Without this community, none of it would be possible.
So from all of us at Buffalo Fashion Runway, thank you.
Looking Ahead
The success of Black Carpet III is part of a larger movement that continues to grow.
Buffalo Fashion Runway will keep building platforms for designers, artists, and creatives while contributing to Buffalo’s evolving cultural and creative economy. Through runway productions, community programming, and partnerships across the city, we are committed to making sure Buffalo’s creative voices continue to have a stage.
Do you see it now? We’re investing in Buffalo’s creative future.
In fact, so are you.
