RICHMOND, Va. -- Actor-director Tim Reid is back with his sixth annual cultural fashion showcase and it's bringing the world to Richmond.
"I used to be famous. Now in my legacy period. So in my legacy period, I've always tried to bring cultures together," Reid said.
Reid has, with his annual cultural fashion show, his pick for the producer of the show.
"I've always liked fashion and being in show business over the years. And so I wanted to find someone who helped me to do that. So I found a young lady from Ethiopia, Salome," Reid said.
The Ethiopian-born fashion designer brings world experience to the sixth annual Tim Reid Cultural Fashion show.
"When I met Tim, it was just a great opportunity for me, not just only to host but to produce the show on finding talent that new designers from all over the country," Salome Seifu, a host and fashion designer, said.
"So it's been a place where emerging designers can show their wares and build a career through these kinds of events."
In his travels, Reid said he discovered creative trends happening among people of the African Diaspora.
"And so I wanted to somehow bring together cultures, let people see we're not a monolithic group of people. And as doing that, we discovered other cultures," Reid said.
These cultures included designers from Africa, Europe and North America.
Reid said that he has gained a healthy respect for the job that designers do.
"I looked for the unique, creative designers, you know, and colors and something kind of like a limited edition, like one of a kind piece," Reid said.
Derrick Sellers is one of the ten designers who will be featured in the show.
"I was inspired by when the Berlin Wall came down and when fashion kind of collided with pop culture and music," Sellers said.
His designs create a feeling of nostalgia, a clash of different worlds coming together.
"You'll see some turbans with ski goggles, clutches, big necklaces and stuff like that," Sellers said.
Planning for the show starts early.
"I started about six months ago. But the preparation is between six and seven months," Sellers said.
The process of putting all the pieces together takes a village.
"You got a makeup artist, you got the head team, you got the producers, you got the assistant producers, you got the stage manager, you got the production manager."
Like Salome, Sellers understands the assignment.
From the stage to the big screen, the cultural fashion show benefits emerging filmmakers.
"Profits from this go to the Legacy Media Institute where we use that money to continue our work and working with emerging filmmakers."
The sixth annual Tim Reid Cultural Fashion Show is June 3 at the John Marshall Ballrooms.
