| The “Empress of WeHo,” Jazzmun, Mikalah Gordon, Murray Swanby and Rose Garcia to Host Opening Gala & After-Party of LA’s 1st Inclusive LGBTQ+ Fashion Event
Special Performance by Trans Chorus of LA, Empowerment in Heels & More! |
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| 3-Day, Pop-Up Experience to Feature EFW Designers, Vendors, Fashion, Food, Music & Live Performances in Support of Local, Queer Businesses 10/14 – 10/16 |
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| LOS ANGELES, CA (The Hollywood Times) OCTOBER 12th, 2019 – Queer activist, designer and entrepreneur and event producer NiK Kacy today announced the hosts, full event and entertainment lineup for “UNITY” – the 2nd Annual Equality Fashion Week (EFW), LA’s premiere, inclusive LGBTQ+ fashion week event. EFW creator and event producer Kacy, is dedicated to the local and global LGBTQ+ community in raising awareness, visibility, education and supporting the community at large through economic and social development. EFW’s unique platform and marketplace consists of a three-day pop up experience of queer and inclusive EFW designers’ displays, local vendors food, music, talent meet-and-greets and live entertainment. EFW officially kicks off with an exclusive one-night-only, high-end opening gala during LA’s Fashion Week.
The EFW Opening Gala Fashion Show and After-Party will be held at the iconic Globe Theatre in downtown LA on Sunday, October 13th, 2019, beginning with a special fashion preview and red carpet arrivals from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. PT. The official EFW Opening Gala After-Party begins following the conclusion of the fashion show.
New for 2019, this year’s gala features designers from LA and beyond. UNITY @ EFW features 11 designers and 110 models of various backgrounds. Additionally, during the opening gala event, Kacy will present an ‘Emerging Designer Award’ grant to one of the featured designers as another opportunity to ‘give back’ and further the community. Through the pop-up experience and eagerly anticipated fashion event, EFW gives designers an additional platform as entrepreneurs to express and market themselves by creating a unique marketplace to enable opportunities for economic development through promotion, sales and potential partnerships.
 The three-day EFW Designer Pop Up Experience takes place at 4870 W. Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016, Monday, October 14th – Wednesday, October 16th from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. PT daily and features music, food, entertainment, etc. Currently more than 20 vendors, DJs, musicians have already confirmed. Please visit the EFW 2019 website for additional details and updates to the performance schedule.
EFW’s 2019 Opening Gala Fashion Show & After-Party Hosts
This year the “Empress of WeHo” will kick-off the festivities as host of the Red Carpet, interviewing special VIP guests (public figures, influencers, talent, etc.) as they arrive from. Once EFW begins, Jazzmun, Murray Swanby and American Idol’s Mikalah Gordon will serve as the official hosts and emcees of the EFW Opening Gala Fashion Show. The Real L Word’s Rose Garcia will host the Official Fun Factory After-Party kicking off at 10:30 p.m. PT. |
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No stranger to the red carpet, Enoch Miller, aka the unofficially, official “Empress of West Hollywood,” is proud to live in an amazing city like Los Angeles that lets him be #GayAF. His great passion is music, pop-culture, local events and all things LGBTQ+ centric. As the “Empress of Weho,” he provides “his loyal subjects” with the latest and greatest in entertainment, local events and all things hip. Additionally, he keeps audiences up to date with great picks for GTV, a directory of the best LGBT video series, music videos, short films and one-offs in the world. |
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| “Jazzmun” Nichcala Crayton’s career combines show business and advocacy for the transgender community spanning 30+ years. She’s appeared in numerous television and movie roles, including her recent portrayal Bobbie Jean Baker, a prominent Transgender Activist and religious leader in ABC’s When We Rise. Jazzmun also serves the transgender community as an HIV Testing Counselor at the Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team, where she facilitates programs that serve the community, particularly Transgender Women of Color who are often marginalized, ostracized, and criminalized. Additionally, she leads “SPIRIT,” a monthly holistic space for trans and Gender Non-Conforming individuals and serves as the Coordinator of the Midnight Stroll. The organization brings awareness and needed self-care supplies for street based sex workers that empowers clients to move from street-based sex work into comprehensive community resources (i.e. HIV testing and treatment, housing services, substance use counseling, legal and victim advocacy, and medical services). Jazzmun affects policy changes and legislation as a Board Member of the City of Los Angeles Transgender Advisory Council, by advising elected officials and civic leaders on critical issues facing the transgender community, including economic development, public awareness, safety, healthcare accessibility, trans-inclusive housing and employment policies. |
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| Mikalah Gordon made her entertainment debut as a top 12 contestant on season 4 of American Idol. Her run on Idol garnered her a record deal with famed judge Randy Jackson’s Interscope Records. In addition to her success as a recording artist, Gordon made her mark in the LA comedy scene with her edgy stand-up performances including headlining at The Comedy Store and The Laugh Factory. The spicy comedienne also previously starred on the WB sitcom Living with Fran, starring Fran Drescher, was a field correspondent for The Tyra Banks Show and the TV Guide Network. She also served as a co-host on American Idol Extra in addition to starring in the CBS hit show, The Unit. The soulful chanteuse can currently be seen performing Fridays and Saturdays at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Hotel’s Rose. Rabbit. Lie and as the morning show host on ChannelQ, the first LGBTQIA radio station on FM radio “giving everyone a voice.” |
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| Murray Swanby is a reality television personality, international underwear model and social media powerhouse and also well-known, former LA nightlife promoter at the world famous Abbey in West Hollywood. Swanby’s success on social media fan base and in the public eye began as a model for two prominent LGBTQ+ driven underwear brands (Andrew Christian and Marco Marco). He’s travelled globally hosting and produced well-attended and sought-after events in nightlife. After Murray’s breakout role in E’s reality TV show What Happens at The Abbey, he was cast on MTV’s reality TV sensation Ex On The Beach. Swanby is currently is filming for a new LA-based reality show that may be teased to EFW’s Opening Gala-goers. |
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| EFW after-party host Rose Garcia was the inspiration for “Papi,” a beloved character on Showtime’s The L Word. When the series’ creator Ilene Chaiken decided to green light a docu-series version of her successful show, she cast Garcia to participate in the reality, spin-off series. Her stint on the first season of The Real L Word catapulted her into the spotlight. A real estate professional who juggled her professional life, a traditional Puerto Rican Catholic family and her lesbian social life life made for great television. While currently committed to her family, her business (Garcia Real Estate Group) and speaking out on behalf of LGBTQ+ causes, Garcia has also been featured on Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing L.A., Newsweek, BuzzFeed and most recently on HGTV’s House Hunters. |
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EFW 2019 Performers
Gala attendees will be treated performances by Chihsuan, an award-winning multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer who’s played with noted musicians including, Yo-Yo Ma and Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and esteemed guests, including His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Additional EFW 2019 performances include Maria Shtabskaya, Cole Mills and a not-to-be-missed performance from Trans Chorus LA, featuring a surprise guest. |
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| “From victim to victorious” is how Abdullah Rasheen Hall describes their vision as artistic director of Trans Chorus LA (TCLA), boldly shifting the media’s narrative of transgender victimization to one of victory and celebration. “I look for us to bring a light and a voice, and through song you can uplift people. We’re visible through our voices,” said Rasheen. Now entering their fourth season, TCLA has already made numerous public performances and joined singer-songwriter Maggie Szabo for a video performance of “Don’t Give Up” as part of LGBT Pride Month. |
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| EFW is proud to include Miss Marquez of Empowerment in Heels, burlesque classes designed to create a safe space for all bodies of all sizes, gender and skill levels to experience the power and beauty of the craft and explore their own sexual expression (#EmpowermentAllTheWay). Miss Marquez and her 30+ students will be featured as part of the evening’s unique entertainment lineup. |
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| EFW after-party attendees will also be treated to the non-stop beats from international favorite DJ Amara and other special surprise performances. |
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EFW 2019 Sponsors
For 2019’s event, Kacy sought out specific, like-minded and philosophically aligned organizations that support diversity, inclusion within the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. EFW is proud to announce AIDS Health Foundation (AHF) and FLUX as this year’s title sponsors, TransLatin@ Coalition as the fiscal sponsor and Fun Factory as the EFW Official Opening Gala After-Party sponsor.
EFW event producer Kacy of NiK Kacy Footwear, an LGBT-certified business that creates gender-free footwear and accessories identifies as non-binary and uses the pronouns they/them/theirs.
“As a community, lesbian, transgender, and queer members are the most under-represented of the group and often not visible to the mainstream and even within our own community. My hope for EFW is to continue to develop a week-long event each year to give a platform for queer artists and designers to not only express themselves, but also help create awareness and financial opportunities for them,” said Kacy.
They saw the need to create EFW last year after attending and presenting their footwear and accessories line at queer fashion shows in other cities, but not Los Angeles. |
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About AHF & FLUX
The Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a global nonprofit organization providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to over 1,000,000 people in 43 countries, generating new, innovative ways of treatment, prevention and advocacy has been the hallmark of our success. AHF is currently the largest provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the U.S. and funds its mission to rid the world of AIDS through a network of pharmacies, thrift stores, healthcare contracts and other strategic partnerships. AHF currently leads a mass testing initiative to identify and treat the 25 million people who are unaware they are infected. By advocating big goals–such as having 1 billion people tested each year–AHF hopes to eliminate older, more time-consuming methods. Since 1987, AHF has cared for thousands of people living with HIV and AIDS worldwide. As we create and implement new programs in communities across the U.S. and abroad, we expand delivery of healthcare and influence over policy with the aim of saving more lives.
FLUX is a division of AHF and a national affinity network that is dedicated to raising awareness and increasing visibility for Trans and gender non-conforming individuals.
About Fun Factory
The mission of the FUN FACTORY founders was to develop sex toys, which fulfilled high standards by providing quality and functionality combined with fun and sensuality, and thereby entice women and men to passionately use pulsators, dildos, vibrators and other toys without any misplaced shame. The idea was a hit. The very first inventions, all individual products, quickly found a huge fan base, which is still growing today. FUN FACTORY’s original philosophy hasn’t changed from its early days, but the company has. The “two men at one kitchen table” company has become one of Europe’s largest manufacturers of sensual silicone toys. In 2000, it moved to a stylish modern headquarters right on the Weser River in the company’s founding city Bremen, Germany and in 2003, it opened a branch in the USA. It appears that only one thing could stop FUN FACTORY’s success – a sudden drop of interest in sex….
About NiK Kacy
NiK Kacy is the founder of Equality Fashion Week, as well as, the first gender-free luxury footwear and accessories brand, NiK Kacy Footwear – an LGBT-certified business enterprise. As a transmasculine individual who identifies as gender non-binary, Kacy’s designs are inspired by both their personal identity, style and
activism. Since their successful Kickstarter campaign in March 2015, NiK has been featured in numerous publications including, but not limited to The Advocate, Autostraddle, DapperQ, Diva, Fashion Times, Forbes, Fortune, LA Times, Out, Ozy, Refinery29, Ryot, SheWired, TimeOut, and The Huffington Post.
NiK has appeared on countless panels, speaking as an expert on gender fluidity and the intersectionalities of their experience as a multi-cultural trans/non-binary, person of color, immigrant and queer entrepreneur. Prior to becoming a designer and entrepreneur, NiK spent 20+ years in the advertising and entertainment industries, serving primarily in the roles of producer and/or project manager. During that time NiK worked on multi-million dollar campaign projects for YouTube, Google and RPA with clients including LG, Honda, Acura, Sony, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, Toyota, BBC. NiK eventually left the corporate world in order to find a solution for footwear and fashion to evolve into a gender-free industry so that all gender identities and expressions can be represented equally. Learn more about the brand at: www.nikkacy.com and Equality Fashion Week 2019 at: www.equalityfashionweek.com. |
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