PROJECT RUNWAY Winner Christian Siriano to Headline South Walton Fashion Week

South Walton Fashion Week (SWFW), taking place October 5th through 8th in venues throughout South Walton, Fla., announces celebrity designer Christian Siriano as a 2016 headliner and emerging designer competition judge. He joins artist Ashley Longshore, fashion designer Amanda Valentine, and fashion blogger Jeanette Johnson on the 2016 fashion panel. Other special guests include television celebrity Becca Tilley (The Bachelor), fashion photographer Carlo Pieroni, former supermodel Carol Wilson, and model agent Jenni Lubo (Click Models).

Dubbed "the new king of old-school glamour" by Elle and "the next billion-dollar designer" by Yahoo! Style, Mr. Siriano's designs have appeared on the world's biggest stars, including First Lady Michelle Obama, Scarlett Johansson, Lupita Nyong'o, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Kerry Washington, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tina Fey, Heidi Klum, Oprah Winfrey, Victoria Beckham, and Kate Upton, to name just a few.

Ashley Longshore has been compared to Andy Warhol by Town & Country Magazine for her obsession with pop culture figures and brands and her relationships with celebrities like Blake Lively, Salma Hayek, and Penelope Cruz. She has had major collaborations with brands such as Chloe and Anthropologie and has emblazoned the path for pop art and fashion to coexist.

Becca Tilley was quickly put in the public eye during seasons 19 and 20 of The Bachelor and has been featured in Life & Style, E!, Mashable, Brid + Co., Access Hollywood Live, US Weekly and on panels for conferences such as BeautyCon. Her blog, BeccaTilleyBlog.com is an inspirational editorial platform to share travel, style and beauty with the modern consumer.

Named "Nashville's Best Fashion Designer" four years running, Amanda Valentine is the founder of Amanda Valentine, a Nashville-based clothing and accessory collection, and celebrity stylist. In 2013, Valentine was selected as a designer to compete on the eleventh season of Lifetime's hit series Project Runway. She was voted back in the summer of 2014 by fans of Project Runway to compete again on Season 13 where she placed runner up.

"Our fourth event promises to be the best yet," said SWFW Executive Producer Jennifer Steele. "The expansion of runway-show venues, the addition of VIP trunk shows and events, and a stellar lineup of emerging designers and high-profile special guests like Christian, Becca, and Ashley will definitely help to create an unforgettable SWFW experience."

Full bios for all SWFW special guests can be found at swfw.org.

In its fourth year, South Walton Fashion Week is a large-scale, multi-day event on Northwest Florida's Gulf Coast that celebrates high fashion by featuring national, regional, and local designers and retail boutiques, along with an emerging designer and model competition. Runway shows, trunk shows, parties, and presentations will take place in beach neighborhoods throughout South Walton.

VIE will host the official SWFW Launch Party, "The Get Down," at their headquarters in Grayton Beach on Wednesday, October 5th. Prime-time runway shows, the Silver Sands Premium Outlets Emerging Designer Competition, the Sheila Goode Model Competition sponsored by VIE, and the ZT Motors Style Lounge featuring pop-up retail boutiques will be held at "30A Venue" (30Avenue) on Thursday and Friday and at 560 Grand Boulevard (Grand Boulevard) on Saturday.

2015 Emerging Designer winner Tieler James will show his latest collection on Thursday night, and Amanda Valentine will be featured Friday night. A VIP Christian Siriano runway and trunk show will take place at Alys Beach's Caliza Pool and Alys Shoppe on Friday at 10:00 am followed by a Becca Tilley Meet & Greet at 2:00 pm at The Shops at The Hub. Jeanette Johnson of J's Everyday Fashion will lead a Style Seminar at Silver Sands Premium Outlets Saturday at 11:00 am, and Mr. Siriano will close the festivities on Saturday night by showing his Spring 2017 collection.

Day-time and pre-show party venues include Silver Sands Premium Outlets, The Shops at The Hub, Tommy Bahama, and Willow + Mercer. Retail runway partners include oko, Tommy Bahama, Anthropologie, Lilly Pulitzer, 30A Dumpster Diver, Anatomie, VIVO Spa Salon, and Saks Fifth Avenue Off Fifth. Visit swfw.org for the full schedule.

General admission tickets start at $20 for day-time events and $50 for prime-time events, and VIP tickets start at $100. Tickets and special lodging partner packages offered by Rosemary Beach Cottage Rental Company, Courtyard Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard, and Hilton Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort can be found on the SWFW website.

South Walton Fashion Week is produced by the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) in partnership with Monark Events and presented by Visit South Walton, Grand Boulevard and VIE Magazine.

Additional SWFW partners also include Hair & Makeup Partner VIVO Spa Salon, Click Models, Pure & Couture, Linda Miller - The Smile of 30A, Bud & Alley's, Emerald Coast Magazine, The 30A Company, The Storyteller Agency, Grayton Beer Company, and The Craft Bar.

Net proceeds benefit the CAA, which is the designated Local Arts Agency that supports the arts through leadership, advocacy, funding, programs and education. The vision of the CAA is to make Walton County a creative place in which to live, work and visit (culturalartsalliance.com).

About The Cultural Arts Alliance The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) supports the arts through leadership, advocacy, funding, programs and education. The vision of the CAA is to make Walton County a creative place in which to live, work and visit - a destination for cultural and artistic excellence where lives are enriched, economy is stimulated and community is strengthened. In addition to South Walton Fashion Week, the CAA produces the 30A Songwriters Festival, Art Week South Walton, ArtsQuest, Seaside Writers Conference, the Flutterby Festival, and Valentine Tour of Homes. The CAA presents over 200 workshops each year at the Bayou Arts Center, provides arts education funding through the Art for All program, and leads The Foster Gallery, a fine art co-op gallery that features local artists and special exhibits. Learn more and become a member at CulturalArtsAlliance.com.

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