Joan Madison with her models in 2014. Credit: Courtesy of Meredith Liepelt
Fashion Week Columbus will return to the city for its 17th annual week-long series of runway shows, designer features and fashion-forward events.
The series will commence on Sunday, hosting eight events through Nov. 14, and will be themed “Your Body is a Work of Art,” according to a press release from the Columbus Fashion Council, the nonprofit organization behind Fashion Week Columbus. Fashion Week Columbus 2026 will be headlined by Joan Madison, who will speak at the final event, the 17th Annual Finale Runway Show.
“We create a platform for designers, for models, photographers [and] different creatives within the central Ohio region,” said Yiema John, executive director of the Columbus Fashion Council.
This year, John said she is placing a particular focus on investing in the Columbus fashion community through spotlighting and celebrating local designers, organizations and nonprofits.
“We are, for sure, really doubling down on our investment in the community,” John said. “It is no secret that it is a challenging year for a lot of nonprofits, and I think that a rising tide lifts all ships … There’s a lot of various ways that we are engaging and activating the entire city.”
Throughout Fashion Week 2026, the Columbus Fashion Council will be putting on events throughout Columbus, such as an Ohio State Luncheon at Campbell Hall, the Curve Runway Show at the Columbus Museum of Art, the Finale Runway Show at Prototype: The Experimental Museum and more, according to the website.
Joan Madison, headliner for Columbus Fashion Week 2026, owner of Joan’s Bridal Couture, located at 7374 E. Main St. in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, and a “Project Runway” alum, said she was introduced to fashion as a child, as she made clothes for her Barbie dolls.
“At the age of seven, I was selling [Barbie doll clothes] out of my lunchbox at school,” Madison said. “Then, at the age of 13, is when I made my first bridal gown. It kind of just progressed from there. I just wanted to learn everything I can about sewing and making garments. I just immersed myself into all things fashion.”
Madison opened her own bridal boutique for custom, couture bridal gowns in 2000, and in 2006, she opened Joan’s Bridal Couture, a full-service bridal salon, according to Madison’s website.
Through working in the bridal industry, Madison said she was introduced to Columbus Fashion Week, where she began participating in 2013.
“This year, I will be the first local designer to headline, and it kind of gives me a reflection of my experience with them, and then I get to look at my career and, just to see where I was 13 years ago with them, and then where I am today,” Madison said.
In particular, John said she is excited for the Luxe Levels Fashion Show on Thursday.
“It’s a woman-owned business, and they’ve been in business for many years now,” John said. “The owner, Jasmine Tucker, is so philanthropic and very community-minded. This is going to be more of a girls’ night out type of show. You get great bites, a DJ [and] music. It’s definitely going to be a nice vibe and a great way to kick off the weekend.”
Attendees at Fashion Week Columbus 2025’s Recycled Runway Fashion Show. Credit: Curtesy of Meredith Liepelt
At the Finale Runway Show on Nov. 14, Madison said she will be showcasing a collection representative of her life’s body of work, including her most iconic pieces.
“My pieces are statement pieces — I pretty much call them ‘wearable art,’” Madison said. “My pieces are very empowering. I like to tell a story with my collections. It’s just not garments on the runway — it’s almost like it becomes emotional. I feel that I’m emoting different aspects of my life [and] different eras of my life. I want empowering and powerful messages to women for all of us to just be our authentic selves.”
Fashion Week Columbus also serves as an opportunity for residents and students to get involved in the city, outside of their usual activities, John said.
“One thing that really gets me going is when people think that there’s nothing to do in Columbus,” John said. “There’s so much opportunity to do things outside of bars and clubs or anything of that nature. This is a great way to support the arts in various different ways. Another thing, for students specifically, is that Columbus, unlike many other bigger cities, our accessibility to leaders and movers and shakers and decision makers is unlike any other.”
John said this aspect appeals to Ohio State students, in particular, as it allows them to get to know the city.
“I want students to be able to see the various ways that they’re able to live and thrive in the region, and how Columbus is not a barrier for you to expand and grow,” John said.
For emerging designers, the greatest learning curve is often turning fashion from a mere hobby into a fully-fledged career, John said. Fashion Week Columbus aims to be a premier learning experience for local up-and-comers, as it provides real-world style training.
“There’s nothing quite like having to select your models, having to do the marketing and also having a stylist on-hand to help make sure that your models are fitted and able to go down the runway successfully,” John said. “The actual work of producing a show and getting that real-life experience is definitely a very value-added service that we provide for our emerging talent.”
Participating in Fashion Week Columbus provides designers with an opportunity to celebrate the effort they have put into curating their collections, Madison said.
“Sometimes you may have to go out of your comfort zone, search high and low [and] get inspiration wherever you can so that you can tell your story,” Madison said. “Everyone thinks, ‘I want to be a designer. I want to have my own collection. I want to do this overnight.’ Nothing comes overnight. You have to put in the work. You have to, and you will be rewarded.”
Through her career and her collection at Fashion Week Columbus, Madison said she hopes to leave a legacy in fashion design and inspire future designers.
“You don’t have to go to New York if you want a custom design dress,” she said. “The designers are here, so I think that [Fashion Week Columbus] will showcase the best of the best [and] showcase what Columbus has to offer.”
In Columbus, fashion has no boundaries, John said, and students can explore boundary-breaking designers through Fashion Week Columbus.
“This year is going to be such a great opportunity for folks to really explore and understand what we’re able to showcase here,” John said. “Columbus is fashion, and fashion is for all.”
Registration is required for all of Columbus Fashion Week 2026’s events, and tickets can be purchased, starting at no cost for the Macy’s Destination Holiday Show, through the website.
