By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times
Birmingham’s fashion community took center stage in June as two independently produced showcases used the runway to celebrate body positivity, representation and community impact.
Although organized separately, De’Angela Pippen’s “Let Dee Games Begin” on June 14 and La’Toya Nicole Fletcher’s Third Annual Birmingham Full Figured Fashion Week (BFFFW): The Homecoming Edition on June 20 shared a common goal: creating spaces where fashion is accessible, inclusive and reflective of people of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds.
From cash competitions and charitable giving to scholarships and self-love, both events demonstrated how Birmingham’s fashion scene continues to evolve beyond the runway.
Let Dee Games Begin blends fashion with philanthropy
More than 600 people packed the Bessemer Civic Center on June 14 as models, designers, stylists and photographers from across the Southeast gathered for “Let Dee Games Begin,” Pippen’s fourth annual fashion competition and community fundraiser.
Founded by the Birmingham native, the event featured more than 60 models competing for cash prizes across four runways. Five designers from Birmingham and Atlanta, along with four stylists from the two cities, showcased their creativity while models traveled from Birmingham, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa and New York City to participate.
The competition was only part of the evening’s purpose.
During the event, organizers presented more than $5,000 to three recipients living with Graves’ disease, continuing Pippen’s tradition of pairing fashion with community service.
“Every event I do, I give back to the community,” Pippen said before the show. “I just wanted to give a safe, inclusive event and give people something for their time and just to show my appreciation to our community in fashion.”
Pippen has spent more than a decade producing fashion shows, but her vision stretches beyond clothing and competition.
She began modeling at 16 after discovering a love for fashion through family fashion shows at reunions. As a plus-size woman, she often looked to actress Queen Latifah for inspiration.
“When I used to see Queen Latifah on the screen, I would say, ‘This is going to be me one day,'” Pippen recalled.
After years of modeling and helping to produce shows for other organizations, she launched her own platform in 2017 with the goal of changing the look of Birmingham’s runways.
“I wanted to do something that was never done before and bring inclusivity to the fashion community in our city,” she said. “I didn’t see people in wheelchairs, with disabilities. I didn’t see a lot of profiles being included. It was always a full-figured show and then a show for everybody else. I wanted to bring it together.”
That commitment to representation has remained central to every production.
Leading up to this year’s event, Pippen hosted a five-city model search in Atlanta, Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa. More than 100 aspiring models attended the final casting call in Birmingham, underscoring the growing popularity of the annual showcase.
For the 2026 competition, she expanded from two runways to four, allowing each designer, stylist and modeling team its own presentation while competing for top honors.
The event also continued Pippen’s longstanding commitment to charitable giving. Her first independently produced fashion show in 2017 raised money for a young woman battling Stage 3 cervical cancer, while another supported a local mentoring program. In 2024, the event donated $2,200 to a Graves’ disease recipient.
This year’s donation marked the largest community contribution in the event’s history.
“I can’t do it alone,” Pippen said. “I’m not going to say I do it by myself. I’m just excited to be able to do it with the help of the community to make this possible.”
BFFFW closes the week with ‘The Homecoming Edition’
Six days later, another runway carried Birmingham’s message of inclusion to a different stage.
Held June 20 at the Southern Museum of Flight, Birmingham Full Figured Fashion Week (BFFFW): The Homecoming Edition transformed the museum’s aircraft-filled exhibition floor into an unconventional runway where fashion and aviation shared the spotlight.
The unique backdrop of historic airplanes added a dramatic setting as models of all shapes and sizes walked the runway, reinforcing founder La’Toya Nicole Fletcher’s belief that fashion should be welcoming to everyone.
Before the show began, models and guests gathered for a red carpet experience hosted by Vickey Partlow of Live With Vickey P, giving each model an opportunity to showcase their look before stepping onto the runway.
Fletcher embraced the evening’s homecoming theme from start to finish, incorporating drum majors from local high schools and majorette dancers into the production, blending fashion with the pageantry and excitement often associated with Friday night football in Alabama.
Dressed in an all-gold ensemble, Fletcher said she was excited to see another year of Birmingham Full Figured Fashion Week come to life.
“I’m excited,” she told The Birmingham Times before the show.
Now in its third year, BFFFW was created to provide a space where curvy and plus-size individuals could experience fashion without limitations while also celebrating diversity.
“We’re inclusive,” Fletcher said. “Although we cater to our plus-size community, plus-size starts at a size eight. But we’re inclusive. I do have a model that’s a double zero.”
The show featured approximately 20 models, representing a range of body types and backgrounds.
Originally from Bessemer, Fletcher said years of traveling and participating in fashion weeks outside Alabama inspired her to create something she believed was missing at home.
“Being in different fashion weeks and shows, being in magazines and being exposed to modeling outside of Alabama, I saw that this is needed,” she said. “God gave me the vision, so I knew it was from Him.”
Her vision extends beyond the runway.
During this year’s event, BFFFW awarded scholarships to graduating high school seniors and college students, recognizing four recipients, including students from Minor High School, Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School and Alabama State University.
The scholarships are one of several community initiatives Fletcher has incorporated into BFFFW since launching the event in 2024.
“It’s a ministry,” Fletcher told The Birmingham Times in a previous interview. “It’s more than just a fashion week. We have outreach where we go out and teach people about having a growth mindset, and we educate people on body positivity, anti-bullying, love and paying that forward.”
A growing movement
Although produced by different organizations with distinct missions, both “Let Dee Games Begin” and Birmingham Full Figured Fashion Week reflected a broader movement taking shape in Birmingham’s fashion community.
Both founders built platforms after recognizing that traditional runways often overlooked people whose bodies did not fit conventional industry standards. Both have used fashion to encourage confidence while investing in their communities through charitable giving, scholarships, and outreach.
For one week in June, Birmingham’s runways became more than places to showcase clothing. They became spaces where representation mattered, confidence was celebrated and community remained at the heart of every walk down the runway.
