Life & Work with Deanna Rogers

Today we’d like to introduce you to Deanna Rogers.  

Hi Deanna, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I was younger, I always wanted to be a model. I had dreams of being in commercials and magazines all over. I went to the local agency scouts all the time. I would have to audition with a commercial script or take a couple of headshots with no makeup on. They called me back every time! But every time I was selected, the scouts would then ask my mother to pay thousands of dollars just to jumpstart my career. That’s when my mom no longer took an interest in me becoming a model. When I entered high school, I got lucky enough to do two local fashion shows. The first show, during my freshman year, was for Macy’s prom collection inside of Oakland Mall. The other was during my senior year for a photography studio called Patrick Studios during an anti-bully program. After high school, I decided to take modeling a little more seriously since it was fully in my control now. My first photo shoot was at the age of 19 when I met a photographer in college, which is where I began to meet most of the photographers I know now. After I took a couple of professional photos, I felt it was time for me to take another swing at runway modeling. In 2015, when I actually started my career as a fashion model. I walked in a couple of local fashion shows and met a ton of people in the industry. I met some really cool models, designers, photographers, and even makeup artists. We’d always have so much fun networking with each other. The energy was always great! Even if the fashion shows didn’t turn out how we expected, we still enjoyed the time spent meeting new people and experiencing everyone’s different styles and personalities backstage. That was really important to me. I felt that a good backstage presence was just as important as the actual fashion show. Especially during fashion shows that were voluntary. I noticed how you could always tell in pictures if the models were happy or bothered on the runway. Most likely the models who are bothered from backstage mayhem will rush on the runway and forget to get a great picture. There might be a million things running through someone’s head while they’re strutting the runway, and if they’re not focused or relaxed before getting on a stage, they’ll easily forget the purpose, which is a great photo. I’ve always kept that in mind when creating The Rise Fashion Show. What truly gave me the inspiration was the idea of having my own fashion show done the way I believed was right. I believe models should never have to pay to be in a fashion show. I believe in feeding the models a light meal before they hit the runway. I believe in working with professional models only. I really believe in the true experience of fashion shows and didn’t want to wait around until some group could provide that experience for me. My goal for The Rise Fashion Show was to set the bar for the Detroit fashion industry. I had a vision for Detroit, and still do. 

I also had to make myself different from all the fashion shows that were already going on in the city. So, I decided to make The Rise Fashion Show a competition amongst the designers. Only allowing a maximum of six designers to compete for a cash prize. They’re judged by the entire audience, and the winner receives a cash prize and a personal interview for more brand content. I believe in the designers’ experience as well. Since they’re the most important part of the show, you should always take care of them and support them. I always want all the models and designers to feel excited like they just received the golden ticket when they’re selected to be in the show. That’s the true fashion show experience I’ve dreamed of having. I made it my purpose to bring that dream into reality. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wouldn’t say this has been a smooth road, especially since I do a lot of the event production on my own. Some challenges come when I’m looking for the perfect venue for a show. Anyone in production knows that’s the hardest step in starting an event. Also, looking for sponsors can be challenging, but I’m very optimistic and always find a way to put on a great fashion show. Even if I’m producing events for other people or designers. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My background is in event production. I’m self-taught and do my own setup for the fashion shows. I’m also an interior designer during the day, and at night, I’m doing my newest hobby, which is DJing and mixing tracks for bars and lounges throughout the city. I have so much passion for being creative and working with other people. I love throwing fashion shows and helping people come together for a good cause. I started the company in 2016 at the age of 20 and have successfully put together six shows already throughout Metro Detroit. The entire show is produced by myself with the help of some great friends that let us use their rehearsal space or help us set up the day of the show. I’m so blessed to be able to provide this show to my peers and the fashion community. I’ve seen friendships, partnerships, and even sponsorships form from being in The Rise fashion show. That’s everything I’ve always wanted and more. I want to always be remembered for providing great quality events and never giving up on myself and others. 

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
My goal for the future is to not stop here. I want to make The Rise an international brand and continue to support the fashion community, and put on as many people as I can. In the next 5-10 years, I see The Rise fashion show, possibly having a TV series or documentary. I have hopes of growing my team and providing real jobs for people with the same passion as me. I want to be able to pay every single model that participates and not just give them money to sell tickets but for being in the show. I expect to have a $1,000 cash prize for the winning designer, with an actual panel overseeing the crowd’s votes to ensure everything is fair because there’s money on the line. Overall, I see the Rise fashion show growing more and more each year. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Therisefashionshow.com
• Instagram: Therisefashionshow