Bridging the Gap: Dr. Paula Whittle on 19 Years of Building Atlanta International Fashion Week

As Atlanta International Fashion Week prepares for its 19th annual season, founder Dr. Paula Whittle reflects on purpose, resilience, youth mentorship, and the global fashion platform she continues to build. There is a moment before every fashion show when the room begins to change.

The lights soften. The audience settles. The first look waits backstage. For Dr. Paula Whittle, that moment is never just about the runway. It is the result of vision, service, and nearly two decades of work.

In 2007, after transitioning out of the music industry, Whittle founded Atlanta International Fashion Week with a clear mission: bridging the gap and connecting continents through fashion. At the time, Atlanta did not have a comparable platform for emerging designers, aspiring models, and independent creatives.

“I prayed to God for something else,” she recalls. “I just got a piece of pen and paper and he gave me all the idea, the layout, the name, the concept.”

She wrote it down and moved forward.

“It took on a life of its own.”

From the beginning, Whittle wanted the platform to be open, public-facing, and accessible to talent still trying to find its way into the industry.

“When people saw that mine was open to the public and not so industry-driven, and that I was open to new and upcoming talent and new and upcoming designers, it kind of took off a life of its own because no one was doing that,” she says.

That commitment still defines the week. Atlanta International Fashion Week welcomes designers, models, and creatives across cultures, age groups, and experience levels.

“No matter what culture, no matter what age, no matter their status in the industry,” Whittle says, “we are here. This is a platform for you.”

According to the official Atlanta International Fashion Week website, the 2026 season runs from September 22 through September 27 in downtown Atlanta, bringing together runway shows, workshops, networking events, celebrity appearances, and community-focused programming.

From vision to platform

Whittle’s story begins in Greenville, Alabama, and expands through the city she has called home for 26 years. In Atlanta, what began as an idea on paper became much more than an annual event. Today, Atlanta International Fashion Week is a nonprofit platform rooted in community development, mentorship, and cultural exchange.

Whittle sees it as a year-round commitment.

“The work does not end when fashion week ends,” she says. “The work begins after fashion week ends.”

That ongoing work matters for designers and models who need more than a single runway moment. The organization promotes participants before and after the event, connects them with industry opportunities, and creates pathways through workshops, panels, and training. Whittle is especially focused on emerging talent and the people who may shape the future of fashion.

When she selects designers, she looks for originality and point of view. For models, she looks beyond appearance.

“Not just with the look, but their presence, that stance, their walk, their confidence,” she says.

A distinct fashion week

What sets Atlanta International Fashion Week apart is not only its runway, but the experience around it. Whittle describes it as a “passport to fashion.” Guests receive a passport or boarding pass, and each day reflects a different destination, creating a global, immersive atmosphere that blends fashion, culture, and entertainment.

That concept supports the event’s international identity and luxury aesthetic while keeping Atlanta at the center. Celebrity presence has helped build visibility, and the organization has also received proclamations from the city and state. Still, Whittle is clear that celebrity is only one layer of the story.

The larger mission is community impact.

Its charitable programming includes the “Celebrity Walk for Charity,” and, as Whittle notes, every runway show is tied to a cause. Innovation remains central as well. Over the years, she has introduced fashion and technology on the runway, staged shows at an airport and outdoors, and created space for people with disabilities to be seen on the runway.

Mentoring tomorrow’s trendsetters

When asked about her proudest moments, Whittle does not start with celebrity guests or scale. Her answer is immediate.

“Working with the kids,” she says.

Through backstage access, shadowing opportunities, workshops, and mentorship, young people are invited to learn how the industry works from the inside. That commitment led to Fashion Apprentice, a nonprofit program designed to prepare youth for fashion careers.

“We have to focus on tomorrow’s trendsetters.”

The same spirit guides the organization’s educational work for designers, models, and aspiring entrepreneurs. Through classes and hands-on programming, participants can learn about modeling, branding, boutiques, marketing, and the wider business of fashion.

Another initiative especially close to Whittle’s heart is “Beauty and the Makeover,” created to support homeless women. In one Mother’s Day partnership with Macy’s, women received makeovers, styling, and the chance to walk the runway.

“We gave them a day of beauty,” Whittle says. “To hear their stories, to hear and see their faces, to hear their testimonies: it just gave me joy.”

Looking ahead

Whittle’s advice to women with a big vision is as direct as it is hard-won: know who you are, stay focused, and keep going.

“Focus on the finish line. Focus on the prize. And stay the course. Stay the course. Stay the course.”

Looking ahead, she sees international expansion, deeper community work abroad, and television projects that bring Atlanta International Fashion Week’s fashion, culture, and charitable mission to wider audiences.

And when people remember her work, she hopes they remember more than the clothes. She wants them to remember the connection, the access, the knowledge, the empowerment, and the sense that fashion can bring people together across communities and continents.