Photos: NFL wives’ fashion show models clothing by Dallas designer Abi Ferrin

The clothing is termed, "fashion with freedom and purpose."

Dawn Mellon and Renee Reese

DALLAS — The NFL Wives Retreat fashion show on Saturday showcased Dallas designer Abi Ferrin's new fall collection. Hosted at Ferrin's studio at the South Side Lamar building by Willis & Woy Sports Group, NFL wives from all over the U.S. came together to enjoy fashion, shop, and even model the fabulous clothing.

Four mannequins dressed in Ferrin’s hottest designs were placed right at the entrance, with handbags by Lisa Barfield and bulky jewelry by Nest Jewelry placed on the mannequins and on tables.

When the NFL wives arrived, there was never a dull moment. Endless vodka and champagne was poured while the women chatted, skimmed the clothing, and tried on favorites. Renee Reese, wife of former NFL player Ike Reese, organized the event.

Sherice Brown

Sherice Brown, wife of Tim Brown, former wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders and 1987 Heisman trophy winner, modeled a fuchsia colored dress by Ferrin. The extremely sweet Julie Dorenbos, wife of Philadelphia Eagles long snapper Jon Dorenbos, modeled a cute outfit and donned her own pair of chic camouflage stilettos with a brown Ferrin romper. Two other wives enjoyed the event: Brooke Jones, wife of Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Sean Jones; and Megan Brown, wife of wide receiver free agent Reggie Brown. We were surprised we didn’t run into any Dallas Cowboys wives.

Ferrin took us behind the scenes of her studio, where we saw an open space with sewing machines, a dry erase board, and clippings of fabric – the studio of a mastermind. Ferrin’s collection is sold at her studio in the South Side Lamar building, Rich Hippie at Inwood Village, and The Shak by Stanley Korshak.

Ferrin studio assistant (left) and designer Abi Ferrin

We had the chance to talk with Ferrin about her fall collection, the event, the future, and her Freedom Project, a humanitarian effort to empower Nepali and Cambodian women by teaching them to make fashion items.

PegNews: How did you get involved with the NFL Wives Retreat event?

Ferrin: Lea from Willis and Woy has been supporting our brand for a couple of years, and she made an introduction to Renee Reese, wife of former NFL Ike Reese. She has started introducing us to other player’s wives … and we connected with other players' wives in the area. They do an annual retreat and they like to have a shopping event, and asked me if I would host it.

What inspired your fall collection?

I guess I did a kind of [an] architectural collection for fall. I didn’t have a specific location in mind. It's very architectural, modern, clean edges and lines. I was inspired by a lot of different women in the different areas I worked with in Nepal and Cambodia … We did a lot of industrial zippers and we did the kimono sleeves.

Are there any specific colors for the fall?

We have taken charcoal as our black for the fall, and emerald and plum for our holiday collection. My holiday collection coming in is very romantic and we have some lace and sequin.

Abi Ferrin dresses

What can we expect for spring?

I am really excited about spring because I was able to go to Saint Tropez in July and get inspiration. We are doing 1950 themed French Riviera Saint Tropez. We are going a different direction; I usually do bold strong colors … We will bring softer colors, bringing in sands and beige. We will have a little pop of choral, and turquoise and aqua. Brigitte Bardot is our muse.

What inspired you to make the Freedom Project handbags?

These handbags are actually not made by me. They’re my designs but they’re made by women rescued out of human trafficking situations. They are then trained, loved on, and put into a shelter situation, and once they get strong enough, they get to choose what kind of project they might want to be involved in to build a career. They are taught how to sew, carve, and create jewelry.

How did you come up with the overall idea for the Freedom Project?

My sister is a fulltime humanitarian, and I initially thought I would finance her with the success of my business once it grew, but before I even got successful, she identified these people … They were selling crafts and I saw the skill-set, and I said ‘Well, I can design the pieces and use them in my collection.’ Each garment has a button in the hangtag, so each garment sold supports them even if it’s not in the detail. And that’s why our tagline is Fashion with freedom and purpose.