When was the last time you saw men walk the runway? If you follow fashion, especially in Seattle, you are probably as discouraged as i am. There’s just not aa huge interest in this town. Besides myself, Dan Savage and a small niche group of men, all I’ve seen is either men in jeans and t-shirts or looking terribly uncomfortable in their outdated suit and tie. What happen to dressing up when you go out? Seriously, the majority of men around here have no clue about style.

However, if you’re a man who’s into the latest ad trendiest fashions, join Chance Fashion as they host their annual Menswear Edition on March 10th. The evening begins with a meet and greet at 7 pm followed by a showcase from some of the hottest Menswear designers in the region. Show up at Neighbours Nightclub or buy your tix online at Chancefashion.org.

The northwest isn’t really known for its fashion. In fact, when you think about Seattle, Birkenstocks, big chunky sweaters, cargo pants and green, tons of green probably comes to mind. While this is the chosen apparel for some Seattleites, as more tourist become residents, we are seeing fashion become multi-cultural and diverse.

Still, the fashion industry remains a bit aloof and snobby and only the “beautiful” people are let into this exclusive world. One person trying to change this is Ryan Muller. Muller, along with Bob Tomazic and Gabe Choy started a non profit called Chance Fashion and for the past 8 years, Chance has been producing a monthly fashion show that is all inclusive. No matter what your background, no matter what your weight, height or ethnicity, if you want to be involved in fashion, you’re welcome.

Though Muller doesn’t consider himself a fashionista, he has a mission in the field, “My interest in fashion is providing inclusive opportunities to fashion artists of all types, as a counter-culture effort to the traditionally exclusive mainstream fashion industry,” said Muller. “This is why I started Chance and what makes Chance different than any other fashion events. We’ll include anybody that is willing to show up and do the work. I started Chance June of 2009. Eventually I see Chance existing anywhere anybody is told they’re not good enough to be a part of fashion events.”

For Muller, the organization is a way of life and what he dedicates a majority of his soul to, “While most would consider it a labor of love, I consider it a labor of duty to the environment around me,” said Muller. “I believe we need more open-source resources like Chance that allow aspiring artists to break into the industry while also accommodating the needs of established artists in order to fully make the community grow as a whole.”

The staff is of utmost importance. Muller spent a lot of time producing Chance by himself, and it’s only been within the last couple years that they’ve actually grown their staff. “Its been effective enough to allow me to spend more time with the Board of Directors trying to evolve the sustainability side of the Organization,” said Muller. “Even somebody taking a 1-hour-a-week responsibility off my plate frees me up to do bigger and better things for the Org as a whole.”

Muller has more than Chance Fashion to promote the arts including Active Entertainment, AMDEF, Art on the Rocks, and Performers Anonymous are where he spends a majority of his time and dedication. He keeps several side jobs to help keep up on bills because they haven’t reached a point of sustainability yet.

However, Muller isn’t in this for the money, “I think my focus on providing opportunities to an inclusive community comes from being relatively poor growing up. Don’t get me wrong, I had spectacular parents and never wanted for any necessity, but I understood what it meant to be excluded just because I couldn’t afford things,” said Muller “I think producing events / providing opportunities to aspiring artists is my way of contributing to building a healthier, more inclusive community as a whole.”

Muller has no immediate plans except to keep on doing what he has for the past eight years, “I will run Chance until somebody presents themselves as a formidable replacement, until I’m dead, or until I go insane trying to make it a self-sustained organization,” said Muller. “Aside from franchising Chance everywhere, my biggest goals in the most immediate future pertain to stabilizing the organization. The biggest goal, however, is to make the world a more beautiful and inclusive place.”

Join Chance Fashion on February 10 from 7 to 10 pm at Neighbours for the Lingerie Edition.