Meet Buf Reynolds Sechser, the Producer at Omaha Fashion Week (omahafashionweek.com).

Tell us a little about your business. – Omaha Fashion Week (OFW) began in 2008 as an event held in the heart of the Old Market for 2,000 people. It has grown to become the fourth largest organized fashion week event in the country, and the first to make show participation completely free of charge for designers.

How did you get started in the business? – I began as a fashion designer. A few friends and I wanted to show our work and decided to start putting on our own fashion shows. We were creating collections, finding venues, promoting, executing- just completely producing our shows and it was so much work. Nick Hudson took notice and decided to take on the production side of it all so that designers could focus on creating their art. Being involved with OFW since it began, designers would ask me questions all the time. As the business grew, Nick and Brook needed someone to be the person to help designers go through the process and that was where I began. They tapped me to be that person and I have just kept growing with it. Designing will take a backseat for a while, but who knows… maybe I will get wild in the next couple years and do another collection!

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally? – The biggest challenge I have faced has been burnout. There is a fine line between trying to be creative, fresh and relevant and then trying to pay the bills. That line can draw a lot of criticism from all sides. Trying to balance everything is mentally, physically and creatively taxing and will leave me drained. I had to step away from everything for a while to reevaluate what I really wanted to be doing and what my path was. I am lucky to be surrounded by so much support.

Tell us a little about your family. – I have been married to James Sechser since 2015 and I am lucky enough to claim his boys as my sons, too. Oliver is 16 and Zachary is 20, and both are equally funny and far too cool for James and me.

What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life? – There have been so many turning points! Each one has been more important than the last and I know that there will be many in the future too. The flow chart of my life would look ridiculous, I am sure. Most recently, I chose to take on the role of Producer for Omaha Fashion Week. After being a major part of the team for so long, I took a step back for a while and came back reenergized and ready to move the beast forward.

Who inspires you? – Creatively, there are tons of local designers, artists and leaders who blow me away with what they do. I feel like I have been surrounded by amazing humans my whole life. I have always had an amazing group of women who showed me how to navigate life to accomplish what I want. I watched my parents work so hard and they continue to inspire me to keep going.

What local nonprofit organization(s) are you passionate about or involved with, and are there any special reasons why? – I love Joslyn’s Kent Bellows Mentoring Program. I was a mentor for many years and I love seeing the creativity that comes from the students. I wish something like that existed when I was a teen. And the Fashion Arts Collective, there is a workroom for designers, supplies and educational opportunities- all for free.

If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – Buf@omahafashionweek.com | Bufreynolds.com