Minnesota designer highlights community ties at New York Fashion Week show

For years, Keiona Cook has been weaving communities together, teaching kids from North Minneapolis and Edina to sew together. Now she's taking her work to New York for the city's iconic fashion week.

This year marked a turning point for Cook, after losing her sewing mentor Elizabeth to cancer in March. 

"She labeled herself as my fairy godmother," Cook said. "It was like, what if I run out of time and I don't get to do the things I really want to do."

After seven years of turning down invitations because of the entry fee, Cook decided to accept a coveted slot to show her designs at New York Fashion Week. 

She sewed and fundraised and Elizabeths' husband gave her a last-minute boost: a check for $5,000. When he gave the money to her, she cried. 

And then she started working. 

"Got to sleep for a few hours and back up at 4 a.m., that was my schedule for a whole month," said Cook. 

She created a collection to "celebrate the strength of ties." 

One skirt made of silk ties took her 16 hours to make.

"Ties represent strength," Cook said. "Ties represent the working class." 

When she showed her work, Cook said she remembered the audience clapping and saying "bravo!"

"I was just like wow, they love me here, and then when I got off stage there were so many people like tugging at me, like come this way, come this, way, we want to interview you, we gotta tell your story," said Cook. 

Cook believes her fairy godmother Elizabeth is looking out for her.

"I know she's been just looking and rooting me on from wherever in the universe she is," Cook said.