I’m a long time resident of the Twin Cities. I am lucky to be able to see things evolve in the city. I’ve seen buildings burn down, restaurants close, bridges collapse, city council people go to jail, and houses foreclose…
I’m 27 years old. Certainly not old enough to see neighborhoods turnaround or see a reduction in car traffic or see public transportation become fashionable. But I have seen social scenes develop and change. One of the highlights of Minnefabulous emerging fashion and arts scene is the almost annual VOLTAGE FASHION AMPLIPHED show at First Avenue.
This event is a fine example of the Minneapolis arts and commerce scene working together. The leg work it takes to produce this show is impressive and the results are theatrically and musically satisfying—dozens of models, make-up artists, stylists, public relations people, an avalanche of photographers, six bands—and it all adds up to a perfect venue for showcasing the niche market of local design.
So, the following is my run down of the amazing proceedings. Granted, I’ve never wrote about fashion or music, so my critique will represent solely my sensibilities, informed very little by the standards of the profession.
I missed the first band, Zibra Zibra (I’ve seen these young dandies MANY times, but I just found out they are of my same sexual persuasion). I’m bummed that I missed the futuristic athletic wear designed for the band by everyone’s favorite 19 Bar bartender, Ivan.
My pal Lola and I came in as The Haves Have It were playing their set. This mostly female punk quartet had a thrashing style reminiscent of The Soviettes, a bit more down tempo, but a lot more head thrashing as their blonde tresses cascaded in the lights. I liked the spring dresses and combinations created by Belle, and the short jumpers by Calpurnia Peach. They were very youthful, high-waisted combinations, frequently using straps, bright colors and cut-outs. Both collections looks marketable, creative and well made.
The next band was a complete turnaround. Bella Koska was very B(roing)jorkish (I’m trying to create a word combining borking and Bjork). They were neither fun or challenging or interesting. This is not to say that they weren’t great musicians or dynamic singers—and they looked great on the cover of Vita.mn in Laura Falk’s boxy silhouettes.
Visually, however, designers Max Lohrbach and George Moskal provided a back to back watershed of visual delights. In Lohrbach’s collection the models floated down the runway like a parade of wistful Zelda Fitzgeralds in delicate summer wear. Most pieces had whimsical embroidery; I saw tropical fruits on the drape of one of the gauzy dresses. Interspersed throughout his collection were men in stripped tight fitting athletic swimwear, evocative of a production of Anything Goes set in an asylum.
George Moskal answered Lohrbach’s Zelda Fitzgerald with something along the lines of Grace Kelley. The film noir inspired collection used a stunning palate of rubies, burgundies and chocolates. They were extremely well excessoried with shoes and purses. I nearly expected the models grab a microphone and purr out “The Man That Got Away” or some torch song of lost love and gun smoke.
By this time I had gotten close to the stage (close enough to be completely seduced by the action) . I credit Bella Koshka for thinning the crowd and a sweet PR intern for letting me sneak up into the VIP section.
Next onstage was White Light Riot, in their most up tempo set I’ve seen. They were clad in Willy Wonka style Victorian velvet jackets. On the runway were two very polished collections by
Katharine Gerdes star turn was a little underwhelming but gorgeous. The sweeping evening wear used sustainable fabrics dyed in regal tones. The looks were elegant, but a bit bland (they reminded me of something between Rami and Sweet Pea’s signature looks on Project Runway).
Things amped up even further when MC/VL hit the stage. The pair was outfitted in red and white Member’s Only jackets and impressively tight jeans. The looks by Erin Smith did not hold back their spry athleticism. They pounced up and down the runway. One gal from the VIP section even climbed on to the stage to join the jam.
On the runway was a sloppy concept by Swank Dollar, but the styling and accessories amped up the theatricality and gave the look huge impact on the runway. Gorgeous hair extensions cascaded down the backs of each model, tied on with silk flowers; each model had a satchel/backpack further adorned with quirky trinkets from some magical forest floor. With MC/LV hip-hopping in the background and the models all in miss-matched pastels, the collection actually worked nicely. I imagined, “This is what the Guthrie’s Midsummer Night’s Dream COULD have been.”
Red Shoe Clothing Co. had one of the most impressive collections of the evening. Most of the looks used black complemented with jewel-toned colors on marketable silhouettes. She made fun use of holsters, but this collection was upstaged by stunning styling and severe bangs (again, great work styling team!)
The final band of the evening was the Birthday Suits, thrashing about ferousiouly this duo nearly tore off their threads. On the runway was Russell Bourienne men’s collection. The well-tailored long vests and Asian inspired pants looked durable, but dull. It was nice to see the open shirts of the male models.
In contrast, Laura Falk’s finale collection was high on concept, weak on tailoring and weak on quality. Swank Dollar and Laura Falk both fell into the category of Minneapolis design that fails to raise fashion expectations above that of a hipster hobbyist. Falk’s concept was inspired by Midwest pioneer women, and they had huge visual impact, but the concept outweighed the quality of construction.
I’m a bit late weighing in on this one. But I totally dug it. Thanks to the Rake for the pictures!
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