by staff
As New York Fashion Week winds down, Minnesota’s version kicks off. Minneapolis-St. Paul Fashion Week — rebranded from MNfashion Week in 2012 — offers a tasty little slice of what’s happening in local fashion. Things kick off with this weekend’s Red Dress Collection, featuring red dresses by a bevy of local design talent. Things continue next week with showings from Emma Berg and a new slew of emerging designers, plus a show featuring local resale and vintage shops at the MIA on Thursday. MSPFW’s crown jewel, the Shows, ends the week on a high note with highly-anticipated collections from local designers Max Lohrbach and Ivan Idland, who haven’t shown since 2011, plus local favorites Samantha Rei, Christopher Straub and Caroline Hayden.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15
Fashion Week Kick-off Party
@ Ginger Hop and Honey
205 E Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis
7:30 pm / FREE
Ease into our local version of Fashion Week with a kick-off party in Northeast. The event will play host to Twin Cities fashion designers and stylists, the MNfashion committee and local fashion fans — complete with Asian-fusion bites provided by Ginger Hop, libations, live entertainment and swag bags provided sponsors Peroni and Mall of America. -Jahna Peloquin
Click HERE for the MNfashion site
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16
Styles for Smiles
@ Maki Strunc Photography
6146 Olson Memorial Hwy
Minneapolis
1-4 pm / FREE, $5 donation suggested
Enjoy a luxurious afternoon of shopping, pampering, fashion as Project Healthy Smile along with local boutiques Kokoon, Local Motion and Primp kick off MN Fashion Week. See the latest Spring looks from the three boutiques on models as they walk the runway. Get an exclusive private shopping experience at the Maki Strunc Studio pop-up boutique. Make sure to take part in mini-makeovers and free fake eyelash application that you can wear all night. Even snap your photo in an interactive booth, munch on treats and sip wine, all this for a good cause. Styles for Smiles 2013 is Project Healthy Smile’s largest annual fundraising event, which brings dental supplies to children who desperately need them in Haiti, Uganda, Cambodia, Vietnam and other impoverished countries around the globe. The first 50 people to make direct donations to Project Healthy Smile will receive VIP gift bags, and there will also be a raffle and donation booth. A part of the proceeds from the clothing and jewelry sales goes to helping Styles for Smiles. No matter how you make your donation it all goes to a good cause. -Alexandra Katz
Click HERE to see the Styles for Smiles event webpage
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16
“FLUX: The 45th Annual Senior Fashion Show”
@ University of Minnesota
Rapson Hall
89 Church Street SE
Minneapolis
Two shows: 5:30 pm & 8 pm / $12-$25
The 17 student designers featured in this year’s annual University of Minnesota senior fashion show are as new to the scene as you can get. The talented women from the University of Minnesota College of Design are close to graduating and breaking out into the world of fashion. The apparel design seniors are the lead designers behind the “FLUX” fashion show. This year’s theme, “flux,” speaks to the ever-changing world of style. Each designer has gone through a rigorous design process to create a collection that represents each individual’s true aesthetic. Everything ranging from children’s wear and lifestyle clothing to bridal looks and plus size fashion will be on display. -Alexandra Katz
Click HERE to see the FLUX event page
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17
The Red Dress Collection
@ 601 Graves Hotel
601 1st Ave N
Minneapolis
6-9 pm / $25-$100
Catch your favorite local celebs rocking head-to-toe red on the runway at The Red Dress Collection presented at the Graves Hotel. Not your average runway show, these all-red dress designs bring awareness to women’s heart disease. Each designer is paired with a local celeb to model their looks; See radio host for KDWB Falen Bonsett wearing Christopher Straub, news anchor Amelia Santaniello wearing Richard Beckel and “Twin Cities housewife” of the CEO of Crave America Sara Talebi wearing Max Lohrbach plus a dozen other pairings, with jewelry custom-designed for each look by realia by jen. The event will also include a silent auction featuring packages from MAC, Brian Graham Salon and martinpatrick3, plus an original sketch of the red dresses featured in the runway show. Proceeds from the event and silent auction will benefit the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” campaign and local heart health programs. -Alexandra Katz
Click HERE to see The Red Dress Collection website
A look from Emma Berg's S/S 2013 collection, photo by Rhea Pappas/MNfashion
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20
Emma Berg Fall/Winter 2013 Preview & Highcroft Merch Men’s Fashion Show
@ Cosmos
Graves 601 Hotel
601 1st Ave N
Minneapolis
8-10 pm / by invite-only to emma@mplsart.com
In anticipation of her full line showing at the “Dress Rehearsal” benefit fashion show at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts on March 7, Emma Berg is previewing her fall/winter 2013 collection in a salon-style presentation at the Cosmos lounge at the swanky Graves hotel. With her tenth consecutive collection, “YY” (a reference to the yin-yang), Berg will stay true to her artistically-inclined, sculptural aesthetic with mashed-up silhouettes, color pairings, fabrics and construction in an exploration of conflict and unity — a shrewd yet optimistic commentary on the political gap between the right and the left. The collection will be complimented with handmade, collaged masks by Jesse Draxler in collaboration with photographer Madison Dubé, styling by HAUS Salon and models from Vision. Berg will also show a selection from her spring/summer 2013 collection, which will be available for sale, and new Graves Hotel shop Highcroft Merch will present a men’s fashion show in collaboration with Vision Model Management. -Jahna Peloquin
Click HERE for the MNfashion site and HERE for the Emma Berg site
A look by Carly Schoen at the Style Derby, photo by Eric Petersen
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20
Emerging Designers Showcase
@ Honey
205 E Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis
6-8 pm / $5 suggested donation
Meet the latest flock of local designers soon to be on the tips of everyone’s tongues. This year’s crop of emerging local designers was handpicked by the MNfashion staff. Carly Schoen is a self-taught designer who made a statement at the “Style Derby” (check out our review HERE) in fall 2010 alongside Danielle Everine and last winter at the Sashay Shanty at the Art Shanty Projects. She made herself one to watch, thanks to her rich textiles, heirloom details and DIY attitude. Brianna Westlund is a new name to us — promo materials say her “ageless, romantic” designs “embody a classic and conceptual mixture of period inspiration and modern edge” and “effortless wearability.” Sister duo Ellie and Becky Niemeyer’s line Idle Child focuses on one-of-a-kind pieces, while Rachel Roff’s line deLange, which combines vintage lace and trims with fresh patterns, is already sold at local boutique Cliché. The future has arrived. -Jahna Peloquin
Click HERE for the MNfashion site
A look by Nicole Larson from last fall's the Shows, photo by Rhea Pappas/MNfashion
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21
The Shows featuring Gina Marie Vintage + Nicole Larson + Max Lohrbach + Kjurek + Ivan Idland
@ Aria
105 N 1st St
Minneapolis
6:30 pm doors, 7:45-10:30 pm shows / $25 in advance, $35 day of the show
The shows takes well known, local designers and brings them together to showcase their latest collections. On the first of the two night series catch the following five celebrity status designers: Gina Marie Vintage, KJurek Couture, Nicole Larson, Max Lohrbach and Ivan Idland. Gina Marie Vintage is known for the classic, iconic and elegant feel of Gina Landes’ designs. Each style by Gina Marie Vintage is timeless. KJurek Couture puts a bohemian, romantic and feminine spin on the collection, while Nicole Larson, is known for creating a character through her garments as she draws inspiration from cinema, theater and literature. Even though her pieces are fashion based there is definitely an undeniable costume feel. For the serious fashion collector Max Lohrbach is presenting his version of fashion which is like wearable art, no two pieces are ever the same thanks to his handstitched detailing and use of antique, handpainted fabrics. It is hard to miss Ivan Idland’s background designing theater costumes when you see his signature pattern-heavy, color-infused aesthetic. Find out what the trends will be in the Twin Cities for the upcoming seasons and sit among the industry’s finest to see all five designers, on one night, on one runway. -Alexandra Katz
Click HERE to see The Shows event page
Rewind Vintage on the cover of Crooked Teeth Magazine
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21
Third Thursday: Fashion Night
@ Minneapolis Institute of Arts
2400 3rd Ave S
Minneapolis
6-9 pm / FREE
For its February edition of Third Thursday, the MIA’s monthly late-night soiree takes a cue from our local fashion week with “Fashion Night,” a stylish evening at the museum. The highlight of the night is the retro runway show hosted by 89.3 the Current’s Jade; it features looks from local vintage, thrift and resale stores including Blacklist Vintage, Scout Vintage, Via’s Vintage, b.resale, Rewind, Lost & Found, Buffalo Exchange, Tatters Vintage Clothing, Everyday People Clothing, B-Squad Vintage, Nu Look Consignment and Second Debút. Dress in your best thrift finds and retrowear, get your photo taken in a stylized photo booth hosted by Two Birds Vintage, rock out to the electrified R&B of Mayda and hit up the cash bar. -Jahna Peloquin
A look by Samantha Rei at last fall's the Shows, photo by Rhea Pappas/MNfashion
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22
The Shows featuring Christopher Straub + Caroline Hayden + Samantha Rei + TIM & Thom + Mary Pranica
@ Aria
105 N 1st St
Minneapolis
6:30 pm doors, 7:45-10:30 pm shows / $25 in advance, $35 day of the show
For night two of the Shows, we’ll see some returning favorites and some fresher faces. Headlining the night is Christopher Straub, Project Runway fan favorite and a regular fixture in the local fashion scene. He describes his latest collection as “a fanciful trip through a couture candy store” in a palette of red and pink with gummy bear and rock candy-inspired prints throughout — and some seriously adorable animal-ear hats. Caroline Hayden has impressed us with showings at Envision: Artopia and last fall’s Shows after first hitting our radar at last spring’s Emerging Designers Showcase. Her designs are both ladylike and strong, befitting a modern woman who enjoys equal doses of glamor and practicality. Samantha Rei is sure to be a crowd favorite of the night; her presentation at last fall’s Shows made it clear that she is able to translate her steampunk, Lolita roots into modern, wearable fashion. Also showing the brother duo TIM + THOM, who have Voltage and a solo show under their belts, and knitwear designer Mary Pranica, who debuted with an impressive capsule collection at last fall’s Emerging Designers Showcase. -Jahna Peloquin
