While I was at Washburn’s prom on Saturday night, guest blogger, high school student Allison Malecha (you’ve seen her photography before) was a volunteer and model in the Goodwill’s Second Runway. Ironic, no? Here’s her report from the show:

“High Fashion” isn’t exactly the term that comes to mind when someone brings up Goodwill, but the Goodwill/Easter Seal Second Runway Fashion Show last Saturday definitely approached just that. The off-the-rack outfits featured well-known brands such as Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, J. Crew, and Elie Tahari (hello, a pristine Tahari skirt for $8.99 — does it get any better?) taken straight from Goodwill stores.

But the real showstoppers appeared in the second half of the show. Local designers took regular old Goodwill items, chopped them up, and pieced them back together into stunning new garments. Karen Moberg transformed some flowery bedsheets into a crisp little summer dress (above photo) while Christina Schuster, who is graduating this year from the U of M, disassembled a prom dress, some jeans, and curtains to create a sassy new dress. Styles ranged from everyday chic to naughty secretary to futuristic superhero, and Thom Navarro’s sexy line compiled of far from everyday t-shirts finished he night off
with a bang.

Mixed in with all of this fun and frill hovered a sense of do-gooding as co-hosts Alexis Walsko and Katherine Gerdes reminded everyone of the Goodwill mission: “to assist people with barriers to education, employment, and independence in achieving their goals.” And the proceeds from the event itself as well as from the auctioning off of the garments after will all go to help that mission stay strong. All in all the event was a success, and I will definitely never look at Goodwill the same way again!

ABOVE: Karen Moberg, a Goodwill Employment Support Consultant, mixes crisp pleats with girly ruffles. Hmm, I wonder what could be made out of my bedsheets….

BELOW: Secondhand t-shirts get kicked up a notch or ten with Thom Navarro’s line of edgy frills and vibrant hues. Who says cotton can’t be sexy.

Eco-conscious clothing is a growing trend in the fashion industry and so there will be not one, but two fashion show on the topic. Both are on Saturday, May 3 in the Grandstand building on the State Fair Grounds during the Living Green Expo.

1. Eco-Fashion Show,1:30 p.m. on the music stage at the Living Green Expo, free
Featuring clothes from Birch Clothing, Goodwill, My Green Closet, Naturally Bamboo Clothing, Patagonia, Ten Thousand Villages and Wildrose Farms Organic Cottons.

2. Second Runway, 8 p.m. ($10 tickets)
Local designers are remaking clothing found at Goodwill stores. Clever! We’ll see if they can put a clever, non-recycled looking spin on the vintage duds.

While I couldn’t make it to Ra’mon-Lawrence’s show last weekend, luckily, Katherine Gerdes could and did. She even took photos! Here’s her report for StylePoints:

As one of the first Voltage designers to step out with his own runway show, Ra’mon certainly set the bar and inspiration high for the rest of us designers! With 24 models and over 30 outfits, “Eluded Love” showcased a large range of skills ranging from casual RTW, his more familiar evening gowns and for the first time (at least for me), some menswear. I thought some of his ideas for menswear were both interesting, yet still wearable (like the hand dyed/painted aqua blue blazer and the rose printed shorts), but his strongest skill is still in women’s evening wear, specifically his use of prints and the way he organically plays and folds the fabric to create unique and beautiful dresses. I’ve seen his draping skills at work and it’s amazing to see him take a few yards of fabric and within a few minutes he’s created a gorgeous, origami-esq folded dress with very few seams or cuts with the scissors. And if you don’t already know, Ra’mon is a master at creating a “show.” His finale piece was exactly what you’d expect from a finale… drama, drama and more DRAMA! It’s hard to explain in words, but the model came out wrapped in paper and as she walked down the runway, tore the paper to reveal a gorgeous pleated dress underneath. Definitely a crowd pleaser!

Fashion show alert! This Saturday, Details Style Lab, the spin-off of Details Salon in Highland Park, will celebrate their grand opening in downtown St. Paul. And you’re invited!

Silent Auction/Reception (free!): 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. stop by the new salon/spa/men’s clothing boutique to watch the models get prepped for the main event.

Fashion Show: Siji Kids, Picky Girl, Karma, Sorrayah, and Heimie’s will take to the runway for an event where the hair is guaranteed to be perfectly coiffed. $25 in advance/$30 at the door. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. at the Lowry Theater. Call 651-251-8700 for tickets.

All proceeds from the events benefit the Autism Society of Minnesota.

See ya there!

The biggest fashion and music show of the year is just days away. I stopped by Russell Bourrienne’s studio on Sunday afternoon to observe a fitting.
Russell is the show’s sole menswear-only designer. He normally does custom clothes. He describes his Voltage collection as “Europe meets Asia,” which you’ll see in samurai-inspired pants and Gandhi-esque shorts (a.k.a. “Please Hammer don’t Hurt ‘em” pants) paired with European tailored shirts and vests. There are also some strong denim pieces.
So I was there when Russell was fitting Jose (remember him?). He first pulled these suede patchwork pants for Jose. Then he tried on a series of tops–a vest (no), a button-down striped shirt (not quite) and then finally this corduroy jacket (yes!).
Want to see more? You’ll have to attend Voltage on Wednesday, April 16 at 7:30. There are a few tickets ($17 each) still available via Ticketmaster.
Even more? Russell will host a wine and cheese reception on Friday, April 18, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. as part of Minnesota Fashion Weekend. He’s at: 711 W. Lake St., Studio 510.
More? Just make an appointment already– 612-709-7327.

Last weekend’s fashion show at the new Hotel Ivy was the best I’ve seen in the Twin Cities in the two and a half years. It featured the work of Joynoelle (above) and Monique Lhuillier (below).
Why? It was professionally and elegantly choreographed (thanks to producer Mitch Kelly), the setting was lovely (thanks to the new IVY) and the clothes were stunning (thanks to the designers and stylists).

Joynoelle’s shabby chic designs were at their best in the first look and the xxx look. Monique Lhuillier’s spring collection was inspired by her favorite Laduree macaroons. Even though I saw it on the runway last fall, it’s a spectacular collection of dreamy pastels in floaty, feminine, playful silhouettes.

The show was further boosted by jewelry from JB Hudson baubles.

A nice touch? A run of show… The audience can follow along with look-by-look descriptions as they watch. So you can shop as you watch. It’s standard fare at New York fashion shows, but a rare occurrence in the Twin Cities.

Here’s the description of look number nine from Lhuillier’s run of show:

Mist grey crinkle gazar one shoulder asymmetrically draped gown with soft bubble tier skirt.

For fashionistas, it’s poetry!

Here’s Joynoelle’s first look (my favorite):

Cream shredded silk taffeta bodice dres with pale blue skirting and black rose and hand-knotted details.

The collaboration was an impressive effort–a day of watching, shopping, eating and socializing. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday.

Where to shop:

Joynoelle, 312 W. 42nd St., Mpls, 612-209-7822.

Monique Lhuillier, 3928 W. 50th St., Edina, 612-929-0747. For reports about Lhuillier’s fall 2008 collection, click here, here, here, and here.

Here’s Blythe Brenden. She was one of the hosts of Sunday’s Monique Lhuillier/Joynoelle fashion show at the Ivy Hotel. More on the show later.

Blythe wore this gorgeous Monique Lhuillier coat with a fine metallic thread running through it. Nice shoes, too. The jewelry is from JB Hudson. (Blythe will be the first to tell you that she loves to sparkle!) The hair was done by Matt Swinney from Evolution–Experience Hair Culture in Minneapolis.
More importantly, the event benefitted one of her favorite causes–the Institute for Health and Healing at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. The Institute uses integrated medicine such as acupuncture, massage and relaxation techniques into healthcare.

I don’t have much more to say about DIVA this year. This year’s event got an injection of energy, but it was kind of all over the place. One high-profile guest, called the show “fractured.”

It was a confusing mix of catering to the $10,000 tables and the $40 “wanderer” viewers some four floors above. The mix of scantily clad, glitter-covered models and auctioning off $15,000 packages was a little schizophrenic in its execution.

I wasn’t convinced that the first floor enjoyed all of the performances. The most exciting moment of the show was when a guest in neon pink, skin-tight, bum-exposing pleather stormed across the stage as though he/she was a designer. (You can see this person in the background of the above photo.)

Speaking of designers, the collections seemed scaled back. Some were good, some were bad, some were really bad. However, there was no information about how or where to find these clothes, if someone wanted to, say, scoop up a dress or suit for next year’s event. That is ultimately how you support local design, while also supporting HIV/AIDS-related organizations.

These sky-high platforms were as scary to watch as they are to look at now. We’re not used to Vivienne Westwood heels, especially with snow falling as it did on Saturday night. And, yes, the model teetered as she strutted across the room.

Max Lohrbach used to work at Ragstock, so you didn’t have a chance of getting his 1920’s letter sweater. “M” is for Max. Same for the rest of this outfit that he wore to DIVA. His personal Ragstock collection consists of some 2000 pounds of clothes.

He’s a designer. His work will be seen next at Voltage and will then be sold at Design Collective. He uses his vintage-hunting eye to inform his work. “Antique-y” that “never existed” is how he describes his style.