Pale Rider Recap: Leather, Ruffles, and An After Party

This past week has been all about getting gussied up for various MNfashion Week events. It’s been a fun few days particularly for the event planner in me to see three very different shows.

This past Friday I ventured over to Northeast Minneapolis to attend MNfashion’s first-ever runway show, Pale Rider. Held at MNfashion’s headquarters at the Grain Belt Brewing House, the show featured two collections from designers Danielle Everine and Raul Osorio. Although separate collections, both designers presented a very Wild Wild West meets prairie feel to their lines. Perfect timing with everyone gearing up for the fall season.

I had never been to the space before, but I was impressed at how the MNfashion crew was able to make a very open warehouse feel intimate and sexy with the setup and white curtain backdrops. Inside there was an open bar (free Surly, FTW), a table with drawings from Peppermint Park, a DJ providing tunage, and a spot for photo ops. Here is me and blogger friend, Kim, striking a pose (photo courtesy of Kim):

Danielle Everine’s collection was the first to hit the runway where we saw a mix of fur, leather, fringe, and bow and arrows. Here are a couple shots:
A really pretty sheer top with jewel detail and high-waist trousers.

I loved this shimmery coat with the gathered back. Gorgeous.

I wish I had more shots of her looks with fur and leather. They were awesome. But this jacket and skirt is pretty cool. I’m so excited about the return of big shoulders and sleeves.

Next up was Raul Osorio’s collection. I had seen a couple of his pieces in some promos for MNfashion Week that really stood out to me so I was excited to see them in person. I ended up loving so many of his clothes, which incorporated an equestrian feel paired with ruffles and lace. Some of my favorites:

Black silk lace top with a wine colored lace and ruffle skirt. Yes!

Another high-waisted number. I’m not usually a fan of shorts but I really liked these paired with those fishnets. Very cute.

Okay, this was my favorite look of the night. The picture doesn’t do it justice which is why you should check out a better image here. This was used in a couple promos for the show and was the one piece I was really looking forward to seeing in person. It did not disappoint and got cheers from the audience. I’m obsessed with the sleeves and am pretty sure I need this for myself.

The final look. Wow. That is all.

After the show there was an after party at Honey hosted by l’etoile which was a very fun time.  I was able to finally sit and chat with Kim, Angie, and Thomas — all people involved with MNfashion Week I had been corresponding with through e-mail the past couple weeks. They’ve all been placed on my “Cool People Doing Cool Things” list and I hope to get together with them again sometime soon.

Did you attend the Pale Rider show? What did you think? Favorite looks? Talk to me.

Joynoelle Goes Dr. Seuss

When I think of Dr. Seuss, things like Whoville, the Cat in the Hat, and green eggs and ham typically come to mind. Not tulle, charmeuse, and taffeta. But that was the inspiration for Minneapolis designer Joy Teiken and her Joynoelle Spring 2011 line.

I was lucky enough to attend one of her two sold out shows held last night at a very trendy loft space in International Market Square. As my second MNfashion Week event, this show was wildly different from last weekend’s Envision. The attendee list capped at 75, which made for a very intimate setting and allowed for a close look at the clothes.

Before the show started, everyone received a complimentary Joytini (cute), appetizers from CRAVE (my friend Mici and I were loving the chicken skewer thingers), and a swag bag stuffed with goodies (hello Fashion Tape and SKYY Raspberry Vodka).

With a children’s book theme like Dr. Seuss, I was eager to see how this would translate into the collection. The loft was decorated with Seuss props and signage setting the stage for a character-like show.

As the show was underway, you could definitely see the Seuss connection through the colors, structuring, and detailing of the pieces. The top hats on some of the models certainly helped with that. Yet, the pieces didn’t venture too far into a weird or cooky territory as you often find in Seuss illustrations. The collection was whimsical and wearable at the same time.

Here are a few shots I took of the show:

This look was part of the “Put Me in the Zoo” group. I’m digging the pleather knickers.

This was the first look to get cheers and applause from the audience. And rightfully so. This dress is adorable. And I liked it even more after I read the print out everyone received describing each look. This pattern was actually inspired by Seuss’ shading technique used on the Cat in the Hat. I thought that was so clever.

Another shading technique patterned jacket.

These polka dot tulle pants were part of the “Scrambled Egg Supper” group.

This might be my favorite look of the night. The colors, the detailing at the bottom, the rose sash – even that bad ass hat. Sign me up.

I believe this number was called “The Cindy Lou Who wedding dress.” Cute, cute, cute.

I would love an excuse to wear this dress. The white fringe detailing was awesome. Very fun.

And there’s Joy Teiken herself.

I’m so glad I braved the monsoon-like weather last night and made it to this show. I loved the smaller setting and thought Joynoelle presented a really beautiful collection.

What did you think of the looks? The Dr. Seuss theme? Tell me!

Envision: Artopia Recap

Last Friday I ventured down to the Graves hotel for MNfashion Week‘s kick off event, Envision: Artopia. The night consisted of runway shows from local designers and boutiques, a crazy hair design demo, a pop rock violinist, and people watching of the glamorous kind.

I attempted to snap some shots of looks I liked (there were many) but due to where we were standing only a few turned out. Also, the fact that I am, in no sense of the word, a photographer might have had something to do with it.

This is a cute sheer top from local designer, Amanda Christine. I’m a huge fan of her pieces, especially her dresses, because they’re usually super flattering. I wish I had a good picture to show but thankfully there were some real photographers in the crowd. Check out Chris McDuffie‘s photos for better Amanda Christine shots.

One of the big draws for this year’s Envision show was the appearance and showcase of local designer celeb/Project Runway Season 6 contestant, Christopher Straub. Pictured above are three of his designs from his Spring 2011 collection. I really enjoyed the green, three-tiered ruffle dress on the left.

The show had some very entertaining transitions thanks to pop-rock violinist, Dani-Vi. Seriously. He made violins very sexy. Read up on and check out one of his performances here.

Aside from oogling over clothes, I was also pumped to meet two local bloggers I have been mildly obsessed with for a while: Ellen of The Minneapoline and Mary of Art of Wore. That’s always fun.

Were you at Envision this year? What did you think?

Gearing Up For MNfashion Week At Cliché

This is my favorite time of year. The air is starting to get crisp, football has begun, Caribou is offering pumpkin flavored lattes, and –the best part—stores are finally selling fall clothes!

Yes, one of the only things that can get me excited to take on a Minnesota winter is the new boot selection at Nordstrom. Bring it on, sub-zero temps. I can handle you now that I’ve got a killer pair of over-the-knees.

And while I’m envious of all the Fashion Week reports currently coming in from the Big Apple, I’m lucky because the Minnie Apple is gearing up for a its own version with its annual MNfashion Week running from September 20 – 26.

If you didn’t already know, the Twin Cities is, in my biased opinion, an under-rated hub for solid designers, boutiques, and talent which MNfashion aims to showcase and foster. There will be events taking place all next week including the Raul Osorio and Joynoelle shows next Thursday. (Both on the same night? Don’t make me choose!).

But almost as important as figuring out what shows to go attend is deciding what to wear to them. Good thing for Twin Cities shopping enthusiasts, our area is home to a number of great boutiques that sell clothing by local and national designers, many of which will be making an appearance in MNfashion Week.

One of my favorite shops in town has to be Cliché. Located in Uptown on Lyndale Ave, the store offers a mix of dressy and street wear at realistic prices. I made a visit this past weekend to scope out the current selection and see if I could find something for next week.

Andrea, the very nice sales clerk and jewelry designer herself, helped me sift through some really awesome pieces. It took me about two seconds to become obsessed with these dresses, both priced under $80:

This dress is so fun. Love the electric yellow mixed with the girly bow and tulle. (Ahem: If you’re planning on going to Envision, you just might see this go down the runway…)

This satin cocktail dress is uber sexy. The hem hits well above the knee, but would be great paired with some black tights. And how cool is that beaded snake?

Of course, you’ll also find plenty of accessory options at Cliché. I’m still thinking about these pistol earrings that I might have to go back for:

Like what you see? Cliché will be hosting its own in-store event next week called Crosswalk Fashion Show where they’ll showcase pieces from local designers and offer discounts on certain items. Find more details here.

I’m still looking for more options for next week. A daunting task, I know. Are you planning on going to any MNfashion Week events? Let me know!

On my radar: MN Blogger Conference and YPCTC

Apparently it is now September. I’m not sure how it took me so long to realize this. Oh, probably because my past two weeks have been nutso with with work, weddings, coffee dates, Gaga, the State Fair, etc. I’m certainly not complaining. I wouldn’t mind having cheese on a stick and dancing the Cha-Cha Slide every week.

And now that I have a second, I want to share some details on a couple upcoming events that I’ve been helping coordinate.

The first is the Minnesota Blogger Conference which is taking place this Saturday at CoCo in St. Paul. Tickets have long been sold out, but you can still join us for a blogger meetup happening at Clubhouse Jager on Friday night from 7 – 10 p.m. And you should. It’ll be a fun opportunity to meet other bloggers face-to-face you’ve probably been following in your reader for months. Besides, don’t you want to find out what a Twittertini tastes like? Me too.

The second event is for YPCTC and is taking place on September 22nd hosted by Padilla Speer Beardsley. Before I give out more details, just take a peek at the flyer PSB created:

Sounds fun, doesn’t it? If you want to attend, make sure to RSVP on the Facebook event. Space is limited so please plan accordingly. Big thanks so PSB for hosting this event. Trivia and ice cream will be a first for YPCTC

If you’re planning on attending either of these events, give me a heads up. It’s always nice to know who I can look forward to chatting with ahead of time.

Happy Wednesday!

The good, the bad, and the Gaga: A concert and crowd review

Lady Gaga

Minnesotans: Unless you have been living under a rock, you probably know that Lady Gaga has been gracing us with her presence the past few days. And in case I have not told you before, I do enjoy me some Gaga.

I was fortunate enough to have seen her in March 2009 when she played at the Fine Line Cafe in Minneapolis right before she really blew up. My ticket was $23. I watched her perform about 10 feet from the stage. It was awesome.

The days of intimate venues and pocket change priced tickets are probably gone for Gaga. At least for a while. She sold out two shows at the Xcel Energy Center in minutes and my ticket for a Level 2 seat was $100. I think she’s doing well for herself.

The show Monday night definitely lived up to my expectations with Gaga giving us our money’s worth. There was tons of dancing, pyrotechnics, weird video montages, gay advocacy, and outrageous costumes. My favorite outfit had to be her lampshade dress. I mean…what is that?!

But the real joy of the night came from the display of over-the-top costumes from the concert-goers. I expected to see some Gaga look-a-likes but – holy cow — Gaga’s were everywhere. I felt very out of place in my jeans and tank top. My group spent about 40 minutes just walking around the lobby in awe of how creative (and sometimes unfortunately unflattering) people got with their outfits. So much spandex in one building.

Some of the good:

Telephone Gaga’s

Impressive Diet Coke hair rollers

Paparazzi Gaga

Poker Face Gaga

Pack of Gaga’s that sat next to me

Others took Lady Gaga’s arrival as free reign to wear whatever the heck they wanted. Some just decided to screw clothes all together. Don’t worry, I’ll spare you those photos.

Some of the random:

Can you tell what he’s supposed to be? I just think of that Jimmy Dean commercial

I’d hate to be sitting behind this girl

It wouldn’t be a Gaga show without some protesters

The whole night was a blast. I arrived home with muffed hearing and woke up with GagaOohLaLa on repeat in my head. Perfect.

Did you go to the concert? What did you think? What did you wear? Tell me!