Change can be a good thing. After 14 seasons at the Graves|601 hotel, the Spring 2014 iteration of the glamorous event was held Saturday, April 26, 2014 at the newly renovated Minnesota Orchestra Hall.
The sleek staircases and glass in the atrium made for a really dramatic display. Setting up seating on the same level as the catwalk, as opposed to models walking down a raised catwalk, made it feel more intimate and allowed viewers to see a lot more detail in the designs than before. Additionally, general admission viewing from the upper atrium levels provided a unique experience.
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| Event host, Tricia Khutoretsky of Public Functionary, took advantage of the multi-level venue. |
Even on a rainy and windy evening, the venue was full of fun and fashionable people supporting the Minnesota art and fashion community. During the VIP pre-party, I was able to sample sushi from Social House and spring rolls from Lotus while enjoying a concert by Shiro Dame.
This was also the room where the silent/text auction benefitting Public Functionary was set up. Auction items were displayed on tables around the room. Up for auction were a bunch of art and fashion related items, including a delicate looking skull sculpture and a t-shirt/clutch/candle set. Artists were painting models right in the middle of the room. The finished paintings were also up for auction.
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| Skull |
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| Auction package I bid on but lost. Came with a candle, MPLS tshirt, and clutch from Parc Boutique. |
Envision is broken up into two runway shows. Part One featured looks from Idle Child, MAI, Cocoon by Elizabeth Geisler, MartinPatrick3, Velvet Moon, Khampian Vang, and Samantha Rei. My seat was right at the corner so I was able to see details of both the front and the back of each look.
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| I didn’t get a clear shot of one of my favorite items. Photo credit: Nick Kozel. But absolutely every male I know needs this shirt sold at MartinPatrick3. |
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| Another of my favorite items was the “Poppy” dress by Samantha Rei. |
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Part One finale.
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The finale strutted by and the lights came on, allowing time to grab a drink and mingle. After months of
Intermission also gave me time to get to the photo booth set up in front of the red carpet.
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| My friend and I pose for a photo. Photo credit: Michael Johnson. |
Part Two brought looks from Caroline Hayden, Roe Wolfe, Atmosfere, Tessa Louise, Kjurek, Russell Bourrienne, and Cliche. The music for this half felt louder and more upbeat…it made me want to get up and dance.
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| Loved the structured and polished looks by Caroline Hayden. I wish she could design my work wardrobe! |
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| I also realized I love Tessa Louise. These gold pants are amazing. |
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| I also loved every piece in this look by Tessa Louise and could wear them all summer long. |
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| Cliche’s set made things interesting with light up umbrellas and masks. |
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| Part Two finale. http://instagram.com/p/nR3sRTlMIn/ |
After the show ended, everyone was invited to the mezzanine floor to dance and mingle. I finally had a chance to peek through the gift bags and was not disappointed. A can of RedBull was the first thing I discovered and I downed it right away so I could continue to enjoy the evening. Also included were coupons galore for the retailers and designer stores that showed, including $100 off at SEE Eyewear, which is great since my glasses are broken. Now, if only I could find my prescription. The gift bags also contained a sketchbook provided by Utrecht and a shot glass from Aviv Vodka.
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| Gift bag contents. Minus the RedBull I drank immediately. |
Envision Spring 2014 was beautifully executed and continued to get me excited about Minnesota fashion. Now that MSP Fashion Week is back on, I’m starting to plan out how I’m going to spend it - I could definitely work from the Minneapolis branch of my office during the day and go to shows at night!
September is still months away but in two weeks, Minnesota will be celebrating a new fashion milestone. Duluth based designer Sasha Howell will be presenting her Kickstarter funded fashion event entitled “Spectacle” on May 23rd. I’ve already got my tickets and can’t wait! For more information on Sasha Howell’s “Spectacle”, please check out the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/530266843758624/.
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