The 'Le Petit' guide to a very stylish April

'Envision' Promo Image by Stokes Foto / Dress by Re-Evolution / Modeled by Kara

With all the fashion events planned next month in Minneapolis, the entire month of April might as well be Spring Fashion Month. MNfashion has just announced the full schedule of events for MNfashion Week, held April 20-26. Here are some events Le Petit suggests you put in your social planner: 

'Envision 2009' at 4/11 at Graves 401 Hotel
I haven't attended past 'Envision' fashion shows, but there's enough big names behind it that it has to be worth checking out. Though it's mainly a model showcase, it also showcases a ton of local designers: Amanda Christine, kjurek couture, Renate Adjei, JoyNoelle, and seven others, plus clothing from local boutiques Cliché, Drama, V-State and Local Motion. I'm intrigued to see the line Re-Evolution by Sarah Holm, whose past work is showcased on the impressive promotional images for the show (shown above). I will be representing Vita.mn as a guest judge for the live hair show portion of the evening. 9 p.m. $20-35. 601 1st Av. S., Mpls. www.envisionmpls.com.

Voltage CD Listening Party f. Eclecticoiffeur DJs 4/15 at Clubhouse Jager

A shot from last fall's EC DJ edition of Transmission, kicking off Fall 2008 MNfashion Weekend

In this special fashion edition of weekly dance night Transmission, I will be taking my bi-annual spot at the DJ booth along with Kelsy and Di from our stylist collective Eclecticoiffeur. We happen to be the Lead Stylists for Voltage, so come on down and kick off MNfashion Week right. 10 p.m. Free. 923 Washington Av. N., Mpls. Eclecticoiffeurintl.blogspot.com.

"Exclusively Spring": kjurek couture 4/17 at W Minneapolis

The spring collection by local designer Kimberly Jurek of kjurek couture, which she describes as "kimonos-meet-Little House on the Prairie," will be revealed at Minneapolis' swankiest hot spot.

Also hitting the runway will be the spring collection by local handbag designer Adrienne Grahn. Oh, and you know it's a hot party if Attitude City DJs. 8 p.m. $10-15. 821 Marquette Av., Mpls. Click here for ticket info.

Rumours Spring Fashion Show & Dance Party 4/18 at Rumours & Innuendo

Coco & Breezy in their own designs / Image by Kelly Lyall Photography

Identical twin models and out-and-about fashion plates known as Coco & Breezy are launching their first fashion line. They're calling the line "Guemela Amor," which means "twin love" in Spanish. For the show, the twins won't be modeling their looks, though they design what they want to wear. "We got inspired (to design a  line) because we always redesign the things we buy, so we decided, Why not just make our own line?" For the line, expect "Tokyo streetwear-meets-high fashion-meets-craziness, like our style." The show will also features fashions by Oskar Ly, Mitsou Ly, and Brittany Hughes. 7 p.m. $7. 213 4th St. E., St. Paul. Click here for more info.

Laura Fulk presents "Suffocate" 4/21 at The Lab Theater

A 'Suffocate' look from Laura Fulk / Image by Joe Kramm / Styling by Eclecticoiffeur

Always the most theatrical element of Voltage every year since its inception, award-winning local fashion designer Laura Fulk is breaking out on her own with her first solo show, produced by go-to arts calendar mplsart.com. As with anything Fulk does, it's not simply another fashion show; art meets fashion when Fulk incorporates fabric printed with art by visual artists Melissa Breitenfeldt and Jay Langer into her designs. 6:30-10 p.m., show begins at 8 p.m. $15. 700 1st St. N., Mpls. Click here for ticket info.

Red Shoe Clothing Co. presents: "The Walk" in downtown Minneapolis

A look from Red Shoe's spring line / Image by Marshall Photography

Local designer Kerry Riley takes her spring collection for Red Shoe Clothing Co. to the road, literally, as a gaggle of models will run around downtown – everywhere from the Stone Arch Bridge to Walker Art Center – in nothing but bodysuits and tap shoes. Knowing Riley, hi-jinks guaranteed to ensue. 2 to 5 p.m. with reception at Cliche at 7-10 p.m., 2403 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls. Cliche online.

Sky Garden Fashion Mixer 4/22 at Eitel Building
The stylish ladies from Secrets of the City and l'etoile magazine give you the chance to check out the all-new Sky Garden Terrace and Clubroom and rub elbows with the city's most stylish. 7-9 p.m. Free. 1367 Willow St., Mpls. l'etoile online.

Voltage: Fashion Amplified 2009 4/24 at First Avenue
The annual fashion rock show is back for its fifth (!) year at legendary rock club First Avenue. As many longtime Voltage designers have stepped down to pursue solo shows or moved out of state, expect a lot of new faces at this year's show. Returning designers include the dreamy, '20s-esque looks of Max Lohrbach, the sophisticated designs of Amanda Christine, and the fairytale-inspired styles of Calpurnia Peach. Also new this year: A pop-up designer boutique, an in-house after party DJ'd by Transmission DJ Jake Rudh, and a move to Friday night. 9 p.m. $25-30. 701 1st Av. N., Mpls. Click here for tickets.

Boutique open houses 4/25-26 at Cliche & Design Collective
Check out the Voltage collections up close at designer open houses at local boutiques Cliche and Design Collective. Saturday night, check out Voltage lines by Amanda Christine, Arwyn Birch, Ivan Idland, and Jenny Carle, modeled by live models. (And if you're lucky, you might get into the private VIP reception on Sunday morning.) On Saturday, view Voltage collections by Calpurnia Peach, Max Lohrbach, Allison Quinnell, and 2709 and treat yourself to mimosas and hors d'oeuvres. You never know, you may go home with your very own collectors' item. (Cliche: 7-9 p.m. Sat. Free. 2403 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls. 612-870-0420. Design Collective: 1-5 p.m. Sun. Free. 1311 W. 26th St., Mpls. 612-377-1000.)

And one for May while we're at it:

RetroRama 5/21 at Minnesota History Center
The fourth edition of the Minnesota Historical Society’s exploration of retro style steps away from the ‘50s to include four other stylish decades of American fashion. This year’s local designers who reimagine looks from the 1920s-1960s include Max Lohrbach, Ivan Idland, Calpurnia Peach, and Sarah Holm. Best of all, this year's show will be held outdoors under a tent, so we can all pretend we're having our very own Fashion Week show.

In review: Fashion Feud, round 2

Kimberly Jurek at her sewing machine / Image by Lauren Gantner

Last Wednesday I took in the second edition of Scion's Fashion Feud. If you missed it the first time, here's a summary: Two local designers are put onstage at the 7th Street Entry with one hour to design an outfit. The catch: They're given a bag of random materials immediately before the show. The winner gets a cash prize and goes onto the final round (date TBD).

Jenny Carle at work / Image by Lauren Gantner

The silly part is that the winner is chosen completely by audience applause. It's obvious how this can be problematic. Basically, whoever was able to bring the most friends wins, and this was apparently the case in the most recent bout that pitted Kimberly Jurek (a longtime staple of the local design scene) and newcomer Jenny Carle.

Model Sarah in Kimberly Jurek (Jenny Carle in foreground) / Image by Lauren Gantner

Kimberly Jurek has been designing in Minneapolis for a long time for her namesake line kjurek couture. She was featured in the first three Voltage: Fashion Amplified shows, sells her line in boutiques all around the Twin Cities and the U.S., and even has her line manufactured, producing multiple collections per season. Clearly, this girl knows what she's doing. Granted, I'm not a fan of everything she makes, but overall I respect what she does and she does it well. During the hour of Fashion Feud, she produced a one-shouldered sundress I can easily imagine throwing on this summer. It was fairly basic and she did get lucky by getting a good printed fabric, but sometimes keeping it simple is best. 

Somehow, she also managed to make a canvas tote, a headpiece, and an armband out of her remaining materials - and it didn't hurt that she had her favorite model, the infamous Sarah, showcasing her work.

Model Sarah in dress by Kimberly Jurek  / Image by Lauren Gantner

Carle's dress also erred on the side of basic, which is probably the best thing one can do in this kind of competition. Where Laura Fulk and Kerry Riley went wrong during the last round was overcomplicating things, so it's here that Jenny Carle is more successful. However, it was clear from anyone in the audience that Carle's dress ended up looking a bit unkempt and thrown-together compared to Jurek's cleaner design.

Jenny Carle's design / Image by Lauren Gantner

The thing is, due to audience applause, Carle was named the winner despite Jurek's clearly better offering. I actually would've worn Jurek's dress, and I'll bet no one would've been able to guess it was made in just an hour.

Stay tuned for the as-yet-unannounced final bout between round one winner Laura Fulk and Jenny Carle. 

Local fashion round-up

Photo courtesy Bernhard Willhelm via PopFizz Daily via ShopFatal.com

PopFizz Daily's write-up on Minneapolis-based online shop ShopFatal, which I originally scooped back in January. I gotta say, I love this plaid dress by Bernhard Willhelm and the funky Camper To&ether by Bernhard Willhelm sandals are also sold on the site. Check this site out, if you haven't already. It's all so fresh and it inspires me that there are some people in Minneapolis who get fashion.

Other local fashion news:

Minneapolis drag fixture Bebe Zahara Benet was just crowned winner of RuPaul's reality show series Drag Race.

Image by Terry Hastings via Vita.mn

WCCO says consignment store sales are on the rise, and mention fave resale shop June in the story. They have amazing shoes and a brand-new jewelry selection.

Behind the Scenes: Vita.mn Spring Fashion shoot

Check out these shots from behind the scenes at our most recent spring fashion shoot for Vita.mn.

Dress by Elizabeth Millan as modeled by Kim Layer. Image by Leslie Plesser for Vita.mn

Set hair. Image by Leslie Plesser for Vita.mn

Florals provided by Pazzaluna. Image by Leslie Plesser for Vita.mn

Me (EC fashion stylist) prepping wardrobe

EC hairstylist Kelsy Osterman and Mo Murphy prepping hair

Mo Murphy prepping hair

Vita.mn for 3.26.09-4.01.09

Check out my writing in this week's issue of Vita.mn, on newstands and online today.

Wood bangles by William Pine at Drama

Fashion: William Pine jewelry + New lines at Il Vostro

Looks from Eva Franco's Spring 2009 Collection

Events: Tap Project's 'Age of Aquarius'
Art: Uptown Tattoo Art Show + Aesthetic Apparatus
Performance: Buckets and Tap Shoes
Music: BLACK presents Drumcell
Music: Bishop Allen
Music: Astronautalis, Bleubird and Cecil Otter
Music: Al's Rockabilly Quartet
Music: BensonWells, Sarah Notley and The New Monarchs

Also be sure to check out my contribution to L'etoile's Weekend What's What blog and find other cool things to do this weekend in the Twin Cities.

Laura Fulk spring preview

I just received a press kit featuring images and the video for Laura Fulk's debut solo show, "Suffocate," presented by mplsart.com. It will be held April 21 at The Lab Theater; tickets will be on sale beginning March 30 at thelabtheater.org.

Above lookbook images by Joe Kramm / Styling by Eclecticoiffeur / Clothing by Laura Fulk

Image courtesy Vita.mn / Photo by Tom Wallace / Styling by Eclecticoiffeur / Dress (on left) by Laura Fulk

What's particularly exciting to me about Fulk's collection is that she's managed to translate her unique aesthetic into clothing that's sophisticated and, for the fashionably fearless, wearable. On top of it all is the integration of art within the clothing; the artwork of local artists Melissa Breitenfeldt and Jay Langer have been digitally printed onto some of the fabric used in Fulk's designs. I was excited to have the chance to preview Laura's dress, pictured above, in Vita.mn's spring fashion spread. 



All photos (except Vita.mn image) by Joe Kramm
Clothing by Laura Fulk with screenprinted art by Melissa Breitenefeldt + Jay Langer
Styling by Eclecticoiffeur
Art direction by mplsart.com
Video by One Light Collective

Red Shoe Clothing Co. spring preview

Local designer Kerry Riley just released preview images of her upcoming line of bodysuits (yes, bodysuits!) for Red Shoe Clothing Co. 

Images by Nic Marshall / Clothing by Red Shoe Clothing Co. 

The full line will be released during Spring MNfashion Week, April 22, 2009 on the streets of downtown Minneapolis. They'll be worn by a gaggle of fabulous models in tap shoes and vintage sunglasses, styled by none other than Eclecticoiffeur. I, for one, am going to be purchasing one of these gorgeous bodysuits to wear underneath miniskirts all summer long. Kerry Riley, you still surprise me!

Vita.mn for 3.19.09-3.25.09

Check out my fashion styling and write-up on spring fashion in this week's issue of Vita.mn, plus my interview with Minneapolis It girl Jane Magnitude (click image links to view): 

Photo by Tom Wallace for Vita.mn / Styling by Eclecticoiffeur / Clothing by Elizabeth Millman (on left) and Emily Weich

Read Art: Torey Bonar"
Read Performance: 'Passage of Dreams' + Electric Arc Radio's 'Summer of Sam'
Read Movies: Trash Film Debauchery's 'Spider Baby'
Read Nightlife: The Dollhouse's 'Drink 'Til She's Irish'
Read Fashion: Fashion Feud 2 + Local Jewelry Trunk Show at June

Read Two-tone lips: Do or Don't?

 Fashion: 'The Recessionista: Meet Jane Magnitude'

Image of Jane Magnitude by TaylorRhoads.com / Styling by Jahna Peloquin

Bonus: Watch for Magnitude Vintage's spring collection, including the items from the Vita.mn fashion spread, hitting her eBay store April 1.

For more fun things to do this weekend, check out L'etoile's weekly What's What blog, for which I am a contributing blogger.

More Minneapolis fashion for the week:
Kara Nesvig's take on Katy Perry's style for Vita.mn.
Melissa Colgan's article on the inception of Target's GO International for Mpls.St.Paul Magazine.
Goodwill's local Second Runway fashion show was mentioned in this CNN article on Goodwill recession style.
Amy Overson, The Midwasteland's local correspondant, mentions the upcoming Fashion Feud bout and links back to my review of the first one.

Local Sales & Shopping Events:
Drama's blog tells us tickets to kjurek couture show are almost sold out.
Elizabeth Dehn's list of sales for Minnesota Monthly
Sara Glassman's list of sales for Star Tribune
Alison Kaplan's Sales and Specials via alishops.com
Mpls.St.Paul's Sales & Events Calendar

Opitz designer shoe sale happening NOW

My favorite store of all time is having an insane designer shoe sale. At Opitz Outlet today, I saw Prada, Dolce + Gabbana, Marc Jacobs, YSL, Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, and Giuseppe Zanotti from Spring 2008 - all at 70% off. Of course you have to get lucky and find your size. 

Black satin Prada peep-toes with ceramic floral heel, $177

Black patent Dolce + Gabbana sandals, $195

Purple suede t-strap Prada sandals, $255

Beige/ivory patent Prada sandals, $195

Black leather Prada sandals with wood heel, $178

Black Marc by Marc Jacobs "mouse" flats, $75

Black lace-up Manolo Blahnik sandals, $223

Purple leather YSL pumps with wood heel, $172

Black patent YSL sandals with gold wedge heel, $189

Go NOW before they're all snatched up!

In review: Paris Fashion Week

A still from Gareth Pugh's video for his Fall 2009 collection

It’s hard to boil Paris Fashion Week down into a brief summary - or pick only three collections to discuss - but if one must, she would come away from it sensing an exuberance in the exaggerated shapes and detail that felt both dark and optimistic. If anything, it was diametrically opposed to New York Fashion Week, which presented more stripped-down, pragmatic collections.

Marc Jacobs’ Fall 2009 line for Louis Vuitton was romantic and edgy at the same time. It was reminiscent of Christian Lacroix of the '80s, and it's no surprise that Jacobs says he was inspired by Parisian women. The shapes, the sheerness, the shoes! Everything looked immaculate.

Louis Vuitton Fall 2009, courtesy New York Magazine

Meanwhile, Gareth Pugh showed his collection in video form instead of on the runway. Everything is worn by one model (Natasa Vojnovic), and it had an overall effect that was surprisingly more graceful and soft than the all-out aggressiveness we’ve come to know Pugh for. The video, though in itself perhaps a sign of the ailing global economy, seemed to push Fashion Week forward into the future, while helping exhibit a new side to Pugh's clothing.

Video stills from Gareth Pugh's Fall 2009 collection

The highlight, though, was Alexander McQueen’s extravagant take on his past collections were styled with saran wrap headwear and freakish red wax-esque lips. A little bit of this and a scrap of that had the overall effect as a Grey-Gardens-esque couture bag lady. Against all odds in this economy, it showed that beauty can still exist.

Alexander McQueen Fall 2009, courtesy style.com