Ivey Awards releases annual campaign images

Last Thursday, I attended a VIP and press preview for the Ivey Awards as they unveiled their advertising campaign. And this isn't any ad campaign: the gorgeous photography by William Clark (whose clients include METRO Magazine, Minnesota Bride, Target, and Mall of America) is always a staple of the campaign, as is the beautiful art direction, settings and costumes.

["The Script" dress by dj gramann II]

"After we finish, every year we think, how are we going to top this next year?" Clark said during the preview. With the merging of design, theater, fashion, and art direction (which came courtesy of FAME Retail Agency), Clark said, "It takes a village" to pull the campaign together.

This year's campaign was built around four "heroes" to be featured in the four primary shots for our promo materials. Each hero wears a custom, hand-crafted garment meant to echo an aspect of the theatre (script, music, drama) made by an up-and-coming Minneapolis fashion or costume designer, and done pro bono for the IVEY Awards.

One of them is a huge gown with a 12 foot train made up of sheets of paper ("The Script" dress by local costumer dj gramann II) to emulate the playwright; another, "The Pin Cushion," as a reference to costume designers (by costumer Lisa Conley); another, "The Writer," inspired by an ink well (by costumer Shannon O'Black); and another meant to mimic the drama of the red curtain has a 30-foot train which will be photographed dangling off of a Juliet balcony at a local theater (by fashion designer Ariel Bock), all shot at iconic theaters around Minneapolis such as the Southern and the Fitzgerald.

The Ivey Awards, a production by Scott Mayer and Mitch Kelly, takes place September 19 at the State Theatre. Find out more about the Ivey Awards at www.iveyawards.com.

["The Composer"]

["The Writer" ink dress by Shannon O'Black]

["The Red Curtain" dress by Ariel Bock]

["The Pin Cushion" dress by Lisa Conley]

"Project Runway" S9 Ep. 1 in review

I recap episode one of season nine of Project Runway for Vita.mn: For last night's Project Runway season nine premiere party hosted by l'etoile magazine at the Caterpillar Lounge of Thom Pham's Wondrous Kitchen, friends and fans of local designer Danielle Everine gathered to cheer her on. On hand were fellow designers (including Ivan Idland, Frances Zerr, Sarah White and Stephanie Lake), hairstylists, models, and Vision Management Group owner Teqen Zea-Aida, as well as and season six contestant Christopher Straub.

[Danielle Everine & Christopher Straub. Photo by Amy Gee for l'etoile magazine]

The show kicked off with a twist - an immediate elimination of four contestants before the first challenge had even taken place. It was harsh, but thankfully Danielle was spared. In the first challenge, the designers had to made a look solely out of their bedsheet and what they wore to sleep the night before. True to her vintage-with-a-modern-twist aesthetic, Danielle turned out a kicky pair of green shorts and a paneled top that got her deemed "safe" by the judges. But here Danielle's competitive nature was revealed, responding backstage that safe is "not good enough." That's our girl. View more photos from the premiere party by Amy Gee courtesy of l'etoile magazine here. Read my new interview with the designer in l'etoile magazine. The Star Tribune also interviews her.

[Danielle's look, courtesy Lifetime]

The reviews are in from last Thursday's Project Runway season nine premiere, featuring local designer Danielle Everine.

The holy grail of Project Runway bloggers, Tom and Lorenzo had good things to say about Danielle's designs. "She had a decent amount of material to work with…And she used it really well. Y’know, there should be a rule in these challenges against using tops to make tops and pants to make pants. We like that she used her top and pants to make the top and then made the shorts out of the bedsheet material. A good and unexpected use of the materials at hand."

"It’s also refreshing that she made something so sporty," they continue. "Others did as well, but hers may be the best of the sporty casual looks on the runway. Love the shape of the shirt and the way she blocked the fabric and gave the garment some shape so it didn’t just hang off her."


"And the shorts are damn impressive considering their beginning as cheap bed sheets," they say. "Again, she used the material well and gave the piece some shape and design interest. She’s definitely one to watch – and we suspect she’s going to say so every chance she gets."

TV Without Pity included Danielle in a Tweet featuring their early picks for best designers based on the first episode. Democracy Diva reviews the looks, saying, "It’s hard to remember this quiet little Midwestern flower is even on the show, but those shorts are pretty well-made (particularly in comparison to her competitors’ pants and shorts) and that sweater is fun and funky. I liked the colors she chose – a little weird, but really interesting."

[Danielle's sketch from episode 1]

TV blogger Gina Carbone writes, "It’s very her, I like it. SAFE. Oh but she’s pissed to be safe. Do we have a mini Gretchen? I do think she’s going to go far, though. I’m keeping my eye on this one." Crasstalk says, "Danielle Everine seems grounded and is a big reader but won’t look at the camera. She has a lot of ideas and concepts and is probably the most serious of this season’s contestants." Holy Moly! assess, "We have an early soft spot for cute little Minnesotan Danielle Everine, who looks like a wee little librarian lady and loves Alexander McQueen and Katherine Hepburn."

Behind-the-scenes photos of Danielle in episode 1:

Q&A with Danielle Everine of "Project Runway"

On the eve of the premiere episode of Project Runway season nine, which features local fashion designer Danielle Everine, I do a little Q&A with the designer for l'étoile magazine. L'étoile hosts its first of weekly viewing parties tonight at the Caterpillar Lounge at Thom Pham's Wondrous Azian Kitchen at 8 p.m. Click here for more info, and here to read the full interview.

[Danielle Everine, courtesy Lifetime]

Editorial: Emily Utne shoots Emma Berg S/S 2011

Local designer Emma Berg just revealed photos from a shoot by photographer Emily Utne featuring designs from her S/S 2011 collection. Hair and makeup was provided by HAUS Salon owner Charlie Brackney and HAUS' Heath Bryant, with modeling by Vision's Elle Williams and styling by yours truly.









Visit EmmaBerg.com for more photos.

Clothing: Emma Berg
Earrings: Stephanie Lake Design
Photographer: Emily Utne
Hair: Charlie Brackney for HAUS Salon
Make-up: Heath Bryant for HAUS Salon
Model: Elle Williams for Vision Management Group
Styling: Jahna Peloquin

Local inspiration: muses and lenses

In this week's muses and lenses photo feature, local photographers, models and stylists get inspired by summer.

Photographer Brad Ogbonna sits in a park with Minneapolis ex-pat Sarah Ditty.

The Minneapoline's Ellen Dahl Lawson shoots the crowd at the Totally Gross National Product party at Clubhouse Jager last weekend for Vita.mn.

Arts writer Joan Erakit kicks up her heels in a beauty interview with Kara Nesvig's Vanity Project.

Secrets Fashion Agency PR Director Davee Ek makes the best of the heat wave.

Photographer Amy Gee celebrates her 23rd birthday with her pal Tyra. (Photo: Sohail Akhavein)

Chris McDuffie shoots model Claudia chillin' poolside. (MUA & Hair: Nicole Fae. Stylist: Rachel LaRoche)

Musician Margaret Lane embodies splendor in the grass.

Vincent Marcinelli does a photo shoot with style blogger and stylist Jane Belfry.

Elise Diebel catches fellow fashion designer Hilary Hubanks cleaning house.

FairShadow Photography snaps Colleen Marie Gilbert impersonating a cop. A very sexy cop.

Video: Rewind Vintage's Get Pretty Sale

As part of his "30 Films in 30 Days" short film series, local filmmaker Tyler Jensen has crafted yet another video confection, this time inspired by Rewind Vintage's Get Pretty Sale this weekend. The weekend-long, semi-annual sale offers 25% off everything in both of Rewind's locations. View more of Tyler's films at his 30 Films and 30 Days page on Vimeo.

Get Pretty! from Tyler Jensen on Vimeo.

Visit Rewind at 2829 Johnson St. NE., Minneapolis, 612-788-9870 & 4806 Chicago Ave. S., Minneapolis, 612-824-1350, www.rewindminneapolis.com

l'etoile magazine announces "Project Runway" screening parties

In honor of local contestant Danielle Everine, local online magazine l'etoile will be hosting a series of public viewing parties of Project Runway season nine at the Caterpillar Lounge at Thom Pham's Wondrous Azian Kitchen. The series kicks off with the season premiere this Thursday - which one-time local contestant Ra'mon-Lawrence Coleman (@ramonlawrence) will be live-Tweeting for the show (@ProjectRunway). Former local contestant Christopher Straub as well as Danielle herself are expected to attend. Click here for the Facebook invite.

Editorial: '70s bohemia in Maple Grove Magazine

Second-tier suburbs like Maple Grove have fashion, too. So boasts the cover of this month's issue of Maple Grove Magazine (which is published by Tiger Oak Publications, the same company behind the fashion-centric METRO Magazine and Minnesota Bride), in a '70s bohemian-inspired spread shot by METRO contributor Marshall Franklin Long. It contains looks courtesy of Maple Grove shops like Bluebird, Francesca's, and White House Black Market. Click here to view the accompanying story and where-to-buy information.





Photography: Marshall Franklin Long
Styling: Sarah Baumann
Hair & Makeup: Nicole Fae
Art Direction: Katie Pauls
Model: Emily Valdez

Video: Sarah M. Holm debuts Spring 2011 designs in new short film series

Local designer Sarah M. Holm has announced an upcoming collaboration with up-and-coming local filmmaker Tyler Jensen, in which he would create a series of four short films to feature her spring 2012 line. The first of these films was released today on Vimeo.com as a part of Tyler’s “30 films in 30 days” project. Inspired by a shared love of campy horror movies, the duo melded their talents for this series. Stay tuned to Jensen's website www.typicalfilms.com for forthcoming films, and view the first film below, which is set in local vintage haven Via's Vintage.

Dressed To Kill: Coutorture from Tyler Jensen on Vimeo.

HAUS Salon debuts its premier, muse-inspired collection

South Minneapolis is the home to HAUS Salon, a new endeavor by industry experts Charlie Brackney and Jessica Reipke. After acting as creative director for world-renowned Juut Salonspa for several years and as a member of the exclusive style team of legendary hairstylist Vivienne Mackinder, Brackney is now launching a series of "collections" of inspirational haircuts and colors that are on-trend and forward-thinking, with a new collection to drop every six months. The first collection, "Muse," is named for "the people who inspire us most: our clients," Brackney says.

Short hair gets an architectural twist and a dip into the daring hair color of the moment, gunmetal gray, in the "Lindsay."


The "Emma look is "bold geometry taken to the next level with bold color." (And methinks it's inspired by local fashion designer/arts curator Emma Berg, a HAUS client.) (Model: Mary Cann/Vision)

With the "Jessica," Brackeny says, "This is the hair every woman wants this season. Beautifuhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifl balayage was swept through the hair, highlighting just the right pieces to set the blonde aglow." (Model: Elle Williams/Vision)

The "Camella" is "all about texture. The curl of this season is soft and brushed out. Stiff, beachy waves have been replaced by soft, brushed-out waves, accentuated with this season’s hottest hair color: ombre."

HAUS Salon is located at 4240 Nicollet Avenue South in Minneapolis, 612-827-4287, www.haussalon.com

The Minneapoline featured on CNN.com

CNN.com has launched a new series in which they showcase style from around the globe, and they decided to kick it off with Minneapolis. Longtime local street fashion blog The Minneapoline, and its creator Ellen Dahl Lawson, gets the spotlight in the first featured article. The feature includes a Q&A with Lawson:

[Photo: Ellen Dahl Lawson/The Minneapoline]

On her favorite local designers and shops: "Raul Osorio, Danielle Everine, Maritza Ramirez, Emma Berg are a handful of designers. You can find some of their designs at Design Collective. (Ed. note: none of these designers are actually sold at Design Collective. You can find Raul Osorio at Blacklist Vintage, Danielle Everine at Cliche, and Emma Berg at June.) As far as thrift stores, Rewind, Blacklist Vintage and Via's Vintage are all popular."

On what catches her eye: "Someone catches my eye first. I get a better overall, thoughtful look at them and decide if it hits me more in my brain and not just my eye, then I approach them."

Read the full story and view a slideshow of photos from The Minneapoline at CNN.com.

BlackBlue showcases summer women's collections

Men's store BlackBlue has been well-loved since it opened a couple of years ago on Selby and Dale in St. Paul. As a result of female love for the store despite only carrying menswear, the store started to carry some women's clothing and shoes earlier this year. Yesterday, they posted a new shoot featuring shoppers Amy Gee (a photographer regularly featured in Le Petit's muses and lenses photo feature) and Kara Nesvig (the beauty blogger behind Vanity Project) modeling a mix of men's and women's items from the store. Visit blakblu.blogspot.com for clothing credits.

[All photos courtesy BlackBlue]