Ra'mon-Lawrence and Robyne Robinson to team up again for NYFW

This fall at New York Fashion Week, local jewelry designer Robyne Robinson (of ROX) will be teaming up with Ra'mon-Lawrence Coleman, a fashion designer who cut his design teeth in the Twin Cities fashion community. The two previously collaborated in fall 2009 for Ra'mon's spring 2010 collection, right after he appeared on the sixth season of Project Runway. The Spring 2012 collections will be shown September 10 at Happy Monkey Studios in New York City. She will also be previewing the line at a private event in Minneapolis this Friday at Amsun & Ash Gallery. Here are a few pieces of the forthcoming line:





And now through September 9, Robyne needs your votes to win a spot in the SCOPE Miami Art Show 2011. You can vote daily at roxjewelry.see.me through the 9th.

Editorial: Lili for Aryn K

Former Minnesota model Lili Umbrazunaite made the move to California earlier this year, and she's made good on it. Here she is as the face of the Aryn K Spring/Summer 2012 lookbook, shot on location at Venice Beach. The brand is carried by tons of small boutiques around the world, plus Nordstrom, Piperlime.com and Amazon.com and locally at Picky Girl in St. Paul. I've always loved Lili's coquette-esque, Audrey Hepburn meets Sophia Loren demeanor - it's good to see the rest of the world picking up on it.









Click here for the full lookbook.

Local inspiration: muses and lenses

The best in local portrait, street style and fashion photography from local muses and lenses, gathered via Twitter, Facebook and blog uploads from the past week.

Christo Collins gets flashed.

Sustainable fashionista Sarah Ditty gets profiled.

Photographer Amy Gee loves her cat.

Photographer Benjamin Fredrickson gazes at the lens.


Trnds.com blogger Corey Tenold snaps himself snapping something else.

Jewelry designer Stephanie Lake and her sister are clearly related.

Vision model Ashlee Walker works the camera.

Vision model Mary Cann gets ready for her closeup in a forthcoming editorial.

Hina Khan gets candid in an outtake from the film Death to Prom.

Secrets Fashion Agency PR director Davee Ek dons sophisticated sweats on a rooftop patio.

The ladies of Secrets Fashion Agency illustrate how to dress tees by FFB (FURFACE BOY) up and down.

Ellen Dahl Lawson of The Minneapoline catches model Tearra Rosario in a look by local designer Raul Osorio for Star Tribune at the local premiere of Project Runway Season 9 at Thom Pham's Wondrous Azian Kitchen.

Fashionasty blogger Jake Thompson goes medallion-print nuts for men's style blog MPLSTYLE.com.

Wonderblood style blogger Julia juxtaposes floral and mint.

Dirty Hair Halo blogger Shannon Licari works it out in faux leather, denim and feathers.

Erin Johnson takes in a Bombay Sapphire bartending competition.

Now online: l'etoile's Guide to Sales & Shopping

When I'm not blogging for Le Petit and writing for Vita.mn, I'm also the fashion editor over at online magazine l'étoile. Our comprehensive shopping guide is updated weekly with limited-time discounts, deals and stylish events at the Twin Cities' hippest shopping destinations, is the go-to guide for any local fashionista.

FASHION EVENTS FOR WEEK OF AUGUST 30-SEPTEMBER 5:

Friday: Cliché's "Crosswalk"
What: Why did the model cross the road? To show of her latest fall look, of course! That's the idea behind Cliché's semi-annual fashion show "Crosswalk," where the runway is the streets of Uptown Minneapolis. This time around, fall lines by local designers Jenny Carle, Sarah M. Holm, and Rachel Blomgren will exit the store and take a stroll at the intersection of 24th Street and Lyndale Avenue. Don’t be fashionably late - the show starts promptly at 7:15 p.m. Stick around afterward for music from DJs Cardigan (AKA Cliché co-owner Josh Sundberg) and Ben Grimes and a 20 percent off storewide discount. -Jahna Peloquin (Photo: Cody Lidtke)
When: 7-9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2.
Where: Cliché, 2303 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis, 612-870-0420, www.clichempls.com

Visit l'étoile for more of the latest shopping events, sales and news.

Annie Larson announces giveaway

Local designer Annie Larson is doing her first-ever giveaway on her blog this week for a Dash Dot Triangle Hat with a watermelon pom pom - one of only three in existence. Entries will be accepted through the end of the day Monday, September 5th and the winner will be announced on Tuesday, September 6th. see details here.

Rising photographer Brad Ogbonna featured on Dazed Digital

Dazed Digital - the online version of arts, culture, music and style magazine Dazed & Confused - just did a photography feature on rising lifestyle photographer (and a regular on my weekly muses and lenses photo feature) Brad Ogbonna. Obgonna, who recently made the move from Minnesota back to New York, showcases his work and answers questions for the mag.

[Sarah Ditty photographed by Brad Ogbonna]

Dazed Digital: Your style of work is very varied, shooting all kinds of subjects - What style of photography feels more natural to you?
Brad Ogbonna: Definitely lifestyle and editorial - photographing subjects in their natural state with little interference on my end is when I am most comfortable. Shooting friends and age-mates has been fun since there is already a rapport and familiarity present that makes capturing unique moments very easy, but the rush and excitement I get from shooting a person for the first time is second to none. I am always careful not to encroach on my subject’s space too much so that the photos will retain the individual’s style as much as possible.

Check out the full interview and photo gallery at DazedDigital.com.

"Project Runway" recap: Season 9, Episode 5

On last night's episode of Project Runway, hometown girl Danielle Everine went home despite Heidi Klum's protestations. I recap the episode for Vita.mn. Watch the full episode here.


Watch Danielle's exit interview:



Watch the judges' blog for Episode 5, in which Nina Garcia says, "Danielle had a very distinct aesthetic and showed a lot of promise":



Click here for Tim's workroom critique with Danielle's team, and here for extended judging of Danielle's team.

Fan blog Blogging Project Runway has a new interview podcast with Danielle in which she talks about her experience on the show and her upcoming fall mini collection.

Preview: Cliche's "Crosswalk" fashion show

Local boutique Cliché is hosting its semi-annual "Crosswalk" fashion show tonight, and as usual, it will highlight three of its local designers: Jenny Carle, Rachel Blomgren and Sarah M. Holm.

Long time Cliché favorite Jenny Carle will be showing three red monochromatic, one-of-a-kind fall looks at the show:

[Looks by Jenny Carle. Photos: Stephanie Hynes; hair & makeup: Megan McNamara]

Rachel Blomgren, a newcomer to Cliché after making her debut at Voltage this past April, will be showing a fall collection of hand dyed waffle knit, plaid wool, and bleach dyed knits inspired by, as she puts it, "Nineties grunge (a la Courtney Love) and Minnesota lumberjack with a little witch magic thrown in."

[Images provided by Rachel Blomgren]

Sarah M. Holm will be showing brightly-colored, sculptural looks:

[Photos by Tim Ho]

The free show begins promptly at 7:15 p.m. tonight at Cliché, 2403 Lyndale Avenue South in Uptown Minneapolis. While you're there, you can also snag 20 percent off everything in the store.

It's a Date! vintage pop-up sale gift card giveaway

The vintage vendors behind this weekend's It's a Date! pop-up sale are offering a special promotion. When you "like" their new Facebook page, you're automatically entered into a drawing for a $25 gift certificate to their next sale. The winner will be announced on the new page today at 4 p.m., so head over to their Facebook page now.

For this month's sale, vintage dealers two birds and Salvaged Strawberry have added in Scout, the only menswear-specific vintage pop-up vendor in the Twin Cities. Swing in either Friday (which will double as a happy hour) or Saturday to get styled while you shop by the vintage experts. Bonus: cash and credit cards are accepted.
When: 6-9 p.m. Friday, August 26 & 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, August 27.
Where: Ballroom & Wedding Dance Studio, 2717 E. 42nd St., Minneapolis. salvagedstrawberry.wordpress.com or www.twobirdsboutique.com

Preview: RAW: natural born artists features local fashion talent

Tonight, another edition of the monthly arts-meets-music-meets-fashion showcase RAW: natural born artists will makes its way to the Fine Line. In addition to some local artists and musicians, local fashion designers Elena Mercurio - best known for appearing in Voltage 2010 - and recent University of Minnesota grad Hilary Hubanks, as well as accessory lines Artist Built and Lefthand Originals. Some of the designers gave me a preview of what to expect tonight.

Elena will be showing her Fall/Winter 2011 collection, "Sande" (inspired by the traditional Sande African mask), which promises to mix her structured details with African-inspired prints and textures:


Hilary Hubanks plans to show her new S/S 2012 line, which she just showed for the first time last week at "Fashion Fighting Stigma." This line was inspired by a mix of old and new, traditional braiding and weaving techniques, and modern and clean kimono-style silhouettes. Her color palette was inspired from the color of old paint and antique cream. Here are a few looks from that show:


"Geometry Class," the latest collection from local jewelry line Lefthand Originals (featured recently with Ivan Idland's line at Voltage 2011), will be showcased both on the runway paired with the designs of Hilary Hubanks and in a booth. Here's a sampling:


Laser-cut leather accessories line Artist Built will also be on display, and worn by Elena Mercurio's models. Here are some of their newest designs they'll be debuting tonight:


For more details on the show, visit www.rawartists.org/minneapolis/fusion.

Local inspiration: muses and lenses

The best in local portrait, street style and fashion photography from local muses and lenses, gathered via Twitter, Facebook and blog uploads from the past week.

METRO Magazine fashion editor wears watercolor against a backdrop of red.

Style blogger Shannon Licari of Dirty Hair Halo combines feather earrings, sequins and trousers with aplomb.

Minnesota native model Whitney Fransway (locally repped by Ignite Models Inc.) goes mod in a bobbed 'do.

Style blogger Chloe Ahlf shares photos from her studies abroad in Paris.

Brandon Werth shoots some out-of-the-box, gorgeous wedding photographs of new couple Mary and Chris.

Julia of style blog Wonderblood illustrates how to wear white without looking like a bride.

Amy Gee previews her promotional shoot for the Vanessa Zahid Jewelry launch in September, with clothing from Gina Marie Vintage, as modeled by Samantha Hirschfield, with hair by Poonoy Chanthavongsa and makeup by Julie Lam.

Photographer Brad Ogbonna catches some rays.

Ellen Dahl Lawson snaps the coolest little girl in Minneapolis for The Minneapoline.

Diya In Her Stilettos snaps Secrets Fashion Agency director Angel Yang in accessories for miles.