Le Petit Connaisseur de la Mode: In review: The MIA's Art in Bloom goes high fashion with "Haute-House Garden"

To kick off its annual Art in Bloom exhibition, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts went haute couture, with looks by local designers that were as artful as they were garden-fresh. In a challenge straight out of Project Runway, designers created looks inspired by flowers - and in some cases, including actual foliage, courtesy of Bastian + Skoog florists. Emma Berg presented two gorgeously draped gowns, made all the more exquisite with hand-painted abstract floral designs by frequent collaborator Max Lohrbach. The silk shirt he wore was also cleverly painted with a tulip design. Former Voltage: Fashion Amplified director Anna Lee - who got her start as a milliner - seems to be going back to her design roots, showing a simple twisted jersey dress accented with an artfully arranged bouquet train of real flowers (topped by a decadent headpiece, of course). Two local Project Runway alumni also got into the mix, with season nine's Danielle Everine showing a pair of shorts woven from leaves and a moss jacket - an impressive feat not only for the fact that it was more organic material than fabric, but also for exhibiting a stylish use of proportion. Season six's Christopher Straub took over the second segment of the show, showing a series of structured looks made from canvas painted by Patrick Kemal Pryor, previously shown as part of a collaborative art exhibit. Joy Teiken of Joynoelle showed her signature delicate sensibility with a lovely ivory gown strewn in tiny rosettes, while up-and-comer Nicole Larson showed a violet dress sporting a matching peplum of actual violets. While the presentation and production of the event was a bit lacking to say the least - heed attention to detail, MIA! - the resulting looks were truly inspired.