In review: Cliche's Avoid the Grey

Cliché hosted its annual fashion show "Avoid the Grey" on Saturday night at the Grainbelt Bottling House, and this year the local boutique decided to change things up. The "show" was more of an art installation, with models dressed in one avant-garde look by local designers housed inside peephole-laden boxes designed by local artists. While I love me a good old-fashioned runway show, it was a great concept - fashion as art. With the recent slew of overly-lengthy runway shows that seem to be more about quantity than quality, it was refreshing to see so much thought having gone into a show. Less was more, in this case. A minor criticism: it was difficult to get a good gauge of what was happening in the boxes with only the small peepholes to peer through. But nonetheless, the interactive feel of the event served only to make fashion more accessible and less intimidating.

Here are the individual looks, out of the box. Let's assess:

Kerry Riley of Needle & Black translated her love for patent leather into a skintight Latex look complete with her signature holster, this time rendered in stripes, which offers a great graphic element to the otherwise fairly basic design. The gold cuffs were a nice addition.

Rachel Blomgren is one of my favorite up-and-comers in the local fashion scene. She has a great way of merging a punky, West Bank aesthetic with genuinely impressive knitting skills and a great eye for color and pattern. I want those leggings NOW. The headpiece (or rather, "hand" piece) and doll head necklace are deliciously wacky. (Necklace by Lela Baumann of Chrysopoeia.)

Kimberly Jurek's contribution to the evening was a silk skirt inspired by traditional bomba skirts, which are designed for a traditional Puerto Rican folkloric dance. She updated it with the pops of neon, though with the addition of the fringed jacket, it looks more like a costume than true fashion. (Accessories by KR Designs by Kristi Relopez.)

As for Kathryn "V" Sterner's look, this is just plain weird. Apparently the "hoof hand" gloves are inspired by a lyric from a Devandra Banhart song, and the dress is made out of wallpaper - no wonder it looks so stiff. The makeup and the head wreath are making me think of Jesus Christ, and that's not good. (Head wreath by Cocoquette by Andrea Oseland.)

What a fun look from Sarah M. Holm. Love the juxtaposition of the soft floral and bow motifs with the "gun bustier" and black cage skirt. And it's perfectly constructed. It's no surprise coming from a designer known for injecting high-concept ideas into her work while still making it fashion (i.e., not a costume). (Bullet jewelry by Timmilynn Johnson of Sweet T.)

This was an intriguing offering from Danielle Everine. It's clearly in line with her latest work shown at the "Sashay Shantay" fashion-geared Art Shanty over the past couple of weeks - sort of an Arctic seafaring snow queen, with equal parts fashion and function. The black and shades of blue work gorgeously together. My one complaint is that it's overstyled - she really didn't need the antler necklaces (which are by up-and-coming accessories line KR Designs. And I do really like the antler necklaces on their own; I featured them in last week's issue of Vita.mn).

Yikes. This look by Carmichael Claith just looks ridiculous. It's clear she was going for some outsized proportions, but those pants make the model look like The Adventures of Frog & Toad.

Double yikes for this look by ArielSimone. Yellow lace with cutouts and rhinestones can never be a good idea. It's pretty draggy. (Accessories by Jen Scheffler of Realia by Jen.)

Killah look from Amanda Christine. That jacket is perfectly cut, and this is far edgier than we typically see from the typically more subdued designer (who is among the city's more commercially successful designers). The sheer red hose are a great touch. (Accessories by Timmilynn Johnson of Sweet T.)

Up-and-coming designer Gina Marie Landes of Gina Marie Vintage sticks pretty true to her subdued palette, chiffon fabrics and easy-fitting silhouettes in her boho/Grecian goddess look. (Accessories by Larissa Loden of Lefthand Originals.)

And to get a taste of the actual event, here's some video:



All photos by Marty Andreason except Kimberly Jurek's look photo by Sara Glassman.

l'etoile's Guide to Sales & Shopping: January 31-February 6

This week in local shopping and style events, eyewear designers Coco & Breezy return to their hometown for an in-store appearance, the new "Diana" exhibition is unveiled at the Mall of America, Cliche hosts its annual "Avoid the Grey" fashion show, an Art Shanty fashion show, and Valentine's shopping events galore.

Photo: Cody Litdke

Saturday: "Avoid the Grey"
What: For more than seven years, beloved boutique Cliché has made their annual Avoid the Grey fashion show their signature event. But this year, they're ditching the runway for a less traditional showcase of their bevy of local talent. Inspired by the idea of voyeurism, local designers including Danielle Everine, Needle & Black, Amanda Christine, K.Jurek Couture, and Rachel Blomgren will each show one over-the-top look viewable through individual chambers. The multi-media event is rounded out by artwork by Bryant Locher, Caroline Debevec, Daniel Jaffe, Emilie Robinson and Isa Gagarin, a short film screening from Andrea Bursott, a cash bar, and tunes from DJs Ken Hannigan and DJ Cardigan (AKA Cliché co-owner Josh Sundberg). Tickets are $10 and available in advance at Cliché (2403 Lyndale Avenue S, Minneapolis). (Photo: Cody Lidtke)

Visit letoilemagazine.com for details on that show and more.

Just announced: Cliche presents "Avoid the Grey"

Local boutique Cliché's annual late-winter fashion show, "Avoid the Grey," returns for its seventh year on February 4. The show highlights the ready-to-wear collections of the Uptown shop's talented roster of local designers. This year's "voyeurism" theme offers a look into inspiration of ten of the store's designers, including Rachel Blomgren, Kathryn V, Needle & Black, Carmichael Claith, Danielle Everine, K.Jurek Couture, Sarah M. Holm, Amanda Christine, Gina Marie Vintage, and ArielSimone. Each collection will be accented by jewelry and accessories from Cocoquette, KR Designs, Sweet T, Lefthand Originals, Realia, and Chrysopoeia. Visit the Facebook event for more details.

[A shot from last year's "Avoid the Grey." Photo by Jahna Peloquin]

Vita.mn trend spread: "Out of the Woods"

Check out my fashion trend spread on Scandinavian style in this week's issue of Vita.mn:

In review: "Call Me Ishmael" Danielle Everine Fall 2011 Capsule Collection

After being introduced to the world on season nine of Project Runway, local designer Danielle Everine has made it clear that she's staying true to her roots. Instead of doing a big blowout show with tons of publicity, she opted for an intimate, in-store showing last night at Cliché, where she's sold her line since she debuted on the Voltage runway in spring 2010.

But Everine's fans, friends and family packed into the store nonetheless to see what the designer has been up to in the short time she's been back from taping the fashion design competition. While she showed a mere six looks, the collection was an ambitious one nonetheless, taking inspiration from an adventurous life at sea, as evidenced by turn-of-the-century novels like Moby-Dick. Each look was equal parts soft and languid (like the sea itself) and tough and utilitarian (as life on the sea often would force one to be). Dresses contained screen-prints of custom illustrations by local artist (and Yeti Records co-owner) Lisa Luck, and leather detailed Everine's outerwear, where she excels most.

The show also served to debut her own laser-etched leather handbags. By the end of the night, many one-off pieces found their way into the hands of shoppers, but the designer said she would be taking custom orders on the pieces shown (at www.danielleeverine.com) and be adding additional pieces to the collection at Cliché in the coming months.

[Danielle Everine and me]

Click here for more photos by Corey Tenold, and here for my recent interview with Everine for l'étoile.

Preview: Danielle Everine's fall 2011 capsule collection

This weekend, Danielle Everine of recent Project Runway fame is unveiling her new fall 2011 capsule collection, “Call Me Ishmael." The collection is said to be inspired by life aboard a ship, and features soft, silky dresses juxtaposed with heavy, utilitarian outerwear in wool, leather, oilcloth and rope. The looks also feature custom textile prints by local illustrator Lisa Luck, and for the first time, Everine is debuting a collection of travel handbags with laser-etched motifs. Here are some of Everine's sketches of the line:


I also adore Lisa Luck's hand-illustrated poster for the show, "Call Me Ishmael":


The collections debuts this Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Cliché, 2403 Lyndale Avenue S, Minneapolis, 612-870-0420, www.clichempls.com.

In review: Envision: Artopia

"Envision: Artopia" is a curious creature. With a whopping 91 looks pumped onto the runway over the course of two hours, the semi-annual fashion show really can't be reviewed to the same standards as a true runway show. It focuses on highly wearable, retail-oriented clothing, presented with minimal, girl-on-the-street styling (albeit on superhumanly tall, thin, attractive girls and boys) to a supercharged club soundtrack and dim lighting, transforming the Graves 601 Hotel ballroom the show is held in a nightclub. A look at the crowd - many of whom are greased-up Jersey Shore rejects and girls in too-tight, too-short, and too-shiny dresses - makes it clear that people are here to party, not to note the latest fall trends or make their shopping list. This was meant to be a party - not a sophisticated, serious runway show. And that's why the show has a packed house year after year. Though it's not my ideal fashion show experience, their formula is obviously a financially successful one.

The event's chief organizers, Ignite Models Inc. co-owners Allison Hamzehpour and Jessica Cunningham, certainly put on a slick show, for the most part. The lighting left much to be desired for photographers and attendees alike, but the show was more well-styled than usual, thanks no doubt to the up-and-coming styling collective Secrets Fashion Agency. The young stylists brought the off-the-rack clothing to life with thoughtfully placed accessories and enviable shoes.

In between segments, I spotted the resulting looks from the vitaminwater zero? Design Challenge. Sarah M. Holm (flavor: xxx) really outdid herself with her sculptural, avant-garde look, while Jenny Carle (flavor: drive) and Christopher Straub (flavor: drive) were pretty basic offerings for a design challenge.

[Left to right: Looks by Sarah M. Holm, Jenny Carle & Christopher Straub]

The best part about Envision for me is the chance to see full collections by local designers make their runway debut. Best-in-show was no doubt Amanda Christine, who seems to be closer and closer to perfecting the classics-with-a-twist design aptitude she's been honing for the past few years. A long-sleeved faux-wrap silk mini dress had a beautiful drape, as did her silk secretary blouse - two classic pieces that Amanda managed to make fresh. Her front pin-tucked cropped cigarette pants are a wardrobe go-to, and her black sequin-and-silk cocktail dress moved beautifully. I found myself making a mental shopping list for all the pieces I wanted.

[Looks by Amanda Christine]

Another longtime Envision designer Arwyn Birch upped her game immensely, tailoring her '60s mod aesthetic into a collection of exceedingly wearable, sophisticated dresses seemingly inspired by the Maggie Gyllenhaal-starring movie Secretary, many of which would work just as well in the office as cocktail hour afterward.

[Looks by Arwyn Birch]

The show's two newcomers made big impressions with their showings. Gina Marie Vintage (which is a misnomer - nothing about this line looks at all vintage) kicked off the show with a collection of chic, drapey jersey knit separates in a muted palette, and her gothy black bell bottoms mixed with a black lace tunic said it loud and clear: the '70s are still in, and they're getting a '90s twist.

[Looks by Gina Marie Vintage]

Recent Minneapolis transplant Caroline Hayden went for the glam with sequin leggings, a sequin bodysuit, a sequin dresses, a sequin pencil skirt, a long Elvira-esque black velvet gown, and a chubby black fur coat. It was very...sparkly. As a whole, it erred on the side of garishness, though looked to be very well made. I'd like to see what Hayden can do without the benefit of sequins.

[Looks by Caroline Hayden]

Kathryn Sterner's line Kathryn V. was hit or miss. While she showed some excellent pieces, including cinched-waist shirtdresses and a utilitarian-meets-feminine canvas jacket, her inclusion of a shiny copper fabric was unfortunate and eye-searing. But her printed bodysuit paired with a sheer, long navy skirt was impeccably chic.

[Looks by Kathryn V.]

Yqy by vivian, a promising new name last fall at Envision, missed the mark with bad fabric mixing (including an ill-advised tight pantsuit in ugly red plaid and houndtooth) and a thoroughly disjointed collection.

[Looks by yqy by vivian]

K.Jurek by Kimberly Jurek, usually a favorite of mine, showed a collection of holiday dresses that appeared dowdy due to their loose silhouettes and misguided use of velvet. It's the same sort of thing she showed last holiday. I hope Jurek pushes her designs further and makes a return to structure and jackets - her strong suits - soon.

[Looks by K.Jurek]

Menswear had its moment via ready-to-wear and swimwear collections by recent University of Minnesota grad Kelly Ver Duin. The combination of quirky shirts styled with bowties and shorts is nothing new, but she certainly has an eye for color and pattern combinations. Her short-short, colorblocked swimwear was inventive - and also garnered some lady-screams from the audience.

[Looks by Kelly Ver Duin]

Typically, the boutique segments have served as boring interludes in between designer segments, but the styling took these looks to another level. I found myself many times coveting certain pieces from OPM, Drama, Karma and Local Motion. Fall trends were cleverly highlighted among the offerings, including chunky knits, maxi coats and era-spanning retro dresses:

[Look from Karma]

[Look from Karma]

[Look from Karma]

[Look from Drama]

[Look from OPM]

Cliché always has a heavy hand in their own styling, and it was apparent more than ever as their first model walked down the runway in a sheer black fringed dress with a black feather headdress and long feather earrings. The controversial styling was, according to co-owner Josh Sundberg, meant to be inspired by '80s punk and traditional Native American garb. Like it or not, Navajo-inspired prints and ponchos are undeniably fall trends this year. Leave it to Cliché to steal the show once again.

[Looks from Cliché]

This week in Vita.mn: Danielle Everine, Annie Larson & Cliche's "Crosswalk"

In this week's back-to-school issue of Vita.mn, Jay Boller profiles five local celebs, including Project Runway season nine contestant Danielle Everine. I contributed a back-to-school shopping guide to the issue:

[Click here to read more.]

I also recap Danielle Everine's elimination from Project Runway last week:


And preview Friday's "Crosswalk" fashion show put on by local boutique Cliché:


As well as write about Annie Larson's upcoming collection for national store Madewell and next week's Fashion's Night Out local festivities.