My appetite for all things fashion was satiated this week when Fashion Function Art rocked the catwalk at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre.
(All photos courtesy of Sarah Roffman)
The well dressed all ages crowd heightened my anticipation, while they dined on light-fare refreshments courtesy of local vendors. The trendy tunes of local record labels Secretly Canadian and Jagjaguar fused together, giving the evening a designer ambiance. I was amazed by the spray-painted graffiti backdrop, which the artists continued to work on throughout the show.
The opening sequence was however quite unanticipated, but still entertaining. The modern stage was graced by a traditional African drum troupe, led by Dr. Djo Bi and a group of graduate students dressed in sarongs who took part in a traditional African dance. While this performance did seem slightly incohesive with a fashion show, it incorporated the evening's theme of taking risks.
The M.C.'s entered the stage and enthusiastically welcomed all the guests to an evening of local fashion. The day looks were the first presented on the catwalk, mostly showcasing pashminas, a current style staple, and oversized Jackie- O sunglasses by the event's sponsor, Optiks.
A surprising new fall trend that graced the BCT stage was chunky knits by Yarns Unlimited. Great neck warmers and ribbon-laced knit gloves wowed the crowd along with incredible leather boots from Superior Shoes. Men's wear inspired double breasted tweed jackets from Cactus Flower were also big crowd pleasers, and my favorite pieces to walk down the catwalk.
After a brief intermission, Dr. Djo Bi and his students re-entered the stage and performed once more. Evening and party wear were the next categories on the catwalk. A cobalt blue sweater-dress with a cowl button neckline was among my favorites, and the male models looked sharp and spot on.
It was not until an adorable puppy in a bomber jacket from London Dog was escorted on the runway that I really enjoyed myself. The dogs modeled the latest canine fashions, and the audience went wild. PUPPY IN A COAT is written boldface in my notes.
The adorable factor was doubled when a group of children wearing the most current kid's clothes walked hand-in-hand on stage. They waved to the audience, who in return cheered uncontrollably for the pint-sized super models.
One of my favorite entities of the evening was the models themselves. From the operator of Boxcar Books to the City of Bloomington Communications director, each individual was a member of the Bloomington community. Each model brought their own individual fierceness to the catwalk and did an amazing job. Tyra would be proud!
The evening rounded to a close, and all in all it was quite a show. The audience seemed satisfied and while it was no Bryant Park, I enjoyed the local fashions.
I am very much looking forward to more fashion forward events in Bloomington, and am incredibly excited to keeping you all haute-couture lovers posted.
Love Love Love
Alexa
