Photo by Mackenzie Orth

​Minneapolis-St. Paul Fashion Week would not be complete without its legendary Shows celebration, a beautifully organized event where top local designers debut their newest collections for both industry people and the public. Though it is only in its second season, the evening is already known for highlighting the cream of the crop with flawless execution.  

This season's Autumn/Winter 2012 presentation was hosted last night at 514 Studios, located in downtown Minneapolis's Warehouse District, for a sold-out crowd of over 50 people. The party featured full collections by Emma Berg and Amanda Christine, and capsule collections by Kjurek by Kimberly Jurek and KR Designs.

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Photo by Eric Nelzer

​John Ferguson -- whose eponymous theater company brought us innovative productions such as You're My Favorite Kind of Pretty, Super Monkey, and Animal Farm -- has got a new name for his company, a broader vision, and ambitious plans. The group will open its first show, A Bun for a Door Handle, this weekend. The production features a cast of dancers -- including Katelyn Skelley and Ned Sturgis from TU Dance, and Kaleena Miller from Rhythmic Circus -- and takes off where You're My Favorite Kind of Pretty left off.

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Photo by Doug Hamilton

​I have a feeling that the teenage, gutter-punk Billie Joe Armstrong would want to give a pair of middle fingers to what the mature Billie Joe Armstrong has done with punk rock in the stage version of American Idiot. And I think the teenage, suburban-punk me would probably have sneered and given the bird as well. More >>

A new board game birthed in MN

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Photo by Peter Holme

​In continuation with MNfashion's schedule of well-edited events for Minneapolis-St. Paul Fashion Week, l'etoile presented the Emerging Designers Showcase last night. The evening featured a carefully styled runway show highlighting work by a group of talented women whose names we're unlikely to forget.

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Photo by George Byron Griffiths

David Darrow and Steven Lee Johnson in Beautiful Thing.

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Image courtesy Brave New Workshop

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​While some comedy duos play off of the differences between the two -- man vs. woman, high-strung vs. laid back, smart vs. dumb, and so forth -- the Sklar Brothers come from a long line of comedy where similarities amplify their mutual strengths. Over the years Jason and Randy have perfected their rapid-fire comedy style, often cutting in and finishing each others' sentences adding punchline on top of punchline. They've made a handful of appearances on television, including Chelsea Lately, Battlebots, and Cheap Seats. Their podcast, Sklarbro County, demonstrations their aptitude for sports trivia.

The dynamic duo will be in town this Friday at the Varsity Theater for two comedy sets. Here's how you can win tickets to see their show:

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Lorna Simpson- Simpson, Medtronic Gallery by Jehra Patrick

​If art historians were allowed to depict their research visually, it might look something like the pieces in "New Museal: Work by Jehra Patrick," now showing at the SooVAC. An abstract manifestation of 20th century art history, the works featured draw from the empty spaces of institutions that host exhibitions, while recalling various art movements in an archeology that transcends its subject matter. More >>

Photo courtesy Ten Thousand Things

Aimee Bryant and Maggie Chestovich in As You Like It.

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