Macy's Glamorama 2010: Dazzling or dud?

Photo by Emily Utne

​On Friday evening the annual fashion gala Glamorama was held at Orpheum Theater. Some wondered if it would be a predictable evening of mediocre clothing and embarrassing dance numbers. Unfortunately, their suspicions proved correct.

Local Model Greta Sunquist, photo by Emily Utne

​The fashion segment of the show started out with a confusingly psychedelic 1960s/1970s soundtrack that was meant to accompany unimaginative Tommy Hilfiger turtlenecks and plaid jumpers. It felt less like a high production event and more like a back-to-school fashion show held at a suburban shopping mall.

The next fashion segment was Jean Paul Gaultier, the line nomadic and exotic in tone but lacking finesse, which made it feel like a JPG diffusion line. The styling was bold but still fell a bit flat. But it was a treat to see the only Minneapolis-based model in the show, Greta Sundquist of Vision Management Group, walk for the Gaultier segmet.

Sportmax, MaxMara's little sister line, was next. It felt very played out with misplaced fur pieces, dull choreography, and not much inspiration all around; nothing in the collection stood out. The Versace menswear segment evoked the vibe of a male strip club as apposed to a runway show, male models eliciting cheering and whistling from the female audience. It felt cheap and downright cheesy. At the end the models actually raised their arms, asking for a response from the crowd. The focus was not at all on the clothes but on their bravado.

A look from Sonia Rykiel, photo by Emily Utne

​Sonia Rykiel was fun; the collection felt cohesive. The headpieces were playful and the oversized menswear pieces felt very current. The finale pieces were by far the best, ending with an ostrich feather coat and sky-high sparkly pumps.

The following fashion segment at Glamorama was Just Cavalli, which came off like a cheap knockoff of Gucci's fall 2008 collection. We've seen it all before: fur, fringe, maxi dresses, '70s florals. The collection was quite repetitive and the presentation was lengthy and dull--just like the remix of "Strawberry Fields Forever" that was looped over and over again in the background.

Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti was the best presentation. It was simple and chic--all about the clothes. The line was romantic and beautifully detailed. The styling kept all attention on the garments and stayed true to Ferretti's aesthetic. The only issue with the segment was that it felt  significantly shorter than the rest.

Marc Jacobs' fall collection was hard to like. The schoolmarm shapes and dull color palette felt tedious, not tailored. The last piece made no sense within the collection: a dress with a giant bustled skirt and exaggerated bow in front, which was more Grand Ole Opry than grand finale.
 
The final fashion sement was Issey Miyake. This was the first time that Issey Miyake was shown at Glamorama, and should probably be the last. His was one of the messier fashion segments, the blaring electro music and unpolished looks making this collection hard to watch. The unflattering flats and boots left models looking stout and the draped metallic harem pants left much to be desired. The collection didn't have much cohesion, and didn't work.

Throughout the show, fashion segments were interupted by embarrasingly overdone dance numbers that left most audience members laughing or cracking jokes. Also, the less than glamorous Eric Hutchinson had an awkward acoustic performance that could not have fit more poorly in with the show.

The final segments were by Felina and 2exist, and they were uncomfortable. They featured latex, angel wings, and a "heaven vs. hell" dance number. It was hard to gauge the intended reaction, and was an extremely humiliating end to a very unglamorous evening. Check out the slideshow from Glamorama here.
 

Bonus: What Were YOU wearing at Glamorama? (Slideshow)