MNfashion's the Shows: Local designers flex their creative muscles

Photo by Mackenzie Orth

​Minneapolis-St. Paul Fashion Week would not be complete without its 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.

At 7 p.m. attendees took their places as the show began with a minimal opening by Kjurek. The word "romantic" has been used quite often when describing the label, and romantic it was as there were flowing dresses, tiny spaghetti straps, sheer fabric, and muted tones in many pieces. There were a few disappointments with the collection, however, as a few designs fell limp, hanging off models' bodies with no sense of high-fashion believability. The standout piece -- a beautiful and surprising black cape with a cowl neck paired simply with a pair of sheer black tights and ankle boots -- could easily have been the main direction of the entire capsule collection.

Photo by Mackenzie Orth

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During the 30-minute intermission, the floor was opened up for honest discussion. The exchanges were constructive and forthright, debunking the general misconception that Minnesotans are not aware of what works and what doesn't when it comes to fashion. 

Next, designer Emma Berg returned to the runway with her follow up to last year's line. It was an unexpected mix of colors, fabrics, hair, and makeup, and was the most perplexing collection of the entire night. Here Berg demonstrated her insatiable appetite for the extreme through her use of tweed; brightly-colored, fringe-layered skirts; and fur (there were fur-trimmed details on a number of dresses, a poorly dyed fur pullover, and two curious fur pasties on a sheer button-up).

Photo by Mackenzie Orth

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This impression may have to do more with the styling than the actual designs.  Many of the separates could work exceptionally well -- separately.  However, every true artist knows the importance of balance, and just when the collection seemed to veer off into left field, an eerily gorgeous pink dress with pronounced shoulders and a delicate collar came waltzing down the runway; an elegant and ladylike piece to perhaps be worn at this year's Crash the Ball --  should one find the perfect shoes.

Photo by Mackenzie Orth

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Closing out the evening, Amanda Christine debuted her full A/W collection inspired by the working woman of the '60s and '70s. It was evident Christine had focused on essentials: the perfect LBD, the work pant, and the sexy knit sweater.  The collection occupied a happy place between sophisticated and wearable, with mini surprises including a fitted black pencil skirt with a leather waistband and side slits, paired with a purple cut-out blouse -- in one word, chic. 

Photo by Mackenzie Orth

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While the collection did well with essentials, it lacked execution when it came to prints. The paisley design used in a number looks felt both distracting and dull -- if that is even possible. A question of fabric used is what came to mind. Perhaps a paisley print on a sheer fabric -- as opposed to satin -- would have worked best (especially when dealing with a color like maroon).  Even though paisley is one of the most difficult prints to work with, Amanda Christine took on the challenge quite nicely, producing a lovely jumpsuit to match the otherwise structured pieces in her collection.

Photo by Mackenzie Orth

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There were no winners or losers at this season's Shows. There were things that were liked or disliked, but most importantly designers flexed their creative muscles and produced what best resonated with their current stories. It was a representation of what is currently going on in the Twin Cities fashion scene, and there was definitely a sense that there is no need to compare or contrast that with other cities. The idea of fashion is simply to create, and we do a lot of that here in Minnesota.