Pink Bow City brings retro/pinup fashion to Honey
Categories: Fashion
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| Andrew Saxum Photography |
| Pink Bow City Founder Keona Tranby |
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Keona Tranby, a student at the University of St. Thomas and owner of Pink Bow City, has been inspired by everything vintage for as long as she can remember.
"I've always had a look that was a little bit more old-fashioned," she says. "I love going to thrift stores and finding awesome vintage items."
Two years ago, Tranby decided to turn that love into a profit by selling vintage clothing on eBay.
"I would always see people selling stuff for 80 or 90 dollars on vintage sites and I was like, 'I could buy this at a thrift shop for 9 or 10 dollars!'" she says.
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| Andrew Saxum Photography |
"I wanted something that would become more of an actual business," Tranby says. "I decided this year that I wanted a website that featured handmade clothes by designers."
Pink Bow City sells clothing from 15 local, national, and even a few international designers. The inspiration behind the name comes from both Tranby's childhood obsession with hair bows and from what she says a pink bow represents.
"I wanted a really girly name because that's what we're all about," she says. "Pink Bow City is all about women empowerment. All of my designers are women. I think that it's awesome that they're all doing their own thing, and I love meeting ambitious women. I think a pink bow is a really iconic symbol of femininity."
All items on her site are handmade by designers, which is important to Tranby.
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| Andrew Saxum Photography |
"The community is responding really well to everything being handmade by designers and mainly being made in the USA," she says. "I think that is something that people really want right now. They like supporting a designer and actually knowing where their stuff is coming from."
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| Andrew Saxum Photography |
"I chose them to be in the show because they're from Minneapolis," Tranby says. "I want to really build a community; that's the whole point of the event."
In addition to the fashion show, live pinup transformations will take place with retro hair and makeup demonstrations by local talent. Free appetizers will be available, and rockabilly band Shakin' Babies will perform.
Tranby says she is excited by the response she has received so far from the community, and she is grateful for the support.
"Being a student, you always have a lot of people who are willing to help you. I wasn't really sure if Minneapolis was the right demographic for pinup, but it actually has been," she says. "There's a large pinup/rockabilly scene that I'm starting to get in touch with."
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| Andrew Saxum Photography |
Tranby is looking to involve more local photographers, fashion designers, and artists in Pink Bow City, and encourages people who share her love for vintage to introduce themselves to her at the event.
"I love featuring people from the area on our site," she says. "That's what it's all about: collaboration."
IF YOU GO:
Pink Bow City
6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, August 8
Honey
205 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis
Free; optional $5 donation get you a sticker and and a copy of Pink Bow City's magazine
Location Info
Venue
Map
Honey
205 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, MN
Category: Music
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