Voltage 2010 designers announced

by Jahna Peloquin

It's official: the runway designers for Voltage 2010 have been announced. (Full disclosure: I was one of a group that selected the designers.] There's a lot of unknowns, a couple of designers from previous seasons, and only one designer from Voltage 2009, but I'm really excited about it. It should harken back to the crazier, innovative, diverse Voltage shows of the past - but with higher level of craftsmanship than ever before. Oh, and there's not one, but two menswear designers this year. Drumroll please:

[A Fall 2009 look by Brianne Jones / Image by Erin Johnson]

1. Brianne Jones: Jones is a returning designer (Voltage 2008), and slipped off the radar for awhile to complete her senior collection for the U of M. Though a brand-new graduate, Jones' sophisticated and polished aesthetic belies her youth. She currently sells her line Kelson at Cliché.

[A Fall 2008 look by George Moskal / Image by Nic Marshall]

2. George Moskal: One of my all-time favorite local designers recently returned to the Twin Cities after spending a year on the west coast, designing textile patterns. The Voltage 2007 & 2008 alum is creating designs that are a sophisticated twist on what a woman of the 1940s would wear today, but is focusing on incorporating more wearable separates at a more practical price point. He will selling his holiday 2009 line at the MNfashion holiday boutique beginning November 12.

[Knitwear designs by Kevin Kramp]

3. Kevin Kramp: Originally from the Twin Cities, Kramp moved away at 18 to study fashion design in New York and London and only returned two months ago. He designs crazy knitwear for men that can perhaps best be described as Missoni meets Henrik Vibskov.

[A Fall 2009 look by PFT Couture / Image by JWN Visual Addictions]

4. PFT Couture by Pafoua Thao: This Hmong designer, regularly featured in the Fresh Traditions annual show, was for many the highlight of the Envision show this past fall.

[Looks by Raul Osorio / Image provided by the designer]

5. Raul Osorio: This recent Honduras/California transplant is making some really interesting menswear, involving Grecian draping and Mariachi/military-styled jackets.

[A Fall 2009 look by Danielle Everine / Image by Emily Utne for City Pages]

6. Danielle Everine: The longtime-yet-obscure Minneapolis designer has always infused sculptural and conceptual qualities into her work, and does a lot of leatherwork. She recently showed at "Couture Noir" this past fall. Her jaunty collection will be inspired by traditional British menswear.

[A Fall 2009 look by Frances Zerr / Image by Charlie B. Ward]

7. Frances Zerr: Brand new to the cities, this young designer showed her first-ever collection in La Nouvelle Femme this past fall. It was simple but strikingly fresh.

[Looks by Elena Mercurio / Image provided by the designer]

8. Elena Mercurio: Another young designer, Mercurio has spent time studying overseas but just graduated from U of W Stout. She seems to have a really fresh, structural take on fashion and is pushing the boundaries of what's considered wearable.

[A Fall 2009 look by Emma Berg / Image by Stephanie Hynes]

9. Emma Berg: Her debut collection was the high point of SCENEaSOTA during this past fall's MNfashion Week, stunning everyone with her multi-faceted talents. Her Voltage collection will be inspired by the cult movie Auntie Mame.

[A Fall 2009 look from Carmichael Claith / Image by Stephanie Hynes]

10. Carmichael Claith by Christine Carmichael: The lone Voltage 2009 designer, Carmichael's line will be inspired by the "Wind in the Willows" books, offering a menswear twist on classic pieces. She recently showed at both Envision and SCENEaSOTA this fall.

Voltage 2010 will be held Friday, April 16 at First Avenue.