MNfashion Week in Review: The Red Dress Collection

Text by Beth Hammarlund
Photos by Chris McDuffie

Move over, little black dress - in February, it's all about the little red dress. Already a fixture at New York Fashion Week, the Red Dress Collection made its way to downtown Minneapolis for the first time on Monday night with an all-local cast of designers and celebrity models. Carly Aplin of CW Twin Cities, MNfashion and the Heart Truth campaign, which promotes the little red dress to raise awareness of heart disease in women, presented a collection of 11 crimson gowns by some of the top local designers in the plush lounge of Seven. Throughout the evening, well-heeled crowd sipped on $18 Red Dress Cocktails (it's for a good cause, you guys) and perused a chic selection of items and packages for silent auction, with all proceeds from the silent auction and ticket sales going to The Women's Heart Clinic at the University of Minnesota.

Dresses were modeled by a variety of local luminaries - medical professionals, style editors, and philanthropists were paired with designers to create looks that married their personal styles with the designer's aesthetic. ROX Jewelry designer and former Fox 9 news anchor Robyne Robinson was the first to walk the runway in a layered gown by Rachel Blomgren.

Dress by Rachel Blomgren

Max Lohrbach gave one of his signature silhouettes an extra Valentine's Day punch in lipstick red. The result was sweet and flirty, and it was fun to see Lohrbach working with such a bright color.

Dress by Max Lohrbach

Sandy Simmons was poured into a floor-length gown by Adrienne Yancy of ArielSimone. Simmons was even more statuesque than usual, a testament to Yancy's tailoring ability. It fit like a sexy glove.

Dress by ArielSimone

Danielle Everine dressed Kaela Humphries (that's Kris' plus-size model sister) in a floaty red dress that could've gone a bit too conservative, but a racy thigh-high slit gave it just the right amount of sauciness. Everine hasn't done much plus-size design, but it couldn't have been much of a challenge to design for the stunning Humphries.

Dress by Danielle Everine

Landyn Hutchinson closed the show wearing the finale gown by Emma Berg. The show-stopping number was, without question, the highlight of the event. It was bold and romantic, and guests could barely take their eyes off of Hutchinson.

Dress by Emma Berg

Kudos to the organizers, designers, models, and volunteers for putting forth so much effort for a good cause. The Red Dress Collection's introduction to Minneapolis went off without a hitch, and hopefully we'll be able to attend this event again in the years to come.

Dress by Laura Fulk

Look by Christopher Straub

Dress by Sarah M. Holm

Dress by Tim Navarro

In review: "Call Me Ishmael" Danielle Everine Fall 2011 Capsule Collection

Text by Jahna Peloquin, l'étoile Fashion Editor

Photos by Corey Tenold, special to l'étoile

After being introduced to the world on season nine of Project Runway, local designer Danielle Everine has made it clear that she's staying true to her roots. Instead of doing a big blowout show with tons of publicity, she opted for an intimate, in-store showing last night at Cliché, where she's sold her line since she debuted on the Voltage runway in spring 2010. But Everine's fans, friends and family packed into the store nonetheless to see what the designer has been up to in the short time she's been back from taping the fashion design competition.


While she showed a mere six looks, the collection was an ambitious one nonetheless, taking inspiration from an adventurous life at sea, as evidenced by turn-of-the-century novels like Moby-Dick. Each look was equal parts soft and languid (like the sea itself) and tough and utilitarian (as life on the sea often would force one to be). Dresses contained screen-prints of custom illustrations by local artist (and Yeti Records co-owner) Lisa Luck, and leather detailed Everine's outerwear, where she excels most. The show also served to debut her own laser-etched leather handbags. By the end of the night, many one-off pieces found their way into the hands of shoppers, but the designer said she would be taking custom orders on the pieces shown (at www.danielleeverine.com) and be adding additional pieces to the collection at Cliché in the coming months.

[Christopher Straub and friend]

[Danielle Everine & l'étoile's Jahna Peloquin]

[Ignite Models Inc. owners Allison Hamzehpour and Jessica Cunningham, left and right, with Ignite model Kelly Streigel, center]

Click here for our recent interview with Danielle Everine.

Click here for more photos by Corey Tenold.

Le'Talk: Life after the "Runway": A Q&A with Danielle Everine & Christopher Straub

by Jahna Peloquin, l'étoile Fashion Editor

Calling all Project Runway fans: Two of the design competition's local contestants are showing their latest collections in two separate fashion shows this weekend: Danielle Everine on Friday, and Christopher Straub on Sunday.

After having made her mark in the local scene with last fall's MNfashion-produced runway show "Pale Rider" and making two appearances in Voltage: Fashion Amplified, Danielle Everine made it onto the profile-raising Project Runway, making her one of the most recognizable names in Twin Cities fashion. The busy designer gives us a peek at what's next for her with an intimate, in-store fashion show this Friday at Cliché featuring her abbreviated fall 2011 collection inspired by the sea, "Call Me Ishmael."

[Danielle Everine. Photo: Sara Kiesling]

l'étoile: For the show, you're collaborating with illustrator Lisa Luck on custom screenprints (who we worked with on a paper dolls-inspired spread last April). How did you and Lisa get hooked up?

Danielle: Lisa is an incredible illustrator. She drew the beautiful imagery for the Pale Rider lookbook and promotional material. We had been hoping to work on another project together. When I started to design this collection, she immediately came to mind.

We love your nautical, seafaring theme. What got your inspired? Have you been reading Moby Dick?

Danielle: I learned to sail on a 24-foot keel boat over the summer. David (Everine's boyfriend) races a sailboat with a few friends on Lake Minnetonka. I had to overcome my fear of falling in the water and get over my seasickness. We would go out only for a few hours at a time, which was always sufficient for me. I started to think about those travelers from yore that were at sea for months or years at a time. Their travels were rugged yet romantic. I revisited some whaling and sailing texts only to be more inspired by the structures and symbols of the boats.

[Poster art for the show by Lisa Luck]

How did coming out the Project Runway experience affect your latest creations?

Danielle: PR was a whirlwind, hectic experience that was not necessarily conducive to my spirited approach to design. With this collection, I have returned to my literary inspired way of thinking that defines me as a designer. I have once again embraced the adventurous freedom that comes along with living in Minnesota.

In the show, you'll be featuring your first line of handbags. Do you see yourself spanning out toward doing more accessories than just clothing?

Danielle: I found a new love for accessories! Leather and other rugged textiles are always on my mind, but can sometimes be difficult to wear as apparel pieces. Handbags and belts can be a stylish and utilitarian way to finalize an outfit. Plus, I am able to work with the materials I love.

[Fall 2011 sketches by Everine]

Meanwhile, season six's Christopher Straub has become something of a local darling, consistently showing up on Twin Cities talk shows, talking trends and offering his Project Runway-honed critiques. He's also in the midst of an upcoming collaboration with major retailer maurices, launching at the end of this month, not to mention his own namesake collection. He'll be showing his Spring/Summer 2012 looks this Sunday at a runway show at the Westin Edina hotel at Galleria. Straub gives us a look at what to expect.

[Christopher Straub. Photo: Bethany Young]

l'étoile: For the show, you're featuring some of your own custom prints. Did your experience on Project Runway inspire you to continue creating your own, versus buying already-printed fabric?

Christopher: The Create-A-Print challenges didn't begin until the season after mine so I didn't get to go through the process on the show. I had to source my own fabric printers and figure it out for myself. Now that I've done several collections with my own prints I cannot go back to buying pre-made ones at the fabric store.

[A Spring/Summer 2012 look by Straub. Photo: Social 360]

We first saw hints of a tougher edge in your Sol Inspirations pieces, which had almost an Alexander McQueen feel to them, and it looks like your collection is a continuation of this. Have you purposefully decided to move away from the ultra-feminine, be-petaled aesthetic you've become known for?

Christopher: I've decided to create a visual difference between my "runway-only" collections and my "ready-to-wear" collections. The runway pieces have more structure and architecture while the ready-to-wear stays true to the aesthetic that viewers of Project Runway are familiar with. I love creating digital prints...they are becoming increasing more popular thanks to such design houses as McQueen, Balenciaga, and Stella McCartney.

[A Spring/Summer 2012 look by Straub. Photo: Social 360]

What can we expect with your upcoming line for maurices?

I'm happy to say that my exclusive collection for maurices is going to mark my return to the textural petals look that I'm known for. Also, the price point is exceptional with pieces starting at just $12.

You've become something of a go-to local style expert. How did you get to be so good behind a camera?

Prior to Project Runway I was a fashion stylist, so that part of the business comes naturally. I've styled all over the country and have, also, worked in Paris a couple times styling photo shoots and commercials for a luxury fashion line.

Event details:
Danielle Everine presents "Call Me Ishmael":
Tickets: Free
When: 7-9 p.m. Friday, November 11.
Where: Cliché, 2403 Lyndale Avenue S, Minneapolis, 612-870-0420, www.clichempls.com

Christopher Straub Spring/Summer 2012 Collection:
Tickets: $50-100 VIP, $25 general admission.
When: Doors open at 3:15 p.m. for VIP ticket holders and 3:45 p.m. for general admission, 4 p.m. fashion show, Sunday, November 13.
Where: The Westin Edina Galleria, 3201 Galleria, Edina, 952-567-5000, www.christopherstraub.com

MNfashion Week in review: "Little Black Dress"

Text by Jahna Peloquin
Photos by Amy Gee with Patrick Kelley

Little black dresses don't a runway make. That is, unless they're one-of-a-kind dresses that aren't all that little or basic. Leave it to local designers like Emma Berg, George Moskal, Max Lohrbach and Danielle Everine to make the classic closet staple into statement pieces. The dozen LBDs walking the runway for the "Little Black Dress" fashion show at St. Paul's Amsterdam Bar and Hall on Thursday evening ran the gamut, from vintage-inspired (see: Moskal, Everine) to sex-on-a-stick edgy (see: Raul Osorio, Sarah M. Holm, Laura Fulk), and from cocktail-ready (Amanda Christine) to gala-ready (see: Berg, Maritza Ramirez). Though a group show at the heart, some of the evening's standout pieces included Everine's silk chiffon overdress with a beaded high collar, embedded with lace applique and paired with an underdress in a printed lace motif, as well as Berg's silk gazar bodice with a woven polka-dot ballgown skirt. It also served as a return to the runway from Fulk, obscure since her F/W 2010 collection showing in spring of that year, as well as the introduction to Nicole Larson, a young designer already showing a strong point of view. Though the additional segment showcasing a non-LBD look by each designer seemed a bit tacked-on and unnecessary, slickly-produced event as a whole (which featured stunning Vision models and styling by HAUS Salon) offered a clear, easily-accessible theme that seemed to point to a increasingly sophisticated aesthetic within MNfashion and the local fashion community in general.

Look: George Moskal. Photo: Amy Gee

Look: Nicole Larson. Photo: Amy Gee

Look: Ivan Idland. Photo: Amy Gee

Look: Raul Osorio. Photo: Amy Gee

Look: Sarah M. Holm. Photo: Amy Gee

Look: Raul Osorio. Photo: Amy Gee


Look: Laura Fulk. Photo: Amy Gee

Look: Danielle Everine. Photo: Amy Gee

Look: Amanda Christine. Photo: Amy Gee


Look: Nicole Larson. Photo: Amy Gee

Look: Jenn Bratvold. Photo: Amy Gee

Look: Ivan Idland. Photo: Amy Gee

Look: Max Lohrbach. Photo: Patrick Kelley


Look: Sarah M. Holm. Photo: Amy Gee


Look: Danielle Everine. Photo: Amy Gee

Look: Jenny Carle. Photo: Amy Gee

Look: Emma Berg. Photo: Patrick Kelley

Look: Emma Berg. Photo: Patrick Kelley

Look: Maritza Ramirez. Photo: Amy Gee

MNfashion Week in review: l'étoile presents "Bright Society"

by Jahna Peloquin, l'étoile Fashion Editor

This past Sunday at the historic Alexander Ramsey House in St. Paul, l'étoile's MNfashion Week event, "Bright Society," was greeted with balmy October weather and an enthusiastic, stylishly retro crowd. At once paying homage to the past and looking forward to the future, the crux of the event centered upon five Victorian-era garments - some of which were worn by Ramsey family and friends - that served as points of inspiration for five of the Twin Cities' most esteemed fashion designers.

[Looks by Samantha Rei, Max Lohrbach, Laura Fulk, Russell Bourrienne & Danielle Everine. Photo: Peter Jamus]

The fashion presentation featured musical accompaniment on the house's antique 1875 Steinway piano by Matthew Curney of local Britney Spears cover band Spearz, who played a smattering of Top 40 radio renditions - tying the new to the old once again. Afterward, textile curator Linda McShannock of the co-presenting sponsor Minnesota Historical Society lent her considerable knowledge on the inspiration costumes while former local news anchor (and current arts patron and jewelry designer) Robyne Robinson led a spirited Q&A with the formidable group of designers, giving the audience a chance to hear straight from the designers about their design process.

Before and after the presentation, guests - including jeweler Stephanie Lake, painter Caitlin Karolczak, and designer/curator Emma Berg - socialized on the house grounds and adjacent carriage house, sipping old-timey cocktails courtesy of Phillips Distilling, bites from Ginger Hop, and delectable desserts, and partaking in game of croquet. It was, quite simply, a perfectly refined beginning to Fall MNfashion Week.

[Look by Danielle Everine. Photo: Peter Jamus. Model: Brittany McKee]

[Look by Laura Fulk. Photo: Peter Jamus. Model: Cate Lehman]

[Look by Russell Bourrienne. Photo: Kate Iverson. Model: Monica Ulrich]

[Look by Max Lohrbach. Photo: Peter Jamus. Model: Kouwai Potocnik]

[Look by Samantha Rei. Photo: Peter Jamus. Model: DaeTeaira Tucker]

[Inspiration garment]

[Inspiration garment]

[l'étoile Fashion Editor Jahna Peloquin, in a Max Lorbach dress, and designer Max Lohrbach. Photo: Kate Iverson]

[Dennis Brost, right, and friend, both wearing Max Lohrbach designs. Photo: Kate Iverson]

[Matthew Curney. Photo: Kate Iverson]

[Caitlin Karolczak & Beth Lorraine Bowman. Photo: Kate Iverson]

[Emma Berg in a Max Lohrbach skirt. Photo: Kate Iverson]

[Stephanie Lake, Vicki Norby Rivkin, Robyne Robinson & l'étoile Founder & Creative Director Beth Hammarlund. Photo: Kate Iverson]

View more event photos by Peter Jamus here, Kate Iverson here, and Minneapolis 2Night here.

Styling credits:
Hair: Catlin Weston of Mezzanine Salon, Mark Dolan of Evolution Hair, Claire Powers of Darting James Salon.
Makeup: Julie Swenson.
Fashion styling: Jahna Peloquin.
All jewelry provided by Rox Jewelry by Robyne Robinson, except Max Lohrbach's look provided by Bionic Unicorn.
Models: Brittany McKee, Monica Ulrich, Cate Lehman, Kouwai Potocnik, DaeTeaira Tucker.