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

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.

48 Hour Film Project 2008

Our friends at Alphasuede produced a short film for the 48 Hour Film Project and brought a whole slew of l'etoile co-conspirators on board to spice it up! While the film didn't win any awards this time around, it definitely got the most laughs!