Monday, April 20, 2009

MNFashion Week Spectacular!

MONDAY APRIL 20TH

Twin City Scene Mixer w/ Arwyn Birch

@ Urban Bean Coffee
3255 Bryant Avenue South
Uptown Minneapolis

5-7pm / All Ages / Free

Kick off your week with a little caffeine and couture at the Twin City Scene Mixer at Urban Bean Coffee in Uptown. With music by l’étoile’s own Juleana Enright a.k.a. DJ Julie Grind, wine and beer thanks to local bloggers www.TwinCityScene.com, plus yummy treats and caffeinated bevies, this is the perfect opportunity to brush up on your hobnobbing skills for the week ahead. Voltage designer Arwyn Birch will be on hand to rub elbows with the crowd, and will showcase some pieces from her latest collection!


MONDAY APRIL 20TH

Textile Center Workshop

@ Textile Center
3000 University Avenue
Northeast Minneapolis

7-9pm / All Ages / $30 Course Fee

Zeus Jones bigwig Christian Erickson instructs this invaluable workshop that addresses marketing and promotion on the web. Learn how to make most of the free online opportunities available to further your brand or just help you get your foot in the door. The Textile Center Workshops are often the unsung highlights of MN Fashion Week, so take advantage of a great opportunity to expand your virtual horizons and bend the ear of an expert.


TUESDAY APRIL 21ST

Suffocate

@ The Lab Theater
700 First Street North
The North Loop

Reception 6:30-7:30 / Runway Show at 8 / All Ages / $15

Twin Cities fashion designer Laura Fulk's first solo show is an event not to be missed. Known for her architectural
constructions that act as both social commentary and conceptual art, this three-time Voltage alum and award winning designer brings together multiple mediums in one seamless show (no pun intended). Tattoo artist Jay Langer and painter Melissi Breitenfeldt have provided imagery to be digitally printed on Fulk's eco-friendly garments, further blurring the line between art and fashion. Produced by the thoughtful minds and curators behind local website www.mplsart.com, Suffocate is sure to be a high-concept, fantastical affair. Visit the Lab Theater site for tickets!


TUESDAY APRIL 21ST

Extend Goodwill

@ Goodwill / Easter Seals Corporate Office
553 Fairview Avenue North
Saint Paul

6:30 - 8:30 / To volunteer, call Rebecca at 651-379-5937

Put on your do-gooding cap and expand your sewing skills at Extend Goodwill. By re-purposing used clothing into cute tote bags and aprons, Extend Goodwill is able to raise revenue for their self-sufficiency programs in an engaging and eco-friendly way. If you've never really found your knack with a needle and thread, this is a great environment to flex your creative muscles and build up that sewing callous. Or you could just, you know, bring a thimble.


WEDNESDAY APRIL 22ND

“The Walk”- Red Shoe Clothing, Co.

@ Cliché
2403 Lyndale Ave. S.
Minneapolis

2-10pm / Free

There's nothing like a band of fashionistas and style gurus promenading the streets and bridges of MPLS to get you in the mood for fashion week. This afternoon, with
Spring in her step, Kerry Riley – owner of the local brand Red Shoe Clothing, Co. - leads “The Walk,” a fashion event promoting Red Shoe and galvanizing the spirits of the fashion conscious. After 7 p.m., follow the gang down to Cliché for a post-walk reception to rest your doggies and party. And if we know Cliché receptions, you can expect tuneage, cocktails and mixture of all the right folks. Stay fixed to www.redshoeclothing.com for locales and times of the march.

Bonus: Hit “The Walk” then head over to the Eitel Building for the l’etoile/Secrets of the City party from 7-9pm (deetz below) – you’ll still have time to catch the tail end of the Cliché reception if you’re organized, and we know you are!



WEDNESDAY APRIL 22ND


Sky Park Fashion Mixer

@ Eitel Building City Apartments
1367 Willow St.
Minneapolis

7-9pm / Free

The fashion-forward chicas of l'étoile magazine and Secrets of the City have been your stylish sages and the authority on quirky and cool weekly events since their web launches. So for tonight's mixer, expect nothing less than a shindig of the same fabulous caliber! Head to the gorgeous Eitel Building City Apartment’s Sky Park and Clubhouse to mingle with style-minded locals and ladies from l’étoile, Secrets of the City, and The Fashion Group International. Snack on complimentary treats from Joe's Garage and sip drinks provided by Sacre Bleu wine and Crispin on Ice. While you’re there, enter to win a pair of tix to the most talked-about event of MNfashion Week, Voltage: Fashion Amplified.


THURSDAY APRIL 23RD

Via's Vintage Sale

@ Via's Vintage
2408 Hennepin Ave. S.
Minneapolis

11am-7pm / Free

Stressing about what to wear to Voltage? Calm your inner stylist nerves and head down to Via's Vintage where you're sure find that one-of-kind piece that perfectly pulls together your ensemble. Via's will be celebrating the remodeling of their new space with 10% off all store items. With an updated inventory - including the reproduction of a 50's Vivien of Holloway halter dress, revamped and recycled accessories from Vintage City Classics, and the Spring line from Reevolution. Get there early to receive a limited edition, screen-printed canvas tote with your purchase, so you can carry your goodies out in style. After the picking frenzy, enjoy a reception from 5-7pm with designers Sarah Holm of Reevolution and Holly Luke and Jen Des Lauriers from Vintage City Classics.


THURSDAY APRIL 23RD


Yelp and MNfashion Clothing Swap

@ Textile Center
3000 University Ave. S.E.
Minneapolis

7-9pm / Donations Welcome

Here at l'étoile, we suggest your Spring cleaning start in the most important room of your house – your closet, of course! What better way to make room for a new Spring wardrobe than at this mass clothing swap, sponsored by Yelp.com and MNFashion, where one fashionista's forgotten frock is another's coveted treasure. The best part: a new-to-you garment won't break the bank! Talk about recession-proof. Bring along at least three clothing items (yes, accessories and shoes count) clean, gently used and rip-free, and start sharing your style with the world -- or at least MPLS.


FRIDAY APRIL 24TH (THROUGH SATURDAY)

St. Paul Art Crawl

@ Various Locations
Lowertown St. Paul

6-10pm Friday, Noon to 8pm on Saturday and Noon to 5pm on Sunday / Free

MNfashion Week and the St. Paul Art Crawl all in one week? Yes, it could seem overwhelming. But done in the right way, a night of local art is the perfect complement to runway extravaganzas and chic fashion mixers. The 350 artists involved in this Spring's open studio crawl invite you to browse, mingle, buy, and just plain enjoy this local art medley. Check out www.artcrawl.org for more info and a complete schedule.

Stop in to these fun Art Crawl fashion destinations:


EJA Bonne Chance & Katherine Tilton Art

Hamm Brewery, Everest Center, 713 Minnehaha Avenue, St. Paul

Angie's Hats
Northern Warehouse, 308 Prince Street, #610, St. Paul

Carly Stipe
Lowertown Commons, 300 E. 4th Street, St. Paul

Jenny Carle Designs
Northwestern Building, 275 E. 4th Street, #425, St. Paul


FRIDAY APRIL 24TH


Voltage: Fashion Amplified 2009

@ First Ave
701 1st Ave. N
Minneapolis

8 PM/ 21+/ $25 Advance, $30 At the Door

The crown jewel of Spring FashionWeek, tonight's showcase of talented locals mixes fashion, music and style, making Voltage: Fashion Amplified worth every hyped-over minute. Featuring the bands Maria Isa, Lucy Michelle & The Velvet Lapelles, Gospel Gossip, First Communion Afterparty, Mercurial Rage wearing outfits styled by Grayline, Jenny Carle Designs, Emily Melchert, Jodelle Gerdes, and Standard Issue Clothing with Branch Office Design; and the fabulous Spring lines of runway designers 2709, Allison Quinnell, Amanda Christine, Arwyn Birch, Calpurnia Peach, Carmichael Claith, Emily Weich, Ivan Idland, Maritza Ramirez, and Max Lohrbach. Voltage entry price not only gets you in to the hottest fashion party in town, but snags your copy of the 2009 Look Book, a MP3 Download Card of the Voltage 2009 Complilation CD, and access to the after party in the mainroom. Grab your tickets quick because this event may very well sell out, if past years are any indicator!

Voltage: Fashion Amplified is co-sponsored by l'etoile magazine!



FRIDAY APRIL 24TH

Particle People 1 Year Anniversary

@ Secret Location
Visit www.particlepeoplempls.com day of for location

10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

While this is not an "official" Fashion Week event, our homies over at Particle People are offering an admission discount to their all-night dance jam if you show your Voltage ticket stub or crew pass. Particle People put on BLACK in the VIP Room every Saturday, and they are pulling out all the stops for this anniversary secret location party. Expect some ear-drum bleeding bass and intense dancing, featuring Oliver Ho, Ghetto, Aaron Bliss, and Jesse Jakob. We know where the "secret location" is (it's within easy walking distance of 1st Ave) and it's going to be SWEET.


SATURDAY APRIL 25TH

ROX Open House

@ Rox Studio and Boutique
California Arts Building
2205 California Street NE
Studio #403
Northeast Minneapolis

Noon to 4 p.m. / Free

It’s a busy time for ROX designer Robyne Robinson. Hot off the Buy/Collect exhibition she recently co-curated with Yuri Arajs, Robinson trades in her art patron hat for that of a jewelry designer (just a couple of the “hats” she’s known for wearing). The bold, cuff-like bracelets Robinson has created to accompany Maritza Ramirez’s collection for Voltage are a bit of a departure from the organic, earthy arrangements that Rox is known for. Made from vintage brooches and charms, these wistful new additions will be on display (and for sale) at Robinson’s Northeast studio and boutique in the California Building, the day after Voltage. Go check it out!


SATURDAY APRIL 25TH

Hale Bob Trunk Show

@ Il Vostro Boutique
5045 France Avenue
Edina

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. / Free

Pop out to 50th & France for a lunch with your ladies, and a peep into Il Vostro Boutique's trunk show for Los Angeles Designer, Hale Bob. Hale Bob's clothing has been spotted on such stars as Eva Longoria, Halle Berry, Paris Hilton, Cameron Diaz, Britney Spears, Sharon Stone and Heidi Klum. Sip refreshing refreshments, search the store, and even pick up a FREE Hale Bob Velour Jogset (worth over $100) with any Hale Bob purchase.


SATURDAY APRIL 25TH

Cliché Open House

@ Cliché
2403 Lyndale Avenue S.
Uptown Minneapolis

11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

If you're not already a regular customer at this darling Uptown design boutique, consider Fashion Week a reason to introduce yourself! Home to such local designers as Laura Fulk, Anthem Heart, Kjurek Couture and more, plus Voltage 2009 designers Amanda Christine, Arwyn Birch, and Ivan Idland. Shop throughout the day, or show up between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. for a more sociable experience during Cliche's reception for the designers, which will feature live models and a DJ.


SATURDAY APRIL 25TH


Gray Matter: A Grayline Release Party

@ Design Collective
1311 W. 26th Street
Minneapolis

3 p.m. to 7 p.m. / Free

Make it a point to stop into Design Collective today to get an up close and personal look at Greyline Clothing's latest creations.
Featuring stylish men's and women's screen-printed pieces inspired by "nature, patterns, early 1900's art nouveau, and childhood fascinations." And who can argue with that? Be sure to check out Greyline's limited edition men's wear collection designed for the band Mercurial Rage for Voltage: Fashion Amplified. Refreshments and conversation with the designers will be served up with a smile as well.


SATURDAY APRIL 25TH

Elin & Clara Spring/Summer 2009 Trunk Show

@ Hot Mama
3940 W. 50th Street
Minneapolis

6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Jaunt over to Hot Mama for a colorful trunk show featuring the cute belts, hats and totes from local design duo Elin & Clara. Two stay at home moms that refuse to let sippy cups and baby bjorns cramp their style, the pair creates their line with a bit of whimsy; bold patterns and bright color combinations accented with suedes, velvets and jacquard ribbon are delightfully rampant throughout the collection. While you're at it, check out Hot Mama's stylin' selection of designer maternity clothes and accessories. Tonight's reception will include 15% off everything in the store, plus wine and desserts!


SATURDAY APRIL 25TH

Russell Bourrienne Runway Show

Calhoun Building
711 W. Lake Street
Minneapolis

7pm-11pm / Free

Russell Bourrienne takes big risks in his design work, and that's what we love about him. His exceptionally well-made garments walk the line of classic and ridiculous, with an unapologetic use of bold patterns and materials such as plaid, fur and colored leather -- with a little pirate sleeve thrown in for good measure. Tonight Russell will debut his spring/summer collection, which we know will be as interesting and original as his last. Pre-show at 7 p.m. with runway presentation at 8 p.m., followed by a wine reception. For guaranteed seating contact russell@russellbourrienne.com


SUNDAY APRIL 26TH

Foat Design Trunk Show

@ Foat Design Studio
1828 Marshall Street NE
Minneapolis

11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. / Free

Yoga babes (and twin sistas) Kaja and Zoe Foat have been a fixture in the TC design scene for quite sometime. Creating stylish yoga clothing (that we think looks good even outside the studio) plus a daring couture line and custom wedding dresses, the Foat girls definitely have their hands full. Get a peek at their Spring line before it hits the boutiques, learn about how Foat stays eco-friendly, and pick up something sassy to wear to Yoga or one of their slinky numbers for an evening out on the town.


SUNDAY APRIL 26TH

Cliché VIP Local Designer Salon

@ Cliché
2403 Lyndale Avenue S.
Minneapolis

10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. / Call store to RSVP 612-870-0420

We were among the lucky few who got a seat (and a tasty mimosa) at last year’s VIP Designer Salon at Cliché. The annual event includes a mini fashion show of Cliché fashions (including Voltage lines from Amanda Christine, Ivan Idland, Maritza Ramirez, Carmichael Claith, Arwyn Birch and Emily Weich), plus refreshments and 10% off everything in the store. Think only the city’s most stylish can gain entry? Here’s a tip: You can be a part of the elite by calling Cliché to RSVP. Consider yourself well-connected.


SUNDAY APRIL 26TH

Ruby3 Fashion Ride

@ Meet in Parking lot of ROBOTlove
2648 Lyndale Avenue S.
Uptown Mpls

1pm-4pm / Free

With more and more Minneapolitans opting for bikes over cars, there’s never been a better time to look stylish while cycling. The annual MNfashion Week bike ride organized by Ruby3 designer (and Voltage producer) Anna Lee provides the perfect excuse to finally pluck your beach cruiser out of storage and don your cutest bike-friendly outfit. Don’t have a cute bike-friendly outfit? Stop by Design Collective to check out the Voltage collection from design duo 2709. The ingenious line was created for the bicyclist who desires both fashion and function.


SUNDAY APRIL 26TH

Mimosa Reception for Voltage Designers

@ Design Collective
1311 W. 26th Street
Minneapolis

1pm-5pm / Free

You’ve seen the collections on the Voltage runway, but unless you had a VIP seat (or got a little tipsy), you probably missed out on a lot of the details that the designers slaved over for months. Now’s your chance to view the collections by Calpurnia Peach, Max Lohrbach, Allison Quinnell and 2709 up close while getting personal with the designers over mimosas and hors d’oeuvres at Design Collective. And you never know – you might just end up going home with your own collectors’ item.


SUNDAY APRIL 26TH

White Knight

@ Nick & Eddie
1612 Harmon Place
Minneapolis

8 p.m. to Close

Not an official event of Fashion Week, but has iconic Minneapolis artist Scott Seekins ever done things the conventional way? We think not. Head to Loring Park favorite Nick and Eddie to witness the official "changing of suits" when Seekins makes his seasonal transition from black suit to white suit. A recognizable character that you've no doubt met roaming the streets of the Twin Cities, or at any given art opening, Seekins switches up his signature style only twice a year; an all-white suit in the warm months, an all-black one for the chilly months. This evening celebrates Seekins in all his quirky glory, with drinks, tunes, and of course, "the artist" himself. Wear all white and receive a FREE drink; dress up like Seekins you may just win a dinner for two at Nick and Eddie PLUS a limited edition Seekins art print!


Editor: Kate Iverson
Contributing Writers for fashion guide: Juleana Enright, Jahna Peloquin, Kate Iverson, Beth Hammarlund

CONTENT © L'ETOILE MAGAZINE 2009

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