Models served up fierce looks from local designers during the second night of Syracuse Fashion Week 2022, held upstairs at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que.
The audience at the ‘Local Love’ showcase enjoyed Dinosaur’s signature mac ‘n cheese and other finger foods as they cheered on local designers, creators and models.
One of the biggest draws was Ambition by Night Kids, as the brand brought its NFTs – or non-fungible tokens – into the physical world by creating a museum collection. Rather than having traditional canvases, Ambition by Night Kids uses models as canvases, and the museum becomes the run way that each model walks down.
Models showcased deconstructed and destroyed fashion looks as they walked the runway to a remix of ‘Last Friday Night’ by Katy Perry.
Creators David Lopez and Keith Ward explained their concept as the ‘walk of shame’ after a party. Models wore ripped and hole-y pieces, leotards and long white tutu styled skirts. One of the most unique looks was a model wearing a curtain as a dress.
“All of this is temporary, we’re temporary – why not do beauty and destruction simultaneously?” Ward asked.
Here are some highlights from Friday night’s show:
· Salt City Burlesque kicked off the show with energy, grace and style befitting a celebration of Fashion Week’s return from pandemic hiatus. The performing arts troupe was founded in 2015.
On Friday night, dancers wore vintage garments created by Miss Feather Dae, a pioneering CNY burlesque artist with a career spanning more than three decades. The “Feather Dae, My Way” collection opened with a special performance by the 71-year-old dancer, who donated her own burlesque costume pieces from the 1970s to the 1990s to the troupe.
Artistic director Harlowe Holiday applauded Feather as “an icon of local, living history, both as a member of a generation of trailblazers and as someone who has personally supported Central New York as a thriving burlesque community where performers who challenge stereotypes of beauty, gender and sexuality can express themselves in an inclusive and safe environment.”
· With ‘Good Times’ by Styles P. playing, models from the The Higher Calling (THC) wore red, black, and green hats, sweaters, jumpsuits, and pullovers featuring the words ‘cultivate’ and ‘higher’. The lifestyle brand is based on the mission to break drug, race, and community stigmas around cannabis through fashion.
· Sunshadow Designs was the only jewelry-based brand in Friday night’s show. The handmade line features gold and silver knives, fencing weapons, sunflower-shaped chains, necklaces, and earrings. Models wore neutral colored clothing so that the jewelry would be the main focus; each piece of jewelry is forged by Page Steinhardt, a local metalsmith won the History Channel’s bladesmithing competition show, “Forged in Fire,” in 2017.
· Lucky Mae’s Closet shared its modern and grunge twist to women’s clothing styles from the 1950s and 60s. Models paired their looks with tight pin curls hairstyles, leather jackets and mesh head pieces. Many of the models wore bustiers and corsets; while one model wore animal print, another wore a pink and yellow two ensemble with a lemon print.
· University Sport Shop showcased trendy and traditional Syracuse University apparel, including, hoodies, jackets, hats and pullovers accessorized with blue and orange.
· Cella V. boutique featured bohemian, fun and work-place friendly looks, including neutral-colored cardigans, silver silk tops and sage green jumpsuits. Each model paired her look with a purse and either comfortable flats or heeled booties.
· The closing designer was Unremorseful, previously known as unremorseful art. Artist Margot Elizabeth is known for hand-painted upcycled clothing items. On Friday, models wore colorful letterman and jean jackets, painted with aliens, lightning bolts and flowers. The models paired these looks with hair confetti and food-themed earrings designed by Margot Elizabeth.
Syracuse Fashion Week continues tonight with “Lux” at Washington Place Luxury Apartments, 300 E. Washington St., Syracuse. Designers include Khang Le, Ezmira Neshawait, Kathom Al Jiboury, Elissa Brundage, Fashion Fix by Susan Fix, Projex 214, Lucky Mae’s Closet, Cazenovia College Fashion Dept. Designers and Bliss Bridal Boutique.
The show begins at 7:30 p.m.; tickets are $40 at CNYtix.com. For more details, visit SyracuseFashionWeek.com or follow the action on Instagram, @syrfashionweek.
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