Tuesday, Oct. 11, kicked off St. Louis Fashion Week 2011 with Project:Design!, a competition featuring the work of six designers from, or near, the St. Louis area.
Designers submitted their portfolio and a panel of judges selected the top 25, then the top six designers were chosen online by the public. The top six then showcased their work in a fashion show at the club, 2720 Cherokee. Project:Design! was presented by the footwear company, Brown Shoe, and sponsored by St. Louis’ ALIVE magazine.
The small club was packed with fashion lovers and loud techno music kept the atmosphere alive. Current “Project Runway” season nine contestant Laura Kathleen introduced the designers and the fashion show began with Kelley Christine, a line by 24-year-old designer Kelley Miller. Her pieces were retro with pastel colors and floral patterns.
“It was a lot different than anything I had ever really seen,” 27-year-old Kimberly Cotsworth said. “It was pretty and feminine, things I would actually wear.”
Following Miller’s designs, Cindy Brown, 24, presented her line Rebel Tart. Her pieces were edgy and aimed towards an adolescent crowd. She presented a lot of checkered patterns with big belts, on models with big tattoos and different color dyed hair. Brown won the People’s Choice Award, conducted via tweets sent by audience members at the end of the show. Brown won a $250 credit from Fabric.com, an online discount store for fabric.
Next, Sierra Moses, 25, showed her line Haus. These pieces were bold and mature with darker colors. The pants and blouses had a sophisticated look with high waists and big collars, respectively.
Following Moses, 23-year-old Brittany Davidson presented her line, BMD Designs, which she began in 2009. Her ensembles consisted mostly of earthy colors and mixed patterns, and each model had a distinctive feather in her hair.
“BMD was definitely my favorite,” 20-year-old Michele Holdener said. “The look was very young but different. I liked every outfit.”
Caroline Willard presented her line, CW Couture, fourth. Her pieces stood out the most as they were futuristic and chic with high-end fabric and distinctive cuts. Many of the gowns were metallic colored and shimmery.
Lastly, Stephen Curd, the only male designer, showcased his line, Garic Stephens. His line was the only one that offered clothing for men as well. His pieces were hipster-esque, with mixed patterns and lots of leather jackets and pants.
“I loved the pants,” Garic Stephens model Amit Manocha, 27, said. “The first time I saw them I wasn’t so sure, but then I tried them on and they were amazing.”
After all the contestants showed their lines, the six judges deliberated to present one designer with the grand prize: a consultation and development of a fashion-forward social media presence of their line, created by 963Collective and a trunk show hosted by Cha Boutique. Curd was announced the winner for his line, Garic Stephens.
“I’ve been designing for six years,” Curd, 27, said. “So it’s amazing, it feels like I’ve worked as hard as I need to and I can’t wait for what’s next.”
St. Louis Fashion Week will continue tomorrow at the St. Louis Galleria where Macy’s will showcase their Fall 2011 trends for men and women on the runway.
