Phoenix Fashion Week 2013 continued at Talking Stick Resort on Thursday night. Walking down the flight of stairs into the Style Villa was like leaving behind the Arizona you thought you knew, and walking into a wonderland of fashion. There was a red carpet, cocktails, shopping, and a crowd of beautifully dressed individuals.
After we walked around and said hi to the designers we knew before the show, we headed out to the runway and took our seats. The Phoenix Fashion Week team gave us amazing seats, so we were able to really see the detail of every show. (Thanks guys! XoXo)
Fashion by Robert Black started the show, featuring vintage pieces from his curated collection that he sells in a boutique in Old Town Scottsdale (which, if you haven’t been to, you’re missing out. So go. Like today). The theme for this show was old Scottsdale. It had a western vibe that was dialed up with sparkles and dramatic shapes to show the flair that the people of the city have. The styling was absolutely perfect and we loved both the men and the women’s looks (not an easy task). Some of our favorite items included the dramatic coats and the incredible shoes!
Fashion by Robert Black definitely set a high standard for the rest of the shows Thursday night.
Next up was returning 2012 emerging designer, Shawl Dawls. Their dramatic pieces in varied lengths flowed down the runway. We definitely saw a new, darker side of the Dawls this year with their Dawl Factory theme. And, we have to say, we liked it a lot.
Black Russian Label continued the show. This was another returning emerging designer from 2011. Her collection was called Urban Nomad, and was designed to reflect a woman traveling through different areas in life. Although we did like some pieces, like the asymmetrical cropped jacket in the first photo, overall we thought the quality and taste level was below par to the other established designers. We would love to see this designer challenge herself to step back and evaluate her work, and focus on creating special, unique pieces that you can’t get off the rack.
A very special guest showed up for the evening delighting the entire audience. Bradon McDonald, from Project Runway Season 12, shared his latest collection with Arizona. It was elegant, chic, and refreshing. The use of prints and gorgeous materials was absolutely breathtaking.
The white voluminous pieces made us feel like we were floating on a cloud! And we were in heaven. Great job Bradon! Thank you for showing Arizona what true design and innovation looks like.
The emerging designers were up next (remember them all? If not, recap with our emerging designer announcement story here).
Dolcessa started this portion of the show with an awesome video showing her swimwear collection being shot for Sports Illustrated. African drummers then took the runway and put the crowd in a fun, playful mood. We absolutely adored the styling of Dolcessa‘s show! Melis Accessories created incredible veagan cuffs and insane headpieces to compliment the swimwear and cover ups. We knew Dolcessa was a star before, but she definitely proved it to everyone on the runway.
Next up was emerging designer Linden. This LA designer showed a very different vibe on the runway by mixing it up with colorful plaid and chambray accents in her playful pieces. We could see that the designer worked hard on her collection, and we did like the two tone denim pants, but we think she could have pushed herself further to work with higher quality fabrics and more interesting prints.
Then LoinCloth took the runway. We were so amazed by how far these guys have come since we first saw them at the emerging designer announcement. We love their message of a penny and plan, and thought the music coordinated perfectly with the transition from working hard to living the high life.
The way they played with color and print in unexpected ways with their button up shirts was particularly interesting, and we loved how they styled the show with Clutch jewelery, Melis Accessories men’s cuffs, and their own hats. Great job boys, we’re so proud of you!
Last but certainly not least, was emerging designer Medium Apparel. The models looked super hot as they strutted down the runway in their graphic tees. We also saw the use of fun prints (like leopard print handkerchiefs hanging out of the back pockets of the models).
Medium Apparel really knows how to represent Arizona with their amazing street style inspired pieces. Some of our favorite pieces from the brand are the Problem Solver shirt, the Varsity jacket, and their awesome hats! Zac, you should be totally proud of your show last night. We had a great time!
Overall, night 2 of Phoenix Fashion Week at Talking Stick Resort was a total success and we were so thrilled to be a part of it! Continue checking in as we watch more established and emerging designers take the stage on Friday and Saturday.
Story: Katrina Jarrett and Lindsay Viker
Photos: James Almanza with Almanza Photography
(But seriously, how AWESOME are these photos! We are beyond thrilled to be partnering with James for Phoenix Fashion Week and hope you all enjoy his photos as much as we do.)
