"Exposed," a fashion collaboration of local talent, brings high fashion to Providence but leaves an amateur impression.
The show opened last week at 220 Westminster St. with an event that served as both a fashion show and the launch of a showroom and retail space by Kate Veronneau '06.
The show was surprisingly impressive. Aside from Brown and RISD, one does not usually associate Providence with high fashion, and it's entirely likely that after this show, that will still be the case. But "Exposed" brings more sophisticated conceptions of style to this city's cultural forefront - and not only from members of college campuses.
The show and open house were held downtown in two spaces across the street from each other. Both spaces were unfinished, which gave the event an authentic, edgy feel, reminiscent of a deserted factory in New York's meatpacking district. Three hundred guests packed into the hot room, representing all levels of fashion consciousness. Even Providence Mayor David Cicilline '83 attended. And with the free drinks, a fabulous atmosphere was born.
At an opening party in the showroom, the wares of 25 local artisans were on display. The party featured many of the show designers' lines, as well as some great work by local jewelers and artists. Among the most notable were Maria Ruggieri's jewelry line, Ti Adoro, and Jessica Schreuder's line of handmade purses, Opal. Ruggieri's Italian-inspired pieces included a slew of starburst pendants hanging on leather necklace straps. Schreuder's purses are unlike anything an avid purse collector has ever seen before - either retro or modern.
The real standout of the showroom was a line of cashmere sweaters called Empress Wear. The line is the brainchild of sisters Suzette and Nicole Brown, both of whom are members of the Class of 2000. Suzette also currently is a student at Brown Medical School. These luxurious sweaters evoke a gasp - they are so beautiful and chic. The colors are subtle, the fabric divinely soft and the lines clean and sweeping. Suzette said her fascination with dancers' apparel comes through in her designs. The proceeds from the sale of these pieces will benefit children suffering from AIDS in Africa.
Shortly before 8 p.m., everyone crossed the street to the show. It started late, as all great shows are rumored to do. Finally, the lights went down and the opening riff of P. Diddy's and Mase's "I'm Coming Out" boomed through the room and the first models strutted down the makeshift catwalk.
While some of the designers' works were mundane and overly dependent on established designers' styles - one line in particular was downright trashy - there were a few collections that were original and truly beautiful. Robyn Costa's line of chunky knitwear harkened back to the Blondie era with a dash of Missoni poise; it epitomized that rock-star-meets-bohemian mentality. Johnathan Peters' "Spin" designs were mod-ish while still contemporary and wearable. Most of all, in both lines, the models looked to be having a great time wearing the clothes - the best endorsement of all.
But the real star of the show was Karen Beebe. Her line, named "Lucille," borrows a bit of Chanel's modern femininity, creating pieces that are both elegant and playful. To a certain extent, they resonate with trendier Marc Jacobs' Spring 2004 line of ladylike skirts and blouses with an edge. Despite these similarities to other designers and brands, Lucille's pieces are unique and charming. Particularly enchanting was an orange tweed-like pencil skirt with a slight frill at the hemline. It had the ability to be both casual and formal, flirty and well-behaved, depending on the girl who decides to wear it.
Veronneau deserves most of the credit for putting this event together. Sure, a girl wouldn't want some of the pieces near her closet, but most of them were surprisingly fresh. Regardless of individual style, the show was fun to look at.
Veronneau said her reasons for putting this show together were two-fold: an obsession with fashion and a desire to help her designing friends get their lines out into the public consciousness. "Exposed" was modeled after a new trend in shopping called "guerrilla" retail in which short-term leases "create an insistency on buying now," she said.
This type of guerrilla store does not demand the overhead of a full store, and as such it was perfect for the designers' budgets and inventories. Veronneau said she "deplores commercial fashion and worships original work" and with this event hoped to further incite the burgeoning connection between art and clothing in Providence.
"Exposed" will be housing the lines of talented designers until Oct. 14.
