Coverage: Fashion Week RI (2/26/17)

I had the pleasure of attending the Saturday and Sunday shows of Fashion Week RI! Fashion, creativity, and inspiration made the two nights unforgettable. ​Not only were designers showcasing their one-of-a-kind collections, various performers showed off their skills, too. The nights were filled with unique talent and it was an absolute pleasure to see expression and passion presented.

​As stated by Fashion Week Ri, Fashion Week Ri is "produced by LIGHTS | FASHION | PHILANTHROPY, a ‘fashion-event’ production and entertainment company. Our mission is to help charitable organizations increase their fundraising efforts while promoting local clothing boutiques, artisans as well as up & coming fashion and accessory designers".

Fashion Week Rhode Island presents a Spring and Fall show and this year was there second season. Keep an eye out for their upcoming Fall show, coming August 31st-September 3.

Stay connected to #FWRI through social media:

​Like the Fashion Week RI page on Facebook by clicking here
Follow Fashion Week RI on Instagram by clicking here
Follow Fashion Week RI on Twitter by clicking here
Visit the website by clicking here 

Sunday's Show

The final day of Fashion Week RI was hosted at The Mint Gallery (433 Hope Street, Bristol RI). If you didn't see my Saturday blog post about FWRI, all art in The Mint Gallery is for sale and if you're interested in any pieces, please contact them!

If you missed my Saturday show post, click here

The Lineup for Sunday's Show included:

• Lady Estelle, A Modern Day Victorian Lady
• Drag Extravaganza!
• Ruby Mac Fashions (Project Runway Jnr.)
• Cosmic Unicornz
• Nathalia JMag (Project Runway Season 15)

There were also performances by:

• Inara (Belly Dancer)
• Marcus Evans (Saxophonist)
• Fusion Works Dance Company

-
The night concluded with an afterparty:

• Music by DJ Valentina

My Look

Sunday was the final day of FWRI, so I had to go out with a bang. I dug through my closet, drawers, and shoe racks wondering what could I put together that would be a unique outfit, that also contrasted with my Saturday's show look.

Then it came to me. I remembered my own blog post. "Don't fear the funky" (link here)
I was going to bring the funk, the bright colors, and the strange fabulousness that I love, to FWRI. 

Get my look

• Dress: BCBG Maxazria (Gift)
• Faux Fur Coat:Monterey Fashions (Savers)
• Green Purse: "Vlavegan.com" (Savers)
• Platform sandals: Rocketdog (Marshall's, 2015)

I used several shades of eye-shadow from my color palette to give me a strange look that matched by shoes.

• ​Lipstick: Milani, 63 Matte Diva (Walmart)
• Palette: Shany (Gift)
• Colors used: White, gold, two shades of pink, bronze, orange, green, three shades of blue

Pre-Show Festivities

In contrast to the Saturday show, the Sunday show had a very casual afternoon sense to it. Drinks were being served, same with Saturday, but this time, they were being brought to the audience. The main room was filled with chatter. The VIP room wasn't being used in the same way as Saturday, due to the models changing in there. Knowing that, I couldn't wait to see how the Sunday show differed from the Saturday show.

The Host
​Ninny Nothin

The fabulous, and hilarious, Ninny Nothin hosted the Sunday show of FWRI. Ninny slayed a pink feather robe, brought comedic elements to the show, and did so fabulously. Ninny's jokes about cheese and the high energy brought to the table were a staple to the show. Ninny was iconic and the face of the night!

You can see more of Ninny by clicking here
Follow Ninny's Instagram by clicking here

Fusionworks Dance Company

Fusionworks Dance company brought poise and elegance to the Sunday show. I was incredibly impressed and shocked with the strength, concentration and flexibility the dancers had. The dance company featured performers twice, and both segments were beautifully done!

For footage of the performances, check out the highlights reel at the end of this post!
​
Visit the website of Fusionworks Dance Company by clicking here

Lady Estelle
(A Modern Victorian Lady)

Lady Estelle! What a unique and informative addition to the night. Lady Estelle is a Victorian Historian who brings a wardrobe and knowledge to others. As an audience, we learned how a woman in her decade would dress, and how she would undress. I loved how the show featured her performance; it gave the audience a historical context of how fashion has changed.

To see her performance, visit the highlights reel at the end of this blog post!

To learn more about Lady Estelle, click here

Drag Extravaganza!

What was FWRI missing? That's right, DRAG EXTRAVAGANZA! Oh my GOD What an addition to the show! I have always marveled drag due to the complexity of the makeup and outfits as well as the personas. The queens brought it and I was thoroughly impressed with all of the looks.

To see the full performance, visit the highlights reel below

(I couldn't find a site to direct you to to learn more)

Inara
​(Belly Dancer)

We've all thought about it.. learning to belly dance. Have we ever tried it? Probably nor. Inara sparked that old thought in me, to learn to belly dance!

I have never seen belly dancing before but I could tell from the energy and moves of Inara, that she is one of the best belly dancers out there! She brought some high energy to the night, which was a great contrast to Fusion Danceworks. To see both arts differ so greatly was beautiful. It made the Fashion Show more well rounded.

Check out the highlights reel at the end of the blog post to see Inara's performance!

Or check out here moves by clicking here

Marcus Evans
​Saxophonist 

My round of applause for Marcus Evans is still going! Marcus swooned the audience by performing "Careless Whisper" as well as Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You". The talent in this 17 year old astounded the audience. Ninny said she wanted him to perform at her wedding (when she marries cheese).

Check out my highlights reel for Marcus's performances!

You can see more of him on his Instagram by clicking here

Ruby Mac Fashions
Project Runway Jnr.

"Project Runway Junior designer Ruby McAloon's first sewing machine was given to her at age 7, and 4 years later, at 11-years-old, she was hard at work designing and constructing her first pieces. A year after those garments came to fruition, she was enrolled in the Teen Fashion Design Program at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). She's been honing her craft ever since — upping the ante with her construction techniques and keen eye for design".

Ruby is only 14 years old and she is taking over Rhode Island's fashion scene by storm! I'm excited to see what Ruby will do in the future.

Check out Ruby's site by clicking here

Cosmic Unicornz

 "A lifestyle brand by Boston artist and designer Melissa Thyde"

Glam, glitz, mystical creatures. Cosmic Unicornz is a line of clothing that mashes fantasy and reality together. I am OBSESSED with this line and I have been following the designer on Instagram for a while now.  So, how in love are you? Ready to become a mermaid-fairy-princess?

Check out the Cosmic Unicornz siteand online store by clicking here

​Nathalia JMag
Project Runway Season 15

"Nathalia JMag is a 24 year old Colombian-American fashion designer and blogger. She graduated with a bachelor of science in fashion design and retailing with a concentration in fashion design from Framingham State University in May 2016. She started her label Nathalia JMag in 2015 during her senior year at FSU. She was part of the cast of Project Runway season 15 making it to episode 10 of the Emmy nominated television reality show. JMag is very passionate about animals and the environment because fashion doesn’t have to hurt! She uses a zero waste design approach to minimize the waste created during the production of garments and collections. Her passion for animals drives her to only use vegan furs/leathers and seek alternatives to animal skins and fibers. She draws inspiration from the people around her, nature, historical costume, outer space, aliens, music, the future and pop culture. JMag specializes in outerwear, ready to wear and custom designs. The Nathalia JMag label is for people who are different and are not afraid to show it; the artists, the trendsetters and fashion rebel"
​ - From her site


Check out here site and online store by clicking here

After-Party

At the close of the show, the room was quickly transformed into the art gallery it once was a week ago. We shuffled into the next room for the after party where dancing, chatting, and snacking ensued.

It was a wonderful way to end a wonderful week!

Highlights Reel

Visit the link below to check out the performances and my highlights reel for Sunday's show!​

Special Thanks

Special thanks to the Fashion Week RI team and Yemi Sekoni. Fashion Week RI was an incredible success!

​I am so excited for Fall Fashion Week RI. Looking forward to September!