Made in Minnesota: Envision Artopia

Fashion was alive at Orchestra Hall on Saturday night for one of the biggest fashion events in Minneapolis this year - Envision Artopia. Not only did fourteen local designers present their spring/summer 2014 lines, but the latest fashion trends could easily be spotted in the crowd of spectators. Orchestra Hall was the perfect location for this event. The cityscape served as the backdrop of the runway which was located on ground level. Those with premium tickets sat front row. Those with general admission tickets lined the staircase and balconies at each of the three levels to view the show from above. The event was extremely well attended and featured of-the-moment looks from Minnesota designers and boutiques.

Each designer had a distinct aesthetic. Standouts for me were Cocoon, Khampian Vang, Samantha Rei, Roe Wolfe, and my favorite - Russel Bourrien.

Cocoon sent down a very professional line paired with statement jewelry.
Khampian Vang played with combining leather with print fabrics. The clothes were very well tailored, and the looks were polished off with Egyptian themed jewelry.
Samantha Rei is one of the more commercial/wearable designers. She paired flowy/frilly dresses with booties. Think Abigail Breslin in the movie Signs.
Roe Wolfe also has a more commercial look and is also very feminine. I've actually shopped at this boutique and really identify with the style - beachy, boho.
Russel Bourrien's menswear line was such a breath of fresh air. His looks were very avant garde and yet had an ease to them. This was the most interesting line of the evening. His looks were very militaristic and featured unusual silhouettes including kilts, jumpsuits, a Sherlock Holmes long caped trench coat, and cargo slouchy pants for men.

Spring Trends
Based on the looks put down the runway as well as the looks that I observed on spectators, here are some of the key trends for spring 2014 and fun examples that I found:

Booties: Pair these with dresses, skirts, shorts, pants, and jeans. So easy, right? (Nordstrom)
Gold Statement Jewelry: It's for women and men. Big chains, huge pieces. For women, this trend was coming through in the form of Egyptian inspired pieces. Snakes, Eye of Ra, geometric shapes, coins, and the phoenix bird. Very cool.

Jumpers: In the form of shorts and a tank top or pants and a tank top. It can be dressed up for evening wear or dressed down for the beach. (He)

Hats: Casual hats for the beach or Von Trapp style hats for day or night.

Slouchy pants: This is a trend I've been really excited about. Casual or dress pants that have a large crotch/thigh/hip and then taper down to a tight ankle. Sounds ridiculous but when worn right, very trendy. (Maurices)