Baltimore Struts Its Stuff
"I hope you biked here," designer/Whamcity member/general hallucinogen of creative expression Michael Farley said in introduction to Sustainable Fashion night of the Baltimore Fashion Week. A makeshift runway spanned the belly of St. John's Church on 2640 St. Paul Street.
"[Fashion Week] was started by a group of vegetarians instead of bulimics like the rest of fashion," quipped Farley as he delivered a casual presentation of "sustainable fashion" as the "green" solution to an industry built on excess and from the hands of child laborers in sweatshops. "If Bangladesh were underwater, where would the GAP make their clothes?"
Farley's "Green is the New Gray" was by far the highest fashion of the night. It was white pants with maroon piping. It was a raspberry bodysuit with a navel-hitting neckline and hoodie/scarf creation, breathtaking in its minimalism and elegance. It was lots of draping and earth tones and an incongruous pair of lime green shorts. One dress seemed to be constructed (or deconstructed) of layered T-shirts that was ready to be worn right off the runway. There were unfinished seams and jagged edges that screamed "Self-taught designer!," but in the end they added to the eco-friendly aesthetic. I guess.
"Revamp," the lovechild of design team Spoon Popkin, took to the runway. While "Green is the New Gray" used the unfinished look to its advantage, Spoon Popkin's first ensemble - a flirty light pink tulip dress - sported a torn seam, which was the gaping hole in an otherwise well-constructed line.
"Revamp's" designers collected fabrics and clothes from vintage stores and used them as palates for more modern looks. The line was more ready-to-wear than "green" and succeeded in taking grandma's floral prints and making them sexy. One look was a green floral printed skirt and blazer combo. Blue tulle peeked out cheekily from under the tail of the blazer, adding a saucy touch to what could have been a mousy outfit. The pièce de résistance, a caramel houndstooth tweed outfit, was not only impeccably crafted but was also both classic enough to wear to work and edgy enough to wear for play.
"[Fashion Week] was started by a group of vegetarians instead of bulimics like the rest of fashion," quipped Farley as he delivered a casual presentation of "sustainable fashion" as the "green" solution to an industry built on excess and from the hands of child laborers in sweatshops. "If Bangladesh were underwater, where would the GAP make their clothes?"
Farley's "Green is the New Gray" was by far the highest fashion of the night. It was white pants with maroon piping. It was a raspberry bodysuit with a navel-hitting neckline and hoodie/scarf creation, breathtaking in its minimalism and elegance. It was lots of draping and earth tones and an incongruous pair of lime green shorts. One dress seemed to be constructed (or deconstructed) of layered T-shirts that was ready to be worn right off the runway. There were unfinished seams and jagged edges that screamed "Self-taught designer!," but in the end they added to the eco-friendly aesthetic. I guess.
"Revamp," the lovechild of design team Spoon Popkin, took to the runway. While "Green is the New Gray" used the unfinished look to its advantage, Spoon Popkin's first ensemble - a flirty light pink tulip dress - sported a torn seam, which was the gaping hole in an otherwise well-constructed line.
"Revamp's" designers collected fabrics and clothes from vintage stores and used them as palates for more modern looks. The line was more ready-to-wear than "green" and succeeded in taking grandma's floral prints and making them sexy. One look was a green floral printed skirt and blazer combo. Blue tulle peeked out cheekily from under the tail of the blazer, adding a saucy touch to what could have been a mousy outfit. The pièce de résistance, a caramel houndstooth tweed outfit, was not only impeccably crafted but was also both classic enough to wear to work and edgy enough to wear for play.
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