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CRAVE CRUSH the urban girl's blog to all that you CRAVE
MNFashionWeek kicks off with Envision Artopia
The fashion forward of the Twin Cities flocked to the Graves 601 hotel last Saturday for Envision Artopia an evening that fused art, music and fashion into one stellar event. What’s more? Three of CRAVE’s own played essential roles in the success of the evening: VimLab Promotions headed the PR, OPM showcased their hottest spring trends, and Cafe Barbette provided a luxury nosh of fresh oysters on the half shell. Naturally I had to go and check it out to give CRAVE readers the scoop on the hottest event in town.
In it’s third year, Envision is a bi-annual fashion event produced by the founders of Ignite Models, Allison Hamzephour and Jessica Cunningham, in conjunction with V2 Nightlife and Futuretime productions. VimLab’s Natalie Auger, who will be featured in the upcoming Minneapolis CRAVE guide, headed the promotions and PR for the event, and attracted the Twin Cities’ most stylish and elite residents to the venue. The new name, Envision Artopia, was inspired by the exciting new addition of creating a mural live during the event by local artists. It was sold at the silent auction with all proceeds benefiting the Young Survival Coalition.
In the packed venue fashionistas clinked glasses and mingled, checking out the art displays, sampling oysters on the half shell from a CRAVE favorite, Cafe Barbette, and sampling a selection of wine and cheese. As people continued to pour in from the gorgeous Spring evening, three hairstylists demonstrated live how to match a model’s hair to a look on the stage.
As the gorgeous and dressed to kill crowd made their way to their seats the fast pace runway show began.We are thrilled to be featuring OPM in our CRAVE guide of Minneapolis and St. Paul and I was so excited to see the fun looks OPM provided for the Envision show. From bold patterned shifts, to structured shoulders, to cut-to-there dresses, they impressed us with their super stylish yet completely wearable selection for spring. Other Twin Cities boutiques, including Bumpershute, Drama, Elsworth Mens, Local Motion, Vstate and Cliche also showed us their best Spring looks on the leggy and edgy Ignite Models.
After the display of trends from the boutiques and a quick intermission to mingle and refill our glasses, local designers Amanda Christine, Arwyn Birch, Jenny Carle, Kjurek Couture, Peloria, Sarah M. Holm, Russell Bourrienne and Rose White had a chance to showcase their work.
With long runways, live music and art installations, a silent auction and a venue packed to the rafters with trend setters from the Twin Cities…it felt like I had been transported out of the Midwest–what a perfect way to celebrate the beginning of Spring and the start of Minnesota Fashion Week!
For more info:
Envision
VimLab Promotions Inc.
Barbette
OPM
A dazzling design event hosted by The Style Laboratory this Thursday March 11th
The Duel of the Design takes place Thursday March 11th at the Metropolitan Ballroom (Door open at 5:00, and event begins at 5:30). At the event, guests are invited to witness a competition between two designers, each of whom have a chef and a florist, create a table top for eight, a menu, select beverages, and create a mood with music… in essence they are showing us what goes into creating the perfect ambience for an event, and all within two hours…and LIVE. No easy feat.
The designers competing are Todd Pinzuti of Bungalow 6 Design and Scott DeLange of Event Lab. The Chefs are equally impressive…Phillip Dorwart of Create Catering is going head to head with Micahel Decamp of La Belle Vie.
As if the competition won’t be entertaining enough, Todd Walker of Fox 9 and a Minnesota celebrity if there ever was one, is emceeing the Duel-announcing the secret design item, floral item, and ingredient that must be incorporated in to the various aspects of The Duel of the Design.
The Duel of the Design is a great opportunity for anyone interested in getting a backstage glimpse into the world of event planning and designing.
The event, which is now in it’s third year, was created and is produced by The Style Laboratory, headed by Geri Wolf. After six years of wedding design and planning, corporate, non-profit, and social events she decided to switch gears a bit and created a concept that The Style Laboratory has dubbed, “Style Stations”, which are a high-tech, interactive event and designing tools that you can find at their space in Gaviidae Commons II.
For more information about The Style Laboratory:
For more information about The Duel of the Design:
Shop local at Ladies Night Out on 50th and France
It’s a favorite shopping night for women around the city. The neighborhood of 50th and France is hosting their Ladies Night Out event which occurs three times a year this Thursday, March 11th from 4:00 to 8:00. Participating stores will be offering special promotions only available for that night.
A few of our favorite CRAVE gals are offering deals that can’t be missed:
The always on point Bluebird Boutique and their sister shop (offering great shoes and accessories), Ladyslipper, are offering 20 percent off everything store wide. This includes their merchandise which is already marked down, making it easy for everyone to snag a great top or pair of shoes no matter what your budget is.
One of the newest additions to the 50th and France area, Fringe, is offering 15 percent off their entire selection of already affordable, trendy jewelry. It’s an awesome time to load up on gorgeous chandelier earrings, cuffs, layered bracelets and statement necklaces to throw on with spring dresses and tees.
Veteran womens boutique, Spirit, is also participating in Ladies Night Out. They will be offering refreshments along with their many discounts. Take an additional 20 percent off all sale merchandise, making items up to 7o percent off. This includes the large back room area that Spirit continuously keeps stocked with half price denim. A perfect time to update your denim for as little as 20 dollars!
For the foodies and chefs looking for a deal on Ladies Night Out, check CRAVE favorite local kitchen goodies shop, Cooks of Crocus Hill for coffee tasting and 20 percent off one of your items.
To see more stores participating in Ladies Night Out click here.
For more information about 50th and France and upcoming events in the area visit their website:
50thandFrance.com
A Closet to CRAVE: Organizing and Creating Your Dream Wardrobe
When I got the chance to speak to Catherine Sheppard, a stylist who has client base that spans from coast to coast, I was all ears. To many, including myself, the task of organizing a closet may be a daunting task. Every few months I “get in the mood” to tidy up my wardrobe and get rid of things that have been stagnant on the hangers for far too long. This usually results in taking everything off the shelves, drawers, and hangers and throwing them in to a pile. At exactly this point in the process, after seeing a giant heap of unfolded clothing in the middle of the floor, I am no longer inspired. Go figure.
The first step Catherine suggests is to get rid of any thing that weighs you down. Â If there are pieces in your closet that you never wear and that don’t excite you to have, get rid of them. She doesn’t believe in a timeline of when you should get rid of something, because she believes in reinventing the clothes you have in your closet to create a completely new and stylish look, especially when on a budget. However, she thinks that some clothes on the lower end of the price spectrum tend to be seasonal and really only last a year or two, and that shouldn’t be held on to if no longer being worn. In general, she believes in keeping the things you love, and getting rid of the rest.
There are a few items that Catherine believes everyone should have in their wardrobe, and that are timeless pieces that you should hold on to. These include a nice collared shirt, great fitting jeans, and the ubiquitous LBD (little black dress). She believes everyone should have a nice medium sized handbag. This should be an investment piece (in relation to your budget, of course) because this is something that you will use forever. In addition she believes every woman should have a great set of heels. She is wary to suggest a color, but rather suggests a neutral color that fits in with your style and the rest of your wardrobe.
Once you have cleansed yourself of the items you never use, it is time to organize. Catherine doesn’t believe in organizing by outfit, because she doesn’t suggest people buy clothes that they only wear as an outfit. Instead she believes in buying items that are versatile and can be reinvented in a number of different ways. Organize your closet by type of clothing, so jeans with jeans, sweaters with sweaters, and so on.
Catherine also thinks its very important that everything is visible in your closet, so that you don’t forget about things. For some with small closets, this could seem nearly impossible. She gave me some great tips for those with minimal space. She believes in displaying your shoes and accessories, which can easily be done by buying shoe racks, adding shelves to put purses on and hooks to hang on walls for scarves, purses, belts, etc. All of these are ways to maximize space and allow visibility. If you have a small closet it’s also a good idea to pack up your clothes that are out of season and slide them out of sight (under the bed, for example). Only have things in your closet that you are able to wear. Also, if you have a dresser and a small closet space, fold anything you can. Jeans and tees as well as lounge wear is ideal for a dresser since they don’t wrinkle.
She also gave me a great idea of how to organize jewelry. Â Statement jewelry is such a big trend, and often it doesn’t fit in your typical jewelry box. She dedicates a drawer in her dresser to her jewelry. She lays a cloth down to protect it, and places the jewelry in the drawer (organize pieces in drawer by type). She warns against keeping your jewelry out in the open because it causes it to tarnish, so keeping it in a drawer also gives your jewelry a longer life span.
For more information on Catherine Sheppard visit her website and read her amazing fashion blog for style inspiration and to keep up on the hottest trends.
To Go:
Be the belle of the beach with cruise wear from The Bungalow
Gearing up for a trip to Mexico later in the week, I headed out on a blustery and snowy February morning to Cindy Sudheimer’s gem of a boutique, The Bungalow located in Tonka Bay.
In it’s fourth year of business, The Bungalow, offers a dazzling and endless selection of sexy and fun bikinis from an array of international designers exclusive to the store. These aren’t your regular department store swimsuits. The selection at this boutique are glamorous and fun with attention to details, luxe fabrics, and interesting cuts. Light on one pieces and tankinis this store caters to the fashion forward and confident woman.
In addition to the swimsuits, The Bungalow has a great selection of dresses and coverups. Most of these items could effortlessly be worn off the beach. Â There was an assortment of sheer silk peasant blouses with embroidery and embellishment that could easily be thrown on with jeans and heels and worn out to dinner. Her selection of dresses (maxi length and short) were beautiful enough to wear on the town day or night. Transitional from the beach to the bar, day to night, is a major plus when maximizing suitcase space and making your vacation a breeze.
The Bungalow also carries mens and children’s, making it a great one stop shop when gearing up for a family get-away. In addition to the swimsuits and cover-ups, Cindy’s boutique boasts an exclusive selection of premium denim and  tees for men and women, a selection of shoes, and jewelry.
When visiting, be sure to sign up to be a part of Cindy’s preferred customers lists and be emailed about great sales and promotions and register to win a private shopping party for you and your friends, complete with wine and cheese. Also check out The Bungalow’s website below for updated promotions and sale information.
To Go:
The Bungalow
5619 Manitou Road (in Tonka Village)
Tonka Bay, MN 55331