Merlot and prosciutto were abundant Thursday at one of the valley's hippest and hottest fashion events.
Hosted by the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, "Chill" is an all-encompassing fashion, music, art and food fusion event.
Guests mingled in between three open galleries while munching on hors d'oeuvres and enjoying live, eclectic tunes from Sonorous, Nicole Pesce, and DJ Mali. Some even received Tarot card readings from Ozma. Models from FORD, The Agency, Signature Models and Talent and S.I.M. were on hand to stroll down the runway.
"Chill" is one event in a series of three exhibitions every year known as SMoCA Nights, which recently won a "Best of Phoenix" award from Phoenix New Times. The runway show was coordinated by Angela Johnson from LabelHorde Fashion, a local industry organization.
Around 11 p.m., the fashion show kicked off with designer Jaymie Chague, among the most extravagant of the bunch. Chague's first piece was a blue silk brocade bustled skirt accompanied by a coordinating bodice. The fitted outfit restricted the model's movement so much so that she had to be lifted onto runway.
I enjoyed the Chinese print mixed with the solid blue silk; the unique part of this number was the skirt's train consisting of three bulbs of blue silk. However, Chague's next pieces screamed "prom gone wrong," including the tacky liquid-sequined, club dress and the Irish royalty number which consisted of emerald green satin, velvet and Swarovsky accents.
Misery, the next label that hit the catwalk was vinatage-ish and completely comprised of dresses inspired from the roaring '20s. Designer Randy Holland's outfits were simple and sleek. Each was mixed with wild extensions, sometimes reaching the knees.
BOCO by Bonita Arnold yielded one of the night's best: a fiery, bright orange and yellow-hued strapless dress with matching arm ties. Graffiti tops and distressed jeans came from Displacement science. KD creations' opening, a draped dress in red had raw edges that gave the piece excitement.
My personal favorite came from Chelsey Totten, whose collection could easily be found in the junior section of any major department store. Her '80s mixed pieces and party dresses were realistic and edgy, but wearable enough for the masses. The "Ex-Valley Girl Elegance" number stood out from the rest with its black fishnets, neon-lettuce top, and flowing circle skirt.
Focusing on the actual pieces, it's understandable that the shoes and accessories were not as impressive and at times, didn't match the whole number. But the makeup was fresh and the hair designs were bold and teased.
Even after many showings, SMoCA Nights continues to fill its doors with industry figures and curious attendees. Call 480-994-ARTS for information on the next event in this exciting series.
Kalea Yoshida is an associate editor of the Web Devil. Reach her at kalea.yoshida@asu.edu.
