Hello fashion people in the house . . . that sounded a lot better in my head, moving on. I am Robert Brewster, self-proclaimed fashion freethinker and freelance writer. What does that mean exactly? I am someone that has recently become interested in the world of high fashion and I am trying to make a career for myself as a fashion writer but as of yet I am not getting paid by anyone to do it. To help further my ambitions/delusions I have created this page to share my views and opinions on the fashion world. Unfortunately San Diego is not a fashion hub like Los Angeles, London, or Paris leaving me to stand at the way side of the Internet and visiting magazine stands to get any idea of what is going on in the fashion world. However, if there is one thing that I have learned about the fashion industry it’s that it is in a constant state of change. San Diego may not be one of the fashion hot spots but it is developing in that direction slowly but surely, making it a somewhat ideal environment for a fashion writer trying to make some headway in the business. Enter Project Ethos, a national organization dedicated to the development of the arts, whether it is music, studio arts, or fashion.
Needless to say when I heard that they were doing a show here in San Diego as a part of their national tour, I jumped at the chance to go. Fifty dollars later I was on my way to the Fluxx nightclub in Down Town SD for the event.
I was never much of a partier, but I have been to a few watering holes in my time, every one of which paled in comparison to the Fluxx. I arrived around 7:00 pm for the VIP opening (if you are ever planning on attending one of these events don’t be afraid to pay the extra for VIP seating, it’s well worth it). Upon entering the Fluxx I was immediately enamored with the friendliness of the young woman that escorted me to my seat. Walking through the entrance hall gave me my first taste of what was to come in the club proper, the walls throughout were covered in a mosaic of panels, none of which really seemed to have much to do with the others. But what really caught my eye in the room was the array of urinating cupids behind the front desk all wearing pilots caps, crude but humorous nonetheless.
The club itself was a wild array of colors and textures filled with ambient light and thumping music. There were sections of the floor that were completely clear revealing chambers filled with silver spheres of varying sizes, that ran parallel to the enormous bar and its impressive display of spirits. The rest of the room was taken up primarily by what would have been on an average night the dance floor however it was now the staging area for the upcoming show. I was rather surprised at how small the club seemed, but what it lacked in physical size it more than made up for in atmosphere. Hanging over the stage was the Fluxx’s famous cloth chandler casting the whole room in shades of pink and red. The bottles of VitaminWater Zero casting an eerie glow of liquid delight only enhanced the amalgamation of color. The atmosphere was charged with the thrumming beat of the DJ’s mix and the chattering excitement of the other guests. The air was filled with an electric hum that had nothing to do with the music or lighting. Restless energy permeated the room, it may have just been me but I had to keep moving or the anticipation of what was to come would have driven me nuts.
When the main event finally began I gladly returned to my seat without complaint. Before the fashion show began we were thoroughly entertained by the rhythms of Mann. I’ll admit that I have never been much of a rap enthusiast. That being said, Mann pleasantly surprised me. His rhythm was upbeat and energetic which matched the mood of the event well. He just made you want to get up and dance and I imagine that if there had been room more than a few people would have, but we had to make due with dancing in our seats.
But my blog is not called Free Thinker Music, so onto the main event.
Since this was my first big fashion show, though hopefully not my last, I really had no idea what I was going to see. I’ll be honest I did not expect macabre ballerina’s with an intriguing and incredibly beautiful performance. I don’t just mean that the costumes or girls were beautiful, though they were quite enticing, but I found the entire performance to be an excellent representation of the overall theme of Project Ethos. It began with a single dancer moving to the front of the stage and cocooning herself in a white sheet, greatly contrasting with her black apparel. When she had completely incased herself she began to rhythmically remove herself from her confines. The other performers began to filter out into the spotlight and danced to the same rhythm. The entire spectacle spoke to me of rebirth and new beginnings, which I found appropriate since Project Ethos characterizes themselves as “[T] he incubator for emerging artists in fashion, music and art,” and by combining the traditional form of the Ballerina with the modern styles of today they kept true to their mission statement of bridging the gap between traditional mainstream fashion and the indie fashion culture. Now maybe I am simply grasping at straws to get a higher word count on this article but this opening performance to the fashion show really spoke to me of Project Ethos commitment to themselves and the fashion industry’s up and comers.
Though not all of the designers presented at this event were up and comers, CardiWrap by Kymaro presented our next visual feast. CardiWrap is one of the affiliates of Project Ethos and judging from what they presented at this show they have a truly impressive array of style that is constantly changing before your eyes, literally. CardiWrap’s signature versatility was displayed with the deft sensuality of the models. A flip of a loop, untying a knot and an entirely different application for the garment was presented. In an instant a casual flowing blouse was turned into a sexy top for an evening out. I have always been a fan of practicality in my fashion as well as good looks good and CardiWrap delivered that in droves. There was only one off-putting detail, chains. A lot of the presented clothes had chains attached to the shoulders, which to me looked like the old-fashioned shoulder decorations of the military. They were interesting but seemed to add a gaudiness that was not displayed in the rest of the clothing. Overall however these garments were a unique approach to casual grace and sophistication while making the statement that change is constant in the world of fashion.
Change in fashion can usually be attributed to someone taking a step in a new direction or even down a well-worn bath with a different pair of shoes. These first steps aren’t always taken by the fresh young minds of a new generation of designers; sometimes the old dogs have to learn a new trick to keep up with the young pups. Fredericks of Hollywood, the self-proclaimed “Original Sex Symbol”, has been the number one trendsetter for the more intimate side of fashion since their founding in 1947. Their mission since then has been simple, to create a style that makes women feel beautiful and sexy inside and out no matter what body type they may have, being most well known for their tantalizing lingerie. However, Fredericks of Hollywood unveiled their latest project for the first time at the Fluxx, swimwear. The ladies playfully strutted down the catwalk, tossing beach balls into the cheering crowd, and my jaw promptly made contact with the floor. This swimwear was smoking hot enough to make a Sports Illustrated cover seem frigid by comparison. But what really impressed me was that the suits were not overly skimpy. There were no bottoms made of floss, or tops shaped like bottle caps, just well-cut fabric that let the natural grace of their human counterpart shine through. There was only one piece that I found was less than flattering to its wearer. The bottoms looked as if they had been sewed together from multiple suits of varying sizes and just made the model look like she had multiple posteriors, not a great look. Over all great job Fredericks you live up to your reputation of creating both aesthetic beauty as well as making people feel good about themselves.
Now I mentioned earlier that Project Ethos is a strong supporter of emerging designers, giving them the chance to show off their designs and make a name for themselves. Part of the experience for these designers was the challenge of creating a style to best express one of the flavors of VitaminWater Zero. One of the designers showcased was Stacey May, who presented a very unique line of clothing primarily consisting of charming club attire that gave me the impression of Midwest meets Manhattan, other than the patterns however there was very little originality in the designs. Her design for the contest was in complete contrast to the rest of her clothing, which I found to be a good thing. It was a sleek straight cut evening gown reminiscent of a very form-fitting toga.
The next designer was a very talented young man named Kenneth Barlis. I know the media is supposed to keep an unbiased opinion but thought Kenneth was awesome. He was by far my favorite designer of the night. His designs took you on a veritable fashion world tour. Even with my untrained eye I saw influences of the Middle East, Spain, Paris, and ancient Egypt, and while not every item was to my own liking they were very aesthetically pleasing and unique to behold. His design for the competition was an elegant flowing crimson gown with glistening white flowers adorning the breast and crown of the piece. The well-deserved winner of this event’s challenge was a garment worthy of any delicate young goddess. Congratulations Kenneth I hope to see more of your work in the future.
Keisha Audry was the next designer to grace the runway with her creations. Unfortunately her designs were my least favorite of the evening. I liked the Asian theme that she used in her styles but there was very little variation from garment to garment, which made the whole experience rather uninteresting to behold. Her shining moment was her very sexy short plum colored cocktail dress that looked to be a vision of a modern sugar plum fairy. Overall however, it was a gem among some rather unimpressive and ordinary stones. Keisha, you have some good ideas I would just like to see you apply more variety in your application.
Yrenne Landeros created the next designs we witnessed. She presented a very clever minimalist style combined with upbeat textures and patterns. The overall display was quite eye-catching, with each piece having its own unique personality that it flaunted before the crowed. What was truly impressive was that while the schemes were lively I never felt they were bombarding me. Balance is key to a lot of fashion, you want to stand out without overwhelming the senses and Yrenne accomplished this by leaps and strides. Her final piece was an intriguing futuristic styled swimsuit that looked like it belonged on the set of “The Fifth Element” rather than a runway. However, I found the whole sci-fi look to be an interesting twist on all too common swimsuit attire, although I would be surprised to ever see this design grace the beaches, to many places for sand to get caught.
Tatiana Z was the final designer for this night’s extravaganza. She is a talented young woman with a unique style. Dresses have always been my favorite among women’s attire, primarily because there are just so many different ways to create a new concepts for what is basically an archaic idea; Tatiana seems to share that sentiment. Every one of her designs was a bold rendition. There really are few words to say other than Bravo. Her challenge piece was an elegant flowing gown with many ruffles that flowed and fluttered as it was paraded down the runway. Even though Kenneth won the challenge I would have to say that this was my favorite of the evening’s garments.
My first experience within the world of high fashion was a grand event and I enjoyed the displays of talent in all its forms throughout the evening’s festivities. However my first experience with the Fluxx nightclub was less so. Now it has been my experience that when you rent out your facilities to a private event you should do everything you can to accommodate their guests. It’s a good business plan and just plain common curtsey. Well the staff of the Fluxx apparently didn’t get that memo as they proceeded to demand that several of the VIP guests, myself included, leave our seats at the beginning of the fashion show so that they could make room for club goers. What is truly infuriating about this is that the guests that were given our seats were not there for the fashion show, just for the alcohol. Servers streamed through the area bringing a ludicrous amount of liquor to the tables of these patrons, disrupting the few VIP guests and press members that had managed to retain their seats. Now I am not a person of any particular importance . . . yet, but I did purchase a ticket (and it wasn’t cheap), which was supposed to guaranteed me reserved VIP seating throughout the show. The reserved seating that was paid for was not just denied to me but also several other Project Ethos guests who have considerably more influence than myself, including a woman who claimed to be friends with the owner of the club. Needless to say there were several infuriated people who had to stand and try to avoid servers and club goers for the duration of the show. I was assured by two of my fellow ejecties that this was not the norm for an Ethos event. Brianne Bear, the Project Ethos PR director, has assured me that measures have been taken to rectify this situation so that future incidents do not occur. My hope for future events is that Project Ethos will look for a better venue with a more considerate and courteous staff.
These unfortunate events did not ruin my experience however; I enjoyed the fashion show immensely and plan on attending any future events put on by Project Ethos. Jason Peskin and staff I applaud you for the fabulous job you did putting together this event despite the hostility shown by the hosting facility. Congratulations on a job well done and I hope next time we will have a chance to talk face to face.
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