Fashion D.Fined

On Tuesday, Anne and I visited the Fashion D.Fined:  The Past, Present and Future of Detroit Fashion exhibition at the Detroit Historical Museum.  The exhibit featured work by designers spanning several decades and local to Detroit or the metro Detroit area.

From the museum's website:

"Fashion D.Fined explores 20th century design and retail alongside the designers and grass roots fashion retailers of today, including costumes from the 1940s, 50s, 60s and even 70s from well-known retailers such as Hudsons, Himelhoch’s, Claire Péarone, B. Siegel and Winkelman’s.

Additionally, today’s innovative Detroit designers and retailers are highlighted. Legendary designers John Varvatos, Anna Sui, Tracy Reese, Vicki Sarge and many more creative Detroiters who have made their mark locally and nationally are featured, along with retailers, designers, and manufacturers like Carhartt and Will Leather Goods and smaller boutique shops like The Peacock Room. 

Visitors will see that Detroit design is so much more than cars!"

(Click here to view the source page.)
 

I didn't catch the names of the designers for all of the garments photographed.  

My favorite look is the first one.  While it's not high fashion, it is something I would wear - minus two of the collars.

I have a challenge for Kyle, the zippered-pocket queen.  How would you make this? Do you think the zipper is functional?  It looks like it opens up to the pocket, but then there's a pocket flap.  Hmm...

The dress on the right is by Anna Sui.  

This dress was gorgeous in person and really...grand.  I think the buildings were also hand-painted by another local artist.  The building in this picture is the Penobscot Building in downtown Detroit.

This designer sources her material from old automobiles.  The petals are leather and the underskirt is made of seat belts.  Oh and yes, that necklace is made of bullets

This ponte knit dress is gorgeous and not a print!  Each oval is sewn into the garment.  Look at how precise the points are!  Anne said that this would be a fun challenge to sew.  Yeah, no.  Trying to sew those points would drive me insane.

This is a jacket made by John Varvatos for Jimi Hendrix.  This is the best glare-free shot I could get.  The details are divine.

In addition to garments from native designers, there were several images and placards describing fashion in the D over the years.  This is an image of a greeter at the old J.L. Hudson building downtown.

When I think of fashion, my hometown normally doesn't come to mind.  Visiting the exhibit made me realize that talent can be found anywhere and one doesn't have to be from NYC, Milan, Paris, or other major fashion hubs to make a statement.

I can't remember the last time I visited the Historical Museum.  I enjoyed the visit with Anne and will likely go back to see the other regular installations.  Thanks Anne!  

***

Up next:  I need to finish my year-in review post.  I made two, yes TWO garments already to kick off the new year.  And, I've started work on a third! 

Until next time, peace!

L

Tour de Troit 2013

The Tour de Troit is sort of like the Tour de France but without the hills, speed racers, insane long distance, and doping scandals.  For the 12th consecutive year, local organizations and business along with the Detroit Police Department joined together to sponsor a 30-mile ride through the city.  For the hard core riders, there was also a 70-mile route.  The most riding I've done in a single day was about 45 miles. 70 miles isn't happening - at least not until I get a much softer seat.

My friend, K., and I have been training for this ride for the last couple of weeks.  We rode the Detroit Slow Roll on Labour Day and a 17-mile ride in Flint a couple of weeks ago.

The tour started at Roosevelt Park in front of the tragically iconic Michigan Central Station. I'm old enough to remember the interior of the train station before it closed in the late 80s.  Soooo beautiful.  So classic.  So heartbreaking.

The tour took some 6000 bikers through southwest Detroit, back up Michigan Avenue, through Midtown, IndianVillage, around Belle Isle, through downtown, and back to Michigan Central.

Some people just don't know when to stop riding.

I haven't ridden like this in a couple of years.  My last hard core ride was in 2011 during a trip to The Netherlands.  There, I rode for 30+ miles per day for a week...well six of seven days.  I had a terrible migraine that one day and decided to sit the ride out.  More info on that fantastic voyage can be found here.

In all I had a great time and look forward to riding this (or another) tour again next year.  Actually, I might do one more ride in a couple of weeks.  This would be a ride into Canada and then 20 miles around Detroit.  We'll see about that.  Right now, my body is all kinds of achy.  I don't think there's enough Tiger Balm and Epsom salt in the world to ease the pain I am feeling right now.  

As for sewing, I've not sewn a single stitch since finishing my coat.  I have grand plans to sew a few items for a fall 6PAC.  The fabric is ready and patterns are picked.  I just need to get started.

I hope everyone had a good weekend.  I'm off to try and stretch my achy muscles.  Oh and grade some papers.   Maybe.

L