Style It Up

It was a fabulous night of fashion for a very important purpose. There was a huge turnout for Shake the Runway hosted by Prajje Couture at the Artist for Humanity EpiCenter. Proceeds of the event broke down like this: 60% of all proceeds from the event will go to the care of orphan children, and babies here and in Haiti who have been recently affected drastically by the disaster, 20% to the Red Cross, and 20% to Partners in Health. It was all about giving and building Haiti back up.

Now let’s talk fashion. 8 designers presented their collections. The 8 designers were Kreyol by Joelle Jean-Fontaine, Lindsay Jones, Caitlin Sullivan, Michelle Idrovo, Ty Scott, Project Runway Season 7 designer Maya Luz, Severe Menswear by Herbie Severe, and Prajje Couture. The overall theme from each of the designers was ready-to-wear collections with sophisticated style.

Kreyol by Joelle Jean-Fontaine’s collection was a fun, flirty one. It was a mix of simple and sophisticated styles.The collection paid homage to the little girl who is all grown up and ready to take over the world.

Lindsay Jones and Caitlin Sullivan presented a wonderful mix of separates and dresses that any corporate woman would love to have in their wardrobe.

Michelle Idrovo’s collection was colorful. It was great to see color splashed on the runway. Not too many designers embrace color. They may have 1 or 2 pieces but not a whole collection. It was refreshing to see her line as a sign of what is to come for the warmer months. The best way to describe her line is fun. She showed swimwear to bright colorful dresses and jackets.

Ty Scott showcased his latest collection Vivre Riche to Boston. His collection color palette consisted of red, black, and gray. Overall simple says volumes and Vivre Riche was just that line. It’s a sharp, sexy and classy line. He had a mix of men and women’s clothing. The women’s clothes featured one shoulder dresses and dresses with cowl necks. He played with different lengths of the cowl neck accent from the front to the back with a few of his dresses. The men’s clothes had a mix of blacks and grays and very well tailored to the individual. We saw outerwear coats for the 1st time and they were ever so sharp. Personal favorite for the outerwear was the cape trench coat. It had such great detail.

Project Runway Season 7 designer Maya Luz showcased her line. Her line is dark, edgy, and whimsical. She played with different types of textures and fabrics to give that unique edgy feel. It was definitely more couture fashion verses ready to wear. She is a designer with a very artistic point of view.

Showcasing an all menswear was Severe Menswear by Herbie Severe. This line is dedicated for the man who wants to make a statement no matter where he goes. Each piece is very distinctive and has impeccable tailoring. Herbie takes traditional menswear and gives it a whole new edge and spin to it. He is definitely a designer to keep your eye on.

Closing out this wonderful night of fashion was the host of the event Prajje Couture. Prajje had a unique opening. He had a drummer and singer Joanne Memnon perform an original song chant titled Get Ready for Prajje Couture. Once the audience was warmed up by the chant, it was show time. This was a very impressive collection. The line was made up of eveningwear mixed with jewelry accenting the outfits designed by Chandler Jewelry by Kendall Bretto. It was good to see that Prajje had a couple of menswear sprinkled in the collection. The suits were very remarkable. Each piece was unforgettable and made a powerful statement. Mixed in with the local models, guest model America’s Next Top Model Alumni Aminat Ayinde strutted down the catwalk in Prajje’s presentation and in the other designers that were featured in the show.

In between the fashion, the show had a mix of entertainment. Kicking off the show was The Voices of Imani Gospel Choir of Boston College. This choir opened with Trouble Don’t Last Always and closed with I Need You to Survive, both uplifting and inspirational songs that set the tone for the event. Singer Joanne Memnon did a wonderful performance with her rendition of The Redemption Song. Spoken word artist Reason performed an uplifting piece dedicated to Haiti and went into one of his original pieces. He was definitely was a crowd pleaser with his performances. Singer Duncan Daniel also performed two musical selections.

Shake the Runway was a wonderful event that brought together the fashion community for a very important reason.

Til the next runway, Ms. B.