If you thought MN fashion week was your last chance to be dazzled by the catwalk before the year’s up, think again. IIDA, a nonprofit networking and educational association for Interior Designers, hosts its 7th annual charity fashion show this Friday at Aria at The Jeune Lune. Based out of Chicago but with chapters all around North America and a worldwide reach, IIDA is a unique organization that creates opportunities for professionals at all stages of their careers to meet with their peers and stay up to date on their field all while emphasizing design’s humanitarian aim.
The show might not be your typical runway extravaganza. But it’ll fill your hip-factor quota and do your conscience some good. Some of the proceeds will benefit People Serving People in Minneapolis and competing designers were asked to tap into their creativity in a whole new way. First off, all the clothes will be in the eye-popping orange hue Tangerine Tango, Pantone’s color of the year for 2012. And for an added twist, designers had to take an unorthodox approach to their garments using limited materials. They’ll be judged in part on how well they use sustainable products.
The event will be hosted by WCCO’s Natalie Kane and will feature a bevy of acclaimed judges who work locally and nationally in the fashion world. Minnesota’s Christopher Straub, NYC-based designer Carrol Hanna Whitfield, and the first ever American Gypsy Fashion Designer Michael Costello were all contestants on Project Runway. Raul Osorio, a Minneapolis fashion sensation who has done collections for MIA and Arena Dance Company is a current contestant.
Guests can also look forward to the innovative venue. Though Theatre de la Jeune Lune’s close in 2008 was a great loss to the Twin Cities theater community, the space is still being used in interesting ways. Aria hosts weddings, special events, galas, and starting next month one of David Byrne’s contemporary art ventures “Playing the Building.” The multipurpose building’s barebones warehouse aesthetic, with brick walls and wooden beams sounds like it will complement the IIDA culture nicely.
Tickets available at the Door starting at 7 p.m. $75.
Aria at The Jeune Lune, 105 N. 1st St., Mpls., 612-460-1051, ariampls.com
