After two years mixed with online-only events, recorded fashion shows, and socially distanced runway walks, Fashion Week Minnesota is returning fully in person with its fall 2022 season. With six fashion shows, one expert panel, and a shop-and-sip soiree, FWMN’s focus is to emphasize the talent, strength and creativity thriving in Minnesota’s fashion industry.
“Our goals are to always elevate the passion of the North, elevate our talent, elevate the work that we have done and created,” Susan Lepkke, FWMN’s COO explained. “Minnesota is known for so many great things, and we should also be known for the types of designers and artists that we have in this space.”
After an eternity of sweatpants and oversized t-shirts, Lepkke knows that Minnesotans are ready to step out and dress up—and that the designers curating this season’s FWMN feel the same way.
“We’re still in a pandemic, but we want to express ourselves more fluidly through our clothing,” Lepkke said. “People are going to be more unique with their style. They’re going to put more frill, or panash, or more of their personality into the items we see.”
Think silks, lace, detailed suiting. An homage to the 1920s with a splash of bright color. The correlation of classic and modern will be playing with the themes bounced around the fashion events taking over the Twin Cities this week. With a focus on sustainability, inclusivity and accessibility, and the future of fashion, Lepkke believes FWMN Fall 2022 will bring to light the power that fashion plays in both creativity and realism.
“We’re in a difficult time, and we really wanted to take a real look at the present day things that are going on in our world, and marry that to what our community is working on within that space.”
To kick-off the week, Rose & Bull return to FWMN with Catwalk: A Vintage Fashion Show on Sunday, September 18. Transporting viewers back to the 1980s, Rose & Bull’s sparkle-infused, inclusivity-oriented, secondhand fashion show will sashay looks from Glam Diggers Vintage, Frock Queen, Golden Pearl Vintage, Queenie and Pearl, Ragstock, Showstopper Vintage, and The Red Eye down the Machine Shop’s walkway. The vintage extravaganza will include shoppable looks from Lobster Garden Vintage and Obsidian Pause located at the pop-up market after the show. eventbrite.com
A few hours later at Vandalia Tower in Saint Paul, Into the Studio’s second annual runway show will highlight the power of design in promoting social and environmental change. As a fully sustainably crafted fashion event—from the location of the show to the drinks being served—the lineup of local designers and stylists spotlight clothing and accessories curated by eco-stylists, sustainable brands, and locally-conscious boutiques, and gives a behind-the-scenes look into the design process from a maker’s perspective. Into the Studio ignites the power between fashion and a sustainable future. eventbrite.com
Monday night’s headlining event will transport visitors to Coalesce: 1922, telling stories of strength and resilience through the eyes and ears of AAPI and BIPOC voices. Located at the American Swedish Institute on September 19, David Chang, founder of Croig, will be co-producing the production and showcasing vintage motorcycles during the show. VIP attendee’s will be offered cocktails crafted by Slate & Stone before the fashion show at 7:30 p.m. eventbrite.com
How do fashion, tech, sustainability, and inclusion converge? On Tuesday, September 20, a panel of experts will be diving into the connection that the future plays on the fashion industry. Located at the Rand Tower Hotel in Minneapolis, experts Amir of Rem5, Tara Daily, the creator of the app DressDecode, and Shelisa Demuth, the executive director of Beta.mn and founder of LAUREL Development, will discuss the stepping stones of where fashion is today, and how NFTs, clothing lines designed for online avatars, and 3D effects will play on the fashion of tomorrow. eventbrite.com
Qe’Bella Couture will be showcasing Luxe Streetwear’s Fashion with a Purpose, a fundraiser focused on combining timelessly avant guard pieces with the delicate and classic silhouettes shadowed in fashion history on Wednesday, September 21. The fashion show is a benefit for Lovely’s Sewing & Arts Collective, an arts collective dedicated to helping children learn how to sew, and will be hosted by Jason DeRusha, host of “Drivetime” on WCCO Radio and Food Critic for Minnesota Monthly. Promoting eight local fashion designers and two local jewelry designers, Luxe Streetwear will be at The Trailhead at Theodore Wirth Parkway. eventbrite.com
Landrover Jaguar Minneapolis welcomes Fusion, a combination of past FWMN designers Energy Gear and Ramadhan Designs, to its stage on Thursday, September 22. Blending streetwear and couture fashion, Fusion will bring a total of 13 local fashion and accessory brands to create a new genre of fashion wear. eventbrite.com
Closing out the affair, Saturday’s two FWMN events hold a little for everyone to enjoy – sip, shop, and see. Golden Hour, presented by Legacy and Les Sol, combines the designs of local, sustainable designers and vintage looks throughout the decades. Located at Legacy, the store will open its doors at 11 a.m. and allow visitors to fall into local, sustainable fashion mystique. Later that evening, Evolve returns with a runway show and a pop-up event hosted by the Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute featuring all local Minnesota designers. The show will showcase ready-to-wear couture pieces that will be available for sale after the show. With 25 designers, Evolve will be the largest fashion show of FWMN’s fall season. Les Sol, Evolve
Returning to its full glory, Fashion Week Minnesota’s Fall 2022 season brings a little for everyone – vintage, sustainable, and local. Shows will take place September 18 to September 24, with full details available online at fashionweekmn.com.