Des Moines’ movers and shakers, young and old, came out Saturday night for the second annual Fashionation event hosted by DSM Magazine and Not Your Daughter’s Jeans. The big event was held at the Des Moines Social Club and celebrated the unveiling of the fall fashion edition of DSM featuring vintage-inspired outfits, which were styled by Jessica Miller, the style coordinator of DSM.
Miller said before she started working at DSM three years ago, the magazine didn’t have a fashion angle, but since working there, they developed an arts and culture section that features fashion. To promote fashion in the Des Moines area, Miller concocted the idea of a fashion show. Fifteen stores and 25 models later, Miller had her fashion show.
It was not an easy process, however. Long hours and hard work went into coordinating the fashion show.
“It’s a lot of managing and organization and being very precise,” Miller said. “I have 25 models and 15 stores I’m trying to get all on the same page.”
In addition to finding models and stores, Miller had to search for volunteers, makeup and hair artists, a DJ, a photographer and a videographer for the show. However, because Miller had already done it once, she expressed how much easier it was to plan the Fashionation event this year.
Local stores including Mr. B Clothing, Doncaster, Siren, Back Country Outfitters, The Halltree, Impromtu Studio, B Posh, Scheels, Weddings by Design, Vogue Vision and Not Your Daughter’s Jeans all participated in the event. Hair and make-up was styled by 20 students from La’James International College and volunteers who helped models in and out of outfits all worked behind the scenes.
The stores and businesses participating in the event received great exposure. In addition to seeing their clothes walking down the runway, storeowners and business people had their advertisements placed in DSM’s fashion edition.
“The whole idea of the event is for us to get our image and our branding out to the people that maybe don’t know anything about us,” said Tim Sitzmann, owner of Mr. B’s Women’s Shop. “What’s so important in today’s world is we have a brand and we need to be recognized for what the brand is. Events like this really stimulate the brand.”
Miller also emphasized what this event does for a place like Des Moines and how important it is for local stores to get involved with an event such as a fashion show.
“I think it really shows off what we have and the quality of the stores that we have, even though it may be a smaller number,” she said.
The fashion show featured the usual fall trends—sweaters, jackets, jeans and boots. Simplicity and a 1950s-inspired design for suits was a hot new trend for men. Jackets included simple, narrow lapels, which was a major contrast from the women’s jackets, which included large, oversized collars.
Subdued colors with a splash of color also appeared to be another major trend for fall as well as finding new and creative ways to layer clothing. One outfit from Impromptu included a black and white striped long-sleeved shirt with a low-cut back exposing a black and grey striped dress underneath.
Cozy was another look that reappeared on the runway. Plaids and scarves, as well as funky legwarmers made an appearance. A crowd favorite included a red sweater with short, ruffled sleeves worn over off-white patterned tights and red legwarmers with a matching patchwork arm warmer and hat set.
Mr. B Women’s Shop showed off several of its fun and well-made scarves in a variety of colors and styles.
After the models paraded one last time around the runway in their last looks, Miller made an appearance, earning a standing ovation for her work.
Photos: Connor McCourtney
