MKE Fashion Week: ‘Hats Off Party’

On September 26th, Milwaukee hosted one of its events for Fashion Week. Until I came to Milwaukee last year for college, I wasn’t even aware that Milwaukee had a Fashion Week or Fashion Night Out. I was definitely excited about the news and hopefully MKE will grow gradually throughout the years.

The event I attended was the Hats Off Party! Before the event that started at 7 p.m. at Spin, a cocktail hour was held at The Black Sheep. It was encouraged that girls show off their fabulous cocktail dresses and become acquainted with others who enjoy fashion and style. I think the goal of Wren Solares, the founder and event planner of MKE Fashion Week, was to bring people together. Her goal was to present “opportunity on every level”, as she says. She hopes MKE Fashion is what the community makes of it, and an event that can bring people together who have similar interests. It’s available to everyone and anyone is welcome.

Myself and a friend attended Spin at around 7 p.m. and it was just getting started. The atmosphere was really nice. I loved the dim lighting and avant-garde décor. There was posters around the room that had many top designers names on them and the campaign picture. Salvatore Ferragamo, Escada, and Balmain to name a few.

The mood was very casual and light. Maybe around 20 people were there socializing. The rest of the event showcased a local designer who had a few models walking around in her Marie Antoinette/Alice in Wonderland esque designs. She was great and very talented. Another main part of the event was the first ‘Hats Off’ award given to a designer who’s worked with Milwaukee fashion for quite some time. She’s been a great influence to the founders and coordinators of MKE Fashion Week. I was amazed to hear that she made the wedding gown for a daughter of one of our previous presidents.

Throughout the night, a lot of socializing and picture taking took place. Wren Solares was kind enough to speak with me and my friend, giving us the inside scoop and telling us her ideas for the future. She even asked what we would like to get out of MKE Fashion Week. As a former employee of London’s Fashion Week, working with Stella McCartney, I believe she will do just fine.

If one should have any more questions about MKE Fashion Week and its events, contact Wren at wrensolares.gmail.com

All images besides my own were found at Fashion Week MKE, CGPhotography and RkPhotography’s Facebook pages: