The lights blackout and spotlights hit the runway. A model powerfully captivates the fashion-forward crowd while unveiling a designer's latest styles. Sound like a scene straight from last week's trendsetting Fashion Week in New York?
That's exactly the atmosphere Stephanie Laraine Sherman and Carrie Lee Arrouet, owners of Lela — a female fashion boutique in the Historic Third Ward — intend to replicate Saturday night in Milwaukee. They have helped expose Milwaukee's trendy and chic side. The event, "Wardrobe: lights, camera, fashion," celebrates Lela's second anniversary in a very fashionable way.
Outside Lela's doors, the strip of Broadway Street, between St. Paul Avenue and Buffalo Street, will transform into the runway production. The Skylight Opera Theatre is providing the event's lighting. A red carpet will lead the expected 500 fashion-eager guests into the huge tents. This atmosphere is representative of Fashion Week scenes across the world.
"We'd love to expand (the show) to the whole weekend and then the whole week like in New York and Los Angeles," Sherman said. "Our goal is to make the Third Ward the fashion district of Milwaukee."
A DJ will be pumping music through speakers in every corner as "Wardrobe" takes stage. Three designers, Burton, Shanel Regier and Laddhavan Sutana, will debut new collections, each consisting of 30 to 40 outfits and lasting 20 to 30 minutes. In between fashion, the event uniquely intertwines film. Four short films, courtesy of the Milwaukee International Film Festival, will be shown.
Designers style the night
Two local designers, Regier and Sutana, will unveil new and innovative fall collections, which will be available next week at Lela.
Regier likes her models to have a theatrical appearance and her shows to incorporate other elements like dance or music. She described her new collection as "combing a Russian princess with a Victorian Lady." Regier's designs use a lot of bold, beautiful and intricate patterns along with very rich colors.
"I don't like to follow trends, I like to stick to classic styles that can be worn over the years," Regier said. She often combines elements from different eras into one design.
Sutana described her style as "classic, romantic, yet flirty and bold." Her runway collection is loosely inspired by menswear, pairing bold colors with feminine cuts.
"Knitwear is the cornerstone of my company, so that will be seen on the runway," Sutana said. "I do a lot of hand knits and like to take it a sleeker level and make them more modern and edgy." She focuses her designs on quality, using mostly natural materials.
Men's fashion isn't forgotten. Burton, a national designer, will show 18 outfits each for men and women. Burton's clothing lines are available at Moda3, also located in the Third Ward.
Lela sparks fashion awareness
Coordinating an elaborate and high-class fashion show seems like a natural step for Sherman and Arrouet, who both have backgrounds in event planning. The two met at a leadership development class and turned their shared enthusiasm for fashion into an entrepreneurial success.
Both originally from the Midwest, they saw a need for unique shopping in Milwaukee, since fashion-forward women were traveling to Chicago and further for one-of-a-kind designer pieces. Lela helped bring that to Milwaukee. They feature chic, up and coming looks from emerging local and national designers.
"It's amazing how people are still finding us for the first time," Sherman said. Since Lela opened in October 2003, the Third Ward has expanded to include more specialty stores, helping to put Milwaukee on the fashion map.
Lela offers unique apparel and accessories that accent the basics. The looks are feminine, flirty and modern. They sell 50/50 new apparel and consignments, which bring in vintage pieces and high-end designer labels.
Sherman said the following are some of the new fall trends to look for: velvet, rich textures and fabrics, Russian embroidery, brown and black, shrugs and cropped jackets.
This article was published in The Marquette Tribune on September 22, 2005.