Haute and wet
Group Therapy
While Fall Fashion Week has long come and gone in Paris, Milan, New York and even Los Angeles, Nashville's fashion shows are displaying what to buy for spring and what to covet for summer. It may seem like we're lagging behind these venerable behemoths of couture, but perhaps we're just being practical. Vogue and Women's Wear Daily are gushing about fall's must-have fur-trimmed Louis Vuitton bootie as we putter about in squeaky new flip-flops.
The hippest boutiques are mixing city-chic and edgy designs with a dash of Nashvegas flair. The fashionistas and curious onlookers who flocked to Bar Twenty3 for Bam♦boo Boutique's spring show last Thursday expected a major production. All fashion shows start late, and this one was no exception. The crowd erupted in cheers as the first ingénue stepped forward. "Classic country" adornments like rhinestones, big, teased hair and bold makeup were updated and tweaked into a sleek "urban glam."
Joining a few professional models were several cute kids and an assortment of striking locals whose day jobs range from fitness trainer to nanny to licensed mortician. The models emerged from the upstairs loft and used the metal stairs as a catwalk. Some danced, some simply posed and a few descended rather gingerly on 3-inch stilettos. Each outfit received applause, but the fervent crowd roared whenever feistier models like Roger Tison and Vanessa Brown broke it down with sassy moves.
Like L.A., Nashville loves high-end sportswear. Some standout women's wear included the super-trendy Ella Moss stripes, flirty pastels from Follies, a flowing top from Eva Fortune and anything Miss Sixty. One very short, pink ruffled dress elicited gasps from a group of well-heeled 40-somethings. "That's so Carrie Bradshaw," mused one Green Hills grand dame. Mmmm, hold that thought, ladies.... The kids were consistently precious, and the guys looked their best when they wore less. The four buff, bare-chested jean models sported fresh denim from Diesel, Chip and Pepper and more. Haute, haute, haute.
A good fashion event should inspire people to experiment with their wardrobe and individual style. The inspiration needn't come only from the runway. Most of Bam♦boo's attendees put extra effort into their "looks" and some used the forum to showcase their own fashion statements. Mixed in with the trendsetters and canny "anti-fashion" types were in-the-know soccer moms, a handful of very dapper men and one definitively sexy star. It must have been orgasmic for those who evoked the spirit of Sex and the City to see John Corbett, a.k.a. Carrie's short-lived fiancé Aidan Shaw, calmly sipping drinks and chatting with female fans post-show.
You don't have to be a big spender to be invited to the local fashion shows. Adding your name to your favorite boutiques' mailing lists should do the trick. Posh, in Hillsboro Village, will be having a show sometime in the next month....
The soggy scene at the Country Music Marathon was a sharp contrast to the glamarama of Thursday night. At 7 a.m., the dedicated partiers who stayed up through Saturday night were faring better than the bleary-eyed souls who'd attempted to rest. As Olympic runners passed by with nary a glance in the direction of cheering fans, some onlookers stood with hair of the dog in one hand, a Krispy Kreme or sausage biscuit in the other, yelling things like, "As long as you keep running, we'll keep drinking!"
Party people and foot weary runners better rest up now! River Stages is just days away. See www.nashvilleriverstages.com for info.
—Amy Waddell, photos by Darek Bell
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