When I joined the St. Paul Pioneer Press back in – eek – 2000, covering fashion in St. Paul was no easy feat. I remember attending the annual Taste of Grand fashion show and hearing my mom’s old line playing in my head: "If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all." Back then, there wasn’t much "fashion" happening on Grand Avenue - certainly nothing anyone younger than, say, 80, would have been interested in.
My, how times have changed. Thursday’s show at Macalester’s Kagin Ballroom (what a cool space) was thoroughly modern, from the DJ spinning hot tunes to the cage dancers. From Karma and Quince (what an under appreciated gem) down the avenue to Picky Girl (pictured), there was enough fashion to feel legit – and make me want to shop.
Unfortunately, the event didn’t draw a huge crowd. The $30 ticket could have played a roll in that. But even more so, I think Grand Ave. needs to figure out its audience for this event and market it accordingly. (Were men aware there would be models in bra and panty sets from Flirt?) I just don’t think enough shoppers realize how hard they’re trying or how much fun they could have had at this energetic event.
Tags: grand avenue, karma, picky girl, quince, st. paul pioneer press, St. Paul shopping, twin cities fashion shows, twin cities shopping
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