Local designer sketches for "Envision" vitaminwater zero™ challenge

For this fall's "Envision: Artopia" fashion show vitaminwater zero™ will be hosting a Design Challenge featuring three local designers and "Envision" veterans: Christopher Straub (of Project Runway fame), Sarah M. Holm, and Jenny Carle. Similar to last year's "Flourish" vitaminwaterZERO rooftop fashion show I conceived and co-produced, each designer is creating a look based on a vitaminwater zero™ flavor that will be revealed at "Envision" on September 16 at Graves 601 Hotel. Visit envisionmpls.com for details on the show, and check out their sketches below:

Designer: Christopher Straub. Flavor: vitaminwater zero™ squeezed

Designer: Sarah M. Holm. Flavor: vitaminwater zero™ xxx

Designer: Jenny Carle. Flavor: vitaminwater zero™ drive

Preview: Cliche's "Crosswalk" fashion show

Local boutique Cliché is hosting its semi-annual "Crosswalk" fashion show tonight, and as usual, it will highlight three of its local designers: Jenny Carle, Rachel Blomgren and Sarah M. Holm.

Long time Cliché favorite Jenny Carle will be showing three red monochromatic, one-of-a-kind fall looks at the show:

[Looks by Jenny Carle. Photos: Stephanie Hynes; hair & makeup: Megan McNamara]

Rachel Blomgren, a newcomer to Cliché after making her debut at Voltage this past April, will be showing a fall collection of hand dyed waffle knit, plaid wool, and bleach dyed knits inspired by, as she puts it, "Nineties grunge (a la Courtney Love) and Minnesota lumberjack with a little witch magic thrown in."

[Images provided by Rachel Blomgren]

Sarah M. Holm will be showing brightly-colored, sculptural looks:

[Photos by Tim Ho]

The free show begins promptly at 7:15 p.m. tonight at Cliché, 2403 Lyndale Avenue South in Uptown Minneapolis. While you're there, you can also snag 20 percent off everything in the store.

Photo recap: Jenny Carle's outdoor fashion show at Design Vertigo

Last Friday evening, I took a trip to North St. Paul to attend an outdoor fashion show put on by charming new boutique Design Vertigo. It featured the Summer 2011 line by local designer Jenny Carle, and was adorably styled with retro 'dos (by BakkenWood Hair Studio) to fit with the vintage theme of the weekly North St. Paul History Cruzer Car Show. The entire street was blocked off and filled with parked vintage cars in candy colors, and the boutique's exterior was decorated to look like a county fair stand. Afterward, I grabbed an ice cream cone with my date, designer Maritza Ramirez, from an outdoor stand and a tap beer at a divey bar called Sidewinders. It was a little taste of small town magic in the Twin Cities.

[Photos by Jahna Peloquin or courtesy NSP History Cruzer Car Show and Lucy Nguyen]