Friday, July 29, 2011

For minnefemme's Jessine, personal style is an art form


Fashion is the industry of extremes: extreme slits, extreme necklines, extreme lengths (in either direction). And don’t forget about extreme weather: Anyone who has ever stepped off a jet plane in Minneapolis probably has a thing or two to say about the climate.
“Winters here could probably make hell freeze over and summers can be scorching,” comments fashion designer Jessine, who sells her creations on Etsy under the name minnefemme. From frostbite to sunburn, your personal style shouldn’t have to suffer. “Comfort is combined with the diverse and unique personalities of its inhabitants. Minneapolis style is different from say, Los Angeles, in the sense that we seem to be less influenced by what everybody else is wearing.”
Not inclined to duplicate the images in fashion magazines, Jessine herself finds inspiration for her style and designs in Uptown. “Take a stroll down one of these sidewalks [on Hennepin and Lagoon] and you’ll get a glimpse of what Minneapolis style is all about.” Indeed, Uptown has a plethora of essential B-Listers: boutiques, bistros, and bars. Some of the Twin Cities’ best thrift finds are discovered through the doors of the neighborhood’s shops. “The people who hang out here are unique and inspiring. I’ll see a cool tattoo or a 60’s style haircut and it feeds the always-hungry right side of my brain,” concludes Jessine.
Photo courtesy of minnefemme's Etsy shop

Visiting Uptown and absorbing this effervescent aura led Jessine’s imagination to a vision of dreamcatchers. A staple in her Etsy shop, the Peek-A-Boo Dreamcatcher top (above, and another variation below)—the result of her Uptown visions—can be dressed up or down (a critical trait of any day-to-night piece of the fashion puzzle—your closet).
To the office, match it with an always-chic tailored blazer, brightly colored trousers (a huge hit this fall), and not-your-grandmother’s platform loafer heels. (Best of all, this look works in sleet, snow, or sunshine.) Lose the blazer and switch to strappy stilettos for happy hour and beyond. On the weekend, pack it in your beach tote for a chic swimsuit cover up. Styling the Peek-A-Boo Dreamcatcher top can be successful in any time zone—from Minneapolis to Prague, where Jessine will be attending school later this year.
Photo courtesy of minnefemme's Etsy shop
Prague, Jessine figures, will further nourish the right side of her brain, which should mean good things for her design future. “People who are truly into fashion seem to be in-tune with their artistic side. This makes sense, because clothing isn’t limited to protection or warmth anymore; it’s an art form.”
If we consider our closets our museums, and the clothing adorning them paintings, it highlights the importance of curating something inspiring, stimulating—that can pique the senses of even the most fastidious critic—and something that will stand the test of time.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Blasphemina's Closet brings Luxette to Minneapolis--and closets around the world

The exploration and convocation of one’s individual style is a journey. It fluctuates, never fixed in finality. While some people wear their hearts on their sleeves, others choose to convey their emotions through their clothing. There is a reason people with no definitive or inspired personal style are perceived as a walking identity crisis, or worse, generally and undyingly lazy and apathetic.


According to Samantha Rei, founder and designer of Blasphemina’s Closet, the same could be said for the city of Minneapolis. (Ouch.)


When I first dreamt up this blog, I wanted to highlight the gains that the Minneapolis fashion community has made. What I didn’t want to do was emphasize just how far its denizens have yet to jaunt.


In Rei’s opinion, though, Minneapolis “doesn't exactly have a style yet.” (While my first reaction to this is to act defensively on behalf of my city, I realize she’s right: impersonal style is on display in the city’s skyways and streets just as often as its personal counterparts, and perhaps, in some neighborhoods, even more so.)


But for every Minneapolitan who lacks a curated style of her own, Rei makes up for it tenfold. The designs of Blasphemina’s Closet are indubitably alternative, but equally mixable and wearable. They adhere to and define the Luxette subculture. Rei, who has turned her hobby of fancy fashion into a legitimate career—she is currently moving into a studio for the first time—mirrors this concept; she is Blasphemina’s Closet in human form.



Model: Cristina Peterson
Photography: Fairshadow Photography
Makeup: Holly Luckes
Hair: Kati Hackett
Jewelry: Bionic Unicorn
Hat: Apatico
Glasses: Spectacle Shoppe


Admittedly, Blasphima’s Closet is not mainstream (nor is it meant to be); however, there are many offerings that can fit seamlessly into an otherwise diverse closet. Specifically, consider one of my favorite looks (above): its bold-yet-girly bow is a standout against the impeccably tailored gray suit—appropriate for women who find themselves working in an office though they swore they never would. (I imagine myself pairing the skirt with a flowy, jewel toned top and a belt for bold—albeit ironic—color blocking, also appropriate for professional occasions. This assimilation? “It was exactly what I intended for each look,” says Rei.)

The pieces she designs are “inspired by old British private schools and punk girls,” making them structured, yet unconventional. The Gabrielle (below) defines this; it is Harry Potter meets rebellious-glam punk, and, really, it’s no wonder: “I'm inspired by stories, so at the beginning of each collection I spend a lot of time at Barnes & Noble amidst the books,” admits Rei.



Model: Cristina Peterson
Photography: Fairshadow Photography
Makeup: Holly Luckes
Hair: Kati Hackett
Jewelry: Bionic Unicorn
Hat: Apatico
Glasses: Spectacle Shoppe


While Blasphemina’s Closet’s neo-victorian, gothic fanciness is a bold, niche look—it’s not meant for the common teenager at the common mall in the common city—Rei carries wisdom that anyone in search of her personal style should value: “Don't be lazy and don't adhere strictly to the images you see in magazines. If you are going to be a part of any style from contemporary to hipster to Luxette, find what you like about it, what drew you to it, and make it your own.”


Indeed, personal style is your own. You own it. Do not allow the trends to own you. That is not interesting, nor personal. Individual style, no matter if it is one part contemporary plus two parts hipster with a dash of Luxette, is always perceived as exactly as interesting as the individual donning it.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

What is Minnefasholis?


You see it in Uptown. You see it in the Warehouse District. You even see it over North. In any given neighborhood of Minneapolis you see its inhabitants mirror the eccentricities of their surroundings.
Minneapolis is making alterations to its style status. With trendsetters like Mary O'Regan and Hollie Mae Schultz and designers such as Danielle Everine and Joynoelle (the former will be competing on the coming season of Project Runway) there is a growing spotlight on the fashion scene. MN Fashion Week is no longer the redheaded stepchild of second-rate fashion weeks.


Here we will allow that spotlight to grow. We will help Minneapolis fashion sprout into a supermodel (even if she does have red hair).
Pale Rider
MNFW 2010
via

Minneapolis. Fashion. Minnefasholis.