After two years of mixing online-only events, taped fashion shows and socially distanced runway walks, Minnesota Fashion Week is making a full in-person return with its Fall 2022 season. Featuring six fashion shows, a panel experts and a shopping dinner, FWMN’s focus is to highlight the talent, strength and creativity that thrives in Minnesota’s fashion industry.
“Our goals are always to elevate the passion of the North, to elevate our talent, to elevate the work we’ve done and created,” explained Susan Lepkke, COO of FWMN. “Minnesota is known for so many great things, and we should also be known for the types of designers and artists we have in this space.”
After an eternity of sweatpants and oversized T-shirts, Lepkke knows Minnesotans are ready to get out and get dressed—and that the designers curating this season’s FWMN feel the same way.
“We’re still in a pandemic, but we want to express ourselves more fluidly through our clothing,” Lepkke said. “People will be more unique with their style. They’re going to put more style, or more of their own personality into the items we see.”
Think silk, lace, detailed dresses. An homage to the 1920s with a splash of bright colors. The juxtaposition of classic and modern will be playing off the renewed themes around the fashion events that took over the Twin Cities this week. With a focus on sustainability, inclusion and accessibility, and the future of fashion, Lepkke believes that FWMN Fall 2022 will bring to light the power that fashion plays in both creativity and realism.
“We’re in a tough time, and we really wanted to take a real look at the things that are happening in our world today and marry that with what our community is working on within that space.”
To kick off the week, Rose & Bull return to FWMN with Catwalk: A vintage fashion show on Sunday, September 18. Transporting viewers to the 1980s, Rose & Bull’s inclusion-oriented fashion show will feature looks from Glam Diggers Vintage, Frock Queen, Golden Pearl Vintage, Queenie and Pearl, Ragstock, Showstopper Vint, and Eye of Red under the Machine Shop walkway. The vintage extravaganza will include looks for purchase from Lobster Garden Vintage and Obsidian Pause located in the pop-up market after the show. eventbrite.com
A few hours later at Vandalia Tower in St. Paul, In the studio The second annual runway show will highlight the power of design in promoting social and environmental change. As a fashion event created entirely sustainably – from the show location to the drinks served – the lineup of local designers and designers spotlights clothing and accessories curated by eco-stylists, sustainable brands and boutiques of locally conscious, and gives a back- Scenes look at the design process from the maker’s point of view. In the studio ignites the power between fashion and a sustainable future. eventbrite.com
Monday night’s main event will transport visitors to Union: 1922, telling stories of strength and resilience through the eyes and ears of AAPI and BIPOC voices. Located at the Swedish American Institute on September 19th, David Chang, founder of Croig, will co-produce the production and display vintage motorcycles during the show. VIP attendees will be treated to cocktails crafted by Slate & Stone prior to the fashion show at 7:30 p.m. eventbrite.com
How do fashion, technology, sustainability and inclusion converge? On Tuesday, September 20, a panel of experts will dive into the future of connectivity in the fashion industry. Located at the Rand Tower Hotel in Minneapolis, experts Amir of Rem5, Tara Daily, creator of the DressDecode app, and Shelisa Demuth, CEO of Beta.mn and founder of LAUREL Development, will discuss the stepping stones to where fashion is. today, and like NFTs, clothing lines designed for online avatars and 3D effects will play into tomorrow’s fashion. eventbrite.com
Qe’Bella Couture will present Luxe streetwear Fashion with a purpose, a fundraiser focused on combining timeless avant guard pieces with subtle and classic silhouettes steeped in fashion history on Wednesday, September 21. The fashion show is a benefit for the Lovely Sewing & Arts Collective, an arts collective dedicated to helping children learn how to sew, and will be hosted by Jason DeRusha, host of WCCO Radio’s “Drivetime” and Food Critic for Minnesota Monthly. Promotion of eight local fashion designers and two local jewelry designers, Luxury streetwear will be at The Trailhead on Theodore Wirth Parkway. eventbrite.com
Landrover Jaguar Minneapolis welcomes Fusiona combination of past FWMN Energy Gear and Ramadhan Designs designers, on his stage on Thursday, September 22nd. Mixing streetwear and trendy fashion, Fusion will bring a total of 13 local fashion and accessory brands to create a new genre of fashion apparel. eventbrite.com
After the affair wraps up, Saturday’s two FWMN events will have a little something for everyone to enjoy – sip, shop and view. The Golden Hour, presented by Legacy and Les Sol, combines local, sustainable designer designs and vintage looks across the decades. Located in Legacy, the store will open its doors at 11 a.m. and allow visitors to fall into the mystique of local, sustainable fashion. Later that evening, Develop returns with a runway show and pop-up event hosted by the Aveda Institute of Arts and Sciences, featuring all local Minnesota designers. The show will feature ready-to-wear fashion pieces that will be available for sale after the show. With 25 stylists, Develop will be FWMN’s biggest fashion show of the fall season. Les Sol, Evolve
Returning to its full glory, Minnesota Fashion Week’s fall 2022 season brings a little bit of everything — vintage, sustainable and local. The shows will run from September 18 to September 24, with full details available online at fashionweekmn.com.
