Following hor d’oeuvres and open bar, a few dozen people who haven’t experienced fashion show fatigue yet took their seats along the 100 foot runway installed on Pratt Street Saturday for the Hartford Has Style event.

NIRO and That Flavour Boutique, both of Pratt Street, presented clothing and shoes. Other designers and stores represented included House of Ettienne, Tanijah Gamble, I’m Possible Club, Yanique Mattice, Carmen Veal Swimwear, Zubair, and the Hartford Denim Company. Minimal information was provided about these designers.

Garments were modeled by a mix of models and “role models.” Logan Byrnes, Yvonne Davis, Jennifer DiBella, Oz Griebel, Jerry Long, Hector Rivera, Donna Sodipo, Tara Spain, Sharon Dichand, and Michael Williams were listed as the role models.

There were multiple singing performances and an “Instagram Intermission” during the event; it seemed more chairs opened up after each pause, with spectators leaving as the temperatures dropped and Pratt Street became a wind tunnel — a condition not compatible with strapless gowns.

Let’s look at how this latest show compares with the other recent ones: Kate Couture and Trashion Fashion.

 

 

A fashion show exists to predict trends and keep designers’ names out there, at least when we’re talking about the large scale shows that wind up featured in Vogue and Bazaar. With three wildly different styles, the only certainty is that what was shown in the Kate Couture show is what we are already seeing. Will cheek-revealing swimwear or tops composed of coffee sleeves flow into the mainstream?

With Kate Couture, the goody bags included coupons for designer factory outlet stores forty miles south of Hartford. On site, attendees could shop the Connecticut Historical Society gift shop, but not for fashion items beyond jewelry, none of which appeared to be featured in the show. Trashion Fashion dedicated one floor of City Hall to the show, with merchandise tables elsewhere in the building, featuring eco-friendly and locally-produced items, ranging from t-shirts to skin products to coffee.

Hartford Has Style, located on Pratt Street, seemed to lend itself to multiple shopping possibilities, but in fact, the Stackpole Moore Tryon Tuesday’s Off the Rack was closed. NIRO’s door was open, but patrons were definitely steered out ten minutes before models took the runway. The multiple designers represented at Hartford Has Style seem to be mysterious in origin, with nothing in the program indicating where any of them can be found.

Kate Couture and Trashion Fashion were both marketed well, using all forms of media to get the word out in advance. Though MECA, the City of Hartford’s own marketing vehicle, was involved in Hartford Has Style, it seemed that few people heard about this in advance. I only knew from what appeared to be a black-and-white photocopied flyer adhered to a window on Pratt Street, then forgot about it, and remembered when a friend invited me along the day before. With numerous empty seats in both the general and VIP sections, it looks like word did not get out. Toward the end of the evening, the emcee told general admission people they were welcome to grab any remaining VIP gift bags.

Price may have been an issue. General admission to Hartford Has Style was $40; VIP, $75. Tickets for Kate Couture were $25. Trashion Fashion had two tiers: $20 general admission, $50 VIP.

Kate Couture definitely had the feel of a Mother’s Day activity, with more subdued music and styles somewhat inspired by Katharine Hepburn. These were mostly business casual outfits; nothing so edgy that anyone would be offended. The pacing of models was slower, but the event wrapped up more quickly because even with a few technical glitches here and there, the absence of planned intermissions kept some momentum going.

Trashion Fashion, as always, mixes ballerinas and upcycled materials. In the weeks leading up to the latter event, the community is invited to participate in the creation of the set, which is then built in City Hall. The event is also staged in New York and Washington D.C., where audiences would not be so likely to forgive clumsy performances. Amy Merli’s background in choreography pays off well here.

Hartford Has Style’s models (“role models” notwithstanding) had the runway strut down, with minimal stumbling. This is where you would look for inspiration for an outfit to wear for a night out on the town.

 

 

Those searching for a theme in the Hartford Has Style show: metallic colors. This worked best as accents or in citrine, less so in taupe or predictable bronze or gold.

Sunglasses were the main accessory.

Pants were mostly missing from the show, with the largest notable exception to this being Hartford Denim Company’s styles…for men.

It seems that everywhere one turns this season, there are declarations that heels are out. Flats and sneakers — sexed up and designer, of course — have been named the thing to wear.

Not in Hartford.

Not for women, anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aside from the occasional stroll down the carpet by one of the community models, menswear did not appear until late into the program.

Bottom line: we’d love to see a more polished version of Hartford Has Style, with ticket pricing that allows more of the Hartford community to attend (Trashion Fashion seems to have its $20/50 nailed). The models and fashions were, for the most part, gorgeous, deserving of a larger audience. This means tackling promotion to various audiences well in advance. Lose the awkward “Instagram Intermission” and scale back on the musical performances to keep everything moving, the audience’s attention, and, well, the audience itself.