Art in Bloom Floral Fashion Show

This dress (above), was made with over a thousand roses. Incredible!

"They are only complete when they're together." (above) - First Place Winner

My absolute favorite piece from the event! I met the designer after the show, and (somewhat seriously) asked her to design my future wedding dress.

This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to attend a fashion show. This wasn't just any fashion show though - every garment that went down the runway was made entirely of flowers and other foliage. Set in the gorgeous Windhover Hall of the Milwaukee Art Museum, the gowns dazzled and left many attendees in awe. Not only did I want to wear some of the incredible floral creations, but I was also intrigued and captivated by the technique and skill that it took to construct this style of art. I can say with 100% certainty that I'm already planning on attending next year's event!

The ticket for this event said "Dress to Impress," but that can be interpreted differently by everyone. I love any opportunity to dress up though, so I went with this bright pink shift dress from Banana Republic, and completed the look with a fitted leather jacket. Adding a leather jacket is a great way to create a slightly more casual look if you're not quite sure how fancy to dress for an event, and you literally can't go wrong with the selection that Express offers every year. I bought mine a couple seasons ago, and I'm still obsessed. 

On another note, it's officially spring! Go ahead and break out those floral prints and wedges - let's hope Mother Nature shows us some love. xoxo

Dress: Banana Republic

Leather Jacket: Express

Shoes: Vince Camuto

Earrings: New York & Company

The Real Fashion Show

This is a great quote from Bill Cunningham. For those of you who may not know who he is, I recommend following his life and work; it is truly fascinating. I was first introduced to his character while watching the documentary, Bill Cunningham New York, in my product development class at the University of Wisconsin. The documentary detailed his life as a fashion photographer on the streets of New York, describing his life in general, as well as his knack for catching awesome photos of the personal style and fashion of New Yorkers (along with the occasional celebrity shot). Many of Cunningham's photos have been published on the New York Times website (link below), where he creates short videos explaining the fashion trends he is currently seeing on the streets. Watching a few of these videos will validate this quote a thousand times over. Whether it's trends that are beginning to recycle themselves from earlier decades, or trends that embody the "trickle up" theory (emerge in the streets and are later adopted by designers, such as the t-shirt), you will see that the best fashion show start on the streets, showcasing how each individual expresses their personal style. Maybe you'll be lucky enough to be "spotted" next. 

http://www.nytimes.com/video/on-the-street