This isn't about secondhand T-shirts and thrift-store treasures; it's an all-out aesthetic revolution complete with art-house moxie and streetwise style. If you're tired of the faux vintage, digitally distressed and sandblasted chic of the famous- maker fashions, forget everything you know about post-consumer wares and find your way to Fruition.
Las Vegas locals/UNLV graduates/young entrepreneurs/vintage enthusiasts Samantha Alonso and Chris Julian are here to educate and inspire with an eclectic mix of reclaimed, reconstructed and re-emerging styles that will rock your striped tube socks off.
Exactly when vintage vestments became hipster haute couture is debatable, but the overwhelming influence of era appreciation on the smart and stylish set is undeniable. Julian's collection of early-'80s Dior polos, Troop high-tops in Corvette red leather, and late-'70s-brand promo tees are all hallmarks of a happening cat who knows his obscure ephemera. With the intent to inform, Julian focuses on more than the fashion-conscious combination. His masterful mix is akin to a cautious bride: something old (late-'80s candy cane- striped Polo), something new (a screen-printed tee from Canadian brand Siknuss complete with reappropriated POP themes), something borrowed (from your favorite early-'90s hip-hop icon, maybe LL Cool J) and something blue (as in camp and quietly off-color).
Alonso's women's-wear is a fanciful offering of everything from bold-printed '70s sun dresses to shiny kimonos in plush, pillowed satin. Her expressed goal is to garner understanding and appreciation for the original-era designs that inspire today's big brands. And Alonso picks pieces that assure you'll still look smokin' while trumping the label loyalists.
Accompanied by contemporary photos proving her point, these vintage finds are ready to reclaim their rightful place of party-girl prominence. RSVP to Alonso's "Spring into Style" event on the 21st for a preview of her spring/summer '06 girl gear and nab something artful and original, minus the always- unflattering avant-garde awkwardness.
For scenesters with a lifestyle (emphasis on style) agenda, Fruition will take on First Friday with a vintage sample sale at the Avant Art Gallery, while co-sponsoring after-party, "The Get Back."
Jennifer Henry's got the goods on what to get & where. E-mail her at
[email protected].