Fashion takes to the spotlight with Strut 2012

in A&E by MacKenzie Chase — October 18, 2012 at 8:34 am | no comments

By MacKenzie Chase

On Oct. 18, models and promoters will take over the Orpheum Theater in the 7th annual Strut Charity Fashion Show.

For the past several years, Strut has showcased new fashions on the runway with the help of local clothing shops. The Arizona Daily Sun began planning the event as a way to help out St. Mary’s Food Bank. Shoes & Such, a clothing boutique located in downtown Flagstaff, is sponsoring the event this year.

Kristen Faxlanger, manager of the shop, explained how the set-up is going to be different from the previous years.

“[The Daily Sun] asked individual stores if they would be interested in sponsoring the event and we chose to be the main sponsor of it, which involves a more highlighted focus in supporting the event,” Faxlanger said.

Peter Elfers, a senior electronic media and film major who works at Black Hound Gallerie in the Old Town Shops, has been a part of the fashion show for three years now.

“As far as most of the outdoor retailers, they basically promote a lot of their winter weather stuff because the season’s starting to change . . . [and] as far as boutiques and other fashion-oriented shops, most of the time, you know, it’s basically fall collections.” said Andres Adauto, manager of Incahoots Vintage Clothing & Costumes.

“It [the style] varies from outdoor to more stylish or more trendy,” Faxlanger said. “There’s a pretty broad structure of all the different styles and shops represented there.”

Other businesses showcasing at Strut include: P.J. Chilcottage, Oncore Skate & Snow, Flagstaff Sports Exchange, Peace Surplus and the Basement Marketplace.

“It’s a good way to remind everybody who’s out there [and] who your local shops are,” Adauto said.

Each store participating gets to choose three people to represent them and their clothing.

“You’re allowed three minutes to represent your store on the runway and that’s it, so you have three minutes to go big,” Faxlanger explained.  “We tend to be focused on more of a serious approach. but some people really have fun with it . . . it just kind of depends, each individual store can do whatever they want.”

For Black Hound, they’re planning a selection that will reflect their unique merchandise.

“We’re gonna do it all. Most of the stores just do pretty conventional outfits. They’ll do the dresses they have around, they’ll have shoes, they’ll get all gussied up before they go out; we like to make it a little quirkier,” Elfers said.

Some of the clothing items they have in store to strut on the runway include masks and some of the signature shirts that they make which say things like ‘DTF: Down Town Flagstaff’ and ‘Flagstaff: World’s First International Dark Sky City’ with ‘We Do It In The Dark’ written on the back in glow-in-the-dark print.

“I am willing to go out there and kind of make a fool out of myself if it means the people are gonna have a laugh and remember what we did while we were up on stage,” Elfers said.

Tickets will be available at the door for $10 or $5 with a donation of two non-perishable food items. For $50, attendees can get the VIP treatment. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show will begin at 8 p.m.