FOA's Weird and Wild Fashion Show Will Close Out the Summer Fest Season

Submitted by the Festival of Arts/Pageant of the Masters:

One of last summer’s most popular events, the Festival of Arts' fashion show, returns Saturday, August 31.

The festival, a Southern California staple in the arts and culture scene, features the work of 140 award-winning artists from Orange County. But on this one and only day, some of these fine artists will make fashion their medium – competing to create the most inspired couture using reclaimed, reused or recycled materials. This year’s event is sponsored by Arbonne, the unparalleled botanically based beauty and wellness brand.
 
The show is in its fifth year and offers cash prizes of $1,000 in four categories: Most Creative Concept, Most Exciting Ensemble, Most Innovative Use of Materials and Most Glamorous & Elegant “Red Carpet” worthy creation. There will also be a “People’s Choice Award” (sans monetary prize) to be voted on at the event.
 
“This fashion show emphasizes inventiveness and creativity in the name of the environment in the most fun way! At Arbonne, we are all about being green - from botanically based ingredients to forward-looking green improvements – so being earth friendly has everything to do with who we are and how we choose to grow. This is an excellent way to bring our initiatives to light,” says Arbonne Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, Michael D’Arminio, who will open the show by taking the runway in a special Arbonne branded suit. The exclusive attire features a bespoke jacket and pants with a repeated custom print of the grass-green Arbonne logo, designed by Arbonne’s Creative Director Arlette Madenlian.
 
This special fashion contest event requires that artists’ garments be 80 percent or more of recycled materials. Festival artists then compete for the best design and execution in front of a panel of judges by walking the runway. Among the judges will be Arbonne CEO Kay Napier, alongside celebrity stylist guest judge, Steven “Cojo” Cojocaru, Celebrity Fashion Critic known for his “Best and Worst Dressed” lists. The event will be hosted by Christos Garkinos from Bravo’s “Dukes of Melrose”. Competing artists include W. Bradley Elsberry (artist medium: acrylics), Elizabeth McGhee (oil), Adam Neeley  (jewelry), Brittany Ryan (sculpture) and Jon Seeman (sculpture).

For more information on the Festival of the Arts, please visit the website at http://www.foapom.com/event/festival-runway-fashion/.