“This is not a fluff fashion show,” Anna Russo Seiber, owner of the ARS Gallery/Arts & Culture Center, a not-for-profit art center in the historic Benton Harbor Arts District, says vehemently as she discusses her role as judge in the annual Fashion on the Shore (FOTS) held Friday May 9 at the Heritage Museum and Cultural Center in downtown St. Joseph. “It was designed to identify up and coming designers from colleges in Indiana, Illinois and Michigan, and it gives them a fantastic venue to exhibit their incredible talents.”
Created as a way to showcase the talents of fashion students from schools in Michigan and nearby states, the show has grown tremendously since it began three years ago says Dani Lane, owner of Dani Lane Productions who has coordinated the event since its beginning. This year’s show featured 30 models doubling the number from year one and tripling the number of designers. Lane notes that FOTS is a partnership between Shore magazine, the Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council, the Heritage Center and the Times Media Company.
For Shatar, whose creative talents are wide ranging and include interior and landscape design, contemporary Modern Art painter and performs commercial and narrative voiceovers for her St. Joseph based business Shatar’s Voice, judging the show is always, in her own words, an awesome experience.
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“It is very exciting to observe the evolvement of new fashions,-many incredibly wild and others incredibly sophisticated,” she continues. “All the designers are extremely gifted from hand painted designs, and woven leather - to unbelievable use of coffee filters.”
It’s no easy task to judge all this talent say both Seiber and Shatar, two of the show’s judges.
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“Given the criteria under which to judge I look at precision of work, choice of materials, textiles, excitement and overall feel and wearability,” says Shatar.
Though Seiber, an artist in such mediums as clay and paint, runs a gallery, she says her first love was always fashion.
“My first art renderings at 18 and 20 were of gowns, and 30's style palazzo pants with hats,” she says with a laugh. “Being a part of Fashion on the Shore feeds my inner designer, so I suppose it is also for selfish reasons.”
Describing the stunning ball gown skirts paired with pearls and plain white Gap tee's as just simply elegant, Seiber says they judge on a 1-5 scale, 1 being the low score.
“We considered wearability, craftsmanship and creativity as well as how it all shows on the runway,” she says noting that another design, a plaid taffeta dresses with the most intricate stitching was like rushing on steroids. “These very talented designers work so hard to prepare for these competitions using unbelievable techniques, materials, and giving really interesting presentation on the runway.”
For Lane, pulling all this together comes together—somewhat frantically—on the day of the show.
Though she has already selected the models (criteria—“a certain size”), not all are professional and some very last minute training in doing runway work comes into play early in the day. Lane, who works with the schools, meets the designers and examines their work when it is on hangers, has to visualize which design will fit which model the day of.
“It’s all volunteers so we really don’t have the opportunity to all get together beforehand," says Lane. “The day of the program I get everyone all in a room together and I have to match the clothes with the girls. That’s first day they’ve tried on the clothes. Reva Salon and Spa does the models’ hair and make-up Then we have a dress rehearsal with the emcee reading through my script.”
