DRESSING ROOM

Stripes, florals, the '80s seen on fashion horizon

Amanda Lee of the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts won first place and a $4,000 scholarship in Thea Foundation’s fourth annual Fashion Design Scholarship Competition. She created a top made of individually cut pieces of aluminum cans.
Amanda Lee of the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts won first place and a $4,000 scholarship in Thea Foundation’s fourth annual Fashion Design Scholarship Competition. She created a top made of individually cut pieces of aluminum cans.

Some of us hung on to every bit of spring/summer 2017 trend news when those fashions were actually shown during New York Fashion Week in September. And, noting the advent of spring, we're making plans to head to the stores or websites and get our hands on some of those spring/summer items before they sell out in our size.

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Thea Foundation

Kaylea Langle of Nettleton High School won second place and a $2,500 scholarship in the Thea Foundation’s Fashion Design Scholarship Competition for a lavender dress featuring “petals” made from recycled phone books.

For those who need a refresher on what the designers trotted out for this season, here's what has shown up in various online trend roundups:

• Stripes. "In every color, shape, size and form," according to InStyle.com. "Bold, bright, and brilliantly textured, spring's stripes are a jolt of energy in a sea of classic Bretons," reads a trend report at Stylecaster.com. Avoid horizontal stripes because they're unflattering? Don't worry. Stripes go every which way this season.

• Bra tops/bandeau tops. "Lingerie-like pieces were paired with evening skirts, cropped jeans, slinky suits, and more at shows as varied as Alexander Wang, Tory Burch and Oscar de la Renta," according to the Stylecaster.com piece. Its writer points out that this trend is for "those with ample confidence (and not-so-ample cleavage)."

• The '80s. "Big-shoulder details,'' including ... yikes ... the leg-o'-mutton sleeves that make every '80s-era bride cringe at her wedding photos. Shoulder pads. Big, clip-on earrings. Poufy skirts. And plenty of killer stilettos.

• Rocker/freestyle/"Bad Girls' Club" wear-what-you-want-ism. "Designers are begging you to push the envelope with clothes that are meant to be layered unexpectedly and outfits that come deconstructed," according to Popsugar.com.

• One-shouldered looks -- as in, one side of your top flopped down to expose your shoulder. This was combined on runways with another trend: the update of the button-down-oxford shirt.

• "Flowery" stuff. Florals are always around, but this season is pretty heavy on them, such as head-to-toe via maxis and jumpsuits.

• Ruffles. Always good to see those. Although they can be overdone, they're a classic feminine touch.

• See-through dresses. Parents are likely cringing as there's quite a bit of this in prom wear 2017.

Other trends of note: Khaki; the colors yellow and pink in particular; "flatform" shoes (platforms with no slope) and athleisure.

FASHION SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

Congratulations to Amanda Lee of the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts in Hot Springs. Lee won first place and a $4,000 scholarship in Thea Foundation's fourth annual Fashion Design Scholarship Competition, held March 11 at Thea's North Little Rock headquarters.

This was an event involving fashions made with recycled materials, which had to account for at least 75 percent of the garment. Lee made an intricate top of individually cut pieces of aluminum cans and bearing cut-out details.

Kaylea Langle of Jonesboro's Nettleton High School won second place and a $2,500 scholarship for a lavender, wisteria-inspired dress made of flowers born of recycled phone books.

MORE APRIL SHOW-ERS

I'd mentioned in my March 2 column that in April it would be raining fashion shows in Arkansas. Here are a few that missed inclusion in that column:

Arkansas Fashion School and Esse Purse Museum have teamed up for An Evening of Style, taking place from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the museum, 1510 Main St. in Little Rock. Guests can expect a runway showcase of fashion school students' latest creations along with remarks by school founder Jamileh Kamran and a keynote address by Linda Rowe Thomas, alumna and Little Rock fashion designer. Light hors d'oeuvres, drinks and a chance to view the museum's two exhibits are included. Tickets, $25 each, can be bought at eventbrite.com; via the An Evening of Style Facebook group found on Esse's Facebook page, at essepursemuseum.com or at the door. Call (501) 916-9022.

The ninth annual Easter Fashion Extravaganza, benefiting the Jefferson County Single Parent Scholarship Fund, is happening from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. Themed Spring Fashion Explosion, the event will feature clothing designed by University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff students; fashions from Sugar Girl's boutique; and models' personal wardrobe items.

Former professional baseball player Torii Hunter and his wife, Katrina, will serve as commentators. The event also will feature a silent auction, vendors and refreshments. Admission is $15 adults; $10 for students; and free for children age 5 and under. Proceeds will be used toward scholarships for single parents through the Jefferson County Single Parent Scholarship Fund. For ticket information, contact Jeannie Epperson at (870) 692-2772.

The Thea Foundation competition isn't the only event to marry fashion and recycling. The third annual Refashion Bash show -- Where Green Is the New Black -- will be April 22 at the Benton Event Center, 17322 Interstate 30. Doors open at 5 p.m.; the show starts at 6. Schoolchildren will present their self-made fashions from reused materials and compete for cash prizes. The show is co-produced by Little Rock Fashion Week founder Brandon Campbell. Guests will also be treated to a runway presentation of the Cupani Fashion and Rosavrai lines, modeled by professionals from Campbell's Oneofakind Talent Inc. Tickets are $10 at Recycle Saline or at the door. Call (501) 776-2533 or visit recyclesaline.org.

Dressing Room appears monthly. Send Arkansas fashion-related tips and news releases to:

hwilliams@arkansasonline.com

High Profile on 04/02/2017

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