Avanti, September 19. Photo Credit: Bill Downey
MORE PHOTOS: The Fashion Exhibition at Avanti Salon
At about 8:30 last night, my feet started to throb, my eyes glassed over, and I wasn’t forming coherent sentences anymore. But as much as my trusty companion Mike and I were ready to call it quits, there were a few more events to attend.
The first, a collaborative effort by local designers Kristina Kozak, Yuna Yang, Nirva Derbekyan of Nirva, and CinSummer.com founder Christan Summers, was a designer showcase at Avanti Salon. I arrived to find a swarm of people waiting impatiently outside the building. I made my way to the front of the line and asked the security guy if I could head upstairs. After calling someone and disappearing for a few minutes, he finally let me up, where I found a group of frantic, sweaty organizers running around trying to finish setting up.
At this point, I was not impressed. Then I started poking around some of the CinSummer trunk show baubles and checking out Nirva’s dresses (both on models and hanging along the wall). I had been to one of Nirva’s shows a couple of years back at Saint and although the designer herself is super-sweet, her runway show was not. It was another example of the art-and-crafts-ish, unfinished designs that new and inexperienced designers often create.
But these pieces didn’t resemble the work of such a designer. In fact, not only were they finished, they actually looked wearable and saleable. Aside from an awkward yellow number with a maroon apron tied around it and a tweed Chanel-wannabe shift dress with a gray silk bow, Nirva’s pieces were well-made, on trend, and totally splurge-worthy. She’s come a long way as a designer, and it shows. Stand-outs included a strapless taupe party dress with Marchesa-like rose-shaped gathered fabric at the top (it reminded me of a piece Sarah Jessica Parker would rock the red carpet with) and a tan ruffle blouse paired with a mint-green pencil skirt.
As for the trunk-show jewelry, I could have bought every piece. It was a well-edited selection of dainty personal items and funky baubles hand-picked by Christan Summers herself.
Other mentionables from the evening included samples from Kristina Kozak’s handmade shoe collection, and Ki Bar, a new bar-service venture from local bartender Jennifer Murphy. The Ki Bar itself was sort of cool, with pleasant service and flowers in my girly cocktail. It seemed fitting for a fashion event.
And then I opened their marketing packet. Yikes. What was this? Bar service for yoga conferences? Their tag line is “Awaken your brain.” Um, yeah, I don’t know that vodka awakens anything in my brain, but it does make for a killer hangover.
To quote from Ki Bar’s mission:
“The secret to healing your body, mind and soul lies in the energy of ki. When you transform this energy, you will bring about a fundamental shift in your physical and mental behavior and habits. Inspired from the energy that connects the body and soul, we believe that you will achieve ki through the awakening of your brain.”
Really? Are we really comparing getting tipsy to a spiritual experience? Ki Bar, you had me with that floral, fruity drink and cool set-up, but you lost me with your wacky mantras. About the only thing that awakens my soul in relation to a night of drinking is a stiff cup of coffee and a cold shower.
— Erica Corsano
