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April 17th, 2009
We’re all about the love when it comes to our talented locals, and no we’re not talking about our double-jointed BFF or our neighbor’s dancing dog—we’re talking about our wonderful community of top-notch artists, designers, and crafty handmaidens, without whom we’d be naked (or at least lacking in cool stuff). That’s why we’re Johnny-Depp-just-proposed excited about MN Fashion Week! Not only is this fashion-frenzied week packed full of artistic and stylish endeavors, but it’s also accentuated with a ton of entertainment. Whether you’re young, old, man, woman, a street performer, a drag queen, a lookey-loo, or just someone who digs cool threads, MN Fashion Week is not to be missed. So don your most stylish frock, belly up to a cocktail and get ready to celebrate fashion, Minnesota style! |
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Minneapolis Picks: |
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| 1 | Dressed to Thrill As girls we thumbed feverishly through bridal magazines, diligently doggy-earing our faves. The dress: ginormous. The veil: fluffy. The jewelry? Pageant-style, baby. If only we’d known about The Wedding Shoppe, perhaps we wouldn’t have sauntered down the aisle looking like a cupcake in drag. This bridal haven houses a dazzling array of wedding day must-haves including stunning bridesmaid dresses, elegant jewelry, and tuxes that epitomize man-glam (shhh… don’t tell your guy). But where this boutique really shines is in their drop-dead gorgeous selection of bridal gowns, and let’s be honest—it really is about rockin’ the right dress and blowing raspberries at nay-sayers. We swooned over a ball gown by Paloma Blanca that perfectly embodied a timeless-meets-modern vibe, and we were positively mesmerized by an exquisitely fitted floral number by Watters & Watters, so ethereal in beauty and romantic in style that we briefly contemplated divorce just so we could get remarried in it. Fabulous invites, ultra-chic clutches, dance-worthy heels, and Spanx to tame the jiggle in your wiggle… this local mainstay has everything needed to give you the perfect happily ever after! The Wedding Shoppe |
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| 2 | Stir Up Some Style Toilet paper cozies… granny undies… commemorative coins… The Clapper. What do these items have in common? They’re all gifts we received from well-meaning but terribly misguided friends or family members. If only we could have steered them towards Evoke Gallery, countless dollars could have been saved (and fake smiles avoided). This gallery-come-gift boutique is our kinda happy place and a true gifter’s delight, offering up an astutely honed selection of perfect presents and home-enhancing décor and fine art. We loved the fiercely eye-popping Fireflower painting by Julie Keller, perfect for our ho-hum walls, and the innovative handbags by Lucky Eliza had us doing double-takes. Simply choose your inner core and then pop it in an out of a variety of chic shells, virtually eliminating the hassle of the last minute purse-swap. Genius! We also spied a stellar assortment of pre-made gift baskets available in a bevy of themes, from BBQ and bevies to babies, manly-man-goods, and inner wellness (with chocolate!). Evoke Gallery |
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| 3 | Charmed, We’re Sure We’ve been known to do cartwheels for a sparkly bauble, but we’re also a titch on the picky side. Ever since our Gram gifted us with her stellar art-deco wedding band we’ve been borderline obsessed with bygone-era pieces, so for us there’s no place like Charlemagne to make our jewelry dreams of tomorrow a reality today. Unlike those mega-mall stores that pump out cookie-cutter charms en masse, Charlemagne’s talented staff masterfully handcraft an array of beautiful custom pieces in-house, including engagement rings (hint, hint, honey) that are honed the old-fashioned way, chic freshwater pearls, and timeless silver bracelets. Whether your heart flip-flops for the traditional or you’re a contemporary vixen, Charlemagne will help you find—or create—a swoon-worthy bauble that’s as flashy or as understated as you are, and that your future great-granddaughter will adore. Their smattering of eye-catching décor items and jewelry boxes make this classic institution a no-brainer… and they won’t leave you wearing the same ring as everyone else ’til death do you part. Charlemagne |
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| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | Eye of the Beholder Once, in a martini-induced stupor, our $400 designer glasses fell off of the top of our heads and into le toilette (after using it—eww). After taking care of some unsavory business, we vowed then and there to never again perch our precious specs in such a precarious manner. Rather than don the granny-chain, we bought a chic eyeglass case from Oktak. Available in a ton of cool prints, these pretty protectors will keep your peep-wear stowed in style! |
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| 2 | May Your Cups Runneth Over If you’re bordering a B-cup than you understand the anxiety we feel when swimsuit season arrives. Three inches of padding in the bikini top or there’s no difference between the back and the chest. If you require a little (or a lot) of push-up power, you can easily fake it with Cleavage Cupcakes. These little miracles provide just the right amount of oomph to create the illusion of cleavage and some boost to bring out those little perks. |
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| 3 | Wishful Thinking Whether we’re holding our breath through a tunnel or blowing out birthday candles, we never miss a chance to make a wish. Sadly, those occasions don’t pop up every day, so we’re treating ourselves to a present from Flying Wish Paper. With their whimsical kits, you can make a wish whenever you want. Just write down your thoughts, light up the paper tube and—voila!—your dreams will come true. Or at least that’s what we’re wishing for. |
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| Event of the Week: | |||
MN Fashion Week Once again, MN Fashion Week stands poised and ready to dazzle with its seven super-stylish days dedicated to uniting our uber-talented local designers and heavenly boutiques with metropolitan fashion mavens, and we couldn’t be more excited! Fashion-centric must-dos include fabulous runway shows from Laura Fulk and the always spectacular Voltage Fashion Amplified, as well as hot in-store events, museum tours, art-crawls and deadly-swank parties. So sip a cocktail and show our local talents some love—we swear you won’t be disappointed! What: MN Fashion Week |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 1 | Stylish Do-Goodery, MN Fashion Style Our passion for fashion is equal only to our love of doing good, so we’re stoked about MN Fashion’s Extend Goodwill event. All you eco-oriented fashionistas are encouraged to round up stylish cohorts and help to repurpose skirts, shirts and other clothes into boutique-worthy totes and kitschy-cool aprons, with all items benefiting Goodwill/Easter Seals. What: MN Fashion Presents “Extend Goodwill” |
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| 2 | Shop ’til You Drop Dig discounts? A slew of our favorite Northeast boutiques including Gh2, I Like You, and Spot Spa Boutique (to name a few) are uniting to offer a bevy of fabulous deals to style-seeking patrons. Need more incentive to go? Try free flowers and a chance to win a roundtrip ticket anywhere in the contiguous U.S.! What: Northeast Icebreaker Fashion Boutique Crawl |
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| 3 | Making Movie Magic Get your tickets now for always thought-provoking and terribly entertaining Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival. Featuring a slew of top-notch feature films by stand-out local talents, this year’s lineup includes creative feature films, narratives, and documentaries, making this fest a movie-lover’s paradise and a downright good time. What: The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival |
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