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FEATURED HERE ARE PIECES FROM TWENTY EXTREMELY talented emerging local designers,
all of whose work you can find at
Design
Collective. Choosing favorites was
quite a task—especially since we carry the work of more than eighty different
Twin Cities artists, all noteworthy and all of them deserving of recognition.



With that in mind,
this selection represents just a sampling, a cross-section of the local
fashion scene:
clothing,
accessories,
jewelry,
and
graphic
designers in the area from a range of backgrounds and styles. Some of them
professionally design for a living and others dabble in their spare time. A
number were trained at the most renowned design schools in the country, but
many are self-taught. For others their craft was something passed down through
generations as a family tradition.


Whether their style is
classic
and understated or
quirky
and whimsical, these designers share a common bond in the boldness that
compels them to put their work in public view for criticism or acclaim.


Once you start
noticing trends and personalities in the local design scene, it’s exciting
getting to know these artists through their work. You can see the evolution of
a designer’s aesthetic sensibility—their personality and influences—as it
emerges in every collection, season after season.


In my role at
Design
Collective, it’s also fun to see how the public interprets and reacts to
these artists’ pieces. And community enthusiasm for homegrown fashion seems to
be growing; there has been an overwhelming response in recent years in support
of local fashion events,
publications,
and boutiques.


You can choose to
support independent design because it is part of a movement against banality
and mass markets; or maybe you buy from regionally based artists because it
keeps the economy localized.


But maybe the best
reason is simply because it’s a way to keep your closet full of beautiful,
one-off pieces that nobody else will ever have.


The talent evident in
the work of this lineup of local designers makes it clear why the Twin Cities
is getting so much recognition for its burgeoning fashion and design scene. We
no longer have to look to New York or Los Angeles for the latest trends
because Minneapolis has created a style of its own. 
As you go through this collection take note of the striking
silhouettes, the lush color combinations, the exquisite craftsmanship, and
attention to detail.  With Minnesota fashion savvy
like this, there’s absolutely no need for coast-envy.


—Christina
Nguyen


 


About the
curator:
Christina
Nguyen
is the owner of Design
Collective, a boutique in Minneapolis that features the latest collections
of over eighty local designers who make apparel, accessories, jewelry, and
gifts.  (Read a profile of Design Collective
featured in
a back
issue of access+ENGAGE
by clicking
here.) 

access + ENGAGE, Wearable

• husky, foliage
• lounge party, foliage
• puff sleeve metallic washed jacket, Princess Warrior
• bohemian prom dress, Princess Warrior
• Buckle dress, George Moskal
• Bonjour Bunny, Brian Aldrich
• Green and Gray, Anne Selden
• Heart - large, Emily C. Johnson
• Sonja: Walker Exhibit 2006, ra'mon-lawrence
• Sculpture dress, Meghan Brace
• Design Collective Spring '07 dress 1, Adrianne Gammie
• Agate, René Hari
• "Kelsey" Dress, katherine gerdes
• Birdie Stuffie, Sara Lintner
• costume for printmaking ballet (2), Eireann Lorsung
• FOLD bag, UNIFORM natural
• HLM Overnight Kit, Chrystina Hanson
• 3 Girl T-Shirt Designs, Drawl Graphic
• The {Japanese} Clutch in Floral Forest, AO3 Designs
• Lavinia, Barrett Johanneson
• POV a+E Issue 9.1: Design Collective, Jessica Bennett
• MPLS, meet style Design Collective, Design Collective