City has a passion for fashion

It might be Fashion Week in London, but style-starved Pittsburghers needn’t look across the pond… It might be Fashion Week in London, but style-starved Pittsburghers needn’t look across the pond to satisfy their clothing cravings.’ This Thursday, Pittsburgh City Paper and All About Youth will host the fourth annual Local Motion Fashion Show, which features local designers, stylists and models. The event will showcase eight of the region’s designers including Dangerous Angels by Margot G, Down with Fashion by Bombshell Boutique/Ali Pace, Nicole by Nicole Scarpone, Jonathan David Clothing by Jonathan David, Kitchie by Ciara Simon, Italian Custon Tuxedo Group by Bill Evans, Kata Banko Couture by Colleen Brimmier, Brazilian Beach and Floral Wear by Lana Junqueira Neumeyer and Jewelry by Jerry Florida. Laura Vreck, the Local Motion promotions coordinator, expects a completely eclectic crowd of all ages for the show, including ‘older couples more about the charity and colleges students who want to know about the local fashion culture,’ she said. And the designers are even more diverse. ‘Some of them are already established,’ says Vreck, ‘Others are amateurs in the local fashion scene.’ Pace, who designs Down with Fashion by Bombshell Boutique, explained that the differences in all the designers’ lines are what make this event so unique. ‘Everybody is so completely different, and the differences are even greater this year, every different end of the spectrum,’ she said.’ ‘Everyone can come and see something that they would like to wear.’ Pace’s own line features mostly dresses and has been inspired by her background in musical theater, ‘Everything is costume-y. Everything is girly, but funky and edgy.’ Pace also draws inspiration from the ‘edginess of rock ‘n’ roll and the drama of anything Tim Burton does.” As a second-year participant, Pace said, ‘Last year I just wanted to get my name out there as a designer. I’ve owned a clothing store for four years now, and over the last two years my mother and I started making clothes, so I just thought it would be a fun way to get my name and my clothing line’s name out there.” ‘ Her clothing, which you can find exclusively at Bombshell Boutique in Sewickley by appointment only, has been featured in about 20 fashion shows in the Pittsburgh area. While Pace is relatively established, Pitt student Ciara Simon is just starting out. Her line, Kitchie, is made up entirely of aprons. ‘Right now this is a brand new line.’ It hasn’t even gone into production yet,’ said Simon. ‘I’m waiting to see people’s responses from the show … If I could sell it in boutiques in Pittsburgh, that would be amazing.’ Simon is participating for the first time in this year’s Local Motion show. ‘I think for Pittsburgh, it’s something totally different,’ she said. ‘I think it allows people with not a lot of design experience to show their pieces to Pittsburgh.’ Simon’s inspiration for this line came from her personal experience. ‘I come from a family where there’s a lot of entertaining and cooking. A couple years ago, I needed an apron and the one we had was just a drab piece of canvas, so I went searching for pretty vintage ones.” But then she realized she could create them herself.’ Inspired by the 1950s, she said her line is, ‘A little more modern, but aprons in general are a thing of the past.” However, don’t expect her lineup of 12 aprons in Thursday’s show to be anything but young and fun. ‘I hope it has a lot of energy,’ said Simon of the show.’ She cites her time spent this summer taking classes at Parsons The New School for Design in New York City as the event that jump-started her to finally create her own line. ‘There’s so much inspiration. I got the majority of my fabric while I was there.’ This December, Simon will be graduating from Pitt with a degree in exercise science, but she feels that her future plans are still up in the air.’ ‘Because graduation was around the corner, I decided to give something else a try,’ she said. But Local Motion does more than just help to expose fledgling designers to the Pittsburgh scene ‘mdash; it also benefits local charities. This year, the beneficiary is Family Services of Western Pennsylvania’s Educational Assistance Program, which provides secondary education resources for youth.’ Vrcek elaborates on the inspiration for the event, ‘It started out as City Paper wanting to do a local benefit. We try to keep the money in Pittsburgh rather than going with a national charity.’ The show will be held at the James Centre for the first time, an old schoolhouse in Pittsburgh’s West End. ‘This is the first year we’re having an auction,’ added Vreck.’ ‘It’s something additional we’re doing for the charity.’ Pace considers the area to have a lot of undiscovered talent, saying, ‘A lot of people would be surprised. Not too many people know about the Pittsburgh fashion scene.’ Simon, however, feels it’s lacking. ‘I think it’s waiting to be tapped, I hope,’ she said. ‘At least in my experience with Pittsburgh people, they’re a little less open to new ideas, especially when I came from being in New York for a month.’ In New York you can wear whatever, in Pittsburgh you get funny looks.” Maybe this show is exactly what the city needs to set its local fashion scene into motion.