SOL INSPIRATIONS – ECO FASHION GALA & BENEFIT EVENT
Saturday, April 23, 2011 @ The Depot
225 Third Avenue South
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401
Phone: 612.375.1700
TICKETS
General Admission: $35
VIP (Reserved Seating & 6PM Reception with Seth Aaron): $75
Student Rate (with college ID): $15
www.Sol-inspirations.org/tickets
PUBLIC INFO
www.Sol-inspirations.org
Info: 612-998-1454
Silent Auction, Green Vendors, Live Music, Eco Fashion Show and Much More
To Benefit the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society and Those Affected By The 2010 Earthquake in Haiti
FEATURED DESIGNERS
Seth Aaron Henderson
Katheryn V
Counter Couture
Jenny Carle
Renalie Bailey
Rewind
KR Designs
Naya
CONTEST DESIGNERS
Christopher Straub
Ra’mon-Lawrence Coleman
Allison Helliwell
Tara Latour
Atom Pechman & Jenn Bratvold
Niki English
STYLIST
Hollie Mae
HAIR & MAKEUP
Evolution Salon
Diane Osborne
Asia Schulz
PRODUCTION
Ignite Models, Inc
Limegreen Events, Inc
MUSIC
DJ Shiek
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn (March 14, 2011) – Sol Inspirations, Ignite Models Inc, LIMEgreen Events and the Global Eco Organization today announced that Project Runway’s Seventh Season Winner Seth Aaron Henderson will headline Sol Inspirations Eco-Fashion Gala & Benefit Event, showcasing his SolarWorld collection – as seen in last fall’s Portland Fashion Week – during the exhilarating eco-fashion runway show. Seth will join the distinguished celebrity judging panel during the Design Competition and host an early evening VIP Reception Meet & Greet at the event, included in the price of a VIP ticket. Sol Inspirations Eco-Fashion Gala & Fundraiser will take place on Saturday, April 23rd at The Depot, with proceeds benefiting the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society and to help Haiti rebuild.
Sol Inspirations will be Minnesota’s first ever large scale eco-fashion show and production. The runway show will feature Ignite Models wearing eco-friendly looks from local designers including Kathryn V, Counter Couture, Jenny Carle and Renalie Baily, as well as Seth Aaron Henderson’s awe inspiring SolarWorld collection. The highlight of the show will be a design competition between six talented designers, vying for a $5000 cash prize. Hair and make-up for the fashion show will be provided by Evolution Salon. With a silent auction, green vendors and exhibits, music by DJ Shiek and the eco-fashion runway show, the event will be a call to action to get people thinking about how they can be green in their lives in a variety of ways, donate money for two fantastic causes and have a fabulous night out in Minneapolis.
“Sol Inspirations needs the help of the Minnesota community to come together on April 23rd to support our transition to ethical fashion. Together, we will position Minnesota businesses and fashion designers for green leadership and at the same time, raise money for two terrific causes,” said Alex Detrick, Sol Inspirations founder.
Competition for the $5,000 cash prize will be fierce as the group of designers includes two “Project Runway” finalists, a designer who showed her first collection during New York Fashion Week, independent clothing label owners and Twin Cities designers who have been making eco-conscious clothing for years. The finalists are: “Project Runway” Finalists Christopher Straub and Ra’mon-Lawrence Coleman, Allison Helliwell of Allilamode Designs, Tara Latour of Tara Latour Designs, Co-Designers Atom Pechman & Jenn Bratvold and Niki English. Each designer will create three looks: Look 1 must incorporate non-traditional fabrics, Look 2 must incorporate recycled materials or up-cycled clothing, Look 3 must incorporate sustainable fabrics, and one of the looks must use solar panels.
The three looks the designers create will be judged by a panel of seasoned Twin Cities fashion industry veterans, who will judge their designs on the following four categories: execution, functionality, originality and adherence to the guidelines. Judges include Seth Aaron Henderson, Winner of Project Runway Season Seven, Anna Lee, Founder MN Fashion and Fashion Designer, Trudy Landgren, Assistant Professor of Textile and Apparel Construction at St. Kate’s University, Mark Caligiuri, Apparel Design Coordinator and Professor at MCTC and designer and Stephen Trevino, from 526 Salon, Spa & Gallery.
Seth Aaron Henderson is a fashion designer and freelance stylist who won Project Runway’s Seventh Season and currently resides in Vancouver, WA with his wife and two children. With his incredible SolarWorld collection as seen in last fall’s Portland Fashion Week, Seth Aaron draws on his passion for a domestically manufactured solar solution to pressing energy, environmental and economic challenges facing the country and his interest in exploring the technology’s aesthetic possibilities. For more on Seth Aaron, please visit: http://www.SethAaronDesigns.com
Sol Inspirations has partnered with the University of Minnesota on two exciting projects that will be on display at the event. For the first project, Rhonda R. Franklin, Associate Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Lucy Dunne, Assistant Professor at the Apparel Design program have combined forces with nine undergraduate students (5 electrical engineering students and 4 apparel design students) to design a family of wearable and functional solar garments. These garments will feature working embedded solar cells that will charge personal devices such as cell phones, iPODs and GPS devices as well as power expressive, entertainment, and safety applications embedded in the garments. With the proliferation of personal devices, the need to charge them in a quick and convenient manner is increasingly more important. On-board power offers new potential for garment functionality and embedded electronics. With this partnership, students are given a unique and fun way to study solar technology and smart clothing. The second project involves students in Lucy’s apparel design studio class. Students are creating fashion using their choice of recycled non-traditional materials. Their looks will be featured at the Sol Inspirations fashion gala. This project presents a unique opportunity for students to exhibit their talents and learn about innovative and earth friendly ways to create fashion.
The Depot is located at 225 Third Avenue South in Minneapolis. Tickets are $35 for General Admission, $75 for VIP (with reserved seating and early evening reception hosted by Project Runway Season 7 Winner Seth Aaron Henderson) and are on sale now. There will be a student discount rate of $15 at the door with valid student ID. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit: http://www.Sol-inspirations.org/.
Eco-fashion contributes to a healthy and eco responsible world on many fronts including choosing organic and locally made textiles, manufacturing clothes efficiently to use less energy, respecting responsible labor practices, recycling clothes to make new fashion (up-cycling), and commissioning demi-couture clothing over disposable fashion.
Sol Inspirations will be Minnesota’s first fashion show representing the community’s collective couture eco-fashion talent. Until now, eco-fashion designers have relied on small independent fashion shows and booths at trade shows to promote themselves, branding eco-fashion as a niche product. With Sol Inspirations, designers and eco-responsible businesses will be able to showcase their products in a trendy and edgy fashion forward event produced by the top production and event management companies in the Midwest, Ignite Models Inc. and LIMEgreen Inc. With Minnesota’s top talent working to educate and provide a strategic platform for eco-fashion and with the current popularity of the global Green movement and fashion shows, the timing is perfect for Sol Inspirations to market reposition eco-fashion as mainstream.
Sol Inspirations founder and Minnesota engineer, Alex Detrick, lost friends in the 2010 Haiti earthquake. In honor of them, he has committed not only to helping Haiti rebuild, but to leverage his efforts to speed the transition to a healthy and eco responsible world. Alex founded the Global Eco Organization (GEO) to carry out these values by advocating for renewable, sustainable and non-polluting technologies. With the help of the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society (MRES) and other strategic partnerships, GEO has committed to transitioning the clothes we wear to eco-fashion.
Allison Hamzehpour and Jessica Cunningham founded Ignite Models Inc in 2006 under the premise that an agency should be as committed to its models as it is to its clients. Ignite models are carefully selected based on their unique beauty and character, their strong work ethic, and their love of the art. In return, Ignite is committed to providing each model with respectful, honest representation, and unmatched individual attention. In the same way, Ignite is committed to forming and maintaining strong relationships with clients—big or small—engaging each with the same level of care and integrity. Lastly, Ignite seeks to situate itself as an integral element of Minneapolis’ burgeoning fashion scene, working with local designers and artists to create a point of view that is uniquely Minneapolis. Please visit www.ignitemodelsinc.com for more information.
Michelle Drenckhahn & Eric Lovestrand joined forces in 2009 to form Limegreen Events. Michelle’s passion for the environment and business along with Eric’s natural talent for planning and networking have proven to be a winning combination. Both are committed to providing the best experience for their clients, participants and attendees. Limegreen Events is committed to bringing their “think about it before we do it” approach to each event through options based on the “People, Planet, Profit” philosophy. Limegreen intends to create awareness, relationships and a great time for all events, big or small. Please visit www.limegreenmpls.com for more information.
The Minnesota Renewable Energy Society (MRES) is a member-run, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in Minneapolis in 1978 and incorporated in Minnesota in 1979 to promote the use of, and to engage in advocacy for, renewable energies in Minnesota through education and through the demonstration of practical applications. MRES is involved in education, awareness, and advocacy efforts for all forms of renewable energy, with a particular emphasis on solar technologies. MRES has recently initiated several international efforts to integrate solar energy into developing countries including Haiti and Nigeria and are looking for organizations to partner with in these areas. For more information, go to www.MNRenewables.org
For more information on Sol Inspirations, please contact Natalie Auger, VimLab Promotions, 612.229.8522, natalie@vimlab.com, http://www.vimlab.com.
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