Saint Paul Style Meets Fashion Week Minnesota

You may be thinking, “Wait. Minnesota has a Fashion Week?” The answer is Yes! Let me break it down for you fast.

Since 2015, Fashion Week Minnesota (FWMN) has organized and produced a week of semi-annual events showcasing a handful of the top Minnesota fashion designers, makers, retailers and creatives all over the state. According to Fashion Week Minnesota CEO, Sarah Edwards, the mission of FWMN is to shine a light on Minnesota-based creatives to help foster a thriving fashion community. FWMN aims to inspire, educate and most importantly, create community.

Look #1: Did somebody say Vintage?

The season's first show, La Vie En Rose, was rich with color, inclusivity, and inspiration for secondhand fashion. So of course, I had to hit up Saint Paul’s best vintage spots to find the perfect look. I stopped into Up Six Vintage and aimlessly roamed the store. My style is undefined and really matches my personality - all over the place. Sometimes I will dress for the venue, if there's a theme I will obviously dress for that. I saw "rich in color" in the show description, so that is what I ran with.

Luckily, Megan McGuire, owner of Up Six, was extremely helpful in pulling a diverse set of looks because I could have been there all day long. I could see myself in so many of those options for so many occasions. One dress, I thought, “brunch at French Hen?” and another I thought, “Ooh. This is cute for a photo op’ at Como Conservatory by the flowers.” Either way, the variety makes it fun to think of occasions to wear something new, different and vintage! Also, you can also hit up Lula Vintage and Everyday People, located right around the corner!

Look #2: Cool, casual, sustainable and FUN!

The fun part about attending Dirty Laundry was that I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Our only hint was to watch the designs be brought to life on the runway through dance - which wasn’t really a lot work with!

Though thinking of what to wear with so little to go off came to me as stressful, Jill from Spoils of Wear started pulling options and my mind immediately eased. I figured for this event, I would dress for the venue. Hook and Ladder had a pretty cool and casual vibe, so I thought a hot pink jumpsuit would be PERFECT. Jill paired the jumpsuit with a metallic pair of sneakers and a pair of You're the Party tassel earrings. When shopping at Spoils of Wear, be sure to check out Leo Footwear for your shoe fix.

Look #3: Floral Frenzy & Picnic CHIC

Sip 'n Bloom's Picnic Fashion Show was everything you would expect from Sip 'n Bloom. Flowers arrangements filled the space along with swings, picnic tables and settings and so much more creating a futurist picnic environment.

With that, I knew that I wanted all floral everything, and that's where my friends at Enchanté came in. The owner Sarah pulled so many perfect spring options, but this dress was not only perfect for the picnic theme but fit me like a glove. The colors and feminine details of it screamed, "SADE." The clutch was the perfect accessory, but it was the lime green Jeffrey Campbell space girl boots that stole the show! Topped with my fedora laced with orchids, I felt like a picnic queen. Enchanté is new to Grand Avenue, so be sure to stop by their flower-adorned space and show them some love!

Look #4: An Edgy Springtime Moment

It was an honor to attend the first fashion show at Saint Paul's very own Allianz Field to celebrate fashion and be a part of the immersive cultural experience that the Coalesce created around AAPI designers, wardrobe, hair and makeup artists to celebrate the work behind each designer’s collections on how their culture has influenced their work and creativity.

Based on social media teasers, I wanted to incorporate some leather. Don't ask me why, but that's just what I wanted to do. Seeing that Enchanté has a piece for every vibe, Sarah pulled this high-neck floral maxi to pair with the leather vest. I then paired my own leather boots and custom fashion purse (which can be made CUSTOM!) with the outfit to create the perfect "hard-but-soft" vibe. I think I pulled it off!

Look #5: Create your own Adventure

The FWMN finale show of the season was EVOLVE which was perfect because this specific event showcased many amazing local designers with a wide variety of looks. For this show, I put all of my trust in Jill at Spoils of Wear to put me in something new and out of my comfort zone - which was SO much fun. We loved this playful daisy dress! With the dress as the base, Jill had such a fun idea to add the multi-colored belt.At that point, I just went crazy, and accessorized with a pair of orange and yellow hoops, a sparkly clutch from Enchanté and a good ole' bucket hat to top it off.

Whether you are looking to refresh your style, show your personal style or try something new, you can find it at the many clothing boutiques in Saint Paul. Plan your next Saint Paul shopping spree here.