Fashion Show to be held on Buffalo's West Side

By Amber Bivins

The West Side of Buffalo is a cultural melting pot. Restaurants, coffee shops and clothing boutiques alike flourish on Grant Street.

Among the most popular locales in the neighborhood is The Gypsy Parlor, 376 Grant Street, which serves as a neighborhood restaurant, bar and venue.  Owner, Gabrielle Mattina, recently donated the space for a fashion show to be held this spring.

Queen City Culture Clash will be held on June 21st.^. Briana Alford, producer and model coordinator, looks to make her idea a success.

“I was first interested in fashion when I was a child playing dress up like any little girl, but as I grew older my passion for the business of fashion took a huge role in my life,” Alford said.

A 2012 graduate of SUNY Buffalo State,  Alford has a degree in Fashion Merchandising as well as hands on experience in show production. With help from her mentor, Rick Dudkowski, Alford learned the ways of fashion show production and it immediately became her dream job.

“I have been an assistant producer for over 10 different fashion shows all over Western New York, including Mercedez-Benz of Buffalo Fashion Week, and now producing my own show!” she said.

Drawing inspiration from the eclectic West Side, Alford is collaborating with many local designers to put together this event. Alford’s collection, Gypsy Punk, will also debut at the show and will be an official brand of The Gypsy Parlor.

“We are taking traditional and ethnic clothing while mixing our own favorite American styles. We thought collectively that this theme would show how we live our daily lives.  It's a culture clash,” she said.

Noey Sunday, WasteKase, and TutuGlamourous are just a few brands that will be featured in the show.

Locals expressed excitement for the upcoming show and feel the event will be an asset to the area.

“This neighborhood sometimes gets looked down upon or just overlooked all together. “ said Morgan Lord, a regular customer at The Gypsy Parlor.

“Events like Queen City Culture Clash really bring a lot of excitement to those of us that live nearby. I love fashion and it’s awesome that there will be a production like this in the neighborhood, especially one that celebrates its wonderful diversity,” said Lord.

As the date approaches, Alford begins model casting, acceptance of new designers and volunteers. More information about Queen City Culture Clash can be found at www.facebook.com/QueenCityCultureClash or for any inquiries at cultureclashfashion@gmail.com.

Alford is working hard to make the production a success and hopes it will shine light to the beauty of the neighborhood.

“There is a lot of progress, and promise on Grant,” she said.  “Why not starts the revolution ourselves?”

Check out the Kickstarter Page for the upcoming event!

New boutique to open in the Elmwood Village

        

by Amber Bivins

As summer approaches, the streets of Buffalo are flooded with students, restaurant’ seekers, and shoppers alike. Among the most popular shopping areas in the city is Elmwood Avenue.

Michelle Voit, a Buffalo native, has recently undertaken a life-changing project.

“I have never been more terrified in my life, I have never had so little sleep, but I have never been happier,” she said.

Village Designs Elmwood it set to open in May and is currently undergoing renovations. With merchandise planned to be in by next week, Voit can be found fashioning her boutique into a reality.

“I was on my knees doing the flooring, we painted the walls, and so I’ve done it all. From design to implantation, it’s been a project,“ Voit said.

With high ceilings, decorative chandeliers, and new vinyl flooring, the boutique’s aesthetic begins to form as the opening approaches.

“My landlord put up the walls for the dressing room and store room. I had to hire an electrician. My brother helped with the floors. Other than that it’s been my dad and I,” she said.

Village Designs Elmwood will offer designer brands, most of which are not currently offered in the Buffalo area. Celebrity favorites including Black Orchid Denim and Rails Clothing are just a few that will stock the floor.

“I want to find that niche that wants something different and not what everybody carries,” Voit said.

Located at 448 Elmwood Ave, near Bryant Street, Village Designs Elmwood is in an up and coming area for retailers. With the closing of the Women and Children’s Hospital expected in the next year or two, many changes will be made to this area of The Elmwood Village.

“My thought is that it will most likely turn into high-end lofts and some retail space, from what I’ve heard,” said local business owner Jon Howe.

“This side of the street is going to be more developed and I think that it’s getting there. There are a lot of buildings that contractors have purchased and are now renovating,” Howe said.

Although no final decisions have been made about the plan for site once the hospital relocates, Voit hopes retail expansion is in the future.

 “It’s a big investment for myself, especially doing this on my own, but I wouldn’t give it back for anything, I’m so excited and I think it’s an asset to the area!”

Village Designs Elmwood will join the many other retail stores on the Elmwood strip this summer, and plans to share the same success. The grand opening will be held May 5. The store can be found on Facebook and villagedesignselmwood.com.

Inspired by these words from designer Kate Spade, Voit ventures on this new journey with hopes of sharing her styles and love of fashion with the Buffalo community.

“Dress-up begins at age 5 and never truly ends.”

Fashion exchange students voice opinions on style at Buffalo State

By Amber Bivins

As you gaze across a Buffalo State College classroom, one of the first things you may notice is the amount of diversity. Students from a range of different ethnicities and backgrounds are all under one roof.

In the Fashion Textile Technologies program, there are many foreign exchange students who have traveled thousand of miles to further their education.  Fashion students from major world capitals and small towns alike, are here in Buffalo; but what do they think of our American fashion?

Wang Xiu Lan Liang, who prefers to be called Amy, is a 22 year old student from Hong Kong.  She has been in the United States for almost a year now and plans to return to her native country this summer. Her unique style, trendy shoes, and knowledge of brands allow her stand out among the fashion students here at Buffalo State.

“I am from a huge world city, in a city as busy as Hong Kong people feel more comfortable expressing themselves. Here people seem to be focused more on comfort, and I am beginning to understand why with this freezing weather!” says Amy.

            Here in Buffalo, many students can be spotted wearing name brands such as Abercrombie and Fitch and Nike, yet the popularity of these well known brands are not the same in all countries.

“In China, the fashion is very different. Brands like Super Dry and Fred Perry are really popular and I almost never see them here. I see some fashionable students with interesting style but I see a lot of “American” brands. Students I see are wearing North Face and Uggs, that is not so popular back home. Especially in Hong Kong, people are always pushing the limits,” she says.

In a metropolitan area, it is easy to see how fashion could be trendier than  here in the Queen City, but when it come to smaller towns, this is not the case.

Andres Peralta is a Textile Design major at Buffalo State. As an exchange student from the small town of Apucarana, Brazil, he identifies Buffalo State as a fashion forward community.

“ My town is not very large, I have to travel many miles to get to the nearest retail shopping area. I even have traveled to Uruguay so I can visit some of my favorite stores” he says.

Malls and shopping areas, like the Walden Galleria, are a mecca for popular fashion stores, stores that are not so easily found in South America.

“ The first Forever 21 just opened in a neighboring city, this has been very exciting for me and my friends. We love American style and it is exciting to be able to purchase the clothes from stores that are in the U.S. Zara also opened recently in Rio, there is not one here in Buffalo but I did visit the store in New York! Its so awesome!” he says.

The style at Buffalo State College ranges drastically from innovative to casual. One’s background, country of origin, and personal style all have an affect on opinions, especially for fashion students, who can be particularly critical.  Foreign exchange students who voice opinions, in class or around campus, can influence their peers and allow for a better global understanding of retail trends. 

Small Business with Big Dreams Thrives in Rochester

By Amber Bivins

While sitting in a local community college classroom, two young entrepreneurs had a revelation. Feeling college was not for them, Ajani Jeffries and Josiah Montalvo of Rochester, NY, decided to direct their energy to a lifetime goal.

Goldn Rd Clothing was established in 2011. After 3 years of hard work and dedication, Goldn Rd has opened a storefront in the City of Rochester. The brand not only identifies its self to Skate clothing and lifestyle but the community as well.

           

“Goldn Rd is far more than just a clothing brand not only to us but to our city. When we started this company our long term goal was to bring local artist of all sorts under the same roof.” says co-founder Ajani Jeffries.

Sponsoring several events and gaining recognition in local papers, Goldn Rd has been a driving force in the community.

“We are firm believers in the Arts here in our small city and we truly believe, if done right, locals can come together and create a great road of opportunity for each other.”

Jeffries has big plans for the future of Goldn Rd. From developing a professional Skateboarding team to the procurement of their clothing across the city, Goldn Rd shows no signs of slowing down. The sponsorship of local artist and use of social media is a strategic approach for growth of the brand.

“Tattoo artist, Visual artist, skateboarders, comedians, musicians, DJ's, even small business owners. It is mandatory that we continue to sponsor those on board and look to sponsor undiscovered talent. “ says Jeffries.

“They support us because we support them.”

With upcoming summer events such as The Goldn Rd GAME OF S.K.A.T.E and 5k Walk for City Park, Goldn Rd plans to remain relevant and expand throughout the Rochester community.

“We are honored and more than appreciative for the success God has brought upon us so far, we are determined to turn it up one-hundred notches this year! “