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!