Syracuse Style fashion show lights up the Treasury
Syracuse Style fashion show lights up the Treasury
Models from more than a dozen local designers and retailers walked the runway amid the Palladian Hall’s grandeur.
Upon entering Palladian Hall at the Treasury, the venue was the first piece of art on display before any of the clothes could come out. It was impossible not to gawk, the change in sound as music rumbled through the space spoke to the room’s grandeur. Looking up at the ceiling, Syracuse’s version of the Sistine Chapel unfolds: images of angels amongst constellations were painted to Renaissance-like impressionism. Wispy white curtains hung over the entrance of the runway and stage, projecting soft tangerine and sage lighting to create a warmer atmosphere.
Syracuse University alum Kathleen Rainbow owns La Veranda boutique on South Franklin Street in downtown Syracuse. La Veranda specializes in skincare and has a clothing line. This was her second time attending as a vendor and designer, and it was clear what set this year apart from other shows.
“The venue here is breathtaking,” Rainbow said. “It was absolutely beautiful from the moment I walked in.”
Syracuse Style is a part of Syracuse Fashion Week (SFW), which hosts events supporting the Food Bank of Central New York. SFW considers clothing to be “one of the essentials to a happy human existence” alongside food, hence putting funds towards ending hunger and homelessness. This year’s runway made statements that ranged from painted hands of indigenous resistance to custom-made denim jackets targeting social issues on their backs. Fourteen diverse designers and boutiques were showcased, with over a hundred models walking and a team of thirteen hair stylists and make-up artists credited.
Owners like Rainbow try to not only participate in events like SFW but support local artists further by finding opportunities for collaboration when possible. This included five Haitian companies that exclusively use leather.
“Our heart is cultivating change and empowering purpose, we try to partner specific designers with a story,” Rainbow said. “So to come here tonight and see everybody, their giftings and talent, it’s so unique.”
Two rows of elegant wooden chairs with white cushions faced each other on either side of the runway. Off to the side were multiple round tables acting as stands selling some of the art featured in the show, including silver shell necklaces and earrings. A bar sat directly next to the photoshoot station featuring an SFW background that stayed busy the entire evening, especially during the 15-minute intermission when everyone was buzzing about the designs.
“I loved Sunshadow Designs especially because I love black. It’s my go-to color,” said Manaswini Pillai, an SU master’s student from India. It was Pillai’s first fashion show and she came alone, hoping to see more of the downtown community. “I did not expect there to be so many people. I love the crowd out here, they’re so enthusiastic. And the diversity in models is great.”
QueenRi’s Boutique kicked off the show with eight Black models walking out individually in neon Afrikan skirts and dresses with geometric patterns. Model Breanna Fallen stood out as her maxi skirt look featured complementary and contrasting colors coexisting on plaid-like fabric with frog-foot shapes adding intricacy. Each model executed a power walk, taking time to pause along the way to display the movement of the clothes, posing for the photographers at every moment.
In the audience, 19-year-old Jocelyn Jackson served as a cheerleader in place of her aunt, Brooke, to support Beading Wolves creator Mary Homer. Apart from Homer’s work, Jackson’s highlight was watching her childhood come to life from Lucky Mae’s Closet line.
“There were all these different girls dressed as Disney princesses, very extravagant,” Jackson said. “Everything was highly detailed, you have to pay attention to every single thing that’s being incorporated.”
Each princess had a headpiece that matched the rest of the look, with Aurora’s from Sleeping Beauty’s featuring rose gold and yellow tinsel leaves behind a row of small pink roses. Matching the movie title, the look included a mesh flower robe over baby pink shaded sleepwear, exposing the full sleeve and back of inkwork on the model’s bare skin. Inclusion of princesses old and new like Belle and Moana allowed for creative liberty in terms of what the modern-day version of the characters would look like.
The Syracuse Style fashion show is the epitome of Central NY: from the diverse community to fans in the audience who were on a first-name basis with the designers to styles ranging from the city to the countryside. It allowed for an opportunity to unite all generations as there were clothes tailored for children and adults, modeled by people and kids of all backgrounds, appearances and experiences. Sponsorships from Big Sexy, Lancôme, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Mac Cosmetics and Macy’s, highlighted on the back of the program, demonstrates the significant visibility the small city runway event has achieved.