RetroRama Redux

The Minnesota History Center certainly hit upon a fetish last night. The place was so crowded at the first-ever RetroRama that a girl couldn’t even get a pink martini. Note to self: Next time, heed that time-honored tradition of packing a flask in your stockings.

Even though I couldn’t get a drink and didn’t come close to the retro hors d’oeuvres, I did get an eyeful of fabulous vintage wear. The partygoers were decked out in all manner of dandy suits and New Look-inspired dresses. I ran into such throwbacks as Lit Sixer Stephanie Wilbur Ash and Southern gentleman-about-town Andy Sturdevant. (Pardon the horrible lighting here. This is but a low-tech blog and I am but an idiot with an Elph.)

People-watching aside, the evening existed in four or so parts:

Part One: Shop. Succotash and Up Six were on hand to sell lots of nifty stuff. But, because I had to rush off to the fashion show, I wasn’t able to snag these gorgeous silver ankle boots.

Part Two: Fashion Show. (I just said that …) Various local designers took inspiration from the History Center’s archives, and came up with …

A tie skirt, and it was cool as heck …

A bad-boy suit with some bad-ass details … (The model wasn’t bad either.)

Slinky satin lingerie …

A sexy, showgirl-style headdress …

And last, but certainly not least, this gorgeous, New Look-shaped dress made from upholstery fabrics and stitched together with gold and black thread. The dress, designed by Allyson J. Thornton, was inspired by a dress worn by Miss Minnesota 1948. Here we have Miss Minnesota 2007 modeling what was everyone’s favorite piece of the evening.

And here we have a detail shot of the fabric. Mmm, Mmm.

Part Three: Arts and Crafts. The History Center crafts council kindly provided us with plenty of leather scraps and duct tape. I made this deco-esque clutch, whereas my friend Adam made the artsy tie below. Sadly, both items are headed straight for the trash bin. (Note: Adam’s tie, cool though it may be, had to be taped onto his shirt.)

Part Four: The New Standards. None for me, thanks …