Author: Christy DeSmith

  • For the Love of Vintage

    The Minnesota History Center’s RetroRama event is tomorrow (Thursday) night. Note: The promotional photo at left was stolen from the History Center’s site. But I feel entitled to it, since it features a moonlighting model/Rake staff member. In any case, about that event: Five local designers, including milliner/ Voltage producer Anna Lee, went digging through…

  • Eyeballs on Everyone

    Last weekend, I stopped by a certain tax accountant‘s office/art gallery to soak up the scenes. Among them: The Gap has really foisted this hoodie-and-tie trend upon us, which I don’t entirely dislike. It’s sort of like an updated version of the tie-with-tweed look, since it, too, is worn mostly by brooding wimpster types. (Don’t…

  • Voltage 1.5 (weeks late)

    I had a lovely time at Voltage … I’m sorry I didn’t say so sooner. You see, I was mightily impressed by the quality of the craftsmanship on display. By chance, I went to Voltage just after visiting with the owner of a fantastic local boutique. I was surprised to learn that s/he wasn’t going…

  • The Drawing and Withdrawing Room

    “There are hidden energies in a home. And you can’t predict them; you’ve just got to find them.” Two years ago, Anna Lee was settling in to a new apartment in Northeast Minneapolis. The now-thirty-year-old milliner and producer of local fashion shows attempted to set up the spare bedroom as her studio, lugging her desk,…

  • Readying to Wear

    “Eveningwear made comfortable”: Those are the operative words this season for Katherine Gerdes, the twenty-five-year-old designer best known for her appearance on Project Runway. The artist has successfully parlayed that exposure into businesses offering custom fashion and ready-to-wear, both of which bear the signature of Gerdes’ casual aesthetic. The avid snowboarder requires a loose fit…

  • Peddling Pleasure

    Smitten Kitten, the South Minneapolis sex boutique, recently launched its own version of the in-home sex-toy party, at which such wares as lubricants and vibrators are passed around for taste-testing, manhandling, discussion, and, of course, purchase. These “Pussy Parties” are geared to have a more urban, less hetero bent than, say, “Passion Parties,” which is…