There has definitely been some creative tension in recent years in Savannah’s fashion scene. Both Savannah Fashion Week and Fashion’s Night Out have gone on hiatus (I guess that’s the right word?), but it seems like the number of Savannah-based creative professionals working in fashion has been growing.
Enter State of the Art: Savannah Style at the Telfair Museums’ Jespon Center last Saturday evening.
Here’s how the Telfair described it:
Telfair is proud to showcase some of Savannah’s finest fashion designers—Brooke Atwood, Merline Labissiere, Tatiana Smith, and Meredith Sutton—as they join forces to create a stunning fashion show highlighting the contemporary styles of Savannah. In celebration of State of the Art, guests will have an opportunity to explore the exhibition, browse the designers’ pop-up shops, and enjoy the fashion show.
Sponsored by Brooke Atwood Design, Merline Labissiere, Tatiana Smith, Meredith Anne Sutton, Rise Models, Ms. Quito Artistry, Sun Kiss Makeup and Hair, and Service Brewing Company.
You really can’t see the jewelry of Tatiana Smith and Meredith Sutton in the photos here, but those pieces fit beautifully with the clothing by Merline Labissiere and Brooke Atwood.
The models walked around a seated VIP area in the Jepson lobby before heading up the grand staircase. It made for dramatic visuals, even if the lack of a traditional runway prevented the kind of fashion photography you might expect.
And, hey, Bruce Weber showed up — he’s pictured below with his old friend and protege Doug Ordway, who runs RISE Models here in Savannah.
I met Bruce Weber 15 years ago when he shot an Abercrombie and Fitch catalog in Savannah. He obviously brought the talent with him, but I managed to introduce him to a local model that joined the shoot for a couple days. We met to discuss the terms at Weber’s home base for part of the shoot: the ballroom of the American Legion on Bull Street. It was my first time being in that building — this was before the lounge started welcoming the community — and now I’ve been there over a thousand times.
Weber has recently been working on a book that features some art by the late Savannahian Paul Stone. I’ll have more news about that as things develop.
Anyway, lots of shots here, and I’ll post these and more to the Savannah Unplugged Facebook page later today. I got decent photos of most of the looks, but not all.
First, the work of Merline and then Brooke:
