Fashion festival set for Saturday

Retail businesses spurred creation of a fashion show to go with this year’s business EXPO, said Iola Area Chamber of Commerce’s Jana Taylor.
The show, from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, will feature the wares of Capper Jewelry, Party Girls, McGinty-Whitworth, Duane’s Flowers, Curves and Annie’s Attic, as well as the talents of stylists from Town Square Tannery and Salon, who will offer a mini-makeover to two lucky winners as part of the event.
“Initially, we tried to put it together as its own event,” Taylor said, but to ensure a sizable audience for the fledgling show, Taylor linked it to this weekend’s EXPO.
“It will be something completely different that we’ve never done before,” Taylor said of the production.
“The idea is you can get everything from head to toe right here in Iola,” Taylor said of the range of fashion to be shown.
Those interested in winning the makeover should apply the night before at the Chamber booth, she added.
Friday evening the EXPO runs form 5 to 9. Entrants will have a quick snapshot taken as a “before” picture for the makeover, Taylor said. A committee will select two winners who will be notified before Saturday’s event.
While the winners are rushed off to the Town Square Tannery Salon, a festival of fashion will parade across the stage at the Little Theater in the Community Recreation Building in Riverside Park.
McGinty-Whitworth will feature junior fashions, from flip-flops and rain boots to complete outfits with shoes, jewelry and handbags, said Melissa Lassman.
“We’ll have five girls modeling casual wear, one girl doing swimwear and four high school and college-age guys modeling tuxedos” she said. Also, one five-year-old will be ringbearer during a mini-bridal show, Lassman said.
The bridal fashions will be featured toward the end of the overall show, Taylor said. Capper Jewelry will supply the bling for the bridal event. Duane McGraw will provide elaborate floral displays, Taylor said. He’ll even be adding flowers to the bride’s gown, a trend in larger cities. McGraw said.
“We will end with the bride in her gorgeous gown,” Taylor said. Even the gown “was purchased locally, second-hand,” she noted. The gown, along with bridesmaids dresses, came from Annie’s Attic.
Bridesmaids will wear all manner of flowers — rings, wristlets and armbands, McGraw noted.
In addition to adults, well-dressed three- to eight-year-olds will model Hip Chick Boutique fashions from Party Girls, said Stacie Peters.
The clothes for future fashionistas are now being offered online, and the show will help spotlight that fact, Peters said.
For women, purses, jewelry and a young adult line will also be featured on stage. Expect six teens in 10 outfits for Party Girls, Peters said.

CAPPER’S addition to the show is “just fun jewelry,” said Carla Capper.
Unlike clothes, which have distinct seasonal colors and styles, “whether you wear light or chunky jewelry is all just personal preference,” Capper said.
Besides the pearls and sterling to be shown, Capper’s also boasts “a really neat Bravado line” for guys, she said. Men “under 30 like to have a bit of jewelry on,” Capper said. Her own two sons-in-law, in their 20s, favor chunky chains and rings, she noted.
Curves is providing active wear ensembles for the casually-inclined. “We even have a pajama set,” said Curves owner Cindy Hesse. Patty Knavel, who moved from death’s door to Meltdown maven last year, will model the leopard print fleece robe and P.J.s.
“Everything we’ve got is stretch,” Hesse said, including jeans and corduroys. A microfiber capri set with matching scoop neck top and jacket is a far cry from workout wear of old. Meant to be acceptable streetwear, the outfit feels like brushed silk and could easily be worn for a spring or summer outing.

“THE FINAL THING that will happen is we will bring the winners of the makeover out on stage,” Taylor said of the show’s finale.
“If they want a haircut we’re going to cut their hair,” said cosmetologist Susan Cleaver of Town Square Tannery Salon.
She and fellow cosmetologist Jerrica Mossbrucker will be doing the makeovers, Cleaver said. Shannon Hunt will be doing nails.
“We’re not doing it there simply because the lighting is not what we need,” for make-up, Cleaver said. Otherwise, “we could probably cut and style some hair in the dark.”
The before photos will be brought out with the made-up winners, who get to keep the new styles and new outfits provided them for the show.