Plenty of room to improve for Hartford Fashion Show

BHUMIKA CHOUDHARY ’18
STAFF WRITER
Many Trinity students believe that Hartford is a “nothing to do” city. However, the city has a lot to offer if you go out to seek it: for example, The Hartford Fashion Week (HFW) made its debut on Sept. 28th-Oct. 4th. In an effort to engage the community, the Greater Hartford area joined relevant cities such as New York, Miami, Chicago, and Palm Springs to present a week of fashion-related happenings.
The organizers created a theme that celebrates specific neighborhoods of the city, such as the downtown area or Frog Hollow. Everything from the clothes to the beer was locally made. In fact, the Mini Runway Expo of Oct. 1 was hosted in the newly renovated Wadsworth Athenaeum. I was delighted to see that the organizers were committed to the cause by highlighting the culture and history of Hartford. The other venues were similar to the Wadsworth Athenaeum in that they were Hartford landmarks, including Hartford Public Library, Union Place, Majorca Restaurant, and Real Art Ways.
I attended the HFW on Oct. 3 at Union Place. The setting was simple, but there was beauty in the simplicity. Under the archways lay the stage, which was lit up with white lights. The vibe was elegant, as dressed-up individuals were exchanging dialogue and laughter with drinks in their hands. I stood there in the corner, filling my plate with some bread and began to read the pamphlet. The designers for the evening were Troy Anthony Fashions, de Muerte, FemmeGod, and Matthew Reisman.
The show begun 30 minutes late, as fashion show tradition dictates. In addition, the organizers were hoping to have better attendance by delaying the start. With bated breath, I sat down looking forward to some Hartford fashion. The theme for the designer was lace. The first song “Good For You,” by Selena Gomez, played while models walked down the runway unusually slowly. I believe the reason for that is because the individuals walking the runway weren’t professional models. Having attended multiple fashion shows, it was strange to see that the designs were repetitive and simply different in length. Unfortunately, the clothes were poorly stitched, since the dresses didn’t have inner lining, and weren’t fitted to the models properly either. Fitting is crucial, and Troy Anthony Fashions missed that. Moreover, the clothes seemed to be made from cheap material and, as a result, the gowns didn’t look refined. One of the purple gowns even had a hoodie attached to it, which was bizarre. The clothes were comprised of little lace. The only outfit that had lace was a black dress, reminiscent of a high-school prom. Thus, the first designer was a disappointment and I hoped that the following ones would be better.
The next designer, de Muerte, collaborated with other local Hartford designers that specialized in shoes, buttons, and belts, to create the Ghamo Collection. The clothes and models were definitely an upgrade from the previous performer. However, the designs weren’t especially remarkable. The clothes were simplistic in nature: black and white color combinations of pants and t-shirts. You could find such clothes in H&M and Zara. That being said, the quality was better and the looks created suited the models. The Ghamo Collection comprised of one formal look: a suit. It wasn’t exceptional, but definitely classy.
Due to other commitments, I couldn’t stay any longer but the HFW left me with mixed feelings. I definitely applaud the effort of the organizers and I believe that the HFW can only improve from here on.