Photo by Sylvan Magnus | sylvanmagnus.com

Made in the Whit

The beauty of the Block Party fashion show is not only the stylish clothes but also how they were made, who made them and who is wearing them. It is insular in a sense, bringing together designers, models and hair and makeup professionals within and near the Whiteaker neighborhood, but it also showcases what creativity can produce with leftover material, wherever you may hail from.

“We really try to have mostly Whiteaker-based models, hair and makeup and designers,” says Laura Lee Laroux, operator of The Redoux Parlour, which is producing the fashion show.

This year’s show begins on the Parking Lot Stage around 10 pm. Even though scheduled events are winding down by that time, it doesn’t mean audience members won’t be sticking around. Last year the crowd swelled in the parking lot. “It’s huge — so many people hang out for it,” Laroux says.

The show will last about 30 minutes and showcases everything from the shiny items of Spandex Body to the feather headdresses of Rooster Baby.

Much of the clothing that will be shown has been stitched together with fabric from a past life. “Almost everything out of my shop is made with recycled materials,” Laroux says. An example: the couture gowns that will be shown, which were produced from fabric scraps at Redoux and old curtains as well as other items. For some of the other clothing, material was found at estate sales or thrift stores.

Laroux took over producing the show a couple years ago. Brad Coffey, of olivejuice, who passed away this year, was the original organizer, and she hopes to be able to show some of his designs from the past. “I’m really hoping to have a portion of the show be dedicated to him and have friends be modeling his old costumes,” she says.