The Fall Fashion Show You Can’t Miss?

by Rachel Tennenbaum

Santa Cruz has long proved itself a stronghold for those seized with individuality. A walk down Pacific Avenue reveals myriad styles; each T-shirt, hat or pants leg recounts snippets of its owner’s life. Unsurprisingly, this hotbed of aesthetics has given birth to artists who create meaning out of cloth. On Sept. 14, six local designers will showcase their craftsmanship at the second annual MichaelAngelo Runway Show.

Many may not immediately see the relationship between high fashion and this hippie, beach town, but in light of last year’s attendance, another fashion show is just what Santa Cruz seems to be wanting.   

“[Last year] we were thinking maybe 200 people would be a great turnout,” says Amanda Lefebre, designer of the Donna Lou clothing line and coordinator of this year’s show. Imagine her shock, then, when more than 500 people arrived. The large crowd prompted Lefebre and Angelo Grova, owner of the MichaelAngelo Gallery on River Street, to turn it into an annual event, which this year will take place at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium.  

Lefebre and others are choosing women from the area to wear their clothing, and a trunk sale will take place after the show featuring handbags and jewelry from local boutiques.

The emergence of a fashion show does not mean that Santa Cruz will become slave to haute couture. Rather, there is a strong relationship between the designers and the spirit of the area; many of them are inspired by Surf City, incorporating its eco-friendly stance into unique pieces.  

“I’m very into natural fibers: silk, wool, cottons—I love cotton,” says Amanda Archer, designer of Amanda Archer Clothing. Archer is participating in the show. “And that’s what I want—wearable comfortable clothes.”

Tawny Holt, designer of the Armour Sans Anguish line, whose work will also be at the show, creates clothing that is environmentally friendly. “I’m really committed to only using recycled materials. I feel like there’s so much great stuff already in the world, so to buy new fabric is wasting what’s out there.”

Besides Armour Sans Anguish, the Amanda Archer Collection and the Donna Lou clothing line, Galla Cabana, Filly and the IKohl Clothing line will also be featured in the runway show.

The show will also draw from the Santa Cruz art scene. This year’s affair is accompanied by a fashion-themed art show, beginning Sept. 7 at the MichaelAngelo Gallery. The exhibit places an emphasis on fashion’s relationship with the fine arts—a concept that last year attracted many of Santa Cruz’s arts patrons.

“It’s a very artistic kind of space,” Holt says. “It’s the self-expression—people will be responsive to the [pieces] as art and to the artistic aspects of the show.”