Cliche announces Local Jewelry Bazaar this Sunday

Local boutique Cliché just announced its first-ever Local Jewelry Bazaar. Taking place this Sunday in conjunction with the Minneapolis Open Streets Event, the store will be hosting a broadened selection of handmade jewelry from over 20 designers based in the Twin Cities, Chicago, Iowa, Los Angeles, and Brussels. Meet the designers and see new work for Summer 2011 displayed inside and outside of the store, and snag 20 percent off everything during the opening. Click here for details. Here's a preview:

NUNU Collection, Chicago


Play by Marly, Minneapolis

Cocoquette by Andrea Oseland, Minneapolis

KR Designs, Minneapolis

Photo recap: Cliche's Crosswalk

Despite the rainy weather, Cliche's semi-annual Crosswalk fashion show went off without a hitch. As usual, the styling from store co-owner Delayna Sundberg and Cocoquette jewelry designer Andrea Oseland was inventive, seeming to take inspiration from Mexican brides.










[Photos by Marty & Shirley Andreasen]

Previews: Kevin Kramp Trunk Show + Cliche Crosswalk

I cover Kevin Kramp's trunk show at martinpatrick3 and Cliche's Crosswalk fashion show tomorrow night in this weekend's issue of Vita.mn:

[A look by Kevin Kramp. Photo by Robb Long]

Hot off his MNfashion Week runway show last month, knitwear designer Kevin Kramp hosts a rare trunk show. Click here to read more

Just announced: Cliche's Spring Crosswalk

It wouldn't be spring in Minneapolis without Cliche's semiannual Crosswalk fashion show. On May 20, the boutique will turn the crosswalk of 24th & Lyndale into a runway, with Ignite models wearing designs by local designers like Jenny Carle, Sydney Ilten and Ivan Idland, and national lines like Skunkfunk, Billabong and others. As usual, everything in the store will be 20 percent off during the event. Click here for the Facebook event invite.

[Photo by Cody Lidtke]

City Pages' Best of the Twin Cities poll: the fashion winners

The votes are in, and the City Pages' Best of the Twin Cities annual readers' poll has given props to the best in local retail and fashion.


I could agree more with their picks for Best Vintage Shop, Best Clothing Store for Women and Best Boutique:

Best Vintage Shop: Blacklist Vintage

Best Clothing Store (Women's): Opitz Outlet

Best Boutique: Cliche

More retail picks:

Best Used Clothing Store: Everyday People

Best Vintage Jewelry: The Mall of St. Paul

Best Clothing Store (Men): Heimie's Haberdashery

Best Mall: Rosedale

Best Haircut: The Chair

Best Gift Shop: Patina

KR Dezigns' feather chokers at Envision

It turns out that the brightly colored feather chokers that stole the show at last Saturday's Envision: Artopia fashion show were created by local designer KR Dezigns. I am debating which one to buy to wear during MNfashion Week. Here they are in Cliche's '70s-inspired, Marc Jacobs S/S 2011 runway-inspired showing at Envision (on Ignite models):

[Photos courtesy Cliche]

The feather chokers are available for purchase at Cliche.

In review: "Envision: Artopia"

This weekend, MNfashion Week fully kicked off. I review last night's "Envision: Artopia" fashion show for Vita.mn:

[A look from Cliche. Photo by Rhea Pappas for MNfashion]

Check out next weekend's issue of Vita.mn for more MNfashion Week coverage, or MNfashionWeek.com, and more reviews to come.

Amanda Christine S/S 2011 Collection

I posted earlier this week about local designers Amanda Christine and Kimberly Jurek selling their F/W 2011 collections at the POOL Tradeshow in Las Vegas, but I had yet to have seen their S/S 2011 lines until now. Helpfully, Amanda Christine has posted both this cute promo video and images of all of her looks on her website. I'll get to Kimberly Jurek's collection next.

Amanda Christine S/S 11 from Rod Hasse on Vimeo.

Love the trampoline shot at the end. Now, let's judge the collection. As with all her work, it's immaculately-sewn, with fabrics that are inexpensive but don't look it. It's basic sportswear with enough detail and edge to make them smartly-designed. Though it's nothing ground-breaking, it's clear that Amanda Christine is onto something - she's a local designer selling her line in over 30 stores across the country, and making a living doing it.

Love the color. It's a chic little sporty dress and perfectly on-trend.

The blouse is the same shape as the above dress - I approve. Not sure about the silhouette of those shorts. They seem like they would make a woman's hips look bigger.

This dress drapes on the model's body beautifully. The shoulder cut-outs are a nice touch. It's sort of basic with some nice details - a good going-out-to-the-club dress.

I'm sort of over the one-shoulder look - it's just starting to look a few seasons old by now. But print + color is always welcome.

I really don't like this sleeve silhouette. It's just not flattering on most shapes and it doesn't feel very fresh.

Strapless, short and white... it's pretty basic but the tie detail at the back is cute.

It's a pretty floral dress with just enough of an edge. The lace-up detail is a nice-touch.

Same top as the green in black. It adds an edge/masculine touch what could be a very girly skirt.

A lovely drape, but we've seen this be done a million ways since fall 2009. It just doesn't feel very fresh now.

What a chic little white dress. I could see this working for the day job and going to lunch, dressed up and dressed down.


Hm. Kind of basic. Nothing here is all that interesting besides the print and color, and it's not that fabulous of a print.

Cute racerback silk tank top. The pleated, cuffed shorts are all right. Would be a cute summer look if work with a big hat, big purse and flat sandals.

Cute enough, but don't love the print.

Cute jacket, but I like the version she showed at "Avoid the Grey" better, with pleather lapels and minus the ruched sleeves.

Cute, cute dress. Love the color, and it manages to have an edge despite the puff sleeves. In fact I am on pre-order for this to wear it at the Envision: Artopia show in April. I like the cutout at back, but I'm not thrilled about the Velcro closure.

The black color-blocking is a nice detail, but this is pretty standard.

Standard. Not in love with the print.

Pretty dress, picking up on the ballet trend for spring. But it doesn't really fit with the edgier, sportwear feel of rest of the collection.

The line is available locally at Cliche, Karma and Parc Boutique.

Photography: Rod Hasse
Model: Ali Thompson-Stucky from Vision
Hair/Makeup: Allison Jean AuBuchon
Jewelry provided by Bionic Unicorn and Cocoquette from Cliche

Preview: Tender Cuts S/S '11

Tender Cuts designer Emily Bryngelson just posted a couple of sketches on her Facebook page, purportedly of some upcoming S/S '11 designs. Though the designer is now living in New York, she has still been involved with local boutique Cliche, recently featuring a small capsule collection in the "Avoid the Grey" show. I'm definitely a fan of her girly, slightly retro style.

Local inspiration: muses and lenses

The best in local street fashion, portrait and fashion photography from local muses and lenses, gathered via Twitter, Facebook and blog uploads from the past week.

Dirty Hair Halo blogger Shanon Licari shows off her chipped nails and rings.

Trnds.com blogger/web developer Corey Tenold dresses the part.

Stylist/blogger Jane Belfry fades out.

The Minneapolis Affair street style bloggers are back in town from a trip to L.A. Click here for more photos from Hen-Lake.

Marketing guru/rocker Christian Erickson shows off his new camera.

Ellen Dahl Lawson shoots style at Walker After Hours for The Minneapoline. Click here for more style shots from that night at Vita.mn.


Ellen also shoots Ignite models in looks by Ivan Idland (top) and Amanda Christine (bottom) at Cliche's "Avoid the Grey" fashion show for The Minneapoline.

Louisa Marion shoots painter Torey Bonar.

Amy Gee shoots her roommate's new dog. The plaid couch is the perfect touch.