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Fashion Live! Celebrates Macy's Opening at The Domain
We went back to The Domain, Austin’s new consumer wet-dream, to attend "Fashion Live!" The, err, creatively named fashion show was a marketing campaign celebrating the Macy’s opening. How could we resist? The host was Michael Knight, a “fan favorite” designer on Bravo’s Project Runway.
This was an important event, judging from the throngs of people (consisting mostly of women of all ages in cocktail dresses, decked out with big hair and bling) stuffed under a huge tent. Everybody was waiting to see the latest spring fashions at Macy’s AND designs by graduating students of the University of Texas’ Department of Human Ecology: Textiles and Apparel Division. (Whew!) Out of the 50 students in the program, only 20 were selected to participate in the fashion show based on their evening gown designs.
Michael prefaced the runway show by telling the audience he was going to pick three of the best gowns to go in the front of the Macy’s window. Then he introduced DJ Ravi Drums, who energetically bangs at a huge set of drums along to pre-mixed music.
Rail-thin models came out with cellulite and alien molded hair, wearing espadrilles, super high-heels (or bitch stilettos), neutral colors, jumpers, ’60s inspired dresses and – weirdly – chain belts you saw girls wearing at the mall back in 1998. The Macy’s stuff was just okay.
The stunners of the show, though, were the UT designs, varying from conservative white wedding gowns to turn-of-the-century inspired dresses with bustles, trains and lace. Also, Ravi proved to be a sublimely talented musician, providing toe-tapping beats perfect for the runway or a dance floor.
Photos by Melissa Ferro
