Style Watch: NCSU and UNC alumni team for NY Fashion Week debut – News & Observer

When clothing designer Jon Millner and jewelry artisan Mamie Wilkins met, they knew theirs was a match made in fashion heaven. So much so, that the N.C. State grad and UNC-CH alum decided to team up for Millner’s debut at the next New York Fashion Week on Sept. 11.

“Mamie and I met about four years ago as members of the Artist Collaboration Group, which was a collective for people of various creative trades, founded by Freida Bailey,” says Millner. “I first worked with her on a photo shoot, providing photography as well as creative direction for her collection of jewelry. I really admired her energy and free spirit.”

Millner says his fashion week collection for women drew inspiration from multiple sources, including the American Southwest, incorporating a mix of tweeds, cotton and leather. Wilkins has created a jewelry line designed to serve as the perfect accompaniment to that look.

“My upcoming collection is quite elemental and presents a sense of utility and craft,” he says. “Mamie’s eccentric style of craftsmanship and knack for materials drew me to her work. By combining distinct antique pieces and juxtaposing them with natural materials, her work evokes a sense of artisanal and crafted beauty that I wanted to portray and is a great complement to my collection.”

While the process of creating two separate collections that come together for a cohesive look has been challenging, particularly with the pressure of showing on a stage as big as New York Fashion Week, the two have had a lot of fun collaborating and look forward to seeing the final products on the runway.

“It has always been a dream of mine to show during New York Fashion Week, and preparing for the show has been exciting,” says Millner. “There is a lot of work that is involved and various details to consider, but it is all very rewarding to have my work shown in a major fashion market.”

Grand Opening

Cute Buttons Gift and Paper Boutique celebrates its move to a new location in Morrisville with a grand opening fete, Sept. 10, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guests can enjoy sweets, win door prizes and check out the shop’s new digs in Park West Village. For details, call 919-462-9618.

Trunk Shows

▪ Cameron Clothing hosts a trunk show of new looks for executive women from Nina McLemore, Sept. 7-10, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The collection includes day and evening pieces, with looks ideal for travel. For details, call 919-420-0411.

▪ Chapel Hill’s Fine Feathers Boutique will have hand-loomed Thai silk gowns, cocktail dresses, skirts and tops from Marisa Baratelli for a trunk show, Sept. 8-10. The pieces are made to order in a choice of colors and styles. For more info, call 919-942-3151.

▪ Mom jeans are out the window at StyleFinder Boutique this week during the store’s Mom Jeans Makeover and Beija Flor trunk show, Sept. 10, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. During the event, customers can trade in their old jeans for $20 off a new pair. Call 919-454-3068 to learn more.

from Hairstylez http://cityhairstyle.xyz/style-watch-ncsu-and-unc-alumni-team-for-ny-fashion-week-debut-news-observer/