Sitting in the VIP section, every so often you'd get a whiff of sewage. Partygoers looked around, then shrugged. No one knew which drain stunk.
"At least it's not raining," Omahan Anna Lavedan joked.
Omaha Fashion Week's Saturday show was an outdoor event. Patrons stood and sat near the 10th and Jones Street intersection.
"We're outside," Lavedan said. "There's not much you can do about the smell."
But really, it wasn't that bad. Just funny to see people's reactions.
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Jared Spence, assistant stylist at Trocadero in the Old Market, gave us his "Fave Five" from Saturday's Finale Runway show.
"I absolutely adored Buf Reynolds' collection. Her gowns were so elegant and regal, and the rich colors were to die for."
"So much eye candy was on the runway from ruffles, folds and pleats, epaulets to embroidery and stitching. I have to especially note Audi Helkuik's collection of circus-themed frocks. You could really see all the effort and love put into each piece."
"I loved the bold eye makeup artist Leigh Ann Whitmarsh created for Jennie Mason's Radioactive Heart models, in addition to the whimsical collection itself."
"I am always a fan of shine. I loved the sequins, metallics and patents all over the runway."
"Megan Hunt's Lasertron girls mixing and mingling throughout the crowd in her designs were so charming."
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While swimsuit designer Michaela Cawley had 14 models showcase her KKINI bikini line Saturday, you might have noticed two or three in jean shorts. Also a designer, her sister Shannon provided the shorts from a new line she's creating titled “Aspen Thrift.”
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You might have noticed Logan Finn hanging around Nomad Lounge throughout Omaha Fashion Week.
He was the sweet wheelchair-bound guy who took tickets each night.
Finn, 31, commuted 60 miles from Blair, Neb., every day during the week to volunteer. He too is a designer. Finn started “Cripple Pimpin',” an accessory and screen-printed shirt line to represent for the disabled.
He makes charm bracelet links, necklaces and T-shirts with his wheel chair logo that looks similar to a disabled tag you'd hang from a vehicle's rearview mirror.
Finn is a close friend of Brook Hudson, the co-producer of Omaha Fashion Week. They attended Blair High School together. He plans to expand his line someday to design clothing that better suits the disabled, he said.
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Working with child models can get stressful , but designer Yolanda Diaz managed well Thursday night. Forty girls were outfitted for her “Little Miss Fashion” line. Minutes before the catwalk show, a man gave instructions on how to properly walk down the runway.
“You go down, you pose in the middle. You go down to the end and do a series of poses. Then you come back” he said. “Don't forget to pose in the middle. Are we clear?”
Giggles and chatter filled the back staging area. Girls as young as 18 months old to 13 discussed the director's instructions.
“I don't know,” a shy girl said.
“Look, you pose like this,” a wide-eyed blonde said, while switching her hips, then flipping her hair. “You pose and pose again.”
The adorable girls were the highlight of Thursday's fashion show. They wiggled their shoulders and sashayed down the catwalk like pros. Some blew kisses to spectators while others with forced smiles counted the steps to the end and back.
***
Masey Rost's apparel design was inspired by the men's tuxedo shirt. Several of her white cocktail dresses had wide cummerbund accents, sashes, pleating and ruffles.
-- Compiled by Staff Writer Josefina Loza
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