twin cities

Darlings: How did MNfashion as an organization get started?
Anna: MNfashion was founded as an organization in November 2006 when we realized the level of impact our annual event Voltage: Fashion Amplified could have on the independent fashion community here. We had just taken a year off of the show after a successful, yet thoroughly exhausting, second year in 2005…as the committee that produces Voltage all had day jobs. When we returned to the project in the Fall of 2006 to produce the spring 2007 show, we were refreshed and had greater clarity of vision. A few retailers carrying local designers had sprung up in 2005, which had allowed us to produce the first seeds of MNfashion Week: Voltage Fashion Weekend. Leading up to Fall 2007, things were evolving in the scene and it became apparent that we needed a form of connection and support. We started the design incubator element of Voltage that Fall, where designers were selected by a panel of Minneapolis-based industry experts and met with them monthly leading up to the show in April in order to hone their visions and collections. MNfashion is still a relatively young organization. We are currently finalizing our strategic plan and bylaws. We have been working with a fiscal sponsor to be able to operate under their non-profit umbrella and are able to receive tax deductible donations while taking the time to develop our organization with the right timing.

Darlings: How does MNfashion support independent designers in Minneapolis?
Anna: Voltage: Fashion Amplified provides designers access to professional resources, while setting the bar for representation for designers in the local scene. Knowing that we could not address the needs of all designers with Voltage, we developed MNfashion Week (previously known as MNfashion Weekend) to engage the full independent community for a week of trunk shows, networking parties, fashion shows, workshops and boutique events. We have also been creating a holiday pop-up boutique. In 2008 we set up shop in downtown Minneapolis for two months, giving greater visibility to designers and introducing a new demographic to what the local designers have to offer. Our next phase is developing a Sewing Cooperative to address the need for access to industrial equipment, manufacturing resources, and sourcing opportunities. This is coming together slowly but surely!

Darlings: What came first MNFW or Voltage: Amplified, did one help to launch the other?
Anna: Voltage: Fashion Amplified is what started it all. But I do believe that the development of MNFW has provided the growth and development that we have needed. Voltage is now a major event of Spring MNfashion Week. There are now other repeat events during MNFW, which increases the consistency and quality of what we do as a whole.

Darlings: We love the merging of local indie music and local indie fashion! How did this part of the show come to be?
Anna: I have always been a fan of live music. It is one of my big inspirations. While merging the two is certainly not unique to Voltage, there is an energy behind it that is. The concept for Voltage came from a conversation I had with Johnny Solomon of Communist Daughter (Friends Like These at the time). I was involved with a fashion show spring 2003 and he thought it would be a good idea to have rock-n-roll at a fashion show, rather than a DJ. I pretty much agreed. Where we have had success with the music, aside from the kick-ass bands themselves, is our committee- the bands are booked by an agent and the annual CD is produced by a music critic, both with strong ties to the local indie scene. Of course, hosting the show in the First Avenue Mainroom doesn’t hurt either. One of the best things that comes out of this merge is the blending of the scenes- there is more cross-over than ever before.

Darlings: How important do you think it is for a designer to have a strong online presence?
Anna: Very important. It is nearly impossible for us to promote a designer that does not have an online presence, because we do so much of our promotion online and people expect that information to be available. One of the biggest critiques I get on emerging designers is a weak online presence, such as no contact info, poor quality photos, or only having a Myspace/Facebook page.

Darlings: What qualities of the Twin Cities community help to create such a supportive environment for indie designers?
Anna: The Twin Cities are very supportive of the arts/creative community in general. We have a high level of corporate and individual support for the arts. People here want creatives and independent businesses to survive, because it makes our community vital. All of the scenes/industries really feed into each other- our fashion community would not be growing as it is if we did not have stylists, journalists, music, djs, models, photographers, event producers, businesses, etc. Something that I learned early on is that we have a lot of entrepreneurs here, a real DIY-based culture. So what we are doing with MNfashion is to create a framework for connection to help sustain a creative and vital community.

Darlings: Are you getting ready for any upcoming events?
Anna: Yes! We have a Designer Garage Sale to raise money for MNFashion on June 26th and 27th, and Fall MNfashion Week is September 21st-27th.

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