Clothing from bygone days did the talking Thursday afternoon when 20 models strutted across the FiftyNorth runway wearing vintage fashion finds culled from family cedar closets, attics and basement shelves.
The vintage fashion show drew a sold out crowd who were treated to an entertaining display of visually stunning and historically significant costumes as well as the interesting backstories behind the fabrics.
The community members who strutted across the runway included Sheila Crowley, Darla DeLong, Janet Kelling, Catherine Olson, Sandra Nyvall, Mary Kleese, Jessica Toft, Mariana Cruz, Marty Amundson, Heather Candels, Beth Wickum, Nancy Ashmore, Ingrid Freeman, Catrina Alme, Mary Ann Polley, Abby Pape, Deb Roberts, Donnie DuPay, Dina Festler and Michelle Brant.
Northfield News Associate Editor Pamela Thompson also participated.
After the fashion show finale, guests retreated into the elegantly presented tearoom where they enjoyed a Victorian High Tea complete with scones, finger sandwiches and little desserts catered by Cottage Tearoom & Fare. Other local businesses that contributed goods and services included Judy’s Floral Design, Just Foods and DuFour’s Cleaners.
Across one wall were mannequins dressed in vintage togs that included a pageant dress from Junior Miss St. Paul in 1962; a wedding jacket from 1879; a wedding suit from 1946; several wedding dresses from 1937, 1941 and 1959; and a blue sequin dress from the 1980s.
Kay Adkins Brown narrated the nearly hour-long show, telling story after story about the historical significance of the women who first wore each piece of clothing, the era she lived in and the event to which she donned the costume.
Many of the women highlighted in the show were mothers, sisters, aunts and grandmothers to those in the audience who had loaned pieces of vintage clothing, hats, jewelry, gloves as well as sharing their stories.
Those participants who wore clothes that belonged to a family member were Janet Kelling, Kay Brown, Mary Ann Polley, Sandra Nyvall, Nancy Ashmore and Michelle Brant.
A beautifully designed program by FiftyNorth’s community outreach coordinator Patty Ciernia provided more details from those stories along with old family photos.
The spectrum of fashions ranged from an ankle-length red and black party dress and black floppy hat worn on a cruise by one of Brown’s aunts to a flapper’s swingy Charleston dancing dress with a model holding a long black cigarette holder to a pretty orange and pink flowered prom dress and matching jacket.
“The outfits whisper tales of weddings, prom nights, cocktail parties and speakeasies,” said Brown.
Many of the historic pieces were loaned by members of FiftyNorth, such as the 1920s wedding dress and veil worn by Michelle Brant, FiftyNorth program coordinator. The light yellow, tightly-fitted full-length dress was worn by Brandt’s grandmother. Brandt also loaned her grandfather Palmer Brant’s uniform from the Korean War.
Other outfits came from the Northfield Historical Society’s archives and the Northfield Arts Guild Theater’s costume shop.
Assisting as runway coordinators were Dina Fesler and Lucy Lou. Janet Kelling and Sylvia Langworthy stepped in as seamstresses. The event committee members were Kay Brown, Dina Fesler, Marie Gery and Michelle Brant.
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