You've seen her costumers in plays by Sandbox Theatre and the Workhaus Collective, her dresses in the Retrorama shows hosted by the Minnesota Historical Society (which has purchased her work for its collection, too), and in the Star Tribune's recent feature of local designers' ideas for Michelle Obama's inaugural dress. Not to mention a dozen or more designer showdowns, contests, and group shows. But as part of Minnesota Fashion Week, Laura Fulk's bold, futuristic designs will finally have the night to themselves tomorrow, April 21, at the Lab Theater (the cool, dark, Warehouse District space formerly known as the Guthrie Lab).
Admittedly, when I received my invitation to Suffocate, the name of Fulk's spring collection and the show, I instinctly wanted to loosen my tie. But Fulk, with her high-collared, big-belted creations, is pushing quite the opposite--relief from the constrictions of dull, conventional, contemporary fashions. Painter Melissa Breitenfeldt and tattoo artist Jay Langer have allied their own talents with Fulk's craftsmanship to create a kind of wearable art--assuming you're not expecting a busy day on the phone.
Practicality aside, Suffocate is a breath of fresh air.
Posted on Monday, April 20, 2009 in Permalink
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