Fashion Week MN in Review: Joynoelle: A Study in Color

Joy Teiken is a local treasure. Nearly every year since she founded her line, Joynoelle, in 2003, she has consistently showed stunning collection after stunning collection, everywhere from the grand event space Aria to the relatively quaint Grand Café. This year, she opted for the decorous Minikahda Club, a golf club that was founded around the turn of the century along the shores of Lake Calhoun. The clubhouse’s Victorian-inspired wallpaper and glittering chandeliers were the perfect compliment to Teiken’s fall 2016 collection, “A Study in Color.” Inspired by a back-to-school shopping trip with her seven-year old son, Noel, and the experience of opening a new box of crayons for the first time, the line was an exercise in color through the designer’s aesthetic lens. Instead of primary-color brights, Teiken rendered the collection in rich jewel tones (sapphire, ruby, emerald, navy), soft pastels (sage, peach, mauve, sky blue, silver), and white. The first half of the show featured funky separates and cocktail dresses, followed by a second half of their ball-gown mirror versions—many of which would be well-served as bridal gowns for the untraditional bride. My favorite looks a pair of diaphanous silk pants paired with a rich blue ruffled cropped top, and an artfully fringed pant and jacket ensemble.

Though Teiken recently told me she felt the pieces were was somewhat random in comparison to her past collections with clear themes (including 2015’s “Pretty in Paleo,” which took inspiration from the paleolithic era), her signature design elements, such as Edwardian ruffled necklines, delicate layers of raw-edged textiles, elegant pleating and folding, and innovative fabric techniques, cohesively drew the collection together—as did the gorgeous beauty styling by Fatima Olive and models provided by Vision and Moore talent agencies. Not only did Teiken turn out a gorgeous collection, she also gave back—proceeds benefited local cancer prevention and awareness nonprofit Kill Kancer.

For more information on this spring’s Fashion Week MN events, visit fashionweekmn.com.

all images by Irv Briscoe