Zoe Prinds-Flash at zoeprindsflash.com
Despite the name of the couture collection, Ringmaster is not about the circus, so don’t be expecting clowns or primary colors or anything like that. To Joy Teiken, the owner and designer of Joynoëlle, the circus—and the metaphorical lions it has—is the tumultuous times we live in, and this is her way of paying homage to the women who have stepped into the middle of the political chaos to try to turn it into order, justice, beauty, and a place where all can thrive.
Before she takes Ringmaster to New York and L.A. in a series of pop-ups, she is showing more than 20 highlights of the collection at the Aria on April 16 in a fundraiser for the University of Minnesota’s Goldstein Museum of Design. The night feature pre-show cocktails and a showcase of five capsule collections from Joynoëlle’s atelier workshops; opportunities to learn about the Goldstein, one of the only design museums in the country; the runway show; circus-themed performers; and an after party.
“I was on the Goldstein Museum of Design board several years ago and I’ve gone frequently for design inspiration and to look at couture construction in their archives,” says Teiken. “I love how they are set up to educate the public on design through their 38,000 piece collection.”
As for Teiken’s collection, it doesn’t take inspiration from any specific woman but this moment in time and this movement. She doesn’t go with what’s trendy or with what’s in: She lets her aesthetic and design passions lead her choices. “There’s a lot of powerful lines in the collection, but it’s very soft as well. It’s a silent power, in a way,” Teiken says.
One look at her past couture like Space and Beauty from Decay, you can see the painstaking work that goes into each outfit. Seemingly effortless draping and gathering play with the standard outfit form or evoke a mood, and pleats and hems make fabric seem like the water, always causing your eye to follow it in some way or another. With Ringmaster, Teiken admits she does have a few capes—one of her favorite looks (and I had to really press her to choose a favorite) is one that Dessa is modeling for the show, featuring a golden cape.
See the collection before it leaves the state and support the Goldstein Museum of Design. Tickets available at joynoelle.com.
