My wife read about the Fashion Empire 2009 Mood Indigo Fashion Show in the magazine Inland Empire. It was to be a real fashion show showcasing outfits designed by students at the Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. The school is located in San Bernardino and the show would be held in front of the cultural center at Victoria Gardens shopping destination in Rancho Cucamonga. The institute has only been around for three years and this is their first fashion show. It’s a fundraiser for the school. In addition to fashion, the institute has programs in culinary arts, visual arts, media, and design. The show was free to the public and raised funds through its sponsors including Red Bull, bebe, Miss Me Jeans, and Smartwater. Inland Empire Magazine said it would go on between 5 pm and 9 pm on Saturday, June 6.
We decided to check it out since we had nothing planned for that weekend and no objections to free entertainment. My wife had always wanted to attend a fashion show. We decided to have a very early dinner at this deli called Guido’s that was also mentioned in Inland Empire magazine. It said you could request a sandwich however you wanted it and if it was good enough they would even name it after you. It also said that Guido’s was open until 4:30 pm on Saturday, perfect for an early dinner. We left before 4 pm and got on the 210 east. It was cloudy and it rained a bit on the way but that stopped and it seemed clearer once we got into San Bernardino County. We exited at Archibald and drove south to Arrow Route where we turned right. Near the intersection was a shopping center where we figured Guido’s was located.
We pulled into the shopping center and soon found Guido’s whose signs seemed to say it was primarily a pizza place and secondarily a deli. It was before 4:30 pm but a small sign said it was closed. That didn’t jive with the research we did and there weren’t any hours posted so we weren’t sure whether the regular hours were different or it was closed for unusual reasons. Whatever the reason, we had to find somewhere else to have dinner. We decided to go to The Hat that has a location just south of Victoria gardens off Victoria Gardens Lane and near the 50’s style diner Richie’s Real American Diner. We left the shopping center, drove further east on Arrow Route and turned left (north) on Haven. We soon turned right (east) on Foothill, left (north) on Day Creek that’s before the I-15 and finally, right on Victoria Gardens Lane and right into the parking lot. While driving down Foothill before turning north onto Day Creek I noticed a restaurant called Joe’s Crab Shack. Its logo was similar to the Joe’s Crab Shack where I ate in Nashville back in February. I believe they’re a national chain.
The parking lot was crowded and many cars were going through The Hat’s drive through. The inside of the restaurant was likewise crowded. We’d eaten at The Hat’s location on Route 66 in Glendora. They’re known for their pastrami sandwiches. That first time I learned the hard way that an order of French fries was a big bag of them. This time I had the pastrami dip sandwich and my wife had the pastrami burger. I ordered a side of potato salad and made sure to ask beforehand how big it was. Our respective sandwich and burger proved to be plenty of food but the potato salad was good for eating with the excess pastrami.
When we left The Hat it was after 5 pm. We drove east on Victoria Gardens Lane and turned left (north) on Monet that goes right into Victoria Gardens. We parked in the parking garage in the northern part of the gardens and walked to the nearby cultural center. They had some fashion displays set up along with some tables selling CA Art Institute T-Shirts. The elevated runway was in the patio in front of the cultural center theater and library. Behind the runway was a black curtain backdrop with two screens on either side. Around the runway were three rows of chairs that were fenced off. There were lots of people walking around, many young people dressed stylishly. We found a place to sit on the concrete ledge surrounding the planters where many others sat. Near us we saw a stylishly dressed young woman interacting with what looked like family members. Later we saw a couple of guys walk by who wore these things that looked like foxtails attached to the sides of their belts. I thought they were a bit goofy-looking.
We waited for quite a while. I had brought the book Echo Park by Michael Connelly so I had something to do and I nearly finished it. Later another spectator told me that bringing a book was a good idea. It looked like people were putting signs with name on the backs of the seats around the runway and programs on top of them. I saw other spectators with programs and I tried to find where to get one but wasn’t able to. Over the speakers mounted around the runway they played hip hop and R&B including a hip hop version of Tears of a Clown. It wasn’t raining but it was still a bit cold. They set up some heat lamps near the chairs. Later some reps passed out free bottles of cold Smartwater for everyone.
At 7:32 pm people sat down in the seats around the runway. They had to be local or Art Institute dignitaries, family members of the students, designers, or possibly fashion industry insiders. We stood on the ledge to see better making room for others to sit. Soon, a man in a tan suit walked out onto the runway and welcomed us to the show. He introduced himself as the publicity director at the Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. He thanked several staff and administrators at the institute and also thanked the mayor of Rancho Cucamonga, Donald Kurth, who was seated in a seat near the runway. The mayor stood up and waved. The publicity director left the stage and was replaced by a juggler in a black 20’s-style outfit and hat. He had a white clown face and was always smiling. His image was projected on the elevated screens as it would be for the next two acts. He juggled three balls and sometimes balanced one on his neck. He added another ball and then another. Electronic music played over the speakers and it accompanied the juggler well. After juggling five balls he went back to his case and got some hoops. After juggling them he got a string and rolled and tossed a yo-yo-like pulley across it. He even did that with two pulleys. He put them away and got out three pins to which he soon added another one and then another. He left the stage to applause.
Two women in fishnet stocking and rather scanty dress appeared on stage. They brought out these large metal hoops with torch-like ends on them. They lit these ends to create hoops of fire that they twirled around themselves like hula hoops. It was very impressive. They walked up and down the stage twirling the hoops. Next they put the hoops away and spun torches on the ends of lines. The electronic music was faster for them. It slowed down for the next act, flexible acrobats in shiny outfits. Their feats were static displays of balance and flexibility. Next four thin bolts of curtains, two on either side of the runway, dropped down and two performers in white outfits used them to climb, twirl, and do controlled falls. The music was still slow and sounded a bit like water droplets. The finale was all four of the acts on the runway at once: the juggler; the fire ladies, one eating fire and the other waving multipronged lit torches; the static and the curtain acrobats. The music was a bit faster. As they exited through the back of the stage the announcer told us to put our hands together for “Cirque USA”.
The lights on the runway dimmed and it was darker out since it was nearly 8 pm. The runway faced out of the plaza towards Victoria Gardens and from that direction came two sheriff deputies on motorcycles. They parted the crowd in front of the runway and behind them followed a black Rolls Royce and a black Bentley, both looking like fairly current models. Speaking of models, they exited the cars, one at a time, faced the crowd from the end of the runway and walked to the back. They were wearing stylish outfits, presumably student designs. The music was loud, instrumental and celebratory, a fitting soundtrack. They were real professional models, all tall and thin. They walked with slightly reserved swagger. They didn’t go overboard showing off and striking poses but they definitely had a presence. They stood very straight and walked with a casual determination. There were 2-3 men and 5-7 women. The men were all Caucasians and looked the same apart from their outfits. The women were more diverse: a blond Caucasian with long hair, another with short hair, an African American, an Asian, and possibly others.
After each model arrived they walked to the back of the stage. From then on the show continued: one model would walk up and down the runway and right after they left through the back another would appear. There were never two on the runway at the same time. The lighting was such that the runway was very visible and conducive to photography once I figured out the right camera settings. It took me a while and I took many blurry photos that I soon deleted. The screens did not show the models but rather sunset and colorful backgrounds to match the mood. The outfits were very stylish and interesting. None looked ordinary but some looked like things regular people could wear and also look stylish. One men’s outfit consisted of a thick dark blue sweatshirt with a large hood and no sleeves, jeans, and a foxtail attached to the side of the model’s waist. So this foxtail was actually a fashion statement and not just a goofy trend for young people. Several of the men’s outfits modeled included a foxtail on either the left or right side of the waist. I still thought they looked goofy and wouldn’t be very functional. They might even get in the way or get caught in things. My wife thought they should wear them in the back of the waist. They came in dark colors, usually black or blue with white tips. Several months later I saw someone on the subway wearing a foxtail and a black leather backpack that looked like a Teddy bear. Later my wife saw someone wearing a foxtail in the parking lot near PCC. Recently we received this e-mail called “People of Wal-Mart” of photos of people at Wal-Mart dressing funny. One photo showed a guy wearing a foxtail.
Other interesting outfits included a men’s T-shirt with a large image of the front of a shoe and a short white and black women’s dress that looked like the face of a panther or other wildcat. Outfits came in bright and shiny colors, had ruffles, and included other accessories such as hats and belts. Some looked like casual outfits with style and others were more elegant. Each time a model walked the runway lots of cameras flashed. At the end all the models came out accompanied by the student who designed their outfit. I recognized that stylishly dressed young women who I had seen early talking to people near where we sat. She had designed what appeared to be a long formal dress of gold and other colorful fabric (I wasn’t able to get a good photo). After they all departed the publicity director returned and stated that some of the outfits were designed by first-year students. With a “Go Lakers!” from him the show ended at around 9 pm.
The crowds scattered and we checked out the Rolls Royce and the Bentley still parked in the plaza. That student designer I mentioned walked out on the runway with who looked like a friend or fellow student in the gold-colored gown. There were no other runway walkers. The crowd dissipated and we headed home.
What a great idea to have a fashion show at Victoria Gardens for student designers. It’s nice to have one for the common people and in their backyard rather than some exclusive place in New York or Hollywood for insiders only. With the music, style, and atmosphere, my wife enjoyed the energy. It was entertaining and interesting. I’m glad it was free and that my wife read about it.
We decided to check it out since we had nothing planned for that weekend and no objections to free entertainment. My wife had always wanted to attend a fashion show. We decided to have a very early dinner at this deli called Guido’s that was also mentioned in Inland Empire magazine. It said you could request a sandwich however you wanted it and if it was good enough they would even name it after you. It also said that Guido’s was open until 4:30 pm on Saturday, perfect for an early dinner. We left before 4 pm and got on the 210 east. It was cloudy and it rained a bit on the way but that stopped and it seemed clearer once we got into San Bernardino County. We exited at Archibald and drove south to Arrow Route where we turned right. Near the intersection was a shopping center where we figured Guido’s was located.
We pulled into the shopping center and soon found Guido’s whose signs seemed to say it was primarily a pizza place and secondarily a deli. It was before 4:30 pm but a small sign said it was closed. That didn’t jive with the research we did and there weren’t any hours posted so we weren’t sure whether the regular hours were different or it was closed for unusual reasons. Whatever the reason, we had to find somewhere else to have dinner. We decided to go to The Hat that has a location just south of Victoria gardens off Victoria Gardens Lane and near the 50’s style diner Richie’s Real American Diner. We left the shopping center, drove further east on Arrow Route and turned left (north) on Haven. We soon turned right (east) on Foothill, left (north) on Day Creek that’s before the I-15 and finally, right on Victoria Gardens Lane and right into the parking lot. While driving down Foothill before turning north onto Day Creek I noticed a restaurant called Joe’s Crab Shack. Its logo was similar to the Joe’s Crab Shack where I ate in Nashville back in February. I believe they’re a national chain.
The parking lot was crowded and many cars were going through The Hat’s drive through. The inside of the restaurant was likewise crowded. We’d eaten at The Hat’s location on Route 66 in Glendora. They’re known for their pastrami sandwiches. That first time I learned the hard way that an order of French fries was a big bag of them. This time I had the pastrami dip sandwich and my wife had the pastrami burger. I ordered a side of potato salad and made sure to ask beforehand how big it was. Our respective sandwich and burger proved to be plenty of food but the potato salad was good for eating with the excess pastrami.
When we left The Hat it was after 5 pm. We drove east on Victoria Gardens Lane and turned left (north) on Monet that goes right into Victoria Gardens. We parked in the parking garage in the northern part of the gardens and walked to the nearby cultural center. They had some fashion displays set up along with some tables selling CA Art Institute T-Shirts. The elevated runway was in the patio in front of the cultural center theater and library. Behind the runway was a black curtain backdrop with two screens on either side. Around the runway were three rows of chairs that were fenced off. There were lots of people walking around, many young people dressed stylishly. We found a place to sit on the concrete ledge surrounding the planters where many others sat. Near us we saw a stylishly dressed young woman interacting with what looked like family members. Later we saw a couple of guys walk by who wore these things that looked like foxtails attached to the sides of their belts. I thought they were a bit goofy-looking.
We waited for quite a while. I had brought the book Echo Park by Michael Connelly so I had something to do and I nearly finished it. Later another spectator told me that bringing a book was a good idea. It looked like people were putting signs with name on the backs of the seats around the runway and programs on top of them. I saw other spectators with programs and I tried to find where to get one but wasn’t able to. Over the speakers mounted around the runway they played hip hop and R&B including a hip hop version of Tears of a Clown. It wasn’t raining but it was still a bit cold. They set up some heat lamps near the chairs. Later some reps passed out free bottles of cold Smartwater for everyone.
At 7:32 pm people sat down in the seats around the runway. They had to be local or Art Institute dignitaries, family members of the students, designers, or possibly fashion industry insiders. We stood on the ledge to see better making room for others to sit. Soon, a man in a tan suit walked out onto the runway and welcomed us to the show. He introduced himself as the publicity director at the Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. He thanked several staff and administrators at the institute and also thanked the mayor of Rancho Cucamonga, Donald Kurth, who was seated in a seat near the runway. The mayor stood up and waved. The publicity director left the stage and was replaced by a juggler in a black 20’s-style outfit and hat. He had a white clown face and was always smiling. His image was projected on the elevated screens as it would be for the next two acts. He juggled three balls and sometimes balanced one on his neck. He added another ball and then another. Electronic music played over the speakers and it accompanied the juggler well. After juggling five balls he went back to his case and got some hoops. After juggling them he got a string and rolled and tossed a yo-yo-like pulley across it. He even did that with two pulleys. He put them away and got out three pins to which he soon added another one and then another. He left the stage to applause.
Two women in fishnet stocking and rather scanty dress appeared on stage. They brought out these large metal hoops with torch-like ends on them. They lit these ends to create hoops of fire that they twirled around themselves like hula hoops. It was very impressive. They walked up and down the stage twirling the hoops. Next they put the hoops away and spun torches on the ends of lines. The electronic music was faster for them. It slowed down for the next act, flexible acrobats in shiny outfits. Their feats were static displays of balance and flexibility. Next four thin bolts of curtains, two on either side of the runway, dropped down and two performers in white outfits used them to climb, twirl, and do controlled falls. The music was still slow and sounded a bit like water droplets. The finale was all four of the acts on the runway at once: the juggler; the fire ladies, one eating fire and the other waving multipronged lit torches; the static and the curtain acrobats. The music was a bit faster. As they exited through the back of the stage the announcer told us to put our hands together for “Cirque USA”.
The lights on the runway dimmed and it was darker out since it was nearly 8 pm. The runway faced out of the plaza towards Victoria Gardens and from that direction came two sheriff deputies on motorcycles. They parted the crowd in front of the runway and behind them followed a black Rolls Royce and a black Bentley, both looking like fairly current models. Speaking of models, they exited the cars, one at a time, faced the crowd from the end of the runway and walked to the back. They were wearing stylish outfits, presumably student designs. The music was loud, instrumental and celebratory, a fitting soundtrack. They were real professional models, all tall and thin. They walked with slightly reserved swagger. They didn’t go overboard showing off and striking poses but they definitely had a presence. They stood very straight and walked with a casual determination. There were 2-3 men and 5-7 women. The men were all Caucasians and looked the same apart from their outfits. The women were more diverse: a blond Caucasian with long hair, another with short hair, an African American, an Asian, and possibly others.
After each model arrived they walked to the back of the stage. From then on the show continued: one model would walk up and down the runway and right after they left through the back another would appear. There were never two on the runway at the same time. The lighting was such that the runway was very visible and conducive to photography once I figured out the right camera settings. It took me a while and I took many blurry photos that I soon deleted. The screens did not show the models but rather sunset and colorful backgrounds to match the mood. The outfits were very stylish and interesting. None looked ordinary but some looked like things regular people could wear and also look stylish. One men’s outfit consisted of a thick dark blue sweatshirt with a large hood and no sleeves, jeans, and a foxtail attached to the side of the model’s waist. So this foxtail was actually a fashion statement and not just a goofy trend for young people. Several of the men’s outfits modeled included a foxtail on either the left or right side of the waist. I still thought they looked goofy and wouldn’t be very functional. They might even get in the way or get caught in things. My wife thought they should wear them in the back of the waist. They came in dark colors, usually black or blue with white tips. Several months later I saw someone on the subway wearing a foxtail and a black leather backpack that looked like a Teddy bear. Later my wife saw someone wearing a foxtail in the parking lot near PCC. Recently we received this e-mail called “People of Wal-Mart” of photos of people at Wal-Mart dressing funny. One photo showed a guy wearing a foxtail.
Other interesting outfits included a men’s T-shirt with a large image of the front of a shoe and a short white and black women’s dress that looked like the face of a panther or other wildcat. Outfits came in bright and shiny colors, had ruffles, and included other accessories such as hats and belts. Some looked like casual outfits with style and others were more elegant. Each time a model walked the runway lots of cameras flashed. At the end all the models came out accompanied by the student who designed their outfit. I recognized that stylishly dressed young women who I had seen early talking to people near where we sat. She had designed what appeared to be a long formal dress of gold and other colorful fabric (I wasn’t able to get a good photo). After they all departed the publicity director returned and stated that some of the outfits were designed by first-year students. With a “Go Lakers!” from him the show ended at around 9 pm.
The crowds scattered and we checked out the Rolls Royce and the Bentley still parked in the plaza. That student designer I mentioned walked out on the runway with who looked like a friend or fellow student in the gold-colored gown. There were no other runway walkers. The crowd dissipated and we headed home.
What a great idea to have a fashion show at Victoria Gardens for student designers. It’s nice to have one for the common people and in their backyard rather than some exclusive place in New York or Hollywood for insiders only. With the music, style, and atmosphere, my wife enjoyed the energy. It was entertaining and interesting. I’m glad it was free and that my wife read about it.
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