Vendredi

Fashion is never a stranger to the currents of life. Tonight is no different at NOLA Fashion Week, as those Crescent City staples of architecture and a blackout make their way down the runway. Tonight’s three shows begin at the Saratoga (212 Loyola Avenue) and will highlight locally produced looks from four local talents.

New looks from Jolie Bensen and Sarah Elizabeth Dewey, the entrepreneurial powerhouses behind Jolie & Elizabeth, hit the runway tonight at 6pm. If pearls are your go-to accessory, these are the dresses for you. The young designers take pride in their locally produced garments, and their aesthetic stays true to southern style.

Tonight’s show will likely deliver the timeless cuts, precise tailoring, and uncomplicated color palates that have characterized all of J&E’s past collections.

At 7pm, Izavel designer Isabel Varela will bring some edge to the catwalk. The designer showed off her knack for creating finely tailored, wearable pieces at the last NOLA Fashion Week. Varela’s Winter ’13 collection promises to be more conceptual, and the designer is flexing her artsy muscles with her new runway narrative.

The black and white pieces in Izavel’s latest show are meant to illustrate that, “life is really simple, but we make it really complicated,” explained the designer.

“The show [starts with] a simple garment, and by the end, the last piece is really complicated,” said Varela. “There are architectural geometric pieces that make each garment,” she said. Izavel  “It’s going to be cool because they’ll be standing four corners [by the end of the show], and everyone will be able to see the progress of the actual collection.”

The stark palate of Varela’s looks will be accented by the model’s rouge lipstick and bold hairstyles.

Following Varela is Ashlie Ming, debuting her Winter ’13 collection of her line, blackout. Ming was raised in Jackson, Mississippi, but the southern gal graduated from The Fashions Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, California.

The young designer founded her New Orleans-based line in 2011, and her studio is located on Magazine Street. Ming strives to create functional garments that maintain a modern edge. Fashionistas can expect a mix of dresses and separates to hit the runway tonight.

Like J&E, Ming is loyal to the local economy. All of her designs are made in the Crescent City, and keeping the production process close to home is one of her top priorities. Ming’s models will take the floor at 8pm. Following the shows, Sip in Style at Bellocq (936 St. Charles) at 9:30pm. Check out the full NOLAFW schedule here.