WEST COAST FAB: Fashion Minga at Boulevard 3

The cancellation of most of the runway shows for the second half of Los Angeles Fashion Week left me wondering if there would be any events that would mark the week as special.  There were some delightful revelations, such as Julia Clancey’s dreamy collection, but would there be an event that would have a particularly LA flavor to it.  Fashion Minga may have been that moment.

Held at Boulevard 3, Fashion Minga was more than a fashion event in the strictest sense,  it was an extravaganza.  The word “Minga” is an Ecuadorian term for “a community coming together to work for the benefit of all”.  And being for the “benefit of all” goes beyond the participants in the event.  Fashion Minga also benefited the Entertainment AIDS Alliance, a volunteer group of industry professionals responding to the urgent need for AIDS service organizations nationwide. And members of the industry turned out to support the cause and the event, including Thom Barry of Cold Case.

Fashion Minga was an interesting mélange of fashion, theatre, dance and music.
Opening with a performance by Bella Circo, a Cirque de Soleil type theatrical group, the mood for the evening was definitely set. Performances by the dance troop, Flirt Dancers, an acrobatic duo by the name of Elle-Evate, and the music stylings of pop/hip-hop duo Electrolightz served as segue-way to the Fashion being shown.

Presenting five of LA’s up and coming designers, we were treated to runway offerings by M5 Couture, Urban Republic Clothing, BiPolar Gear, Destroyed by Fame and Onanong Swimwear.   All in all, they definitely had a flare for drama and an aesthetic which represented the LA fashion week well.

Once the performances were finished, it was the audiences turn to become part of the celebration with dancing and partying into the night.  A night that benefited Fashion, Theatre, Music and even more importantly those in our society who need us the most.

Watch video of the performances at Ladies Who Lunch Travel.

Reported by Mdivani Monroe of Ladies Who Lunch Travel.  Photos by Omri Escalante