☞ BESPOKE: Harlem's Fashion Row Collections

Yesterday's schedule also included a one of a kind fashion event at the Gatehouse Theater, orchestrated by Harlem's Fashion Row. As mentioned before, this Spring/Summer 2010 presentation honored the legendary designer, Stephen Burrows, with a group of Harlem-based labels making their big runway debut. We did not know what to expect since at this point, having worked in the industry so long, even the tent shows at Bryant Park get a little tedious.

What did happen last night was something more visceral and dynamic than any show on 7th Avenue's Fashion Week. The location of the Gatehouse Theater, with its century-old, soaring, vaulted interior, with the added mix of a full house of editors, local fashionistas, downtowners visiting uptown and more than a few Harlem-based celebrities, made for quite an evening that even inspired this jaded fashion veteran.

Most of the shots are from the designer, Epperson, who folks might recognize from this season's Project Runway. His collection had a focus on white with intricate, hand-crafted details along with a few men's pieces. The most avant-garde collection was that of Jose Duran (last photo), whose conceptual men's collection exuded the experimentation of form and silhouette that reminded us a little of what the Japanese designers were doing in the 1980's. Other collections shown included Dinna Soliman and Liala.

The entire event felt like a passing of the torch to the new generation of designers by the great master, Stephen Burrows. After all the collections were shown, a special Stephen Burrows film tribute was projected on a screen that covered the stage arc, with Mr. Burrows appearing at the end for a final bow. Yes, the photos are atmospheric and behind the scenes, so we will link to other sites that have the fashion photographer's images of the actual clothing in future posts. Look out for some of the out-takes on our Facebook site this weekend. Read more about the Gatehouse Theater: LINK. Photos by Ulysses