On the evening of Thursday, May 26, in the historic town of Tremont, Ohio, Banyan Tree boutique hosted a fashion show to bring attention to its creative clothing line, Figwood.
The boutique has a unique array of clothing, jewelry, accessories and even home decor. The event was a casual mixer, where guests could peruse the clothing and accessories while enjoying wine and the decadent culinary creations from Fahrenheit.
The Figwood clothing line is the brilliant collaboration from the minds of store owner Christie Murdoch and fashion designer Sara Sandberg. All clothing in the collection is produced exclusively in Indonesia where careful attention is placed on each garment.
The Figwood line was featured throughout the fashion show, as three models glided around the room allowing guests to see and feel the garments as well as ask questions about them. This style of fashion show may not have been in traditional catwalk form, but it seemed very effective as far as informing the consumers about the garments. The fashion show consisted of six looks varying from denim jeans and t-shirts to flowy and detailed evening dresses.
For the first look of the night, the three models wore Miss Me denim jeans paired with Cleveland Chic t-shirts. The looks were also styled with Cleveland Chic jewelry. An important aspect of all clothing and jewelry in the Cleveland Chic line is that a portion of all the proceeds from the sales go directly to Cleveland’s own non-profit organization, Girls With Sole.
A highlight of the night was the appearance of Liz Ferro, the creator of Girls With Sole. Liz looked elegant in a colorful maxi dress paired with Banyan Tree silver drop earrings. Ferro was accompanied that evening by her lovely daughter.
Next up, the models reappeared wearing printed Figwood pocket dresses that were modeled in a variety of color combinations such as black and white, a light blue brown and yellow, and also a pinkish red and brown. The dresses were flirty and lightweight, great for traveling or just for a summer day. The black and white dress had an extra detail of draw string sides on the bottom, giving it an edgy look that would go great with leggings or by itself. Pair it with black pumps for a swanky “night out” look. All dresses were detailed and beautifully made.
Thirdly, guests got a glimpse of the elegant silk Figwood poncho tops. All were printed throughout the sleeves and bottoms of the garment. The tops came in several different color combinations such as black and whites, hot pinks and browns, and black and tan. The ponchos looked great with black jeans, belted or unbelted. The fabric was sheer and light, making them the perfect summer addition to any girl's wardrobe.
The next garments to be shown were the evening looks. Three elegant but very different dresses made their way into the room. The first look was a long, sheer navy blue dress. The color had a bit of an ombre feel as the color grew darker towards the bottom. This dress was styled with a beautifully crafted silver beaded belt. The detail on the neckline of the dress was also exceptional, with a fabric covered extra large pearl effect.
The second dress to appear was a black and white tube dress with a tulip layered bottom. The print on the skirt of the dress looked geometric and very interesting. It had a large elastic waist band cinching the dress to flatter the female figure. The dress was styled with a coral beaded necklace that gave the dress a delicious pop of color.
The last dress to appear in this group was a long black slimming skirt with a high slit on the right. The model wore a funky black and white wrap top with a white tank under. The print on the back of the top was similar to the geometric print that had been previously shown on the tube dress. This look was completed with a lime green cuff bracelet that gave the look some colorful pizazz.
The next collection was a set of dresses all made from the same polyester blend fabric. This fabric had an iridescent crinkle look to it allowing the casual dresses to appear very formal yet still comfortable. The different styles of dresses included a mossy green maxi dress, a short ink blue cocktail dress that was longer in the back, and a short black shift dress that was layered. All garments made with this fabric would be perfect for traveling. The combination of the crinkle look and the poly blend allow the garments to be easily folded and packed without major wrinkling - a must-have for all traveling fashionistas.
Lastly, the models appeared for the final time wearing casual summer looks. Floral shorts with a black tank and a short sleeved cardigan, a long hunter green top with bead work on the neckline, and a white cotton peasant top with a few random heart prints that the model wore with denim jeans. All three of these looks are great for summer days when a girl needs to look stylish while going shopping or running errands.
Overall, the Banyan Tree show was a success. Guests truly seemed to love the atmosphere and enjoyed shopping while watching a fashion show. Many purchases were made and more fashionable Figwood fans were born. If you haven’t bought your first Figwood garments or Cleveland Chic t-shirts yet, be sure to make your way to Banyan Tree and consider adding these pieces to your closets.
