Macy’s downtown location held their fifth annual Macy’s Fashion Rocks fashion shows on Wednesday Sept. 24, selling out to a full crowd.
“I started Pittsburgh Fashion Week with Macy’s three years ago, and the first year there were like fifty people, and we had to beg them to even come,” Cathy Mallebranche, who has styled Macy’s events for nine years, said.
The show was on the fourth floor of the department store and featured a full runway, gift bags for guests, hors d’oeuvres and refreshments, makeup tutorials by Clinique, shopping giveaways and the local band Deep Faith. Fall 2014 trends displayed in the show included leather moto jackets, flannel shirts, metallic fabric, furs, pleats and bold patterns.
The show also featured the work of five Art Institute students who were chosen to participate in the event. Each designer was introduced and their inspirations for their pieces were revealed as their model walked down the runway.
Pittsburgh’s fifth annual fashion week kicked off Monday, Sept. 22 at Highmark Stadium for a sold out “Designer’s Showcase” show. Local designers displayed their work on the runway, and vendors from around the area opened pop-up shops on the field.
The week’s events ended with a student fashion show at The Art Institute on Saturday and a Fashion Hall of Fame luncheon with a performance from Pittsburgh’s Ballet Theatre School on Sunday.
For fashion blogger Mikkela Bruncich, Macy’s presentation stood out the most.
“I loved all the things the Art Institute students did. They were really unique and were things that I had never seen before,” Bruncich said.
Co-presidents of Point Park’s fashion blog, Point Chic, Ore Zaccheus and Melinda Harrison-Laster, thought the event displayed Pittsburgh’s take on Fashion Week. Attending the show benefited Zaccheus and Harrison-Laster for their future work with their blog.
“I feel like I’m definitely gaining experience and seeing what Pittsburgh has to offer in terms of fashion which really opens my eyes for our blog Point Chic,” Zaccheus said.
Point Chic’s blog will feature beauty tutorials, trend alerts, women’s fashion, men’s fashion and some of Point Park’s student body for “Fashion Crush Friday.” The blog is set to launch Wednesday, Oct. 8 at an all-black event held on campus.
“We’d like to have our own fashion show at some point this year so coming to this show has given me a better idea on how to run one,” Harrison-Laster said.
Mallebranche is a stylist based out of New York City who has worked with artists such as Destiny’s Child, NSYNC and Lil Mama. Her frequent stops in Pittsburgh have evolved into enjoyable trips since Downtown has been revitalized over the years with restaurants and shops.
“This is good for downtown Pittsburgh. When I used to come here I used to only go to Ross Park and Robinson malls because that’s where the people are. They’re bringing energy to downtown and to me that’s where it should be,” Mallebranche said.
