Whenever "Rhode Island" is spoken in conversation, thoughts intuitively recall summertime scenes of ladies frolicking carelessly at a Newport beach, seemingly inspired by the words passed among one another, but nevertheless engaged in some subliminal thought process that vacillates between indifference, and uninitiated interest. They wear all-white dresses made of light, diaphanous fabric, and their summer hats bounce listlessly as the heads they occupy feign attention. Aside from their meticulously sewn lace gloves, there is nothing inspiring about the women's garments, and even the details produced in them, seem unmistakably lost amid the mundanity of what they wear.
The men, each of whom stands far off to the side, shrug their indifference into the summer air with the cool implication that their demeanor is influenced by the haphazard movement of the boats at sea. Their style is as prosaic as that of the women, but it is, nevertheless, differentiated by the sense of comfort they project in what they wear. They wear herringbone pants and thin, striped ties. Cognac driving loafers and gold-trimmed watches.
Collectively, the scene is unremarkable, indistinct, and uninspiring...
~,'@
With StyleWeek Providence only four months away, we can already begin to visualize the emergence of a new scene, one more eclectic in its stylistic expression and one able to reinvent the remnants of the old, in order to produce a far more interesting, and engaging one. As an enormously ambitious venture, StyleWeek Providence marks the start of a new era in Providence's artistic history and were it not for the unfailing determination of its founder, Rosanna Ortiz-Sinel, along with that of her ambitious team, it's doubtful that it would ever exist.
As a project, StyleWeek Providence has seen remarkable progress since its nascent stage as an idea traveling among many others in Ortiz-Sinel's mind and, when asked to remark on the status of it, Ortiz-Sinel stated that, "The process has been tedious to say the least, but 100% worth it." Part of that tediousness has been due, in part, to the judicious selection of those allowed to take part in the behind-the-scenes workings of the project. Ortiz-Sinel and her team have been "careful with whom we use in the show, work with, and promote. Being our inaugural year, the decisions we make now for StyleWeek Providence are the decisions that could make, or break, us later."
The team's prudent decision-making has manifested in an impressive array of designers whose work collectively speaks to Rhode Island's New England heritage, as well as to the modernization of classic designs. There is David Chum of Selah D'or, whose talent Ortiz-Sinel describes as "that of a Narciso Rodriguez." There is Jessica Abernethy, a Providence native whose creations Ortiz-Sinel says "embody modern sophistication." And there is Jonathan Joseph Peters, an exceptionally creative designer who appears on season 7 of Project Runway. Chum, Abernethy, and Peters, comprise three of the twelve designers Ortiz-Sinel describes as some of "the most down to earth most generous people I have met. It really is like a family and it’s important to me that it stays that way in the years to come."
A number of these designers appeared at the wonderfully produced "Meet & Mingle Mixer" that took place in early February. The event, purposefully "planned so designers and StyleWeek Providence crew could meet with the people and press of our region," produced an impressive turn-out, and Ortiz Sinel was especially "touched beyond belief at how many Boston residents came down for the evening." Not surprisingly, the StyleWeek Providence team has been promoting heavily in Boston and, recently, on February 25th, the team hosted a Fashionably Late event at the Liberty Hotel which featured pieces by StyleWeek Providence designer Samuel Vartan.
The StyleWeek Providence team has also been thrilled by the response generated by Rhode Island and they are "grateful [by] how the city...has taken us under their wing and is eager to help with whatever we need." Ortiz-Sinel added that "The Rhode Island press has been equally attentive and helpful, and is just amazing to work with."
It is exciting to see what that week in June will culminate to and it will surely be one of the most significant moments in Providence's cultural history. Ortiz-Sinel and her team have permitted the possibility of something greater, something substantial, and something to look forward to, and everyone involved is eager to see Providence acquire the cachet it has been its right to claim. Indeed, the StyleWeek Providence team has taken the city into their palms and blown sweet kisses in its direction, caressing it with their determination, and engaging every aspect of the community to help realize the potential it has to become a respectable hub of fashion.
~,'@
The scene of the apathetic ladies and shrugging shoulders still exists, but the diversity permeating the new one superimposes it, creating a space where thoughts, forms, and creativity, converge to produce a remarkable place brimming with untrammeled innovation. There is music that moves the women to dance and fabrics that permit them to feel loved by their clothing. Orchid petals fall from the sky and land atop the heads of the men who, instead of shrugging their shoulders, join the women in appreciation of the kineticsm that surrounds them. They are excited, they are free.
Here is peace, the scene seems to exclaim. Here is joy. Here is sublime artistic expression.
And so we go.
Comments
Great article!
Great article - love how it it written, how it gives you a feel of the past and how wondeful Styleweek will be. So glad Providence is getting organized and stylized.
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