Boat Couture

On a gorgeous summer evening, TCD set sail (well, sort of) with the Milwaukee Boat Line and ART Milwaukee for the arts advocacy group’s monthly jamboree.  July’s theme: “Art in Transit” – with a fashionable twist.

“The concept of the event was to incorporate several elements of the Milwaukee public transit with art,” says ART Milwaukee Vice President Angela Damiani. (Full disclosure: Angela Damiani worked for  TCD in 2010 as a Social Media Specialist, however is no longer affiliated with ThirdCoast Digest/Vital Media Group.)

ART Milwaukee strives to showcase Milwaukee, its businesses, its art and artists in a dynamic and engaging way,” Damiani says. “Our mission is to remove the pretension that is normally associated with art and to reinvent the idea that art is simply a painting on a wall – art is everything, including mixology, fashion, architecture … the list goes on.”

Once a month, the organization hosts a traveling interactive gallery of sorts, each time at a new location with its own theme. Each event boasts live music, on-site art demonstrations and featured worked from local creatives. Since its inception in 2010, ART Milwaukee has also focused much of its energy on arts and artist advocacy with children’s programming, art education, staffing for creatives and outreach.

For “Art in Transit,” local boutiques and artist/designers Luci Boutique, White Star, NEWD Clothing, Shannon Lee Molter and Sun Luk Shoes (by Muk Luks) hit the runway aboard the Vista King to show off their latest summer looks as DJ Smashbox supplied the bumping beats. A dozen models were primped, preened and styled by local hairstylists Beth Anne Gleason, Ann Krause and Niki Seils, with makeup by Keely Raye, Itty ab, Chrissy Collins. The fashion show was organized by Sarah Lasky of Express Promotions and Events.

Once the able crew cast off and drinks were served, the runway show began on the lower deck and finished on the upper deck.  Passing the breakwater, the high-heeled models found their needed sea legs. Happily, they quickly partnered with male models and a couple-based fashion show at sea (er, lake) was borne.  Artists were onboard and waiting at the final destination, Rustico Pizzeria‘s new patio space along the RiverWalk, where more artists were set up along with live music and an artisan glass blowing demonstration.

You can view the proceedings below on our slideshow below, or see the entire set at our Flickr account.  We added a few scene and be-seen shots to the mix, featuring fashion bloggers and fashionistas alike.