Every summer during the Festival of Arts season, I eagerly anticipate the Festival Runway Fashion Show in Laguna Beach, CA. On August 18, designers and artists showcased their creativity by using recycled, reclaimed, and repurposed materials. This unique competition blends art, fashion, and creativity in an exciting way. This year’s participants included seven talented artists:
- Luciano Bortone (jeweler)
- Rowan Foley (pencil artist)
- Elizabeth McGhee (painter)
- Anne Moore Bortone (printmaker)
- Cody Nicely (glass artist)
- Linda Potichke (jeweler)
- Nancy Swan (painter)
The Festival Runway Fashion Show was hosted by Emmy Award-winning production and set designer for film, television and theater Nelson Coates, known for his work on films such as Crazy Rich Asians and Hocus Pocus 2. Currently, he is working for Season 4 for The Morning Show on Apple TV.
The Judges
Every year, the Festival Runway judges are comprised of top-tier and experienced figures from the art, theater, and Hollywood communities.
Pat Kollenda
Pat Kollenda is a festival board member and Laguna Beach Arts Commissioner. She is a past president of CHOC and Laguna Playhouse. In 2011, Pat was honored as the Patriots Day Parade Citizen of the Year. Onstage, she has performed in numerous productions, including the USO Tour of Vietnam.
Shelley Komarov
Shelley Komarov is an accomplished Hollywood costume designer with credits that include “The Peacemaker,” “Lost in Yonkers,” “The Newton Boys,” and many others. She has won four Emmys.
Gerard Stripling
Gerard Stripling graduated from FIDM and began his fashion career under Bill Whitten, creating attire for luminaries like Michael Jackson, Neil Diamond, and many others. Gerard is also a sculptor, having exhibited his work at the Festival of Arts, and was recently named “Artist of the Year” by the Laguna Beach Arts Alliance.
Winners
Most Creative Concept: Breakfast Tea-fany’s by Anne Moore
The Art of High Tea was the creation of Anne Moore. Anne is a printmaker and a 14-year exhibitor at the Festival of Arts. Sewn onto the drop cloth train are 312 tea bag covers that Anne has collected over the past two years. The teacup is made from a mailing tube and set on a paper plate, both collaged with some of Anne’s monoprint images.
Most Exciting Ensemble Inspired by a Famous Designer: Mermaid by Cody Nicely
Cody Nicely, a glass artist, created a piece that seamlessly blends artistry with environmental awareness. The dress features boiled, cut, and hand-dyed CDs, meticulously sewn onto a modified mermaid-shaped skirt using fishing line. The skirt is further enhanced with a train made from an old tablecloth, adorned with beach trash, a sand-glued plastic bowl, and embellished with hand-blown starfish and recycled glass.
Most Innovative Use of Materials: Recycled socks by Elizabeth McGhee
Think Gunne “socks” in this dress. This eco-conscious creation features recycled socks adorned with flowers, beads, and a matching headpiece.
Most Glamorous “Red Carpet” Worthy Creation: Many different eras in the movies by Nancy Swan
This dress showcased the changing fashion silhouettes from every decade from 1800 to 2020. Each cameo is framed with hand-cut lace from the newspaper. The bodice is made from gummed paper tape, paint, printer paper, and ribbon. The skirt is crafted from trash bag, newspaper, paint, duct tape, and glue. The petticoat consists of bubble wrap, packing tape, duct tape, cardboard and Scotch tape.
People’s Choice Award
Nancy Swan
In addition to showcasing the participants’ creativity, the event also featured three costumes from this summer’s theme, “A La Mode: The Art of Fashion.” Pageant of the Masters Director Diane Challis Davey hosted this segment, highlighting pieces from the show, including *Ossie Clark with model Valair Williams, *Christian Dior and *Yves Saint Laurent with model Olena Dorosh, and *Karl Lagerfeld with model Nadia Hedayati.
This year, the event also embraced a charitable aspect, encouraging visitors to bring gently-used professional attire to donate to Working Wardrobes in exchange for free admission.
To celebrate 15 years of our Festival of Arts Runway Fashion Show, FOA showcased a retrospective of memorable recycled couture crafted by the talented W. Bradley Elsberry.
*The designer outfits are replicas featured in the show.
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