Waterfront Fashion Week Night Three [Fashion]

The third night of Waterfront Fashion Week brought punk rock and romance to the runway, along with minimalist styles and dreams of paradise. The night's event kicked off with boutique shows from Boutique Serendipity, Rodes and Sara Simpson.

Boutique Serendipity heavily featured minimalist swaths of black, white and camel, accented with the occasional eye-catching color. The standout for me from the boutique was a teal faux fur caplet by Cartise, draped over a Google Nexus-inspired multi-print dress by Ted Baker.

Rodes split up their set to feature their wares for men and women, beginning with a small selection of menswear from Scott Barber, Georgroth, Hilti and Z Zenga. My pick from this opening act is the red/black shirt by Georgroth, paired with a charcoal jean by Z Zenga. From the headliner came pieces from the likes of Herve Leger, Ali Ro and Halston Heritage, while the set closed with an encore from the men wearing looks by Samuelsohn, Etro and Hart Schaffner & Marx.

Finally, jeweler Sara Simpson sent several selections down the runway, including a necklace composed of red coral sticks, black onyx and pavé crystal beads, an early 20th century brass sash pin, and a vintage piece composed of gold cotton pearls with gold filled ruffles, all accented with red and royal blue faceted glass.

After intermission came the makeover winners, each of whom received services from Z Salon & Spa as well as inclusion in this night’s festivities. This was then followed by the final two Emerging Designer nominees, beginning with the punk-influenced looks of Damian Michael Pearsall, whose cereal-box dress was the centerpiece of his collection. On the other end, Elizabeth Turner’s softer art – including a number of swimwear pieces – had many in the audience dreaming of spring and summer of 2013.

Featured designer Jules Reid of Va. took the audience through dreamland with her resort/holiday styles, ranging from sleepwear that could be worn outside on the beach, to dresses inspired by India’s artistic motifs.

Cincinnati, Ohio-based featured designer Lindsey Lusignolo closed the third night of Waterfront Fashion Week 2012 with bridal and evening pieces, including one bridal gown that would not look out of place at the Louisville Ballet.

Friday night was a decent showing for Louisville’s first-ever fashion week. Did the final shows Saturday night send off the affair in a blaze of glory, or in a more subdued mood? You shall soon find out. Until then, view the slideshow below to see what you missed from the third night.