I fully intended to go over to the Time Warp Drive-In and wish Matt a happy birthday yesterday. Then the bottom fell out. I wasn’t really excited about the muggy heat, but I was still excited to see the all the hot rods. Torrential downpour is where I have to draw the line for drive-in movies. My windshield wipers just aren’t that good.
Luckily, there was another event that caught my eye – and it was indoors! I recently discovered the Cleveland Street Flea Market and I was curious to see their New-2-U fashion show.
The brainchild of Erica Qualy, this event offered a new way to see what the Crosstown flea market has to offer. After running her booth at the market for a about a year, Erica decided there are too many hidden gems languishing on the racks. With a keen eye for great clothes, what would be more fun than a fashion show!
With the help of Candace Jefferies, that’s what she did. Recruiting the participation of other clothing and accessory vendors, Erica set her plan in motion. Inviting anyone who was interested to model the show, this handmade event came together through teamwork and great support from Crosstown Arts family. Local artist Mary Jo Karimnia graciously emceed the event, sharing her knowledge of the market and its vendors for the entertainment of the crowd. The after school program story booth volunteered their adjacent space as a dressing area for the models.
A clothing swap table added an extra draw for the audience as well as some delicious food catered by Richard at the CSFM Cafe – where Hi Tone also gets their food.
That, plus the great company drew shoppers to the seating area where they could chat with the vendors before the show. Chuck Parr, a 27-year veteran of the Cooper-Young festival, practically greeted people at the door from an opportune chair near his booth. The anticipation among the crowd was tempered by the enthusiasm of everyone involved with the show. We all couldn’t wait to see what was in store. (pun intended)
The production did not disappoint! The cast of volunteer models and about a dozen different vendors offered up a variety of styles to suit most any nice occasion. The particularly hard-to-find trends like quality retro and casual glamor were served up on a vintage platter for the enjoyment of the crowd. It was hard to choose from all the photos I grabbed as the trios of models showcased each booth’s collection. Fortunately, I was able to grab some highlight videos also, so go check that out on the youtube channel.
The models that participated in the event are: Laurel Cannito, Rachel Horton, Hannah Nelson, Merideth Bell, Carla Worth, Lesley Young, Paul Smith, Erica Qualy, Khalifa Baggett, and Krislee Kyle. Even with this many people, Erica encourages more people to come out and volunteer for the next event. There is no shortage of clothes to put on display.
Some of the vendors on Cleveland street have regular customers that have been coming to them for many years. This event was a great chance to see why. If you haven’t seen clothes like this before, it’s because these ladies have been saving it just for you. They do all the hard work to go find and sometimes restore these amazing pieces so you can find them all in one place. And that’s just the beginning to the hundreds of amazing things you can find at the flea market. From china dolls to antique furniture, the things waiting for you are all incredible.
