Real Style is All Around Us, by The ModeLife

Real style is a personal expression, individuality, creativity -- key attributes clearly represented at Style Battle in Grand Rapids last week. The energy at this competition felt much like the height of fashion week. Electronic beats set the tone as fashion professionals created five distinct, thematic looks over the course of four hours to secure a vote of confidence from the audience. Style Battle, hosted by Spotlight 616, aims to bring local clothing retailers to the forefront of fashion. It showcases style, creative thinking and teamwork on a whole new level.

“Style Battle gives the audience an inside look into the design concept, creative process and drama that happens behind the scenes,” said Tina Derusha, founder of SpotLight 616. Exposing the design process for attendees to experience gave this event a reality show flare and put added pressure on teams to stand out and interact while working feverishly to complete their looks.

Winner of the audience vote ($2,000 cash prize) was Lia Rose and winner of the judges' vote was Pink Blvd. ($1,000 cash prize). Lia Rose said their biggest learning obstacle was how to collaborate in such an intense situation. “People don’t realize how much work goes into something like this,” said Rosa Piccione and Gina VanGessel, owners of Lia Rose. “We put a lot of time and effort into the overall design and execution. Everyone on our team loves what they do and it showed.” The concept for Lia Rose was described as “bigger than life and local.” They wanted to promote fashion and love for the city by featuring images of Grand Rapids as a backdrop in the photographs. The Pink Blvd. team felt the event was more of an exhibition of style than a competition. They had all worked together in the past and felt this presented an advantage.

Our personal favorites of the night were AK Rikks and Lamb Boutique. The AK Rikks team wanted to tell a story inspired by the timeless elegance of film noir, a concept very much aligned with the retailer's brand. Lamb's concept rocked an effortless, chic and sophisticated feel very translatable from runway to ready-to-wear. Drawing from current trends, the collection carried a cohesive theme of multiple textures with multinational elements throughout each individual look.

While there could only be two winners, every team made a splash at Style Battle. Nikki Gillet, owner of Lee & Birch, characterized her clothing as “simple and organic” by dressing her models in a “bohemian chic” style. Perrianne Olson of Flashback Vintage Clothing was inspired by Halloween and showcased custom costume creations, such as Red Riding Hood, centered on Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

Many participating retailers and judges commented on the positive vibe pulsing through Style
Battle that evening. “It’s very eye opening to see this kind of talent here,” says Brian Weaver, VP of Creative Services at Kenneth Cole. “Keep having events like this, and Grand Rapids will attract a larger fashion following.”

Style Battle was full of creative energy from participating teams developing amazing looks. This is one of many fashion-related events in our city helping to build momentum with the creative class. With events like Style Battle and Fashion’s Night Out, local talent can connect and showcase their ideas and creativity for the greater good. Real style is all around us. We’re excited to see what this fabulous city comes up with next.



TheModeLife shares honest perspectives from a diverse collection of women. We provide informative and enjoyable reading that is current and practical from our lives to yours. Launched in June 2011, TheModeLife has 40 writers located throughout the U.S. and covers topics that are “Real. Style.” For more information and to subscribe to the blog, visit www.themodelife.com.