Bloom Fashion Event
Continuing with the festivities of fashion week, Thursday night’s event was called “Bloom” and was held at Platformz, a local downtown St. Petersburg dance club. In the center of the room were displays of local art with a common theme of floral depictions illuminated by the vibrancy of slideshow images being played on the floor.
Among the artists being showcased was Michael Vahl, a portrait and visual artist who hails from Los Angeles, California,and has currently been spending time in the Tampa Bay Area. As part of his display, he began a live paint session in which he created an oversized painting of Marilyn Monroe. To paint her hair, he used his business cards as a brush, an unconventional way of bringing his art to life.
As the night progressed, models became the focal point and took to the runway to show off the floral ensembles they were wearing. They struck poses on the main platform and proceeded to individual photo shoots with various local photographers who had their own ideas and perspectives on how the models should be photographed. The night came to a close with guests enjoying drinks and listening to the music, all the while enjoying the last of the photoshoots and art displays.
Photographers present:
- Jose Gomez, Tampa
- Jim McCulloh, Tampa
- Pamela Dawn, Tampa
- Matt Moriarty, St. Petersburg
- Ernesto Garcia, Largo
Art-Inspired Fashion Event
The glass doors of BBD Lifestyle opened and the sound of French ballads encaptured the atmosphere created by the artists who stood humbly yet delighted as they prepared to showcase their work. A woman stood alone, strong in her silence, observing the crowd quietly as they admired her work. Her style was timeless, her gaze inviting, and she welcomed those around her with warm smiles. Her name was Tilly Dorenkamp.
“I’m currently doing a series on strong women and the power of a woman. The piece outside is called ‘Blue,’ and it represents a woman overcoming fear, anxiety and depression,” Tilly said, “I have several friends and have known several women who have suffered from these diseases, so I wanted to do something for them because they are all overcomers and are very powerful.”
Tilly Dorenkamp with her painting “Blue”
Tilly also showcased “Pain,” a portrait of a naked woman sitting on a stool drenched in radiant multicolored tears.
“Pain” by Tilly Dorenkamp
“She represents all kinds of chronic pain; whether it’s depression, fibromyalgia, lupus, cancer. The colors running down [her body] represent her crying, and she’s sitting the way she’s sitting because she’s in pain,” Tilly said, “She feels like she’s melting away from the pain.”
Exploding with color, both in spirit and attire, designer Leeann Kroetsch excited her listeners as she began to talk about her craft.
“Threaded artwear is my business, and I’m a fiber artist. I primarily work with wool and silk, and the technique is called felting,” Leeann said, draping her interviewers in hand-crafted shawls.
Leeann dresses visitors in her designs
With open arms, Leeann brought her visitors closer to the heart of her work, and with open arms, Her Campus embraced the inspiration brought about by the artists throughout the night.
HC with care,
USFSP Her Campus