Wearable Art Sweet 16 Runway Show

Signature art meets fashion in the Wearable Art Sweet 16 event presented by the Dunedin Fine Art Center Saturday, Aug. 27.

The Pre-Glow Party will kick off the festivities at 7 p.m. The runway show will start at 8 p.m. and the After-Glow Party will get underway after the show concludes.

After a three-year hiatus, the 16th mash-up of wearable art and fashion will showcase a growing contingent of top artists working in fashion-related arts, including Mark Byrne, Rya DeMulder, Neva Durham, Bay to Bay Designers, Kikimora Studio, Cindy Linville, Olga Sarestky, Frank Strunk III and Lina Teixeira + Ensemble.

Adding to the festivities this year will be a gallery exhibit by Leslie Joy Ickowitz titled "Windows in Time." Hair and makeup for the models will be provided by Salon GW.

The event was conceived of 16 years ago by DFAC’s former assistant curator, Kaya Parwanicka Jill, and became an instant hit, attracting sold-out crowds.

Both the Pre-Glow and After-Glow parties will take place at the Dunedin Fine Art Center, 1143 Michigan Blvd., Dunedin.

The runway show will be presented at the Dunedin Community Center, adjacent to DFAC parking lot.

Tickets to the runway show range from $85 to $135.

The party ticket for $20 provides access to both the pre- and post-parties. This indoor standing-room option offers an opportunity to enjoy music and other activities and watch the runway show on a large video monitor.

Meet The Artists

The Bay to Bay Wearable Art Collective, formerly known as the Garden Fairies, is a group of seven artists who all have a passion for designing, constructing and sometimes modeling their wearable art clothing and headdresses. This year, the collective will present its “Ocean Oddities” collection, featuring an array of unique hand-crafted “artfits.”

Mark Byrne has been a professional balloon artist and magician for more than 30 years. The Clearwater resident has traveled to China, Australia and Europe to perform his unique brand of balloon artistry. He has also done numerous tradeshows, including several featuring his trademark balloon dresses.

Rya DeMulder is a multimedia artist who is new to the Tampa Bay area. Drawing inspiration from her unconventional upbringing in the woods of upstate New York, DeMulder marries her background in the visual and theatrical arts with technical garment construction skills to create dramatic ethereal inspired by high fashion, geometry and spirituality.

Neva “The Diva” Durham of Lakeland is the owner of Diva Designs Makeup. She is a creative makeup artist, body artist, face painter and wearable art designer who provides fashions for fashion shows, photo shoots and weddings.

Born and raised in Pinellas County, Cindy Linville graduated from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. She specializes in repurposing and reusing for her fashion designs, paintings and body paintings.

Olga Saretsky of Kikimora Studios in Miami grew up in a Russian family in Kazakhstan. She launched her performance career at 15 as a dancer and later organized a dance company called Effect where she designed and produced costumes for her company along with choreography. After spending eight years traveling to different countries as a performer, she arrived in the United States in 2006 and began freelance work for local circus and entertainment companies as an independent performer. In 2010, she organized Kikimora’s first fashion show. Saretsky now teaches and produces wearable art.

Frank Strunk III inspired metal runway creations, pushing the boundaries and categories for wearable art. Strunk has participated twice in the international World of Wearable Art competition held in Nelson, New Zealand, winning both times and WOW purchased his works for its permanent collection. He is one of the American artists featured in a coffee table book called “World of Wearable Art: 30 designers tell their stories” (2015).

Born and raised in Montreal, Canada, to Portuguese parents, Lina Teixeira is a busy mom of two, business owner, published author, special concepts director, wearable art artist and a recently elected city council member of Clearwater. She loves turning everyday items into wearable art, and has exhibited internationally.Read more at:australian formal dress shops | short formal dresses australia