Inaugural Downtown Fashion Weekend Offered Three Days Of Shopping, Wine, Art And Fashion

The inaugural Downtown Warsaw Fashion Weekend, presented by Toyota of Warsaw and hosted by Main Street Warsaw, took place Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The event drew hundreds of attendees to downtown Warsaw for both free and ticketed events featuring women’s and men’s fashions from three downtown boutiques including, Glam Boutique, Finley and Co. Boutique and Male Fashions. The weekend started with a free Friday night Sip n Shop featuring live mannequins in the boutiques, arts vendors and musicians lining the street. A total of nine retail shops participated in the Friday evening event providing complimentary wine and cheese. Toyota of Warsaw displayed cars and trucks at each boutique and Toyota staff answered questions for shoppers as they admired the cars, according to a provided news release.
The featured Saturday night ticketed runway show had a capacity crowd. Guests strolled the 50-foot red carpet in the center of north Buffalo Stret walking by Toyota vehicles and engaged by Wagon Wheel actors posing as paparazzi dressed in vintage attire.
As guests arrived at the end of the carpet to check-in they were treated to a splash art demonstration by local artist Marc Eckle. Once inside The Vic, they were served a complimentary glass of champagne, socializing and a musical number by Wagon Wheel cast members Kira Lace Hawkins, Sam Engle and Thomas Hall with a preview performance of the after-party show at Anthology Whiskey Room.
The runway had models walked the runway to high music and adorning a different look with each of the three passes by the five models for each boutique. Guests cheered as the models played it up for the crowd. The show concluded with a finale with all models walking down the runway one after the other and with the introduction of boutique owners Jenny Finley, Michelle Hansen and Tim Hamman, as well as Toyota of Warsaw General Manager Emily Illingworth Kosnik. The attendees then adjourned to Anthology Whiskey Room to mix with the models, recap the evening, enjoy spirits and a cabaret performance by Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts.
Downtown Fashion Weekend ended on Sunday with a champagne shop featuring in-store discounts and an afternoon of shopping and socializing.
“It was a great success we are already talking about next year!” said Hansen, owner of Glam Boutique.