Mpls.St.Paul Magazine announces Fashionopolis' Prince Tribute Designers.
Ines di Santo
Ines Di Santo’s designs capture the essence of sophisticated glamour. Using techniques that are often found only in couture design, Ines plays to the feminine side of a woman’s beauty in both her bridal and evening collections. Raised in Buenos Aires with parents that inspired and supported her interest in the arts, Ines studied both fine art and design in Argentina and Milan. The signature, rich touch seen in each collection reflects the designer’s Italian and Spanish heritage. Ines Di Santo designs are favored by discerning retailers, brides and celebrities for red carpet events around the world. Leading an ever-expanding, international business, Ines and her family reside in Canada. While maintaining an office in United States, the company’s headquarters, atelier and flagship salon are located in Toronto. Inesdisanto.com
Mariette Verhoeven + Brigitte Bogart
Classmates at Charles Montaigne Fashion Academy in Amsterdam, Mariette Verhoeven and Brigitte Bogart bonded over their shared dream to design clothes for Prince. Their extreme efforts—two trans-Atlantic trips to Minneapolis, two entire collection designed with Prince in mind, countless calls to anyone and everyone who knew Prince personally—prompted a story in the Star Tribune. Prince saw it, invited the designers to Paisley Park, and 1994 to 1998 were a blur of purple velvet and silk as the two designed four outfits for Prince and worked on numerous projects for him. "He thought it was funny that we had come all the way from the Netherlands to design for him!" Mariette is now a principal designer for Target; Brigitte is senior vice president of design for NY&Company in New York.
Stacy Igel of Boy Meets Girl
Stacy Igel is founder and creative director of Boy Meets Girl®, a worldwide women’s contemporary brand. The brand—currently sold at Nordstrom and Colette in Paris among others—has been featured in InStyle, Seventeen, WWD, and The New York Times, to name a few, and has been worn by high-profile fashionistas such as Brittany Snow, Rosario Dawson, Nina Dobrev and Kendall Jenner. Stacy has received numerous awards and honors, and is a frequent panelist on topics including social media, branding and entrepreneurship. She holds board and/or committee chair positions at FDNY, BullyBust.org and the Young Survival Coalition. Currently, she’s developing a multimedia fashion series for a major network. You can follow Stacy and her curated lifestyle blog, Behind The Seams™ with Stacy Igel at stacyigel.com. Stacy is also a proud new mom! boymeetsgirlusa.com
Jeannine Cavallo of J. Cavallo
Jeannine Cavallo is the founder of J. Cavallo, a modern, ethical luxury lifestyle brand that partners with global artisans to incorporate handcrafted details and novel fabric techniques into its collections. Her philosophy is “source globally and make locally.” Headquartered in Eden Prairie, J. Cavallo collaborates with artisans in places such as India, Indonesia, Italy, Paris, Kenya, Congo, and Mongolia. J. Cavallo relies heavily on the support of independent notforprofit organizations dedicated to training and developing artisan businesses and forging partnerships with artisans that promote selfsufficiency and entrepreneurship in developing economies. Shopcavallo.com
Kathryn Sterner Sieve of Winsome Goods
Kathryn Sterner Sieve is the founder and creative director of the Minneapolis-based brand Winsome Goods. After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a degree in apparel design, Kathryn spent several years working on both ends of the clothing industry spectrum. She experimented with independent, small-scale production, and also worked as a designer for the Merona label at Target Corp. In the spring of 2014, Kathryn launched Winsome Goods, a womenswear line with a focus on ethical production and resilient design. Whether she is at work on her brand with a small team of people in Winsome's Minneapolis studio or traveling the country in the Mobile Design Studio—housed in a newly renovated 1975 Airstream trailer—Kathryn works on creating quality garments that are all designed, sampled, and produced under one roof. Winsomegoods.com
Emma Berg
Emma Berg lives in Manhattan and is a Minneapolis native, with a background in studio art and costume design. She has been creating limited run collections for nearly a decade, each with a unique story and perspective. Her collections strive to inspire individuals to be or do something beyond their current place of comfort. She works with the design team at J.Crew headquarters in New York as a project manager. Emmaberg.com
Christopher Straub
Crowned Fan Favorite during the sixth season of Project Runway in 2009, the self-taught designer didn’t put on airs; he just went back home to Shakopee, Minnesota, and put on his Midwestern work ethic. Straub’s collections embrace not only apparel, but handbags and other accessories. In addition to design, Straub works as a style expert for the Mall of America. He’s also an author, illustrator, and toy developer for a series of children’s books including Albert the Confused Manatee, Albert’s Underwater ABCs, and Rocky the Confused Platypus. His Midwestern ethic also surfaces through civic engagement, and Straub is a passionate fundraiser. He developed an eponymous line for Maurices, the national women’s clothing chain, that helped raise more than $400,000 for causes including the American Cancer Society, Child Neurology Foundation, Make-A-Wish, and the Children’s Cancer Research Fund. christopherstraub.myshopify.com
Joynoelle
Joy Teiken is the owner and designer of the independent fashion label Joynoelle. Her ready-to-wear and bridal pieces are handmade in her south Minneapolis atelier. This self-taught designer has been featured in WWD, Elle, Real Simple Magazine, and Daily Candy NYC, and has been shown on the runway in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Her awards include FGI’s Designer of Distinction, Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal’s 40 under 40, and Minnesota Bride magazine's Best Custom Dresses. Before starting Joynoelle, Joy received her master’s in art education and taught at the high school level for many years. She was also a Peace Corps volunteer in Botswana, Africa from 1993 to 1996 where she learned that living simply and having purpose is what makes her the most happy. Joynoelle.com
