utah fashion week spring 2016

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(left to right) back: Blakely, @eloiseandme; Keara, @modest_style; Jill, @hotpinkstyle55; Sandy, @sandyalamode; Lauryn, @lauryncakes; me, @momandkumquat

front: Emily, @modestgoddess_; Kristin, @kristinrosedavis
my dress :: temperley london (get it here + check back later this week for more outfit details & inspiration)

"Fashion forward" may not be the term most people would use to describe our state, but they've clearly never been to Utah Fashion Week.

The annual event kicked off Tuesday night, February 23^rd, with a VIP party at the Avenues Yoga in Salt Lake City, where industry insiders, including bloggers, journalists and local fashion icons, were invited to socialize with the designers, models and staff behind the Spring 2016 Utah Fashion Week. We were treated to some neat “mocktails” by local beverage vendor Melange while we munched on some delicious macaroons by The Blonde Who Bakes and (my favorite) chocolate covered strawberries from Zupas. I got the opportunity to meet/hang out with some of my darling blogger friends and heroes, including Lauryn of Lauryncakes (@lauryncakes), Sandy from Sandy A La Mode (@sandyalamode) and Jill from Hot Pink Style (@hotpinkstyle55) – if you don’t already follow these gorgeous ladies, make sure you pop on over for a visit when you’re done here!

a gorgeous gown by clever couture, featured in thursday's up & coming designer show at utah fashion week

photo by jennifer booth

The event continued Thursday evening with the Up & Coming Designers show, which featured designers from Utah and surrounding states that are on the rise, some of whom debuted their first full collections at UFW. The Up & Coming Designers show was held at the Gateway Mall in downtown Salt Lake, and included collections from Winnet, Vintage Pygmy Design, Laurel Sherbert, Rebekah Silver Jackson, Breekel Orton, Crystal Christina, Kathryn Mecham, Ann&Ann, Clever Couture Design, Taylor Nichole Designs, Rachel Cash and Belle Vue.

three looks from cartier dior's fantastic eveningwear-with-a-twist collection of gowns, from friday night's eveningwear & avant garde show @ utah fashion week

photo by jennifer booth

The event hopped over to the Falls Event Center at Trolley Square for the remainder of the weekend, beginning with the Eveningwear & Avant Garde show Friday evening. Collections included breathtaking dresses by Sterling Bitsue Fashion and some off-the-wall African-punk inspired looks by Afrique’ Collection, as well as beautiful ball gowns by Alexis Puglisi, chic Goth-queen couture by Rebecca Fenton of Haunted Head Fashion and a futuristic-Christmas-esque collection by local fashion starlet Cartier Dior, a sixteen year old young woman from Idaho. Other designers who were showcased Friday evening included McQuiston Marié and Janay Marie.

a sassy take on the traditional blouse + pencil skirt look by natalie wynn design in the daywear & cocktail show @ utah fashion week

photo by jennifer booth

Saturday saw two shows: the Daywear and Cocktail Show at 2:30pm featured collections from eight designers, with a variety of looks that ranged from cheeky slogan tees and printed harem pants (Kitsch by Michelle Whitaker & Cicily Jellen) to flowy boho tops and tunics (Alyssa Henke Design) to sexy pencil dresses (Aleksandra Salo) and menswear-inspired business looks (Melody Noy). Other designers that showed in the Daywear & Cocktail portion included Franklynn James, Natalie Wynn Design, Brittney Lauritzen and NonnaRoth Design.

a fantasticly detailed wedding gown by guia soleta in saturday night's bridal show at utah fashion week

photo by jennifer booth

The event concluded Saturday evening with the Bridal show, which presented wedding collections from eight designers, including both of the shows founders, Natalie Wynn and Janay Marie. A wide spectrum of wedding dresses walked the runway, ranging from flowy boho bride frocks to full-fledged princess gowns – and even a few prom-appropriate looks. Women’s bridal designers also included Guia Soleta, W.N. Ferreira, Rachel Elizabeth, R.Nibley Designs and Zaiya Collection.

a fun suit with a bit of spunk from garth at perfectly suited, featured at the ufw bridal show

photo by jennifer booth

Men’s fashions were sparsely represented throughout a handful of the collections across each of the shows, but Perfectly Suited by Garth was the only line to feature solely men’s looks; a full line up of suits, ranging in formality from simple blazers and trousers to full tuxedos, provided a great deal of eye candy during the Bridal show.

All-in-all, Utah Fashion Week Spring 2016 was a huge hit; I saw unique, interesting and stunning collections at every single show, and the whole event seemed to go off without a hitch (although more than a couple late starts were involved). Every show was sold out and packed to the rafters, which made for very little elbow/camera room, but it’s gratifying to see so many Utahans taking an interest in fashion, particularly at a local level.

If you missed out on any (or all) of the shows, don’t forget to check back throughout the week for more in-depth coverage of each individual show, including as many photos as I can reasonably edit and videos of many of the designers’ collections! You can also stay up to date on future Utah Fashion Week events by checking their website, www.utahfashionweek.com, or following them on Facebook and Instagram (@utahfashionweek).

Did you attend any of last week’s shows? Share your thoughts + your favorites in the comments!