Owner of 6th Street Vintage, Tyra Sledge premiered her fall style expo this past Saturday at The Gallery of Artfully Phi in downtown Cleveland.
As fashion lovers and audience members walked through the door and followed the path to the back of the gallery, they discovered local vendors sold body care, vegan wine and a variety of other items.
Small business owners gathered to support the brand, as well as many spectators. Before the event began, local business owners were asked to stand, promote their businesses and network with those around them.
Sledge premiered her three newest lines for the fall season: office wear, outerwear and glamour outerwear.
With each outfit upcycled and made from different repurposed garments and textiles, sustainability meeting fashion is exactly what each line showcased.
Emcee of the event and Kent State alumni Jessica Linear loved all parts of the show, but one specific line got her attention.
“My favorite part of the show was the outerwear, the jackets were everything,” Linear said. “I loved every jacket; I actually want to go buy each one.”
Looking around the room, almost every spectator had their phone out to take pictures and videos, with smiles on their faces as each look was premiered.
When the third and final line, glamour outwear, was finished premiering, each of the models walked out as the audience cheered. Sledge thanked everyone for coming out to watch the show with a smile on her face.
After the show, spectators were told to mingle, take pictures and shop around the vendors. Sledge was selling the pieces premiered for spectators to purchase as well.
The sense of community in the gallery was overpowering and not something you see every day.
With all the time and effort put into the show, audience members could see it was a success.
Although she was behind the scenes and did not see each look premiere, Sledge was over the moon about the turnout.
“Seeing the models come back and their reactions to the audience’s reaction was my favorite part,” Sledge said. “They were happy that the audience was loving it and that made me so happy.”
The energy in the room – much of it brought by DJ Bravo could be seen from a mile away, a group of people who share the same love for fashion coming together.
6th Street Vintage made a lasting impression on audience members, so many hope another expo is on its way in the near future.
