See video and photo gallery of runway show competitionWatch video
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A reality television-style fashion show created obstacles for competitors and judges at Wednesday's Michigan International Auto Show's Fashion Overdrive event that featured on-the-fly decisions to match models - human and cars - with one another.
“I’m looking for a model that exemplifies both curve appeal and curb appeal,” WOOD-TV8 personality Rachael Ruiz said as she waited for the 10 models to hit the runway at the Charity Spectacular event on Wednesday, Feb. 5. “I’m looking at the whole concept. How they took the meaning from the car and then used that to transcend the look of the model.”
Ruiz, along with Style Battle’s Tina Derusha and Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital’s Vice President of Nursing Shari Schwanzl, was one of the judges with the task of determining this year’s Fashion Overdrive winner at the gala, which helped raise money for the Grand Rapids hospital.
The fashion competition is based on Derusha’s popular Style Battle concept but tweaked by Jerrad Matthew of Matthew Agency Model Management, which provided the human models for the show. Salons in the competition included Salon Re, Panopoulus Salon, Sin Republic, Hotel Venus, Bang Blow Dry Bar, Reflections Salon, Salon Solstice, and Spa and Salon at Amway Grand Plaza.
Lindsey Norton, owner of Bang Blow Dry Bar, gave me the details on how the competition worked.
“You have no idea what you’re walking into,” Norton explained. “You are thrown the model, the car, and some clothes to choose from and you’re off. We were paired with the Dodge Durango and we went with the all-American college student look,” Norton said.
“You’re working on the spot and you have to come up with something quickly and this year we wanted to create a look that someone could do at home, something accessible.”
Each of the competing salons was under a 90-minute time limit once their models were presented. They then used their hair and makeup skills to relay their vision to the judges.
The crew from Hotel Venus was frantically placing chicken coop wire, moss and paper into their model’s hair when I approached them. They were paired with the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid.
“Subaru is a very natural company so we went with a natural theme but still wanted to stay hip and young,” said Todd Barnhill.
“We want to be in a world where technology and Mother Nature can co-exist,” said Aja Wong as she worked alongside Barnhill and Allison Burr to create their specific look.
Chicken coop wire wasn’t the only odd thing being used. Deconstructed Pepsi cans, rubber tire treads, and even Christmas lights found their way onto the different models.
While judge Derusha wanted originality and an “over the top wow factor”, Schwanzl said she was looking for “someone who has in a really creative way made their model look like the car.”
A preshow of models wearing outerwear from Bella Fur was the appetizer to the main event of motor-inspired modeling. The show was produced by Todd Ernst of LiveSpace.
This year’s winner was Hotel Venus, 953 Cherry St. SE, with the runner up prize going to Bang Blow Dry Bar, 3 Oakes St. SW.
Check out the photo gallery for a closer look at this year's runway competition.
Todd Chance is the West Michigan Entertainment Concierge for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email him at tchance@mlive.com or follow him on Facebook , Twitter, Google Plus