Nicole Miller

Menswear by San Francisco-based label Alley Collection

As guests of last Saturday’s Mélange Fashion Show walked into the San Francisco Design Center to an array of dancers performing a modern routine, it became instantly obvious that this was not going to be your typical fashion show.

Nick Navarro, the Chief Executive Officer behind Mélange has said, “fashion should not be isolated as a single art form,” and so, while the production was primarily fashion-based, dance, music and theater were also incorporated. A solid showing of diversity rang clear throughout every aspect of the night, and could be spotted in the featured clothing, designers, models and even music choices.

The show was broken up into three acts: Genesis, Annihilation and Resurrection. The performance began with a goddess-like narrator introducing the two main characters: Soledad, the embodiment of all that is pure, and Angelica, Soledad’s more aggressive and animalistic counterpart. Each act began with Soledad and Angelica dancing, singing and running wild around the venue. A more standard styled fashion show featuring designers relevant to each act followed.

Out of the eighteen designers presented, a few stood out from the pack. Carmen Chen Wu was the first to head down the catwalk and sent models out in head wraps, muted prints and heavy layering. In the second act, looks were darker and more gothic. Croatian designer Igor Galas’ intricate knitwear topped with large hooded jackets and Hayley Lai’s sharp geometric shapes mixed with delicate knits embodied the mood perfectly. Grace Lillian Lee and Nicole Miller ended the evening with show-stoppingly chic gowns, flashy gold tops and beautifully draped skirts.

Here are a few shots from Saturday’s show…