Fashion week comes to Fargo
New York designer brings collection, message to the Red River Valley
Fashion week was in full swing in New York City, and Fargo got its own glimpse of the event.
Chris Obinzu, founder of the ChrisGlory clothing line, showcased a collection of original designs Thursday night at The Venue.
A combination of blaring techno music, bright flashing lights and hazy smoke ushered in the start of the show as the models took to the stage.
The designs were simple and colorful, with “ChrisGlory” emblazoned on each item.
Much of the collection consisted of t-shirts, polo shirts and tracksuits but trends such as formal shorts and shrugs appeared onstage, as well as polka dots and bright stripes.
Obinzu’s designs blended dressy with casual and he added a touch of glamor to many of the pieces with glitzy accessories like jewelry, belt buckles or metallic writing.
An avid appreciator of fashion, Obinzu often criticized other designers’ work until someone suggested he create his own clothing line.
“ I was at a crossroad where I needed to step in and take charge of my life,” Obinzu said.
Obinzu started his line three years ago in Houston, Texas.
Originally named Glory, Obinzu designed his clothing with a religious theme that would appeal to the mainstream and religious circuits. Bible words are stitched on the clothing as a way to promote good morals and fashion.
Obinzu said his clothing line is designed to preserve sexiness, not exploit it.
“ We want to teach the youth that they can look classy,” Obinzu said. “Sex doesn’t sell in our company. The clothes sell themselves.”
Obinzu’s message is unique in a business where the credo “sex sells” runs rampant.
“ Fashion needs to recognize that sex doesn’t sell,” Obinzu said. “The beauty of the individual will sell it. We let the fashion speak for itself.”
Preparation for the show began in April 2006. Obinzu said a representative from his company scouted the area for a suitable location .
With five colleges in the area, Obinzu said Fargo was chosen because it presented a unique opportunity to reach out to the line’s primary target audience.
Obinzu decided the newly-opened Venue would be a great spot to host the fashion show because it is a popular spot with college kids.
Obinzu made several trips to Fargo to prepare for the show, and finally arrived two weeks prior to the event.
During that time, Obinzu held auditions and promoted the event on radio shows.
ChrisGlory clothing is affordable for college kids, Obinzu said. The prices are competitive, but it is important that ChrisGlory is priced below similar top of the line clothing.
Currently, ChrisGlory clothing is available only in New York City.
More information about the clothes can be found at www.ChrisGlory.com.
The models for the show were provided by a local modeling agency.
Obinzu said it was important to use local models that didn’t have a lot of runway experience rather than models from New York.
Obinzu’s fashion show was sponsored by Pracs Institute, Ltd.