Shelby Deering
On Sunday night, the typically Wild West-themed interior of the High Noon Saloon took on the look of Tokyo's flamboyant Harajuku district during the "Street Fashion: Spring in Tokyo" fashion show, put on by local clothing designer Charity Robinson.
Inspired by seeing a wide variety of street fashion in her world travels, 26-year-old Robinson says her current collection, featured in Sunday's show, comes from "just seeing people on the street, like people in markets, street performers, and break dancers."
Robinson, who teaches dance, chose to integrate her love of hip-hop into the show and devoted a portion of the night's proceeds to , a nonprofit agency that helps prevent child abuse through home-based support and providing education to parents.
After a spoken-word poetry reading from members of Youth Speaks, a youth development program that focuses on spoken-word performance, the painted graffiti background designed by local artist Jordan Clark suddenly became filled with models who looked as if they had stepped right out of an animé cartoon: bright fluorescents, bold stripes, and sky-high shiny patent platforms captured the whimsical street scene of Japan.
In ensembles that would make Gwen Stefani proud, the models strutted down the runway to her song "Harajuku Girls," in flashy neon makeup and outrageous headpieces, complete with huge faux flowers, ribbons, and feathers, all the while throwing confetti and blowing bubbles at the audience.
In September, Robinson is moving to Seoul, South Korea. And since she will continue to design and sell her line there, it's safe to say her pieces will fit right in. Who knows? Maybe all those Harajuku girls might come clamoring for her designs as soon as she steps off the plane.
