Las Vegas Weekly

Wearable art on the runway

Feeling Hot Hot Haute? Some of the garments from the CAC’s wearable art fashion show.

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Move over, Tim Gunn. This weekend, Las Vegas’ own version of Project Runway will take to the catwalk in honor of the Contemporary Arts Center’s 20th anniversary. But the outfits on display will go far beyond fashion. Hot Hot Haute will showcase wearable art.

“CAC is the oldest non-profit contemporary art galley in Vegas—maybe the only one actually non-profit,” said Hot Hot Haute event planner/co-chair Anne Mulford of the gallery located at the Arts Factory (107 E Charleston Boulevard).

The first Hot Hot Haute wearable art fashion show took place inside event co-chair Wes Miles’ Studio West Photography space 12 years ago. “The original one was also called Hot Hot Haute, as in ‘haute couture,’” said Mulford. “It was a wildly popular event. People talked about it for years.”

This Saturday’s show will be on a grander scale and held at the World Market Center. More than 30 local artists will create everything from jewelry, hats and purses to entire outfits. “There’s going to be a piece by Enchanted Florists; a dress that’s made completely of flowers,” Mulford said. “There’s going to be a grand finale wedding gown as there usually is in most high-fashion shows and it’s going to be quite a showstopper, I understand.” She added some participants are also artists from Cirque du Soleil.

A parade by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (a gay rights performance art activist group) will begin the fashion show. Additionally, models will stand for live body painting during the show.

A live auction will take place during the runway presentation and include some wearable garments that certainly don’t look like what you’d find off the rack.

“I’ve seen several dresses that are beautiful and are definitely something that I’d wear to a party,” Mulford said. “Then some of them are certainly more outrageous. Halloween is right around the corner, so you could conceivably pick up a pretty cool costume. The third option is to treat it like the piece of art that it is and put it on display in your home or office.”

Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Prior to the fashion show, there will be a cocktail hour with hors d'œuvres by Firefly.

One hundred percent of the proceeds go to the Contemporary Arts Center, and Mulford said most of the artists are donating at least 50 percent of the sale price of each item to Contemporary Arts. “Attending or donating online is going to allow us to get to our 21st birthday,” Mulford said.

Tickets can be obtained via the CAC’s Web site at http://www.lasvegascac.org/ or at the door to the event. CAC members are asked to donate $20, non-members, $30.