Colors of spring

3/22/2001
BY VANESSA WINANS
BLADE STAFF WRITER

The colors of spring came out in force last week at two local charity fashion shows, echoing what's been happening in the pages of national fashion magazines and in international collections.

The March 14 show, Swing into Spring, featured women and children in classic styles in pastels and saturated colors from Lady C in Sylvania and Kids Klothesline in Perrysburg.

The next day, fashions from Sophia Lustig, furs from Roth Furs, and jewelry from Sterling Diamonds delighted a Garden Club Forum crowd of nearly 600 at Scintilla 2001 in the Stranahan Great Hall.

Women's styles at the Swing into Spring show included little black party dresses, suits (both casual and dressy), sundresses, and casual, often preppy separates. The hot colors include shades of pink, orange, blue, and green. A few faves:

  • A sueded cotton cheetah-print dress from Geometry. A dusting of sequins kept the look right for a party, while the spaghetti straps kept it cool.

  • A sweater and skirt set from Blue Willi's of Denmark had a long-sleeved, thumb-length tunic with three stripes in three shades, plus a matching knit skirt in light blue that hit just above the knee. Shown with anklets and sneakers, the set looked fresh and comfortable.

  • The details made a Donna Morgan sleeveless dress in light pink - embroidered leaves twined around the top, with cloth-covered buttons marking a trail from the lumbar spine to the nape of the neck.

    The children's clothes were even more classic. Young boys wore rugby shirts, an argyle sweater vest with a short-sleeved polo shirt and dark trousers - the usual suspects in boys' clothing. The real charmer was a lad in fishing togs carrying a fishing rod and wearing a hat. The entire room let out a simultaneous “aawww.”

    Girls appeared in dark denim (very trendy right now), and floral print and/or frilly dresses.

    Before lunch at the Swing into Spring show, the women's room at the Sylvania Country Club teemed with girls in party and Easter dresses and their harried mothers trying to get their girls' hair to look just right and prevent them from wrinkling their dresses.

    It was not always clear which generation prevailed - although the girls all managed to look darling on the platform. (Of course, it's difficult for a child not to look darling in a taffeta party dress.)

    The Swing into Spring show was held by the Academy of Medicine of Toledo and Lucas County Alliance and the Toledo Dental Alliance.

    It raised about $2,000 for Face Forward, a program that connects dentists and surgeons who do reconstructive surgery and dentistry with women who have suffered disfiguring injuries from abusive partners.

  • At the Garden Club Forum show on March 15, magenta, orange, blue, light green, lavender, and turquoise provided a spectrum of candy colors on which to feast the eyes.

    Clothes for sports, home, the office, and evening were modeled by local business and professional women. Ohio Supreme Court Justice Alice Robie Resnick took to the runway first, accompanied by her greyhound, Sengenna, which wore a yellow coat. The judge had on casual black capri pants, a gingham top, and a poppy-print jacket. The combination of woman and dog brought smiles and applause from the audience, setting a pleasant tone for the rest of the show, which raised some $24,000 for civic projects such as the Toledo Botanical Garden and City of Toledo plantings.

    A few other crowd-pleasers:

  • A tangerine silk shantung skirted suit and scarf. The knee-length pencil skirt looked polished and flattering.

  • A pale yellow, two-piece gown with a beaded bustier top and a long, straight skirt with a high slit in the back.

  • A black long-sleeved dress with a magenta lining. The bright pink also showed at the ruffled hem and the sleeves and in the cowl at the back of the dress.

    “This is all about what makes you smile,” Sophia Lustig owner Paula Fall told the crowd.

    Predictably, the audience gave the elegant evening clothes - many featuring bare backs, arms, and shoulders - an enthusiastic response.

    After all, who doesn't enjoy a little fantasy on a brisk March day?