By Dannelle Kirven and Solana Cummings / NM News Port
Bronx native and UNM School of Architecture and Planning graduate Anthonie Owen brought art exhibition and fashion show to the Electric Playhouse. The event was titled The Mauve Spectrum and featured local designers and artists.
“My inspiration was a picture of Lauren London and Nipsey Hussle,” Owen said referring to the colors actress Lauren London and rapper Nipsey Hussle wore in a GQ Magazine feature on their relationship.
Owen is the co-founder and one of the creatives behind Casquette Company, a clothing brand that creates original, custom leather emblems and hats. The brand hosted a free event at Albuquerque’s Electric Playhouse featuring a fashion show and an art exhibit.
Owen called the event the Mauve Spectrum — a four hour mash-up of art and fashion and the third mauve-themed event held by Owen in the past three years.
Owen said he was also inspired by Louis Voitton creative designer Virgil Abloh and his use of the entire color spectrum at a fashion week.
“It was some fashion week, and he shifted to the whole color spectrum with his clothes and I grabbed inspiration from that,” Owen said.
The venue for the fashion and art event was the Electric Playhouse — a downtown Albuquerque software development company that specializes in interactive dining and interactive games using digital projections in a 3D space that allows people to interact with them.
“The whole idea of what we’re trying to do is to get people up and active with technology,” Theresa Kitt, studio director for Electric Playhouse said. “Instead of twiddling their thumbs, playing video games, or having to wear a headset, people can be up and active in the space.”
This was the first fashion show for the Electric Playhouse but Kitt said it won’t be the last.
“We’re working on a 24,000 square feet space that’s going to be opening in January of 2020,” she said. “It’s going to have multiple different rooms, different games, and a full bar and restaurant.”
“We are hoping to expand our events when we open our new space,” Kitt said. “We want to do music events, more fashion shows, and open the space to anyone who would like to come in.”
The Mauve Spectrum featured eight designers and three artists. For the first hour, guests were encouraged to walk around the space to view the local art being displayed in the art exhibit. The second hour featured the Casquette Cafe where guests could get coffee or other beverages. The third hour was reserved for the fashion show and the final hour of the event featured a photoshoot and after party.
“I’ve learned to make the events more of a collective,” Owen said. “It’s less about me and what I do and more about the artists in the community.”
He said that there are artists who want to get their work out but need a space for it.
“It’s been about dedicating time to bring people together and showcase the community,” Owen said.
Dannelle Kirven is a reporter for the New Mexico News Port. She can be reached on Twitter @KirvenDannelle or at nmnewsport@gmail.com.
Solana Cummings is a reporter for the New Mexico News Port. She can be reached on Twitter @CummingsSolana and nmnewsport@gmail.com.
