Tag - Team Gini

Kaleidoscope Houston kicked off its inaugural three-night event not long ago. The first and second nights were held at a sprawling mansion in the Northside district of Houston. The event boasted music, art and fashion.

Night one was aptly named “Urbanity” and featured ‘urban-themed’ art and fashion, with sounds by DJ Nando 1. Proceeds from the first night benefitted Team GINI. That evening’s host was Omar Castillo.

Designers on deck for night one of Kaleidoscope were Swinn, Kooth Brand and a collection by a group of Art Institute students. There was also local entertainment in between the fashion sets, which included: The Mad Men Crew– a Hip Hop group that debuted a Houston-themed anthem that night, Femme Fatale Cru, Tobe Nwigwe- one of Team GINI’s founders, Brenden Winkfield- tap dancer extraordinaire, and Raj the Rapper– Hip Hop and R&B musician.

Swinn is an alternative athletic-wear brand from Austin and specializes in cheeky sports bras and other active wear that are made in the U.S.A. Texas Bgirl group- Femme Fatale Cru joined the models during the Swinn runway. Each girl busted out in their own hip-hop number at the end of the runway, creating an upbeat mood for the audience. Kooth Brand is based (and manufactured) in Houston. CEO and designer (and fellow FIDM alum) Shayne Salinas has spend a lot of time around farms, ranches and industrial plants and believes in timeless American-made workwear for the working class man. He draws most of his inspiration from the aesthetic of 1930s-60s blue-collar workers’ garments and used modern fabrics that mirrored the fabrics from the 30s. After seeing the brand in person and listening to Salinas talk about his mission statement, I’m hoping that he will make a womens division soon. But for now, I can totally see myself carrying the canvas and leather tool bag. The last designer showcase of the evening was collection created by an amazing group of students from the Art Institute of Houston: Wilbert, Keosha, and Kim. The trio created a collection comprised of denim with mesh accents, which truly had that urban edge.

Stay tuned for Kaleidoscope: Jet Set….

** The Mad Men Crew **

** Femme Fatale Cru **

** Tobe Nwigwe **

** Brenden Winkfield **

** Raj the Rapper **