Open Runway wanted to send a special thank you to all those who made our personalized shopping launch event a success last month! The event was located at Venture Café in the Cambridge Innovation Center, organized to perfection with a display of Open Runway shoes and handbags, as well as computers set up for our guests to design their very own creations right then and there!

Studded Shoes and printed handbags plastered the countertops, models roamed the room showing off the latest in Kevala designs, and people anxiously awaited to create their own personalized productions, pouring through the leather swatches to create the perfect design. Complimentary drinks were served and there were even cookies in the shape of stilettos- stylish and sweet!

We co-hosted the event with  Kevala (keva.la), a new online fashion site that curates uniquely designed dresses from around the world and together we ran a contest to discover Boston’s next “up and coming” fashion designer!  The contest was to design the best shoe or handbag to go with this dress below. Each design was printed and displayed across the room, and the contest looked to be close!

Marvel Sheath dress designed by Michelle Rodrigues . Available at Keva.la.

The judges included Amy Allen, who writes for stylishyear.com, documenting her attempts to never wear the same outfit twice, and Renata Certo – Ware, who works at Emily Muller apparel and writes for Stuff magazine. They scoped out the top picks and quickly searched for the queen of all designs, finally deciding on a simple yet elegant and individualized winner. The peeptoe sandal, designed by Jim Smith, sported a blue butterfly print and a shiny metallic strap- adding to the spunk and uniqueness of the shoe! Congratulations Jim!

Butterfly Peeptoe winner!

We received really great feedback from everyone who came out to the event! Guests wanted to see MORE designs, more materials, and more of OpenRunway. They loved the easiness of the site, the platform to accessorize for any occasion and the feeling of individualizing your wardrobe with the styles available.

Thanks again to everyone who attended the event! We value your opinion and it was great to see such great support! We can’t wait to show you more options and look forward to watching our customers become fashion designers!

I’m Rachel, one of the new interns for Open Runway!

I currently attend Virginia Tech where I am majoring in Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management, with a concentration in Apparel Product Development and Merchandising Management (It’s a mouthful, I know). I will be graduating in May and am looking forward to seeing what the future holds for me. Open Runway’s unique design process is what prompted me to apply for this internship. I’m extremely picky about my footwear so I love the idea of being able to create and order shoes that cater to your own individual style.

I’ve always loved fashion and knew I wanted to pursue it as a career. One of my first jobs was working as a camp counselor for a children’s fashion camp where I got to style groups of young girls for an end of the week fashion show. Now, I am actively involved with Virginia Tech’s Fashion Merchandising and Design Society, and am anxiously awaiting our spring fashion show. Being a part of the club, I’ve had the chance to attend some awesome events like AmericasMart in Atlanta and Fashion’s Night Out in New York.

The 90′s is my favorite fashion decade; Kelly Kapowski from Saved by the Bell is my ultimate style icon. European fashion has always intrigued me, and I got the chance to tour around some of the best fashion cities this past summer on a study abroad trip. Getting to see the flagship stores of major designers like Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney and shopping in Italian vintage stores is an experience I will never forget. I’ve convinced myself I was meant to be born in London, and hope to go back someday!

When the seasons begin to change, doesn’t it make you want to change your wardrobe too? For me, winter makes me want to bundle up in fur, wear diamonds around my neck and bows on my feet; three things no girl should live without. Luckily, at Open Runway you can design your very own personal pump, stiletto or flat with a pretty and perfect bow right atop your toes!  There is no faster way to feel girlie than by wearing a bow, especially when it happens to be tied right on top of your favorite pair of shoes. Check out some of my designs and a few designer examples and show me some of your favorite designs on Facebook or Twitter! Like us or follow us @OpenRunway to send me your favorite looks! I look forward to admiring your designs!

Madeline

xx