On Oct. 15, the Boston En Vogue Luxury Fashion Show, set against the romantic goth style architecture of Newbury St.’s Emmanuel Church, became a place for designers like Conrad Lamour, Aldo Segada, Sylvie Dahi, Patrick Petty, and Renu Gupta to fill runways with eccentric, dressable streetwear for fancy occasions.

Boston Fashion Week, in its 30th year, had so much to offer with the group of eclectic clothing designers at the core of every vibrant runway show. The organization aims to highlight the established or aspiring, local and nearby talent at multiple events across Massachusetts. With a variety of events a fashion enthusiast has to choose from, the runway shows drew big audiences that week. 

Iria Raqs, a Raqs Sharqi belly dancer, opened the runway with shimmies, she was draped in gems and held a curved sword in a three-part performance.

With the designers and their teams readying models with finishing touches and hair spray, event organizer and designer Conrad Lamour began the showcase with his own work sent down the runway. From feathers and leathers to woven gems, the garments are rich in color and texture. 

Boston-born, graphic artist, Lamour turned his love of dressing up for outings to “making my own clothing, and it just developed from there. It turned to doing shows, and having a few celebrity clients.” 

In an interview with The Beacon, Lamour recalled his experience supporting other designers at big productions in New York and working with boutique model agencies with aims to facilitate spaces in Boston that underline high fashion, formalwear, and its designers. Lamour developed the Boston En Vogue event while participating in the work he calls “a library of pieces.”

Aldo’s House of Formals based in Rhode Island, sent nuanced slim cut, and prim menswear down the church aisle. Previously finishing his first show at New York Fashion Week, eponymous designer, Aldo Segama, displayed his event based, wedding or gala driven custom suits in “what it looks like after the party’s done.” He views suits as a modern “coat of armor” which is what inspires him to produce fashion. 

The runway’s traditional blues, blacks, and grays showed special attention to pattern in menswear, emphasizing Segada’s button placement and suit fabric that best illustrates their versatility. 

Ohio-native Patrick Petty, who, with 33 years in the industry—five of them spent in London—is the Creative Director and Founder of his brand House of Culture, first known as Culture Shock, which he named after moving to Boston

Petty’s collection emphasized dress pant options in formalwear for women, paired with embellished tops and blending sets. Velvet and rhinestone work appeared on dresses and two piece sets. He’s proud that his style can be worn by many, ages 18 to 60 years old. 

Sylvie Dahi’s satin pleated mint skirts droop into black mermaid style gowns in sheer fabrics, tulle and stones. Waves of rich colors glide past raised smartphones, held up in appreciation. With black hugging the legs, torso, and neck, a red a-line skirt with a split, gives an refreshing take on formalwear. 

Dahi, from the Ivory Coast of West Africa, went to school in Cannes, France for communications. For 13 years, she’s styled clothing for big events; wedding, prom, and any other excuses to wear a gown. Her custom formalwear is embedded with her West African roots and time spent in France. She looks forward to her future runway shows at Paris Fashion Week and in Cannes.   

Experimenting with traditional formalwear continues to be in theme, evident in Renu Gupta’s flowing sarees from her Massachusetts boutique. From traditional beading, pinks, and blues to contrasting mermaid scales on deep purple fabric, to her blue-green, quatrefoil skirt and textured glam top, complement the shiny gold aisles. The runway continued to show delicateness and intricacy, while the audience watched the last pieces flow down with the music of the evening. 

With the event ending with credits given to the on board fashion teams, and fashion seekers taking advantage of the luxurious backdrop for selfies, fashion artists got to tell their stories through their art and style. 

Boston En Vogue is already preparing for next year’s Boston Fashion Week.