Buffalo NY, November 5 – In November Buffalo’s Mass Appeal 2010 took place, a unique local fashion event produced by Erin Habes, featuring many designers and boutiques including Morgan Love and Holly Hue. Auxiliary Magazine is happy to share with you some backstage interviews and amazing video coverage of the event by Nathan Peracciny. Mass Appeal has become an important and vital event and is rapidly becoming recognized as one of the key events in the growing Western New York Fashion scene.
video by Nathan Peracciny
MARIO LORENZO
Luke Copping : What are you doing at the show here tonight?
Mario Lorenzo : I come to see all the beautiful people and the beautiful fashions. Love this place.
LC : Wonderful. So have you seen this event grow over the last couple years and do you think it’s a major, major element of the burgeoning Western New York fashion scene?
ML : Definitely. From the very beginning, from the first one every year, I know it’s only going to be five of them so I plan to attend all five. I mean, it’s just great because the fashion, young, it’s dynamic, it’s art, and that’s what fashion is, art.
LC : Is the Western New York fashion scene the new place to be seen in the Western New York social scene?
ML: Definitely. Unequivocally, yes.
LAUREN MENTKOWSKI
Luke Copping : In terms of how this relates to Buffalo fashion, do you, you know, see Mass Appeal being an extremely important event in the development of the burgeoning Western New York fashion scene?
Lauren Mentkowski : I do. This is my third year doing this, and I’m very happy to always be a part of it and that Erin always chooses me to help walk in the show. This year I’m walking for Anna Grace, so it’s a little bit different than what I used to do. I used to walk for Morgen, who I love, and she will be in the show as well. So yeah, I’m looking forward to it.
LC : And have you seen growth over the past few years and do you see this moving into a bigger event?
LM : I do. I do. In the past, the first year, actually every year I’ve seen it grow because of the amount of money they are pulling in, so it’s pretty, it’s pretty incredible.
KERRY QUAILE
Luke Copping : So is this your first Mass Appeal event?
Kerry Quaile : No, it is not. It is my second Mass Appeal event.
LC : Perfect. And who are you walking for tonight?
KQ : I’m walking for Morgen Love.
LC : And over the last two years have you seen growth in the event and do you think it’s an important event in growing the burgeoning Western New York fashion scene?
KQ : Absolutely. I mean, like you have tribal Cirque du Soleil kind of stuff, and they’re incorporating the tattoo business and also all these other blossoming shops on Elmwood.
LC : And do you think the show tonight represents a wide range of the Western New York fashion scene?
KQ : Absolutely. There is a lot of wearable art that they’re using this year instead of just incorporating shops that just have clothing, so that’s really cool that they are incorporating all the Elmwood Village Shops.
video by Nathan Peracciny
NATHAN PERACCINY
Luke Copping : What are you doing here tonight for the event?
Nathan Peracciny : Tonight I am directing the video for Mass Appeal 3. It’s going to be a four-part video series coming out and ones to come after tonight’s event. We’re going to do some profiles on local designers, local boutiques, show a lot of the models, a lot of the prep, behind-the-scene works, and also kind of show what makes this event so great.
LC : Sure. Do you see Mass Appeal as a growing and vital force in the burgeoning Western New York fashion scene?
NP : Well, definitely they’ve set the bar very, very high, and you know, there’s a lot of other events similar to, like it, but there’s only one Mass Appeal for sure. And as a community event, as a fundraiser event, it definitely, you know, is as big and gigantic on its own which is great, so, and there’s so many people involved, I mean. So many people involved, so…
LC : And as a homegrown Buffalo event do you think this stands the test of integrity when compared to fashion-based events in major markets? Is this just as vital and just as current?
NP : Well, I, there definitely, you know there’s so many people involved with it that you get different, people from all different types of aspects, different backgrounds, different age groups, so some people are more into T-shirts, some people are more into like dresses and, you know, boutique-y styles and some are more street styles, so you know, in that sense there is a lot of creative boundaries that are pushed. So I mean, we do have that same similar kind of area. I mean, I don’t want to go out and say we are New York or we are LA because that’s not it. We’re Buffalo, and we do our own thing and we’re survivors, we push through, and there’s a lot of creative people here doing a lot of amazing things.
video by Nathan Peracciny
photos by Luke Copping
– Luke
