Eastside fashionistas put on their stylish best for the week, from Sept 28-Oct 2, for the 2011 edition of Fashion Week at the Bellevue Collection. Events ranged from the Glambition: Girl Power Hour Anniversary Party that kicked off the celebration starting Wednesday, to the nightly runway shows including the Nordstrom Fashion Show and Front Row Fashion Presented by Vogue Magazine on Saturday, finally closing out with the Undressed Runway Show for REPORT shoes and SEVEN Salon on Sunday. This year’s Fashion Week made sure Bellevue was style-ready for the season from head to toe.

It wasn’t just about the clothes and shoes, the runway shows were the opportunity to bring awareness to local causes and community projects. 100% of the tickets from the Front Row Fashion event went to The Moyer Foundation, a local charity formed by baseball pitcher Jamie Moyer and his wife Karen, devoted to raising funds and sponsoring programs to assist children in distress. For several years, the Detlef Schrempf Foundation has partnered with Nordstrom to use their runway show to benefit a local charity or community program, and this year’s show supported the Bellevue Youth Theatre, which provides opportunities for children and young adults to channel their creative energy through performance arts.

The Hyatt Regency Bellevue is transformed into a glamorous, brightly-lit runway where all the featured shows take place. For the headline evening shows, the event draws a large crowd of well-heeled fashion mavens eager to see what styles and trends will be represented. Before the doors open for the show, guests sipped cocktails and nibbled on appetizers in a lounge-styled setting of floor to ceiling drapes, plush couches and booths. For the sold-out Nordstrom Fashion Show, they had a special boutique area set up with some of the latest seasonal accessories and shoes, available for guests to try on and purchase.

So what were some of the trending themes that appeared most consistently, and what did the runway selections suggest for the fashion-minded crowd?

Bright, Bold Color – It’s a simple way to make an eye-catching statement, whether it’s worn as a single color in an all-over outfit, or color blocked in a bright top and equally bold pant or skirt. And it doesn’t have to be in large amounts; a small dose of a bright hue as an accent flourish on a jacket can be enough to add interest to a neutral piece.

Battling Hemlines – The traditional notion of long dresses for night and knee-grazing skirts for day is being flipped. More above-the-knee hems for cocktail dresses were seen, making bare legs the focal point, balanced out with longer, modest-length sleeves. Longer hemlines in light wool fabrics or transforming a floor-sweeping maxi dress into a fall outfit is the trend for day. As long as the skirt’s length is tailored to fit the wearer and the right height of their boot or chunky heel, the look is able to fashionable and not frumpy.

Pattern Recognition – Strong geometric patterns like stripes or the classic plaid are being refreshed in modern silhouettes, unusual color combinations and rich fabrics. The boldness of stripes or the crisscross of a tartan is a way to keep the eye constantly moving and acts as fashionable camouflage for areas you don’t wish to bring attention to.

Feathers, Fur and Sequins – Dramatic flourishes like fur (real or faux), the flutter of a feathered hemline, or a dazzle of sequins are on everything, from day to night. Sequins are a strong presence on evening wear, going for all-out bling covering a cocktail dress, but it’s also seen on blouses or skirts, in neutral, frosted metallic hues and toned down by cozy cardigans for wearing in the daytime. Feathers and fur are an eye-catching addition to a nighttime look, and the look of fur can still be transformed for the day, used in smaller doses on coat collars or even a statement handbag.

Statement Accessories – Layered infinity scarves or ones with a showcase pattern, as well as large layered necklaces were seen across several runway shows. They’re easy items to add to neutral or simple outfits, making a look fresh. Hats are also another way to make an outfit feel dramatic and keep the winter chill away.

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This family-friendly bluegrass music festival will offer 4 stages inside the Hyatt Regency, as well as impromptu jams, music workshops, and an instrument auction and raffle.

To purchase Wintergrass tickets, visit www.acousticsound.org. A performance schedule is also listed on the website.

The festival lineup includes:

Thursday: The Boxcars, Joy Kills Sorrow, Northern Departure, The Blackberry Bushes, Henhouse Prowlers, Runaway Train, Cliff Perry & Laurel Bliss, and Grapevine.

Friday: The Sam Bush Band, Darrell Scott, Dale Ann Bradley, The Boxcars, Crooked Still, Joy Kills Sorrow, The Josh Williams Band, Rockin’ Acoustic Circus, Scythian, Red Stick Ramblers, Caleb Klauder Country Band, Northern Departure, The Blackberry Bushes, Henhouse Prowlers, Jackstraw, Better Day, Prairie Flyer, Rio Con Brio, and Rural Delivery.

Saturday: The Blind Boys of Alabama, Dale Ann Bradley, Crooked Still, Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands, Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings, The Josh Williams Band, Rockin’ Acoustic Circus, The Beachley and Scott Band, The Gibson Brothers, Scythian, Red Stick Ramblers, Caleb Klauder Country Band, Joe Craven, Don Stiernberg Trio, Don Stiernberg Trio, Pearl Django, Jackstraw, Runaway Train, Grapevine, Rio Con Brio, Squirrel Butter, and Thea Wescott & Timberland Ridge.

Sunday: The Blind Boys of Alabama, Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands, Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings, The Beachley and Scott Band, The Gibson Brothers, Cliff Perry & Laurel Bliss, Prairie Flyer, and a special guest appearance by Michael Doucet.

Tickets for the luncheon start at $75 and go all the way up to $1,500. For more information visit Patty Murray’s site.

The atmosphere is thick with anticipation when the lights go down; the buzzing crowd immediately drops to a silent hush, awaiting the start of a fashion show. Suddenly the surrounding video screens burst alive with pictures and light, the music booms throughout the hall, and the runway is awash in the bright house lights as the first model struts their way along the catwalk, electrifying the crowd with that first glimpse of 2010’s Front Row Fashion.

For the last several years, The Bellevue Collection has produced Fashion Week, the annual celebration of fall looks and trends, working with local retailers to generate excitement and inspiration for the latest styles to be incorporated into one’s wardrobe. The momentum for this event has grown, most notably since last year’s partnership with Vogue Magazine, a pairing that continued into this year, furthering Bellevue’s growing profile as a fashion-conscious city.

The headline runway show, Front Row Fashion, incorporating a mix of looks from several stores within The Bellevue Collection, was held on Saturday night to a packed crowd of fashionistas. The evening transformed the Bellevue Hyatt into a luxurious lounge with cocktails and appetizers, with guests parading their own favorite evening looks. Along with getting ideas for what upcoming trends to take note of, the event was held for a good cause, with proceeds benefitting The Moyer Foundation, a local non-profit organization, founded by Mariners pitcher Jamie Moyer and his wife Karen, supporting over 200 programs that help children in distress.

Front Row Fashion is a particularly unique show in that it presents pieces from over a dozen different stores, offering looks that are accessible for anyone looking to incorporate something new into their wardrobe. Following the show was an exclusive VIP Shopping Night held at Bellevue Square Mall so that guests could buy exactly what they saw on the runway at a special discounted price. The main trend categories being presented were inspired by this year’s September issue of Vogue, including: Fur and Feathers, Under Wraps, American Sportswear, Urban Luxe, Animal Magnetism, Sweater Girls and A Night on the Town. The looks included flirty feather vests and skirts, rugged military patterns and details, faux furs and leopard prints, and classic cardigans made dazzling with jeweled details. The finale evening were composed of mostly cocktail-length hemlines, with fitted silhouettes. Classic pieces with interesting details and smart accessory choices like layered jewelry or a unique handbag were familiar themes running throughout the show; nothing too outrageous or too avant-garde to be seen at a special event or even around the office. Comments overheard after the show included the compliments over the selection of wearable styles and the ease of envisioning certain pieces being able to work within one’s own wardrobe.

The runway lights have come down, the catwalk is put away for another year, but the inspiration for fashionable living has left its mark on Bellevue. Of course the greatest accessory for any ensemble is the confidence one has in wearing clothing that truly represents one’s own personal sense of style.

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As previously communicated, the Twisted Cork restaurant has been reopened and is available for guests to enjoy breakfast and dinner.

Happy Hour at Twisted Cork Lounge will be offered Monday – Saturday from 4pm – 6pm, with $4 wine and beer and $5 signature cocktails.

Breakfast Hours
Monday – Friday 6:30am – 10:30am
Saturday & Sunday 6:30am – 11:30am

Lounge Hours
Monday – Thursday 4:00pm – 11:30pm
Friday & Saturday 4:00pm – 1:00am
Closed Sunday

It can be as simple as the sparkle in someone’s eye as glances meet from across the room or the combination of skill and luck, striking the perfect note of humor to get a genuine laugh – the science of human chemistry has been pondered over, from the likes of Shakespeare to Sinatra, and yet this delightful mystery remains. What makes a connection between strangers? What’s a key ingredient to attraction? Chef Erik D. Carlson, Executive Chef of STIR Martini + Raw Bar shares a simple, but elegant answer: food is intimacy. We engage it with all our senses; it tempts, beguiles and creates new perspectives. As Eastside singles start to eye the calendar with trepidation as the 14th draws near, Bellevue’s STIR is adding Matchmaker to its repertoire, offering Valentine’s Day-themed events from the 12th – 14th, as well as a singles night every Monday to encourage guests to get intimate with its menu and hopefully set themselves within Cupid’s bow sight.

Discussing food with Chef Carlson, the newly-appointed Executive Chef of both STIR and Twisted Cork, it’s clear he has had a longtime love affair with cooking. “Be remarkable,” is his cooking philosophy – be it good or bad, just keep people talking and keep them engaged. Over the next few months, he and his team will be developing new dishes that stay true to the raw bar theme and Asian-inspired flavors, while keeping the palate entertained, like amuse-bouche bites and artisanal cocktails. He explains that the food and drinks should reflect the surroundings, which for STIR, that means the food should be supermodel-sultry. Their lounge interiors are a nightclub-cool setting for finding one’s match, with the added benefit of having the ability to look good with a frosty martini in hand.

STIR’s modern menu aims toward clean, simple flavors, artfully plated to engage the eye as much as the palate. First date jitters? Let the food do the talking. Even their drinks invite a sense of play, as their signature deconstructed martinis offer the guest a chance to add their own sweet or savory additions to customize the flavor. Items that encourage getting to know the person across the table include several raw and cooked sushi roll options, perfect for sharing. There is the artful ahi tuna poke with paper-thin yucca chips, a cucumber-garnished bowl of peel-and-eat shrimp with a wasabi-infused cocktail sauce, and fried calamari in a savory tangle of crispy tentacles. A particularly nice dish that has both come-hither visual appeal as well as flavor is their tako poke — thin slices of baby octopus in a colorful mix of sweet onions and spicy ponzu. It’s a dish that achieves what both STIR and a singleton wishes to do – be poised to stand out from the crowd.

On the subject of crowds, people tend to gather later in the evening at STIR. They get a few after-work regulars who stop in, but for increasing one’s chances of meeting a special someone on their regular Monday singles nights, it doesn’t host a sizeable crowd until after 8pm or 9pm, closer to when their second 10pm happy hour begins. The seductive lighting and interiors no doubt inspire some to run home and freshen up, so don’t feel shy about taking a little time to shed the cubicle couture for something sassy. STIR makes it a point to set itself apart from the couples-focused holiday, celebrating Team Single by hosting a Dare to be Dateless Weekend, from February 12-14th.

Weekend Events

The weekend events include speed dating on Friday from 8-10pm (tickets are $42, see www.stirbellevue.com), a passion party just for the ladies on Saturday, DJ and dancing for those nights, and then karaoke on Sunday’s big heart-filled Valentine’s night, where there’s a high likelihood that a rollicking group rendition of Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline and an emotional performance of I Will Survive will feature prominently. Whether or not Cupid’s arrow strikes by the 14th, there’s no reason not to belt out Beyonce’s Single Ladies and put your hand up.

No one can say with certainty what romance the Valentine’s weekend will bring, but hope springs eternal and STIR Martini + Raw Bar wants to offer up its unique combination of a stylish menu, locale, and multiple special events to encourage a connection or two among Bellevue’s singles.

STIR Martini + Raw Bar, located in the Hyatt Bellevue on 10500 NE 8th Street (425) 646-7847

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Wintergrass, an annual 4-day Bluegrass music festival previously held in Tacoma, will now be held in Downtown Bellevue annually for the next 8 years. 4 stages of dances and concerts, 2 Academies, workshops, and jam sessions all make up this folk-lovers event. The festival will be at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue.

When hosted in the past in Tacoma, this event drew over 1,000 visitors year over year.  The festival is only expected to grow, so Downtown Bellevue will be busy during the weekend of Feb. 25 -28. Wintergrass continues to diversify the type of events brought to the Downtown core.  Don’t be surprised to stumble upon an impromptu jam session of Bluegrass musicians or by guests walking around the Hyatt property in their bare feet! For more information and tickets, see the Wintergrass site here.

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of staying at Hyatt Regency Bellevue overnight. Recently opening their expanded wing, I stayed in an Executive Suite in the new tower. I was on one of the top floors and my windows had sweeping views of Bellevue Square, Avalon Towers, and beautiful blue sky in the morning.

My room was spacious, clean, modern, and comfortable. It was a 1-bedroom suite, with an adjacent living room area, bathroom, and closet space. There were 2 LCD TV’s, and the in-room guest amenities were impressive. The luxury bath products, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, face wash, and shower gel, were larger than the average “travel size” you usually expect. There was also mouthwash, toothpaste, and a loofah. I received a personalized note and big bowl of fruit upon arrival into my room, which made me feel very welcome.

The hotel itself has great design, with a simple, modern feel. It’s not overdone, but certainly boasts 4-star luxury. They did a wonderful job making the expansion feel very grand. The thing I love best about Hyatt Regency Bellevue is its location. It’s situated within Bellevue Place and connects via sky bridge to Lincoln Square, which is connected via another sky bridge to Bellevue Square, so it’s very easy to get around rain or shine.

During the stay I went shopping at Bellevue Square, got my hair done at Obadiah Salon & Spa, ate dinner at Z’Tejas, had a drink at STIR Martini + Raw Bar, and ate breakfast at the hotel’s 0/8 Seafood Grill. 0/8’s breakfast was very good, as they have an extensive brunch menu offered on the weekends. There is plenty to do when staying at The Bellevue Collection, and you never even have to get in your car!

I did wish that they had free in-room Wi-Fi; they are a T-Mobile Hotspot. A few added bonuses were the fast elevators, kiosk check-in, and mobile checkout. I will be recommend the Hyatt Regency Bellevue to my future out-of-town guests.

Styles featured in the show were hand picked from Bellevue Square retail stores. Many of the runway shows during the week had the same local models, but Vogue’s Front Row Fashion had models flown up from L.A.

The show featured styles of Biker Chic, Top Coats, Ladylike Sophistication, Eighties Redux, and Evening Glam.

Fashions featured on the models seemed to be styled better than those in the other fashion shows previously held during the week. Having said this, the outfits were relatively tame and practical. In any fashion show, the expectations are to push the limit. Vogue, with their big name and fashion forward reputation, left opportunity on the table by playing it safe.

Hopefully Vogue will continue to partner with The Bellevue Collection in years to come for this event. It was great to see the show sold to full to capacity and with so much excitement and anticipation surrounding it.

After the show attendees were encouraged to head over to Bellevue Square where there were desserts and drinks available during VIP Shopping Night at The Bellevue Collection.

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