Couture Designers Colleen Quen and B Michael - 9th Annual Fashion On The Square - August 18, 2013

OAKLAND, Calif. - July 23, 2013 - PRLog -- (San Francisco, July 19, 2013) The 9^th Annual Fashion On The Square (FOTS), a charity fundraising show benefiting FOTS+TheAtrs, hits the runway August 18, 2013, 5:00 pm at the Intercontinental Hotel, 888 Howard Street, San Francisco, California in the Grand Ballroom.  Colleen Quen, San Francisco’s beloved couture designer, will be showing a retrospect collection that covers her 15 years in the fashion industry.  Also, New York Couture and Ready-to-Wear Designer B Michael, returns to the runway, showing his Macy’s collection as well as several couture pieces.  B Michael is the ‘only’ designer, nationally, who has every garment from his collections made in America.  

In addition to celebrating established trailblazers in the industry, FOTS recognizes the amazing talent that is right here in the Bay Area by way of a designer who was applauded well before she made national headlines on Project Runway.  Elena Slivnyak will be honored at FOTS 2013 with an award as she continues to push the envelope in her avant-garde designs both on and off the runway.

FOTS+TheArts, formed in 2012, is a non-profit organization that gives grants and scholarships to students in the fashion industry who blend fashion and the arts in their work, whether it’s on the runway or in a visual representation.  In the spirit of blending fashion and art, ballerina Caroline Rocher, from Alonzo King LINES Ballet, will grace the runway with a performance during the runway show.  Ms. Rocher’s performance at FOTS 2009 was very highly received and the requests for her return continue to this day.  

Fashion On The Square is the largest and longest running fashion show on the West Coast, and the most sought after show in San Francisco.  Designers have traveled from as far as Africa to be a part of the event.  

About Colleen Quen

Inspired by nature’s motifs, couturière Colleen Quen’s designs are made of enchanting dreams. Quen’s devoted wonder and reverence for the natural world are brilliantly channeled into her art. Quen’s extraordinary art is grounded with an eternal spirit of hope and joy. Her masterful intuition combines each hand stitch with an edgy touch. Transforming amorphous energy into her precious fabrics, she then manifests her soul’s divine truth into pioneering shapes. Recognized by industry luminaries across the globe, celebrities have been adorned with Quen’s divine masterpieces and her work has appeared in Flair, WWD, International Herald Tribune, Vogue.fr and "America's Next Top Model." Her legendary artistry has also led to a decade of costume commissions by the internationally famed Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet Company.   A native of San Francisco, Quen was chosen by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to participate in its 75^th Anniversary Muse Campaign. Her creative spirit was paired with Henri Matisse's “Femme au Chapeau,” an iconic artwork from the SFMOMA collection. Evoking the Silicon Valley experience, the National Endowment for the Arts granted Quen a rare opportunity to participate in “Surface and Shape: TechStyle and SoftWear, ” a 2010 installation for the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles. www.colleenquencouture.com.

About B Michael

Fashion innovator, pacesetter and legend B Michael began his career as a milliner and honed his skills as a fashion designer and couturier while working in the ateliers of leading designers including Oscar de la Renta.  Mr. Michael launched his own label in 1999 and is now at the helm of a multi-faceted made in America brand that includes ready-to-wear, accessories and the treasured couture collection. Mr. Michael’s designs have been worn by Beyoncé, Halle Berry, Cate Blanchett and Cicely Tyson, among others.    Mr. Michael has presented collections worldwide, and is a dedicated philanthropist and supporter of organizations that educate and empower young people, thereby shaping the leaders of tomorrow.  Organizations he supports include the New York City Mission Society, the Cicely L. Tyson School of the Performing and Fine Arts and the DreamYard Project, to name a few.  Mr. Michael was recently recognized for his philanthropic efforts when the non-profit educational organization, Figure Skating in Harlem, honoured him at the 2013 Skating with the Stars Gala.  www.bmichaelamerica.com

The proceeds from Fashion On The Square are donated to the charity in addition to the funds raised from the raffle which include donations from Personality Hotels, Ghirardelli Chocolates, The Fairmont Hotel, The Kabuki Hotel, The Donatello Hotel, Mary Frances Handbags, and a one-of a kind hand watercolor painting by couture designer Colleen Quen.

The 9^th Annual Fashion On The Square – August 18, 2013 – InterContinental Hotel, 888 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA.  For tickets and more information visit www.fashiononthesquare.com.

Press Credentials Contact: Glass House Communications, Y’Anad Burrell at yanad@glasshousepr.com.  Fashion On The Square is an UnSung Diva! Production.