Eye Level Art’s big Unfolding bash Saturday night showcased (as promised) hidden treasures tucked in every corner of their downtown warehouse. From the ultra-trendy to the oddly artsy, the show brought out a colorful cast of Charleston characters dressed to the nines. Adrienne Antonson, Eye Level’s gallery director, gave the 15 local, participating designers the assignment of thinking about the role of fashion in their lives and how American history has shaped the fashion of today. The result was a patchwork warehouse-turned-museum of hanging candelabras, jewelry, garments, and fashion sketches. Old-fashioned corsets, stitched together, hung from the ceiling while a handful of models dressed by designers like Michael Wiernicki posed, mannequin-like, around the space. There was a colorful piece constructed solely of zippers and various tiny woolen jackets. Bonnets were a recurring theme, whether from felt or curtains, and were worn by event attendees and mannequins alike. A 19th century apron hung, weighed down by a pocketful of rocks alluding to the tragic life and death of Virginia Woolf. Later in the night, Beth Coiner performed an interpretive piece on the theme of restriction — dressed in a gorgeous, floor-length, cream-colored dress embellished with ruffles and lace — before a projected screen of contrasting moving images. The biggest hit of the night was a piece of wearable art (which one lovely lady literally wore home) by Janine McCabe, created from human and synthetic hair. A gentleman bought it for $475 for one lovely lady in the audience, the catch being that she had to wear it for the rest of the night. And that she did. —Gervase Caycedo
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