Vintage Boutique featured in Friends of the Southfield Public Arts Fashion Show

SOUTHFIELD — The Friends of the Southfield Public Arts and Fantoni invite the public to step back in time for an evening 7-9 p.m. May 31 at the former Skyline Club, located on the 28th floor of 2000 Southfield Town Center.

The Art and Vintage Fashion Show fundraiser features over 40 pieces of vintage couture fashion from the 1940s, ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. Pieces that have withstood the test of time that were once sold in iconic stores such as Hudson’s, B. Siegel, Winkelman’s, Himelhoch’s, Jacobson’s, Bonwit Teller, Claire Pearone and Surwin’s will be modeled by 11 models from the Southfield High School for the Arts and Technology dance team.

“We were all blown away, because I remember these pieces from back in the day, when our parents used to shop at Himelhoch’s and those places like that,” commented Delores Flagg, the chair for the Southfield Public Arts Commission, recalling her nostalgia when she set foot in Fantoni and saw the design studio.

Fantoni is a vintage boutique located at 4105 12 Mile Road in Berkley, owned by Jeffrey Ligan and Diego Fraustro. It opened its doors in February but has been at Vintage Eastern Market for around five years. With more than 6,000 vintage pieces in the collection, the store boasts everything from Art Deco purses to a jacket once owned by Diana Ross. The store is an ode to the 20th century, with most pieces hailing from the 1940s up to the 1990s.

Ligan is a Southfield native who moved to Miami and opened Belvair, a shop specializing in mid-century modern and vintage furniture. He owned the shop from 1995 until he sold it to a new owner and moved back to Southfield in 2010. Once back in Michigan, Ligan decided to venture into vintage fashion and opened an online store before selling at Eastern Market. Ligan is well versed in fashion and decor history and has a superpower: He can look at an item and know whether it is of value or not.

“It’s fun, and that’s why I don’t get tired of the business of it. If it stopped being fun, I’d stop doing it and go sling coffee at Starbucks or whatever. But no, it’s still fun. And I like it when other people are really into it too,” Ligan said.

Fraustro worked as a fashion pageant photographer in Mexico for nine years before leaving the industry. Through his experience, he developed an eye for design and learned how to style clothes and picked up some sewing skills. In the back of Fantoni, he has a sewing studio with cabinets full of patterns and funky fabrics. Fraustro takes pride in breathing new life into well-loved or worn vintage pieces. He added that he prefers to design men’s clothing, since male body types are more straight, so it is easier than women’s clothing.

Ligan explained that vintage shopping isn’t just for fashion history enthusiasts. “It also feeds into the idea of recycling and saving things from the landfill and not being so disposable as a society anymore,” he said.

Ligan has served as a member of the Southfield Public Arts Commission for about seven years, so when the idea of a fashion show was presented, he jumped at the opportunity to loan his pieces to the cause.

The proceeds raised from the fashion show will go towards funding Southfield’s signature piece by world-renowned Mexican sculptor Sebastian (Enrique Carbajal), called “Nine Mile Crossing.” The sculpture will stand 98 feet tall at the corner of the Southfield Freeway and Nine Mile Road. According to Flagg, the commission has raised around $320,000 of $340,000.

Flagg explained that the Ligan allowed the students to select what pieces they would don for the show, which is unconventional, as the designer typically outfits the model. He explained that this is because he wanted the students to feel confident and comfortable. “They gravitated towards things that fit their vibe that were colorful and edgy, a little more youthful because they’re younger. It’ll be a reflection of their own taste, actually. Which I find kind of interesting, because it’s not me forcing my inventory on them. I mean, I just donated and said, ‘Come take a look and see what you want.’”

Ligan shared that he’s eager to see people’s reactions to the clothes and to see the students have fun with modeling. Fraustro added that he’s looking forward to the production side of things and seeing how everything comes together.

In addition to the fashion show, the event will feature six local artists: Priscilla Phifer, Rosemary Summers, Samah Kthar, Reggie Singleton, Lionnel Hurst and Brian Nickson, as well as vintage clothing, jewelry and art vendors.

Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. They will be sold at the door for $60. Presale tickets cost $50 and can be purchased through PayPal at SFLDPublicArts@gmail.com or by check made payable to Friends of Southfield Public Arts. Checks can be mailed to the City of Southfield, c/o Mayor’s Office, 26000 Evergreen Road, Southfield, MI 48037-2055. All ticket purchases are tax-deductible donations.

For more information, call (248) 796-5100 or email SFLDPublicArts@gmail.com. For more information on Fantoni, visit www.fantoni.shop.