Fruit Bowl Fashionistas Flip for PhoeNyx!

Seattle fashion designers have gone head-to-head over the past few months in Fruit Bowl for a grand prize of $2,500 for 1st place and the opportunity to win over $5,000 in shop credits throughout the season. The designers finished their last show of this season at Kremwerk with their couture finale. 

Fruit Bowl is a recently developed art production series bringing local artists’ designs to life with a set of runway shows—and yes, you’re right: it’s fruit-themed. Fruit Bowl is very queer and closed the show on Pride weekend; this last show’s theme was “Chimera Fruit: The Mutant Fruit.” Each designer and performer made and presented looks on how a creative take on a fruit inspired them. The designers made clear choices crafting and presenting their designs over the past months. 

A Maker’s Market was held before the show so folks could preview some of the artists’ work. In previous weeks, they brought forth pieces ranging from utilizing a string of lights into trimmings to a nearly nude dress made of satin ribbon. Designers hoped their looks inspired the judges from the creative prompt of a mutant fruit. Some looks went more literal and used fake fruit in the crafting of hats.

Mona Real, host of Fruit Bowl / The Evergreen Echo

Mona Real, the drag queen host and producer of the show, introduced the main contestants along with additional performers previously seen in past seasons. Mona was patterned with a rainbow of colors in fruity prints and a striped top. Contestant Mimi Gina came out dressed like a tall, black figure with bedazzled bananas stuck onto the headdress of the outfit. Mimi even glamoured villainous facial features with a banana smile and red-jeweled eyes; she modeled the looks gracefully as a character in line with a sneaky Edward Scissorhands.

Also in the realm of utilizing fruit into their look was the Haute Honey team. Heidi Acuna, the creator, dressed their model Hippolyta in a circular, fruit-filled headdress that framed the model’s face. The fruit-forward headpiece was accompanied with a single shoulder dress flowing down into different fabrics and elbow-length gloves.

PhoeNyx performs at Fruit Bowl / The Evergreen Echo

But PhoeNyx stole the show, modeling a yellow, low-back, halter dress in a princess cut, complete with pink tulle draping over. As every performer had shown that a headpiece was a must, PhoeNyx used the same tulle fabric to wrap a topless hat. But it didn’t stop there: A wild outfit change surprised everyone! Under the dress was a well-structured corset top. It hit the couture finale. The outfit was dressed in jewels and intricate details that always gave the eye something to relish. And while admiring the different patterns that complemented PhoeNyx’s natural shape, the look extended much past her waist, providing movement from strings of extended seams. Her look showed acknowledgement to the already present structure and shape of the body and had the couture detailing to win the show.

Congratulations to PhoeNyx for winning this season of Fruit Bowl!