A fashion show at Harper's Downtown on Friday could have been what the city and Cool Waves need before the summer migration of students, showgoers said.
Cool Waves owner Gaston Garcia collaborated with the club to put on the VIP Fashion Show, bringing together students, models, music and fashion in East Lansing. Garcia opened his store in February at 115 E. Grand River Ave.
Nearly 400 people showed up for the show at Harper's Downtown, 131 Albert Ave., to watch 25 models saunter down the runway to the beats of DJs Adroit and Kalendr.
Kinesiology junior Nate Springer said the show was an original idea that brought the aura of Los Angeles and Miami to East Lansing.
"It was an overall good time," he said. "There was a cool, free-spirited groove connection going on. People were getting more liberated than usual, which is a great vibe."
He said it was what East Lansing needed to provide a new form of entertainment. Springer, who has worked downtown for five years, said he knows how slow it gets during the summer.
"Most of the business comes from the university faculty and students," he said. "You're not going to get the people in Olin (Health Center) going over there, and the soccer moms aren't going to be sporting the vintage polyester."
But it was back to work for Garcia, who said he was pleased with the response to the show and expects to do more.
Garcia said the show was a taste to let students walk away with as they leave town for summer.
"I did not plan it that way," he said. "They tell me I am going to lose a lot of money over the summer, but I can't think like that. I am going to think positive."
In addition to coordinating his first fashion show in East Lansing, Garcia said he has been putting a lot of time and money into renovating the vacant back of his store.
He said the back will be dedicated to shoes, eyewear and accessories, with higher-end merchandise like kate spade and Gucci.
"I think they have style here," he said. "I see them carrying Coach bags and Louis Vuitton bags, so they must have a budget."
Garcia said the other shortcoming is the men's market. Nearly three-quarters of the store is dedicated to women's clothes.
If more men came in "I would have more clothes, but it doesn't move as fast as it should," he said.
DJ Nate Stroker said the collaborative effort between music and fashion really made an impact on East Lansing entertainment.
"It was something that East Lansing needed to see a long time ago," he said. "A lot of people showed up. It could be a vibe that carries on for years."
