BravoBravo!

Mary Beth in Femilia Couture. Photo by Davide.

A lime green carpet, fashions hailing from Ferndale and a more eco-friendly attitude to be seen and felt Friday for BravoBravo! at the Michigan Opera Theatre.

According to Rich Rice of Detroit By Design (he’s in charge of carpet entry and concierge service) the goal is to produce a more elegant and natural "Green Carpet Experience" for the fête. “I didn’t want to do the same red carpet as last year” Rice says, “We will have a 90 foot lime green carpet, covered with elegant canopy tenting, with shear fabric draped between trussing."

Another exciting element to this year’s festivities is Ferndale-based street-meets-couture clothing designers Fotoula Lambros and Emily Thornhill of “Femilia”. After having an official launch party and showing in Detroit Fashion Week within just a few months, the gals are “proud and honored” to be part of the event. Lambros says they are riding the momentum generated during the past year and though the garments to be shown on Friday will be briefing pieces from DFW, she promises there will be something unexpected and exciting in the mix. “We always come up with something new at the last minute,” Lambros says. Models will mingle the entryway in Femilia garb with ahir and makeup via Six Salon, who will also be hosting a beauty room for guests on the second floor.

According to insiders, BravoBravo! has apparently also transformed into a greener atmosphere- okay, not just the new green carpet- but more earth-conscious green this year. Amanda Musilli who is overseeing the events eco-friendly efforts provided a list of changes the organizers made to make the Earth happy, and keep the people smiling, too. She says the goal this year is to recycle 40% of the waste produced. Eliminating paper tickets and sticking to electronic invites, purchasing bio-based foodware (plates, cups, forks, etc. all made from bio-based materials like sugar cane and corn which can be composted) from Michigan Green Safe Products, recycling all the glass and plastic used that night, getting help from 25 volunteers from Recy-Clean, to assist patrons put recyclables where they need to be.

Now, what to wear to avoid clashing with the lime green carpet…