By Samantha Sonders
Boston University News Service
On Oct. 3, Vintage Restaurant and Lounge had their Annual Customer Appreciation party– a car show held at their upscale location within the financial district. Boston based fashion designer Conrad Lamour contributed to the event, hosting a photoshoot where models wearing his latest designs posed in front of glamorous cars.
Lamour discussed how his designs were not just one collection, but rather a library. He said he pulls inspiration from many different elements– whether it’s leather, skins, sequins or jewels.
“What you’re seeing is a library of all those different elements, from the pinstripe suits with the fur collars to the python jackets and hand bags … [its] a little bite of everything,” Lamour said.
His designs at the event were a concentration of his favorite pieces, with models sporting bold designs such as a red fur coat with detachable arms.
Lamour also talked about what fashion means to him.
“Fashion is a way of life. It connects businesses, communities and people together from all over the world,” Lamour said. “Fashionable people are the same people, no matter what part of the world they came from.”
He further explained how Boston is a very unique place for the fashion industry. Being such an international city, it gives designers a plethora of different cultures to take inspiration from. Many of Lamour’s models were also international, having models representing Kazakhstan, Russia and Colombia.
Lamour’s main message he aimed to send with his work was glamour.
“Glamour,” Lamour said. “The story is to be dressed and be glamorous no matter where you are.”
Inkara Serikbayeba, a 21-year-old model enrolled in Bentley University, talked about Lamour’s collection and her experiences working with the designer. She said his pieces were “so extraordinary and unusual,” and “very bright.”
“I think it shows [off] Conrad’s personality … He’s bright as the sun,” Serikbayeba said.
Dameli Rustambek, a model and student at the University of Massachusetts, also provided her thoughts on the collection.
She said it’s “very classy,” and that he’s “not scared to experiment with colors and different textures.”
In three words, she described his style as “expensive, colorful and with taste.”
Alyssa Freeman, another model for the show and a part-time teacher at Simmons University, spoke about her budding modeling career and how she felt Lamour “saw something in her,” which she thought was “so special.” She had done modeling as a child, but didn’t pursue it further. It wasn’t until recently for her that she decided to get involved again.
Freeman also discussed Lamour’s collection, and his brand as a whole – noting how luxurious it is.
“He exudes luxury, he exudes elegance, he exudes fine fashion and that’s what the brand represents,” she said. “You have so many different designers out there nowadays, and his name certainly belongs at the top of the top.”
Freeman additionally talked about the fashion community and how it’s a collaborative effort.
“My favorite part of the process so far is the community that’s being built in the fashion industry,” Freeman said. “It takes a lot of hard work and dedication … And you’re able to see all this hard work come together for these glamorous shows.”
