Fashion Week adds spring boutique crawl

Fashion Week of Rochester is adding activities year-round to complement its big event in October.

Organizers are adding a boutique crawl in March, a fashion run in June and a clothing swap in October.

True to its changing fashion form, Fashion Week of Rochester will be switching locations as well for the main event, which will be Oct. 16 to 20 this year.

One of the shows will be in newly renovated mixed-use space on Russell Street, off University Avenue near Gleason Corp. Third Presbyterian Church off East Avenue and the historic Temple Building downtown also have been added.

“It’s become not just fashion at Fashion Week,” said Elaine Spaull, executive director of Center for Youth, the beneficiary of Fashion Week. “We want to celebrate Rochester.”

Refashioning Rochester is the theme of the 2013 events, with Fashion Week now entering its fourth year. The year starts early with a March Madness boutique crawl on March 21, smack dab in the midst of college basketball playoffs. It will give sports widows a chance to shop during one of the games, Spaull said.

Boutiques in four corridors in the village of Pittsford, Monroe Avenue Pittsford, Brighton and Park Avenue will host the crawl from 5 to 10 p.m. with snacks and beverages. Shuttles will provide transportation to the boutiques. The shops will feature new spring fashion lines as well as some bargains and winter clearance items, said Chantiza Stern, a founding organizer of Fashion Week.

Rochester’s Longest Runway 5K race will be held at Total Sports Experience in Gates on June 8, instead of Cobbs Hill Park. Organizers want to attract families and teens, and encourage them to run the race in prom dresses, Spaull said.

New to the main event this year will be a Switch and Swap on Oct. 16. For $20, participants can bring a piece of clothing or an accessory to the Memorial Art Gallery and shop the racks for another garment to take home.

On Thursday this year will be the first of the runway shows, with the fall boutique crawl moving to Sunday.

The first show, dubbed Fashion at the Factory, will be at the new Russell Station space. This will feature the more edgy, downtown fashions with an event with the same feel, said founding organizer Meghan Mundy.

The Spirit of Fashion will be held at Third Presbyterian Church on Friday, Oct. 18, and feature family-friendly fashions. More kids and men fashions — and models — will be added to the show, Mundy said.

On Saturday, Oct. 19, a runway show called Fashion on Franklin will feature fashions from local boutiques and will be held in the sanctuary of the Temple Building.

To wrap up Fashion Week 2013, shoppers will have the chance to buy what they saw on the runway during the fall boutique crawl from noon to 5 p.m. on Oct. 20, with participating boutiques opening their doors for shopping in a party atmosphere.

“Fashion is always changing,” Mundy says, noting that it’s important to elevate the excitement every year.

Returning this year is the team at Scott Miller, who will be doing the models’ hair and makeup for the Saturday show. Scott Miller also worked on Fashion Week in New York City.

“We feel extremely committed to the Center for Youth as they are dedicated to helping kids be safe and find their way,” said Helen Miller, co-owner of the salon and spa in Pittsford and Webster. “Fashion Week is a wonderful collaborative effort where many talented people pool their efforts for this important cause.”