Bicycle Fashion Show CycleMAYnia Kick-Off Party

The Velo Vogue Bicycle Fashion Show is free to the public this Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 5:00 PM at the Casa de la Guerra (15 De La Guerra Street), as part of the opening event of CycleMAYnia, a month-long bicycle celebration and an official 1st Thursday event.

The show celebrates fashionable and functional Santa Barbara cycling, inspiring the fashion conscious to cycle with style. The show alludes to the bicycle chic lifestyle where the bicycle is a fun and convenient option. It demonstrates that the bicycle is not just a recreational item, but also a practical, healthy and stylish mode of transportation, improving our quality of life.

The event will start with a reception beginning at 5:00 PM followed by the live runway show at 6:00 PM.

Guests can enjoy nibbles from the Culture Shock truck and local beer from Telegraph Brewing Company all while taking in the fast-paced show preparation. Guests can watch as models take part in makeup and hair styling from Cheri Bibi Solon and professional photographer Jeff Clark takes glamour shots around the courtyard before the show.

This year, calling out the runway will be Brittney Sharaun, a professional model, actress, dancer, reporter and contestant from America’s Next Top Model and model in NBC’s new TV show, Fashion Star.

Accompanying her on stage will be Erik Wright, bike aficionado, co-founder of the former Wheelhouse Bike Shop and Bicycle Coalition board member.

The show highlights various themed segments including Bicycle Wedding, bicycling to the Farmer’s Market, Fiesta and Butterfly Beach. Clothing and bicycle styles vary to appropriately match the theme and demonstrate the functional elements for fashionable, stress-free urban cycling.

This year’s retailers include: Horny Toad, Mission Tux, REI, Patagonia, Osprey, Peanuts Maternity + Kids, Bettie Page, Lovebird, The Arbor, Victorian Vogue, Drishti, Bizerk, Bici Centro, Cyclelogical, and Macy’s. Models will be styled on-site by Cheri Bibi Salon and JJ Weston make-up. A diversity of bicycle types will be featured to include road and mountain, city and cargo, Dutch as well as Santa Barbara-made. Bicycle providers include: Muse Cycles, Stinner Frameworks, VeloPro, Cranky’s, Open Air Bicycles, Hazard’s Cyclesport and REI. Vintage and unique bikes from personal collections are featured as well.

A variety of community members are modeling including women and men, and couples and families with 30 models in total and our own California Assemblyman Das Williams.

Join us after the show for the Bike Moves ride starting at 7 PM leaving from Casa de la Guerra. This >month’s costume theme is “The Bicycle Wears Prada” so pull out your high-end name-brand duds, high heels and hand bags and take your bike for a strut up and down State Street in costume. This will be followed by a CycleMAYnia kick-off reception at 8:30 PM back at Casa De La Guerra for more bicycle merriment complete with lights, DJ, visuals, dancing and drinks.

CYCLEMAYNIA: CycleMAYnia is Santa Barbara’s month-long bicycle celebration. Join the bicycle community during May 2012 and experience the fun, healthy and economical bicycle lifestyle. CycleMAYnia is program coordinated by SBCAG Traffic Solutions, the countywide rideshare organization. CycleMAYnia is designed to engage the public at large in planning bike month festivities with the mission to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. Learn more about CycleMAYnia events and partners at cyclemaynia.org, twitter.com/cyclemaynia, facebook.com/cycle-maynia.