Topping yourself can be a tall order, as Paula Fletcher, the creator of local label DumbClothing, is fast finding out.

Fletcher made the scene by making a scene on ARENA Spring 2002's runway. Perhaps we should say her models did: Where other mannequins simply strutted, the DumbClothing girls shoved, kicked and tripped one another. The finale degenerated into an all-out brawl, with one beauty clocking another in the jaw and drawing fake blood, to which the victim responded by lifting up the offender and slamming her to the ground. All while wearing chic evening gowns. Lucy Liu, eat your heart out.

For fall, Fletcher — fresh from the Burning Man gathering — created colorful, lighthearted designs replete with glitter and fuzz, and brought in multimedia performance artist Matthew Reynolds to choreograph her coup. Let's just say it's going to be complex. Reynolds is throwing around terms like "splitches of mysticism" and "magic," and already the Fizz's head is spinning.

"We're not going to know how this is going to look until the night of," Fletcher says, her voice tinged with anxiousness.

Reynolds isn't worried. "As long as your clothing looks good," he replies.

Did you ever think a fashion show would entail such drama, let alone one in the Home of the Fashion Don't?

Well, it does — particularly when you're talking about one as big as the ARENA Fashion Showcase, which puts Northwest designers' originals on the runway. According to directing coordinator/founder Jon Rosson, drama and theatrics are de rigueur in ARENA, just as in fashion in general.

"This is an evening of entertainment, from the emcee to the hair, to the models and the clothes," he says. "Everything is pleasing to the eye."

Which is more than I can say when I walk down the street day to day.

OK, I'm being harsh. I mean, aren't we a fairly with-it —

"No. Uh-uh," interjects Mikael/Makaii Urban Couture designer Catrina Henderson, also frantically planning for the event. Henderson, whose line can be described as equal parts D&G, Sean Jean and Nicole Miller, delivers this verdict: "We're horrible. If I could click my heels and leave right now, we'd be in Texas."

Texas, a state of sartorial bliss compared with Seattle? Yeesh.

Our city gives Fletcher similar fits.

"We need to banish socks with Tevas! Banish corduroy and polar fleece unless it's fashionable! Banish baseball caps! Banish clothes that make you look like everyone else!" Amen.

Rosson's much kinder to Seattle, citing the presence of Nordstrom and our casual view of what is elegant as proof of a Northwest fashion flair: "We all follow our own footsteps rather than everyone else's."

In case you're wondering: Fletcher is dressed in head-to-toe black during her interview. Henderson sports a vintage I. Magnin top and heels that, since we are speaking fashionese, I will describe as delicious.

The handsome Rosson does not want you to know he is wearing Vans, jeans, a gray T-shirt and an Old Navy vest. This is canceled out by the presence of his highly fashionable Tibetan mastiff, El Guapo. Go easy on him; he's opening a nightclub on top of everything else. (See Thought Bubbles.)

Besides, he says, Seattleites always put on the dog for the show. There will be a parade of adventurous couture, evening wear, club wear, high street fashion — all things wearable and super bad on the runway and off. Monir Couture, for example, will show its line of evening/bridal wear, Committee 300 has its very futuristic-chic line and the House of Scheibner's models will prowl in silky ensembles.

Fun for everyone, in other words. It's also a service and, for Rosson and his hardworking team, a labor of love. Designers don't pay an entry fee, and thanks to ARENA's volunteer crew, don't have to worry about behind-the-scenes work.

Having mounted 15 ARENA events since 1990, Rosson's comfortably confident, if busy. He's seen the show's audiences grow from a few hundred to thousands. The first had 10 designers; this one has 18, and a number of makeup and hair artists showcasing their talents. Additionally, ARENA is now a twice-annual event. The next one will take place over several days, he hopes. Perhaps one day Seattle will even have a fashion week. Big dreams for a nonprofit endeavor.

"One of the greatest things I can say," Rosson adds, "is that ARENA embraces these artists that don't really have a forum to go to: designers, models, stylists, makeup artists. ARENA is that forum."

And a boon to designers like Henderson, who picked up new business after the spring show. "They really support local artists by taking care of the back end, so all the designers have to worry about is their clothes," she said. "I'm very thankful that they have this kind of place for us here to show our fashions."

Seattle Times' archived article