| Brianna Blair walks the runway during the 2010 Polarpalooza alternative fashion show. (Photo courtesy Polarpalooza) |
Polarpalooza, a decidedly cool take on winter fashion, returns to Bowling Green, Saturday.
The whimsical alternative fashion show will be presented Saturday at 8 p.m. in conjunction with Winter
Fest. Tickets are $5 at the door, or $4 with a donation of a new or used winter clothes item. This year
the show will move from the Old South Main School, the home of the event’s sponsor of Arts in Common, to
123 E. Court, in downtown Bowling Green the old church that used to house a Civil War museum.
Having Polarpalooza downtown puts in more in the center of activity during the weekend, Buntain said. The
space also feels "less institutional" than the old school auditorium.
Anna Buntain, the show’s creator and organizer, said the goal of the event remains constant. "The
purpose of the show is to give people an avenue for free expression and creativity and maybe to be
somebody you wouldn’t ordinarily be on any given day," she said.
Buntain said she grew up with that love of theater. Her earliest memories are of being at rehearsals of
"South Pacific" with her mother. Her parents were both active in the Williams County
Playhouse. That’s where they met, she said.
The troupe is helping out with some theatrical properties for Saturday’s show.
Buntain said the event will benefit from last year’s experience when six models strode down the makeshift
runway in both evening and day attire of their own design, as well as being interviewed by master of
ceremonies Bob Midden.
Midden and his dry wit will return, and this year Buntain will serve as his assistant. Last year, she
modeled as the character Insulation. What she didn’t anticipate and didn’t want, was winning the
contest. Just another lesson learned, she said.
Winners are decided by an audience vote, and receive a trophy and prizes of downtown bucks.
This year seven models have signed up. Among the characters strutting their fashions, Buntain said, will
be Arctic Fox, a "vampy, sexy kind of girl" ; Hazy Shade, a Goth character; Bipolar,
expressing the extremes of the season; and Fur le Femme, a homage to old style glamor.
Brianna Blair will return to the Polarpalooza runway after her debut last year as a blue-haired ice
princess. She will be Bipolar, she said. Her daytime outfit, resplendent and white. "She’ll remind
you of a snow angel," Blair said. But at night, she’s adorned in black "like black ice which
is dangerous."
Blair said she signed on last year, because she’s Buntain’s friend, admitting it’s not something she’d
normally do.
She’s shy she explained. But she had so much fun last year, she decided to return. "It helped get me
out of my shell," she said.
She said she’s pleased with the new location and the variety of costumes her fellow contestants will
display. "It should be a pretty good show."
