Now that the traffic had cleared, the parties are over and the CIAA 2012 Champions have been officially crowned, I simply MUST offer my own little fashion recap.

First and foremost, I noticed there were a few ladies who somehow missed my previous blog post on suggestions of what to wear and as expected, I ran into a number of fashion no-no's. I must say that these anonymous toes (photo found on Facebook, taken by a secret style source not to be named), wins the prize for "Top Fashion Failure". As you can see, "toe-overhang" is never a good look.

But aside from summer sandals in February/March and fur coats (in North Carolina, of all places) in almost 70-degree weather, I will move on because I like to accentuate the positive.

There were quite a few fashion favorites. Starting with the boots this young lady wore for CIAA day activities. I spotted her in the ladies room at the Westin Hotel. The boots were super cute and unique but I did wonder how comfy they are. Oh well, sometimes fashion is pain.

Friday night wrapped up the three-day long CIAA fashion event, Mode Noir. As they say, three’s a charm. The black tie finale brought a larger crowd and a longer list of talented designers to the spotlight at the Harvest Center.

Because Mode Noir was more than just a celebration of fashion, the runway was first graced by two ballet dancers from Johnson C. Smith University. Dancing to smooth jazz, the performers set a tone of sophistication for an evening showcase of culture, arts and fashion.

Highlights from the evening included multiple guest appearances, from both the artists and audience. Mr. Rashon Carroway, local lifestyle blogger also known as Mr. Goodwill Hunting, came out to support the fashion cause. A talented self-made fashionista/designer specializing in vintage styling, he has made quite the name for himself, appearing on the Nate Berkus Show and also for designing living spaces in New Jersey, D.C. and New York.

During intermission, I was able to speak with the dapper Carraway to get his take on Mode Noir. “It is great. All the designs are amazing. I think Cloud 9 was one of my favorites so far. And, the fashion here tonight is impeccable. It’s always interesting to see what people wear when it comes down to a fashion show but it's definitely exciting. I’m looking forward to talking to some of the people here and seeing what their inspiration was for the styles they put together,” he said.

Cloud 9 Designs kicked off the show, with a literal focus on the “kicks.” Designer Denise Cloud, who has been featured on The View and has made custom designed shoes for celebs, experienced her first taste of the runway at Mode Noir. Her amazing bedazzled shoes were all one-of-a-kind creations made with Swarovski and AB Crystals, spikes, feathers, pearls and more. Carraway wasn’t the only fan of Cloud 9, the audience went crazy for them, too.

• Mode Noir Facebook

Day two of Mode Noir brought more fashion buzz to the CIAA scene with America’s Next Top Model finalist, Bianca Golden, as the evening’s guest host. Co-hosting with local WBTV anchor, Brigida Mack, the duo brought not only fashion but some spontaneous fun to the stage. Brave participants from the audience strut their stuff on the runway in a “walk-off” and some even had the guts to showcase their musical talent. America’s Next Top Model met American Idol Thursday night at the Harvest Center.

The evening’s fashion came strictly from original designers with the exception of one local boutique. 16-year-old Kevin Vain kicked off the show with an avant-garde collection, reminiscent of Lady Gaga’s “out there” style. The young designer got his start in fashion by customizing pieces from thrift stores. “And then the public took a liking to it so I started making clothes from scratch,” he said.

Lipp Boutique, the newest addition to the Metropolitan, made its first runway appearance at Mode Noir. The boutique featured dresses, casual looks, and accessories from the up and coming clothing lines they feature in store.

Avnah Couture, from Atlanta, also made an appearance. Most of the pieces, like the pointed design corset tops, sheared vinyl mini dresses, cutout pants and the finale dress, a rainbow tulle couture dress, were not traditionally wearable. However, they were interesting to see on the runway. The line has been worn by celebrities including Kelly Rowland, Lola Monroe and Dawn Richard.

• Cinhte Magazine

Other lines featured included Sacchi Couture, a fairly new line of “elegant” styles for women, and K L Allen, another line from Atlanta, which featured both men and women’s fashions. Although more wearable than the others, the K L Allen collection was definitely still geared toward those looking to make a real statement.

LaVonndra Johnson’s own boutique, Elle V J of NoDa, also walked the runway. Her collection featured an assortment of sweet spring dresses in fun colors and patterns like canary yellow, bright red with polka dots, and pretty shades of white perfect for summer. The styles were all very young, fun and wearable.

Last night kicked off the three-day CIAA fashion-inspired event, Mode Noir at Harvest Center. Founder LaVonndra Johnson of Elle VJ boutique explained her inspiration to bring fashion to the front line of a weekend of sports and parties. “I wanted to do something during CIAA and I’m not a partier, you know, fashion is my thing so I just figured, ‘Why not have a fashion show during CIAA?’... and mix the cultures because we have so many different people coming to town. I not only wanted to mix the culture of the attendees but also the designers. I just figured why not bring everyone in, they’re here anyway partying, let’s do the fashion thing.”

The event’s goal, hand in hand with CIAA’s aim to highlight Historically Black Colleges and Universities, is to spotlight African-American designers and visionaries. In organizing the event, Johnson hopes to bring not only fashion to the Queen City during CIAA but also arts and culture.

The first night featured day and casual wear from local stores, Francesca’s, Hut No. 8, and Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th. Also included was Bipolar Couture, a edgy custom apparel line started by three different designers from New York. DRC Apeparel, a globally conscious brand, “Made in America, Inspired by Africa” impressed with bold prints and colors. The finale featured Atlanta designer, Charles Lynch. The runway also showcased local child designers from Style Sanctum, a program that inspires creative minded children to pursue art in the form of fashion.

• Mode Noir Facebook
• Charles Chic by Charles Lynch

Judging from audience reaction, Charles Lynch seemed to be the most awe-inspiring segment of the evening. (Check out a sample of his work pictured above. You'd be thrilled, too.) He thrilled onlookers with a variety of leather mini dresses, in traditional black and also the “it” colors for spring: fluorescent hues of peach and yellow.

Johnson also brought art to the spotlight, showing off a large Gullah-inspired canvas artwork from Sabree’s Art Gallery, which will be auctioned off on the final day of Mode Noir, with 100 percent of proceeds benefiting the Presbyterian Blume Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Clinic. The cause is very dear to Johnson’s heart, as her young daughter was diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease and receives treatment there regularly.

Stay tuned for the reviews of night two and three of CIAA fashion featuring accessories and accoturements and a black tie finale.