Revolutionary Runway: Celebrating 250 Years of American Fashion in Plymouth
- Plymouth community leaders, business owners, and elected officials showcased 250 years of American fashion on Sept.
- The idea for the retrospective runway show originated with Amy Naples, executive director of the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce, and Stephen Cole, chair of the Chamber’s Economic...
- The evening opened with an acknowledgement that the land serves as the traditional and continuing homeland of the Wampanoag Nation.
Plymouth community leaders, business owners, and elected officials showcased 250 years of American fashion on Sept. 16 during the Revolutionary Runway event at the historic Hedge House in Plymouth. Presented by the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce and House Cat Vintage & Consignment, the fashion show explored how clothing reflects and is influenced by social and cultural movements across two and a half centuries.
Origins of the Historic Fashion Showcase
The idea for the retrospective runway show originated with Amy Naples, executive director of the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce, and Stephen Cole, chair of the Chamber’s Economic Development Committee, according to Abby Thompson, owner of House Cat Vintage & Consignment. Both Naples and Cole serve on the town’s 250th commemoration committee, prompting them to devise an interactive event celebrating local history while spotlighting the community’s businesspeople. Naples noted that organizers wanted a creative medium to tell the region’s story while utilizing a prominent local landmark. “Fashion gives us a unique way to tell a story, and we were looking for something fun and creative,” Naples said. Organizers also prioritized incorporating the history of the region’s Native American tribes. Thompson curated the clothing for the show and co-hosted the evening alongside her husband, Justin Ogilvie of Positive Coaching Alliance and Point32Health, who wore Revolutionary garb.
Wampanoag Heritage and Runway Presentations
The evening opened with an acknowledgement that the land serves as the traditional and continuing homeland of the Wampanoag Nation. Amara Newcomb, a citizen of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and a Two-Spirit individual, and her wife, Eva Blake, a citizen of the Assonet Wampanoag, opened the runway wearing traditional Northeastern Wampanoag deerskin regalia. Following them, 14-year-old high school student and Herring Pond Wampanoag tribal youth Ava Hannigan modeled a ribbon skirt handmade by her grandmother, Herring Pond Wampanoag Chairwoman Melissa Ferretti. Aside from a few select accessories, all runway looks were assembled from vintage or secondhand pieces available for purchase at House Cat.
Centuries of Style Across the Decades
Community participants modeled apparel representing distinct eras of American history. Plymouth Select Board Chair Deb Iaquinto walked the aisle in an 1800s-era empire-waist dress layered over a large hoop skirt with a black hat. State Sen. Dylan Fernandes, representing the Plymouth and Barnstable District, modeled late-19th-century menswear featuring splashy details. State Rep. Michelle Badger, who represents the 1st Plymouth District, represented the Roaring Twenties in a flapper outfit with a shorter hem and dropped waist, while State Rep. Kathleen LaNatra, who represents the 12th Plymouth District, wore a bold late-1960s dress inspired by the Summer of Love. Local business figures also participated with era-specific looks. Katy Thayer of Uva Wine Bar appeared in an early-20th-century Titanic-ready outfit, and Speedwell Tavern managing partner Jordan Chabot wore 1910s menswear inspired by the show Peaky Blinders. David Gallerani of Cape Auto Body channeled a 1950s James Dean-inspired denim look, and Cole closed out prominent business looks with 1970s bell-bottoms, tinted aviators, a white belt, and a patterned shirt. Iaquinto praised the community event, expressing a desire for it to become an annual tradition with changing themes.