Having missed the opportunity to attend Cleveland Fashion Week for the last eight years, I was not about to let 2012 get away from me…  *Attend a Fashion show was of course on My Goal List.…

As such, the date of this year’s 2012 Fashion Week had been on my calendar since February… but it wasn’t until mid April that I realized the weeks culminating event (the runway show) took place over Mother’s Day weekend….  

“Are you serious,” I said to myself as the realization hit me… “Mother’s Day Weekend!”…

knowing wholeheartedly that I would never pass over my mother for fashion, I almost let this year’s festivities pass me by…That is until an ingenious idea came to me during a mid-week happy hour dinner with my fellow book clubbers……..

“I really want to attend Cleveland Fashion Week but it’s the same weekend as Mother’s Day,”…….

“Oh, are you serious, that sounds so fun”… said Ashley and Danielle…

“Maybe our mom’s would want to go”… I said half jokingly….. “Wait, maybe our mom’s would really want to go” I said.  ”Do you think your mom’s would be interested?”….”What a great Mother’s Day Present that would make…..”  And just like that phone calls were made, plans were confirmed, and tickets ($$$) were purchased to the formal black tie affair which would be held at The Halle Building.  

Though ticketing started at $40, us gals wanted to provide our well deserving mom’s with a full night of glitz and glamour… that meant the purchase of $100 premium tickets.… which were to include a premium open bar cocktail party, VIP Lounge, Shrimp and Crab, Champagne and Chocolates, appetizers and reserved seating for the runway shows……, otherwise known as “we’re taking a taxi home”  

So did the night live up to the expectations……it “Effen” depends…. 

Though I did manage to fight the crowed for an Effen Martini…. Labeling the event a “VIP Cocktail Party” was a far stretch….. the champagne fountain dried up prior to myself or anyone in my party getting a glass. Crab and shrimp were no where to be found… and one of the highlighted food vendors ran out of fare far before my party ever had a chance to feast… that left us dining on bite-sized portions of pasta, and on cheese, meats and veggies….

Well before the fashion show began, patrons began to notice a major shortage of formal stemware….. red plastic cups as far as the eye could see… 

And though I was hoping to score a 3rd drink prior to the runway show, I was confronted with the realization that the place had run dry….  

Despite the food and beverage shortcomings… our entire party managed to scoop up front row seating (with accompanying swag bags) during the hour-long runway show… An experience in and of itself! 

Though its unlikely that i’ll be shelling out big bucks for premium tickets to a future black-tie event, I can see myself opting for the cheaper tickets and enjoying a great show.  

*Want a second opinion….. check out Clue Into Cleveland’s guest blog piece written by Cleveland Yogi and PR Guru Elizabeth Grepp…”Fashion Week Cleveland Roundup”