Local makeup artist brings runway experience back to Regina while supporting business community

Sara Lindsay and her business partner Jaime Boldt opened BLAK Apparel in April of this year, and will hold an official grand opening in the form of a runway show on Saturday. (Photo Source: Blak Apparel Facebook page)

A local makeup artist and business owner is bringing the runway experience back to Regina this weekend five years after the end of Saskatchewan Fashion Week.

Sara Lindsay, who has been a makeup artist for the past 24 years, was the makeup director for every Saskatchewan Fashion Week until its final show in 2019.

In April of this year, she and her business partner Jaime Boldt opened a store called BLAK Apparel, which features all black clothing and accessories. She then took the opportunity to plan a runway show with clothing from the store.

“It's kind of late for a grand opening, but I just didn't want to do it in the summer in a black clothing store, so we’ve kind of got our bearings and got organized so now we thought this was the time, and with it, there being no fashion events ever, I thought I’d use my makeup background and my experience with fashion week, and thought, why not make it a fashion show?”

On Saturday, BLAK Apparel will launch their first runway show, BLAK On The Runway. The event will be held at the Create Space YQR at IKS Media at 340 McDonald Street. Cocktails and snacks will be served from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The runway show will begin at 7:30 p.m. followed by cocktails and a pop-up store.

“It just brings the community together,” she said when asked why it’s important to have a runway show back in Regina.

“We brought together all these little businesses that are helping to support us … and then in turn, we're hoping that we can get eyes on those businesses through our event and just help elevate everybody in the small business community, because we all need it right now.”

Lindsay said she hopes people have fun at the event, and embrace the all black attire and accessories.

“I'm hoping they're going to be really pleasantly surprised by the concept of all black on the runway. We've had to make it as interesting as we can, because we can't do it with colour, so we're doing it with just texture and style and some sort of show stoppers that we have in store for a surprise,” she explained.

She plans for the event to be annual, with more collaboration from other local businesses.

“We are planning to invite other businesses to share the runway with us, because you can only watch a black runway show so many times,” she said.

For tickets to the event, click here.