Excelsior Gets Edgy

What's this? Our sleepy little hamlet of Excelsior Springs is getting an edge? First of all, downtown Excelsior's getting more exciting and far less sleepy every day. This particular Saturday night, however, ES got a bit edgy and it was a gas. Who's responsible for this? Four words: Leave it to Lisa.

Lisa McElwee, the feisty proprietor of the fabulous Broadway and Penn store brought her signature energy to her first fashion show and it was a thriller. The opening reception was held in her store, where guests mingled around her vintage showroom, sipped on local wines and noshed on Daphne's wonderful hors d'oeuvres, including a savory baked brie. Around sevenish, we were ushered into the space next door. We had not been allowed to see the space prior to the show and we were gobsmacked to see how the room had been transformed into Fashionista Central. The runway protruded from the beautiful backdrops designed by Kathleen Fenton and the atmospheric lighting was being handled by Lisa's son Robert. We had absolutely no idea what to expect but I was assuming it would be a pleasant offering of Lisa's vintage clothes and we were there to support her and cheer her on. Silly me. I should know better than to assume anything when it comes to Lisa and her boundless creativity. Miss Thing proceeded to take my expectations, twist them up and toss them out the door.....

The Diva herself strutted out first, in full-length black gown complete with feather boa and challenged us all to prepare for something different. The models were all stunning and worked Lisa's vintage wear out. Cocky, charming and bold, they strolled the runway, faced off with each other and were so lively, I nearly expected some of them to growl. The show took on a sultry burlesque quality with sexy footwear, form-fitting outfits and fishnets. Several of the models were folks we know and they made us do a double-take. Daphne was a natural and looked radiant in a bright red dress and then later had us gasping in a seriously sexy lady cop's uniform. Lisa's daughter-in-law Veronica was a glamorous revelation.....she looked like a movie star. The gentleman models were the icing on the cake, doffing their vintage shirts to leave the ladies cheering.



Everyone returned to the store after the show for more wine and appetizers and the place was abuzz with raves for Lisa's own slice of Fashion Week. The show was first-rate and I had to exit back onto the street to remind myself I was in Excelsior. We had lots of laughs as the girls rocked their outfits and told their stories.

Bravo, Lisa. I seriously can't wait to see what you do next. Check out Broadway and Penn at http://www.broadwayandpenn.com/default.html