Labrador Fashion

Labrador Style simply known as Labrador or LBDR, is the name of a Minneapolis fashion goods label originally founded by Barrett Johanneson (b.1980-), Dania Miwa, Noah Miwa, and Amy Fox in 2000. Now Labrador functions as the nom de plume for Mr. Johanneson.

The label has shown around the twin cities, most recently at the Soo Visual Arts Center, and twice for Voltage: Fashion Amplified at First Avenue in Minneapolis, first in 2005 and again on April 11, 2007.

Style

Mr. Johanneson states that Labrador's style "is AbOUT abusing cuteness, storytelling with fabric, sending a political message, and showing off a fresh visual sexuality."

During an interview in 2007 Joel Lueders, a former employee of Labrador, described the style by saying:

"Imagine if you will an old fashioned ice cream parlor, filled with soothing green and pinks, violently exploding. The survivors stumbling out of the creamy carnage would be awash in Labrador. Or imagine dozens of fuzzy animals abandoned on an ice drift. The iceberg dangerously bobbling through the waves, while the fetching fauna are forced to fight with trench knives. Such is Labrador it seems."

History of the name

Barrett Johanneson stated in the Star Tribune that, “The name Labrador has three conjunctive reasons for being. I come from a background in literature, so in the poetic regard, Labrador is compelling on the syllabic level. I also love maps and geography – [Labrador] is a place in Canada. And the name was lastly inspired by a simultaneous dislike for dogs and California, both of which I found to be happy and stupid.”

Works Cited

Official Labrador Website http://www.lbdr.us
Labrador on MySpace http://www.myspace.com/lbdr
Voltage: Fashion Amplified, Labrador http://www.voltagefashionamplified.com/designers_l.htm
Star Tribune StylePoints Labrador article http://www.startribune.com/blogs/stylepoints/?p=200
Design Collective, MPLS http://www.designcollectivempls.com/pages/LABRADOR_STYLE.html