Daijah Hinmon, Contributing Writer
Black crows are scattered throughout a dimly lit room. Bells echo off walls lined with dead tree branches; eerie music sets the scene as poems are read and stories are told with every stitch.
Sewists of all kinds strut down the runway in their own elaborate creations inspired by Poe. From black feather dresses to steampunk top hats, talents of all mediums were shared.
Community group Richmond Really Sews held the fourth annual “Poe Sewciety Frocktails” on Oct. 18. The organization collaborated with The Poe Museum to tailor outfits inspired by the haunting beauty and gothic elegance of Poe.
Karen Swerling, the founder of Richmond Really Sews, tried to find friends to sew with after moving to Richmond in 2016. She was able to build a community during the COVID-19 pandemic after people began asking her to put a group together online.
“We welcome everybody,” Swerling said. “But the catch is, there’s always a catch, our mission is to come together in friendship. period.”
The event told the story of Poe while walking to the rhythm of his poetry, Swerling said. Poe has been remembered for his horror and eerie storytelling; however, his poems are romantic, sweet, soft and beautiful.
“You’ll never see another fashion show like this ever,” Swerling said. “Nobody has done this. Walking to poetry, telling history and telling a story about a great writer.”
The process of finding pieces that perfectly matched the vision was difficult, sewist and model, aided by her power wheelchair, Donielle Kearney said. She ended up reusing a previously owned dress and thrifted pieces to create her outfit.
“It’s just a little bit of an adjustment doing it in the chair,” Kearney said. “Just trying to make sure that your design process is in check.”
The group members helped fine-tune the outfit and made sure everyone was prepared and happy with the final products, Kearney said.
“It just really made me feel at home,” Kearney said. “I love it anytime I get to sparkle.”
When people can blend poetry and fashion, it makes poetry more accessible and builds fun spaces to come up with ideas for new things to create, said sewist and model, Anna Umbreit.
“I would say in a time when so many things are polarized,” Umbreit said. “I love the idea that some forms of art inspire other forms of art.”
Sewing is a skill that gets overlooked and is often done behind closed doors, Umbreit said. The fashion show provided her a platform to show off sewing skills and creations that she otherwise would not have the opportunity to share.
The inspiration came from the essence and atmosphere of that time and echoed that into the design of the outfit, sewist Gillian Thompson said. The outfit consisted of dramatic points that were trendy back in the 1820s and the colors seen in gardens.
The dress incorporated metal beading, implementing poetry with sound, Thompson said. The addition of the sound movement with the recitation of the poetry aided in combining all the elements.
