Acclaimed designer/costumer Laura Fulk debuted her first solo show last night at Lab Theater in Minneapolis and set some pretty high standards for performance and drama. Fulk studied sculpture at MCAD a few years back, which makes perfect sense given the structural and futuristic elements of her designs. Most pieces were more "wearable art" than "wearable," but Fulk's innovation is awe-inspiring none the less.

The stand-up collars - which obscured half of the face - were undoubtedly the centerpiece of the collection. They certainly added drama, but I thought the real highlight was the one-of-a-kind prints created by local artists Melissa Reitenfeldt and Jay Langer. They were bright, original and added the perfect accent to Fulk's high-concept structure.

All this being said, I was a touch dissapointed with some of the finer details in Fulk's show - most of which had to do with quality. The fabric seemed cheap, it didn't move well or provide volume where it should have. And the unfinished hems didn't help matters. But, you can judge for yourself. I picked out a few of the more wearable pieces in the photos above, but check out  these images of Fulk's more avant-garde designs.