Photos and coverage of the 2017 "Main Event" at NAIAS
(writeup below photos)
The 7th Annual Main Event for the North American International Auto Show was held on Sunday January 8, with four sponsors: Ford, Magna, Inteva, and Lawrence Technological University (LTU).
The outstanding, perennial, Master of Ceremonies was Fox 2 News Anchor and Host of “Let It Rip,” Huel Perkins, along with the MAIN Event Chairperson Keith Nagara.
Food, student awards, and an automotive apparel fashion show are features of the main event that attracts omnivores, really talented student designers and engineers, and fashion aficionados, respectively.
The food was set up differently this year; in three rooms rather than just the lobby area. Unfortunately, the lines were very long because the event was highly attended. There was everything from ice cream to prime rib. By the time I got in line for the second room of treats, the fashion show had started. There were fancy desserts made by Nataline Zarzour high priestess of Miss Sally’s house.
Dillon Kane, a junior majoring in transportation design was Magna’s Main Event design competition winner. The challenge had asked LTU automotive design students to create a car for 2030, with a special focus on it’s changed exterior. Kane designed a car for the photojournalist complete with a drone called "30 degrees west.” Second place winner Jake Lovins designed "Form One,” a sleek and sexy performance car while Third Place winner Dylan Martin developed “Horizon,” a search and rescue vehicle. Next years challenge is “School Bus.” It ought to be very interesting to see what the students come up with for futuristic schoolbus designs. Congratulations to Dillon Kane from LTU on winning the first-ever Magna Bold Perspective Award, presented by Magna Exteriors President Grahame Burrow.
Axalta’s Automotive color of the year for 2017 is Gallant Gray. Following up the Main Event by spending time at the North American International Auto Show really supported this decision on Axalta’s part. This shade, or variants of it, were everywhere.
As usual, the models had an automotive theme to their fashions and, since this year’s color was Gallant Gray, so were the outfits. The fabrics used are the actual materials being used in automobiles. After the models walked the “runway” and showed us their outfits, the designers themselves strutted their stuff with the models on their arms. Many of the outfits were quite stunning and showed a lot of imaginative design!
We were given some mysterious desserts as we were leaving, made by a local chef, but we were not told what was in them until after we ate them. We were told one of them had tarantula eggs in it… Finding that out and not hurling, now that’s a challenge.
All in all, it was another successful Main Event and we hope that they keep inspiring chefs, students and designers of all types far into the future.
The outstanding, perennial, Master of Ceremonies was Fox 2 News Anchor and Host of “Let It Rip,” Huel Perkins, along with the MAIN Event Chairperson Keith Nagara.
Food, student awards, and an automotive apparel fashion show are features of the main event that attracts omnivores, really talented student designers and engineers, and fashion aficionados, respectively.
The food was set up differently this year; in three rooms rather than just the lobby area. Unfortunately, the lines were very long because the event was highly attended. There was everything from ice cream to prime rib. By the time I got in line for the second room of treats, the fashion show had started. There were fancy desserts made by Nataline Zarzour high priestess of Miss Sally’s house.
Dillon Kane, a junior majoring in transportation design was Magna’s Main Event design competition winner. The challenge had asked LTU automotive design students to create a car for 2030, with a special focus on it’s changed exterior. Kane designed a car for the photojournalist complete with a drone called "30 degrees west.” Second place winner Jake Lovins designed "Form One,” a sleek and sexy performance car while Third Place winner Dylan Martin developed “Horizon,” a search and rescue vehicle. Next years challenge is “School Bus.” It ought to be very interesting to see what the students come up with for futuristic schoolbus designs. Congratulations to Dillon Kane from LTU on winning the first-ever Magna Bold Perspective Award, presented by Magna Exteriors President Grahame Burrow.
Axalta’s Automotive color of the year for 2017 is Gallant Gray. Following up the Main Event by spending time at the North American International Auto Show really supported this decision on Axalta’s part. This shade, or variants of it, were everywhere.
As usual, the models had an automotive theme to their fashions and, since this year’s color was Gallant Gray, so were the outfits. The fabrics used are the actual materials being used in automobiles. After the models walked the “runway” and showed us their outfits, the designers themselves strutted their stuff with the models on their arms. Many of the outfits were quite stunning and showed a lot of imaginative design!
We were given some mysterious desserts as we were leaving, made by a local chef, but we were not told what was in them until after we ate them. We were told one of them had tarantula eggs in it… Finding that out and not hurling, now that’s a challenge.
All in all, it was another successful Main Event and we hope that they keep inspiring chefs, students and designers of all types far into the future.