Last Thursday evening, at the hour when most stores shut their doors for the night, Design Within Reach on Tremont Street was just beginning to pulse. This South End furniture studio, known for mid-century modern replicas and clean-lined contemporary sofas, tables, chairs and such, loaned their space to showcase another type of trend-conscious merchandise - clothing. Betty Riaz, owner of Newbury Street boutique Stil, produced a fashion show proving that Arne Jacobsen and Eva Solo are not the only darlings in the realm of Danish design.

The show, accompanied by music from DJ'me, featured fashions by Stil faves Malene Birger, Bruuns Bazaar, Suzanne Rutzo, Baum and Pfertgarten, Sretsis, Britt Sisseck and others. Boston's collection of black-clad, square eyeglass wearing, design-conscious consumers lounged on Eames chairs to watch crimp-haired, red-lipped models stalk down "runway" aisles. The crowd, which spilled out onto the sidewalk, was lively and enthusiastic about the bold, but feminine looks. Here are our favorite picks from the show:

• This pleated "Healing" dress in grass green by Day Birger et Mikkelsen, a well-known Northern European design house, has dense embellishments of shiny gold sequins, speaking to the ethnic influences that this label is known to incorporate into their looks.

• Sretsis, sisters spelled backwards, is a design team comprised of three Thai sisters who studied at Parsons School of Design in New York City. This chartreuse frock, with Grecian draping, combines historic detailing with a modern day attitude.

• Another Sretsis design, the Forget-Me-Not dress in rose, perfectly presents the sisters' philosophy: We do not believe in looking at clothes only for special occasions; we want girls to experience the regular joy of dressing up.

• Pictured alongside the Sretis dress is a silk dress in a mocha print by Somi, an Australian-based label that is also quite popular in London. Their contrasting details and beautiful printed fabrics are strong, feminine and most importantly for pieces sold at Stil, easy to wear.

• The Asta is a simple burgundy dress, designed by Britt Sasseck. Britt Sasseck is a rising star in Denmark, as she caters to the crown Princess, who shops at her Copenhagen boutique. Stil has limited pieces of her work, and they are selling super fast.

• Next to the Asta dress is the Dollyn dress in silk by Malene Birger. She is an established Copenhagen designer popular throughout Scandinavia and loved here in Boston by Stil customers. Her pieces, with sometimes ornate detailing, reflect a vintage feel, and are always fashion-forward.
  - Marni Elyse Katz
  

Directory:
Stil, 170 Newbury St., Boston, 617.859.7845
Stil, 199 Boylston St., The Mall at Chesnut Hill, 617.527.7845
Design Within Reach, 519 Tremont St., Boston, 617.541.7801