“Thasneen” (2014) by Karpov the Wrecked Train.

Saturday, May 24th was the closing of The Dress Show, a collaborative effort between radio station WDET and Public Pool art space, and the first in WDET’s Gallery Takeover series. Produced by Courtney Hurtt, WDET created a segment that explores and collects stories behind the 13 dress shops that sell traditional Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian fashions within the 2.1 square miles of Hamtramck.

The show tells the stories behind Hamtramck’s array of fashion outlets.

Accompanying the audio segments, which were piped through headphones set up throughout the gallery, were a series of portraits of the subjects and settings of the stories, taken by photographer Karpov the Wrecked Train. These prints added visual punch to the stories from the shops visited, which can be seen here. Also on display were a variety of garments, courtesy of Caniff Gift & Variety, which showcased the subtle differences in styling between the Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian looks.

From left to right, an Abaya, a Bangla-styled dress, and an Indian-styled dress.

An example of Indian male fashion.

Beautiful detail on a Pakistani-styled dress.

With a thriving Middle Eastern population, and the ability of fashion to reflect both religious and cultural identity, The Dress Show taps into a lively part of Hamtramck, as evidenced by the packed opening night reception on May 3rd.

“Syed Ahmed” by Karpov the Wrecked Train.

Meanwhile, Public Pool is in the midst of a fundraising push to match the Knight Arts Grant they received in support of their Good Tyme Writers’ Buffet. Donations of $250 or more will receive a special invitation to attend a cocktail party hosted by long-time friend and supporter Marc Schwartz. You can donate using this link, which is moderated by the Miami-based foundation, but will benefit Public Pool.

The lineup from the most recent GTWB event, in April.

Public Pool: 3309 Caniff St., Hamtramck; 313-405-7665; apublicpool.com