Frostiball: Part Deux

Tickets to the DMI Frostiball are in the mail, meaning the event is less than 2 weeks away. It’s crunch time  if you’re still looking for a last-minute dress or accessory, trying to get fitted for a tux, and rallying the troops for a festive night out.

 Although there are many couples that attend the event, the party is not exclusively for pairs.

The night is an excellent opportunity for singles to cut loose in style. For example, last year saw the debut of Women Behaving Badly, a group of women (some single, some not) that took Frostiball as an opportunity to strut their unique flair. For them the night became a showcase for their personalities and individuality and a chance to show attitude in the ambiance. Group members were given points for “bad behavior”, such as wearing non-traditional dresses, wardrobe malfunctions (none as racy as Janet Jackson’s), and dance theatrics. The night became, for them, the Frosti-brawl; an outlet for their inner, irreverent debutante.

It all started in December of ’06 when Amy Gribb, founder of WBB, was contemplating going solo to the Frosti. She found compatriots Christina Rose, Ruth Mathe and Robin Pharrow through Melissa Meyer, and the idea for Women Behaving Badly was born. The group had no specific plans for mayhem, just dinner at the Concourse before going to the gala, but once they arrived, the bizarre and hectic fun followed en suite.

The group’s signature act was a dress; a bright pink and purple 1950’s ball gown, complete with a hooped skirt, which Ms. Gribb made by hand and wore to the gala. The unusual, florescent concoction was declared a “showstopper” by Susan Schmitz and stood out in the sea of formal black attire. Gribb has made a hobby of creating elaborate gowns, and is grateful that the Frostiball exists as an opportunity to show her “art”. Amy is so excited about the upcoming gala that she recently started a blog about WBB and the Frosti-brawl to get others excited as well. Although blogging is a new and untested venture for her, Amy is hopeful that it will highlight the group and its formal-wear adventures and encourage others to branch out. For her, Women Behaving Badly is more of a concept than a credo. The main goal is to engage people and make them show-stoppers in their own right, with or without brightly colored ensembles.

There’s no secret code or initiation to be a Woman Behaving Badly, but Gribb’s blog indicates that planning for and attending the Frostiball is a significant determinant. The group has not indicated what they’re plotting for the 2008 Frostiball yet, but the buildup to the date could be just as exciting. You may see a few more ball gowns around town than usual in the next few days.

 Do you have great photos of previous years’ Frostiball events?  Email them to Rachael Weiker at rweiker@downtownmadison.org for future Frostiball articles.  See you in a few weeks!