Miami International Fashion Week Recap Day 1 / 2012
Miami international fashion week returned to the game, yes, which means surprises blossomed from the intriguing aesthetic from some of these designers that showcased this time around. Although, the platform always frames local, international, and Latin American based designers, and few shoe, handbag, and accessories lines. This year the event represented a good marketing retail experience and strategy for those who are new to the business, specially some new talents that showed for the first time at Miami International Fashion week. There’s was an opportunity and plenty of room for everyone, if not, you should check the inside of Miami’s convention center, so capacious, that we could build more than one catwalk for the shows. Just saying.
The first block of shows started with Miami’s most claimed trend, swimwear. 5 different designers presented their collections; Emmanouela Iliaki from Greece, Zella Machado U.S, Pais del Sol from Ecuador and De Lancret from Brazil/U.S, those, were the opening ones for the night. Following, in our big interest to find new talents, as last 201, we continue with the second block of shows for the night. Divided in two groups, “The Emerging Designers Prelude,” & “Miami Style Showcase,” featuring Florida based designers and up-and coming talents. Highlights were few in the emerging designers group, as for fact that some designers need a little more direction in terms of the garment construction and styling, ideas were there, but were not delivered as they should have. The collection from Eduardo de las Casas was one of the highlights of the night. His tailoring and finishing on gowns was precise, as well as one of his platinum sequined gowns with heavy ruffled accents. His red dresses were his best, and one with splattered textile drape-plead at the side could make a red carpet moment.
The Miami style show, gathered a few designers that we are very familiar with. They been in the local and U.S fashion market-scene for a while, some of them have already set a clientele, showrooms and boutiques that distribute their lines around the country. In there we can include Viviana Gabeiras and her successful business with her line Petit Pois. Viviana has already stablished an aesthetic, and build a specific clientele stated for her market. And talking about style; darkness and mystery invade once again the runway by the 2011 winner of the up and coming designer award, Art Of Shade. Designer Kayce Armstrong, has polished his recycled theme for a more wearable executed collection. Her motocross jackets are always her best- this time they have a sick fit, with metallic hardware accents, and maxi-hoods in mesh or other fiber textile. They look expensive, structured, and ready to hit the streets of Miami for WMC Music Conference, that’s turning the city upside down – After the show, an insider told us, “we had two buyers front-row from Saks Fith Avenue, we are crossing fingers.” – Good note on that! -A few red flags here, and there, with some of the draped dresses that did not look flattering on the runway; but in the other hand she hit the nail with a short folded-asymmetrical white paper-ish dress that has a fantastic silhouette. After all, Kayce’s aesthetic and ideas are innovative and different. We give her props for that.
Definitely the gold brooch of the night was Ema Savahl artistic-chic parade of dresses. The few times we have talked with Ema, she told us she was never interested on doing a show. And right, she had never done it; but last night catwalk debut was definitely one of her best moments.Ema showed the audience why she has been dressing celebrities for the red carpet in the past years, delivering dresses that embrace the women’s figure gracefully, and have incredible 3D appliqués of heavy paint done by hand. The short body coon dresses with kaleidoscope paint brushes in white, red, green and blue, are surely to be a hit Miami International Fashion Week.
Jhon Jairo Santos
Fashion Director USA
Miami International Fashion Week Recap Day 2 / 2012
Some might think of New York as the capital of the world, and if that’s the case. Then Miami is definitely the port that the world checks-in through in order to get to the city. With that said, Metrovelvet is here give you the front row seat to Miami Beach International Fashion Week 2012 – a Sobol-Perry Production. MBIFW 2012 turned 14 this year, and this time around it delivered a vast number of global immerging talent that showcased their collections this season with excitement. For those unfamiliar with MBIFW, well its time you became acquainted. As we all are aware, fashion weeks are the events that provides designers the bridge to industry buyers, editors, and the press. Along with that, MBIFW is the vehicle designers ride on when they want to branch onto an international level reaching part of Europe, the Middle east, Asia, Central and South America. As MBIFW President Beth Sobol says, “ MBIFW allows designers to be seen by the entire world, we have been able to launch their careers to the next level”.
Swimwear is a never ending challenging outlet in fashion; one must be very skilled and talented in order for any success to follow. For Native Brazilian Helen Victoria this season’s collection was all about empowering women. Models strutted down to the sounds of Rihanna’s “only girl (in the world)” in a variety of bikini’s. It’s easy to see Helen enjoys designing great pieces that don’t over shadow a woman’s body. The De Lancret woman is confident but do not necessarily need her suit to show it for her. It lacked innovation, but it gained marketability. Her stand out piece was definitely the modern all white maillot with the symmetrical crescent structure. Helen was a pleasure to meet, and her personality matched her collection.
Fabio A. Fernandez
Contributing Editor