events

Miami Fashion WeekAIFL alum dazzle on debut night

By Louise Hendry

Photography By: Kathleen Ross

Glamour and sun-kissed skin are as common as Louis Vuitton bags and Mercedes S500 convertibles in Miami;

but every year in the middle of March since 1998, Miami Fashion Week brings a little bit more excitement with runway shows of local and international designers on one stage in the Wynwood District. Miami Fashion Week’s shows have the largest concentration of Hispanic, Latin American and international designers in the U.S, including the shows of Bryant Park. This year, designers from Spain, U.A.E, India, the Caribbean and more showed off their talents and cultures to South Florida fashion lovers, media and industry professional from March 19-March 22, 2009 at SOHO studios. Celebrities such as Miss USA 2009 Crystle Stewart and Miss Universe 2009 Dayana Mendoza sat in the front row opening night and were serenaded by singers Patricia Mantrola and Grammy award winning singer ALBITA. Stewart and Mendoza later walked the runway in AIFL alumi’s student Eduardo de las Casa’s show stopping garments. Far from its sister Fashion Week in NYC, the Miami Fashion Week is evolving, of course there was no dearth of talent.

For more information please visit:www.miamifashionweek.com

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Miss USA 2009 Crystle Stewart and Miss

Universe 2009 Dayana Mendoza

Bright Yellow Sundresses caught the

audience’s eye in Caribbean collection by

Kimon Baptiste

The crowd shrieked when Kimya Glasgow’s

male model took the runway in a vision of

white and shirtless attire

Model struts her stuff on the catwalk in

swimsuit collection by Tamiko Browne

AIFL alumni student Eduardo

de las Casa’s show stopping

couture gown’s silhouettes

AIFL winter 09 fashion design

graduate Benjamin Lear

Crowd favorite feathered gown

part of the DASH collection

Super sexy all white garment by

Kimya Glasgow

White is sizzling for summer in Eduardo

de las Casa

Dayana Mendoza plays the role of a blushing bride in feature

designer Nicolas felizola’s dramatic finale wedding dress

Crystle Stewart dressed in Nicolas

felizola’s beautiful evening grown

Benjamin Lear’s wining design of the

Student Fashion Designer Competition

Patricia Mantrola brings the house down

with her beautiful voice, which made for a

grand finale

This seasoned rendezvous for the fashion industry will leave you gasping for more.

By Jaclynn Brennan

Photos By: Flickr.com

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If you claim to be a fashion lover true to your salt, and you haven’t heard of the Magic Market Place, book a plane ticket to Vegas right

now and attend the summer show from August 31 to September 2, 2009. To call Magic a tradeshow would be like calling Cirque Du Soleil a (gasp!) circus! Far from it, Magic is not just a meeting place for the fashion industry, it is the place where trends emerge, partnerships develop and fashion finds a bridge to reach the consumer. After months of research, planning, surveys, and development The MAGIC Marketplace debuted a

fresh and innovative new direction on its show floor February 17th- 20, 2009. This year the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale visited MAGIC under the direction of Fashion Merchandising teacher, Kerry Szymanski. The MAGIC Marketplace is the world’s largest fashion trade show, showcasing new fashion trends and ideas to the industry for the last 76 years and exhibiting in Las Vegas since 1989. The nine different sections of MAGIC in 2009 are: Magic Man, WWD Magic, Premium at Magic,

SL.A.T.E., ECOllection, KIDS, Sourcing, and Magia all held in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year MAGIC had a three-fold plan focusing on category segmentation, strategic navigation, and a modern aesthetic that reflects the evolution of the industry overall. The all new repositioned PROJECT GLOBAL TRADESHOW (at The Mandalay Bay Convention Center) featured an assortment of advanced directional brands including men’s, women’s, and accessories with a new vision that allowed buyers to effectively source new trends. PREMIUM AT MAGIC was also re-launched this year, expanding

This seasoned rendezvous for the fashion industry will leave you gasping for more.

By Jaclynn Brennan

Photos By: Flickr.com

its product assortment for buyers to scope out the latest in menswear located in the Las Vegas Convention Center. The launch of PREMIUM at MAGIC also tied in the debut of new platforms such as S.L.A.T.E., a progressive streetwear show, and ECOllections, the largest assortment of brands dedicated to sustainability. Magic was truly an amazing and educational experience. To be in a room with thousands upon thousands of buyers, merchandisers, publicists, designers, and stylists expressing their love for fashion and forecasting new trends was almost indescribable. Walking through the

mazes of booths with clothing and accessories everywhere can be a bit overwhelming, but ask any fashion lover and they’ll vouch that when you lose your way in Magic, it almost always means you found something.

For more information on MAGIC, visit: http://show.magiconline.com

“To be in a room with thousands upon thousands of buyers,

merchandisers, publicists, designers,

and stylists expressing their love for fashion and forecasting new trends was almost

indescribable."

AmNY By Jaclynn BrennanPhotgraphs: TIFFANY L. CLARK, Am New York

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preceding late summer in September. New York Fashion Week is filled with editors, buyers, journalists, celebrities, and socialites. This year I got to attend different shows for the Fall 2009 NY Fashion Week, which were all truly amazing, but there was definitely a show that stood out for it’s abundance of reality stars and live auctions. On February 20, the 2nd annual amNewYork Reality Runway hit NY Fashion week with style and glamour. The event was held in NY’s own trendy lounge Pressure,

and the proceeds went to Reality Cares and Dress for Success. The reality stars that worked the runway included: Baya Voce of the Real World: Brooklyn, Devyn Simone of the Real World: Brooklyn, Scoot Herman of the Real World: Brooklyn, Nick Brown of the Real World: Hollywood, Collie Edison of the Real World: Denver, Paula Meronek of the Real World: Key West, Nikki Cascone of Top Chef, Sean Poolman of 8th and Ocean, and Natasha Komis of Paris Hilton’s My New BFF.

By now you know that New York Fashion Week is a case study in action for fashion enthusiasts. New York Fashion Week

is a highly anticipated series of events where designers get to produce fashion shows to launch their latest collections to the world. Fashion week in New York happens twice a year and is a very exciting time for fashionistas all over. The fashion week Fall shows are held the preceding winter in February, and the Spring shows are held the

Reality Runway Hits Fall Fashion Week Hard

Starry nights: NYC style

All photographs provided by and copyrighted to TIFFANY L. CLARK and AmNew York

the runway, and pieces for the silent auction. Jovani’s beautiful gowns were extremely colorful, had amazing prints, and trendy embellishments. Old Navy provided casual fall clothing in muted tones and natural fabrics. Kitchen Orange showcased stylish separates with bold colors and lots of layers. Aqua V was all about the bold prints, rocker feel, and metallic accents. As for accessories: JR Yates provided titanium men’s rings from their new collection, Holy Harlot provided handmade one of a kind snakeskin

bracelets, and EcoChic provided one of a kind sustainable handbags. A celebrity date auction followed the runway show and I have to admit that this was the most entertaining part of the night, because guests at the event got to bid on their favorite reality star for a date. The winners were able to hang out with their favorite stars while the proceeds went straight to Reality Cares and Dress for Success.

For more information please visit www.realitycares.org

The stars hit the runway wearing Jovani, Old Navy, Kitchen Orange, JR Yates, Holy Harlot, Aqua V,

and EcoChic. All of the designers generously provided the clothing for

Starry nights: NYC style

“A celebrity date auction followed the runway show and I have to admit that this was the most entertaining part of the night”

All photographs provided by and copyrighted to TIFFANY L. CLARK and AmNew York

All photographs provided by and copyrighted to TIFFANY L. CLARK and AmNew York

All photographs provided by and copyrighted to TIFFANY L. CLARK and AmNew York

Trend Showcase:

Trafik Tradeshow features seasoned and new labels on the block.By Ashlie RedmondPhotography By: Kathleen Ross

The Trafik tradeshow this year was held March 8th-March 10th in the Convention Center of Miami

Beach. The tradeshow boasts mostly new and exciting lines known to attract retailers such as Barney’s, Neiman Marcus and Lisa Kline. The show is significantly smaller to other tradeshows but offers buyers and retailers a more relaxed experience. The clothing at Trafik was eclectic with long sundresses in vibrant colors by Elan a local

designer based out of Pembroke Pines, Ed Hardy embellished t-shirts spun with graphics, and a new fabric technology in denim with a four way stretch at Paige Premium Denim. A few impressive discoveries were See You Monday with every possible design and trend in leggings one could imagine as well as Matt Bernson’s gorgeous sandals. The atmosphere was exciting with a DJ spinning music and stylish clothes in every direction. The concept of Trafik is easy to understand - cool, modern and intimate.

Though this year was considerably smaller than last year it is only fair to assume the economy has played a large role in the attendance and it does make one hope that this slice of fashion gets a better response in September 2009. Visit the web site for more details. Trafik is nearly ten years old and has showcased over 350 labels. It attracts the world’s seasoned buyers, it is one of the must-attend tradeshows in the United States.

For more information, visit www.trafiktradeshow.com

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The stilettos were high, the dresses were short, and the champagne was flowing at Mode

Lifestyle Magazine’s monthly fashion show and modeling competition hosted by Mode’s Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Alexander Michaels. The event was held on January 31, 2009 at Miami’s own prestigious Dolce Ultra Lounge, which benefited the K.I.D.S. Charity Organization. The night kicked off with nine divas working the runway to compete for a spot on Mode Lifestyles new reality TV show airing later this year.

The winner of each monthly competition will be entered into Mode’s annual modeling competition and will be chosen at the end of the year. Following the competition was a live performance by the internationally renowned R&B superstar Jay Smoove. His sultry songs and talented dancers set the tone for an amazing fashion show with designs presented by The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale’s own recent graduate, Gabriela Herandez. The collection “Gabyness” featured seven inspirational Haute Couture

designs. Inspired by a gladiator theme, the collection consisted of hand-painted masks and bright red accents. The energy was high as the models showed off the creative handmade collection. The response from the crowd was unforgettable as designer Gabriela Hernandez received a standing ovation.

For more information and images please visit www.

modelifestylemagazine.com

Mode sets the moodOf competitive spirits and catwalksBy Jaclynn BrennanPhotography By: Humberto Vidal

Gabriela Herandez collection “Gabyness” Photographed By Humberto Vidal

Fashion Flick:

Confessions of a Shopaholic film reviewBy Jen Parker

The worst thing about Confessions of a Shopaholic, which hit theaters on February 13th, wasn’t so much its lack of

wit, but rather the fact that is was embarrassingly predictable. Isla Fisher plays the lead as ditzy Rebecca Bloomfield in this (not-so) fashionable romantic comedy or romcom as we know it. Like every other romcom laced with fashion, the main character works as a fashion journalist for a magazine (obviously!) in New York City. She racks up an obscene amount of credit-card debt and tries to weasel her way out of it by dodging phone calls and making

cutesy excuses: way to go Shopaholic for reinforcing the hackneyed female stereotype that women are unintelligible creatures charming their way in and out of situations. Although she did try to overcome her mistakes by attending Shopaholics Anonymous, as absurd as that sounds, did add a tad volume to the otherwise loose screenplay. Along comes a Hugh Grant-like-hero to save the day and that’s when the story loses all logic. It’s understandable that this type of plot had worked in the past, you know, the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth time it was used, but now is a different time. It’s ironic that this film was made during a time when

our nation happens to be in extreme economic turmoil. It would have been worth the trip if the clothes and accessories were worth a mention a la Sex and the city, but far from it - The color palette consisted of every color of the rainbow all worn at the same time and the silhouettes represented the “girl next door.” The only inkling of creativity in the wardrobe category came from Rebecca’s eccentric best friend, whose somewhat disheveled, thrifty, unique, yet modern look served as a breath of fresh air. A few laughs is all this fash-chick flick deserves unlike Sophie Kinsella’s sarcastic wit that’s selling her books.

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