Miami Beach is buzzing with activity in preparation for South Florida’s most anticipated fashion event of the year as Miami Fashion Week celebrates its 15th anniversary. From March 20-23, the Miami Beach Convention Center will be the center of attraction for fashion buyers, fashion trendsetters and the international media to see the fall collections of more than 60 designers in 12 runway shows. As the designers from 25 countries arrive to prepare for their shows, model castings and fittings, pop-up boutiques, bridal pavilion and the culinary café are under construction. This year, Sobol-Perry Fashion Productions, Inc. has added two new events to Miami Fashion Week — Miami Bridal Week and The Fashion Collective Pop-Up Boutique Show. Bridal designers will be on the runway and in a special Wedding Pavilion, and the Pop-Up Boutique Show will feature an African Pavilion, Italian Pavilion along with other fashion, jewelry and accessories designer boutiques.
In addition to more than 600 members of the international media in attendance, a number of reality shows will be filming during the week, including “Real Housewives of Miami,” “Nuestra Belleza Latina” and French TV show “Angels of Reality.”
The week’s events will launch with a designer press conference on Tuesday followed by the first show opening on Wednesday evening. International designers including renowned eveningwear designer Carlos Miele, designers Julian Chang, Nicolas Felizola and Petit Pois by Viviana G, along with Itala Testino, Heather Jones, Erin Healy, Lisu Vega, Kayce Armstrong, Sumayya Al Suwaidi, Raafia Husain, Fadila Kihel, Wumi-O, Dolcevita, Dusko Orascanin, Claudia Anicy Manuguian, among others will hit the runway Wednesday through Saturday. Additionally, celebrity athletes Gretchen Duffner and Kelly Schumacher for Team Miami Beach will be special guest models for designer Shaquoya Jackson and dancers from the Miami City Ballet will walk in the Duchesa Bridal Couture show.
Celebrities Lorena Rojas, Lupita Jones, Adriana Barraza, Luis Fonsi, Michelle Salas, Lili Estefan, Kika Rocha, Fabián Ríos, Maripily Rivera, Ximena Duque, Diego Di Marco, Fernando Carrillo, Barbara Bermudo, Maritza Rodriguez, Rashel Diaz, Karent Sierra, Jorge Bernal, Gabriel Valenzuela, Felicia Mercado, Rebecca Jones, Liannet Borrego, Michelle Vargas, Mauricio Henao, and Alexandra Pomales will present Humanitarian Awards each evening to local philanthropists. Raul Alarcon, Mercedes Carlson, Luis Fonsi, Commissioner Jerry Libbin, Eduardo Marturet, Alex Rodriguez, Cynthia Rodriguez and Kimberly Shenker-Bacardi will receive Humanitarian Awards for their contributions to the community.
The shows will close Saturday evening, March 23rd with the Milan to Miami TV Moda’s European Designer Showcase featuring capsule collections by Roberto Cavalli, Alberta Ferreti, Bluemarine, Iceberg, Byblos, Moschino, Kriza, Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney. The South Florida premiere by one of the world’s top bridal designers, Rosa Clará from Barcelona and recipient of Miami Fashion Week’s International Bridal Designer of the Year award, will follow. Finally, the Miami Moda & Music Awards will close the 15th edition. Hosted by Livestrong Foundation’s spokesperson and internationally celebrated actress Lorena Rojas, the spectacular closing event will feature celebrity emcees and performances by international singing sensations Norka and Marger.
Corporate sponsors for the 2013 edition include Wella Professionals, Beck’s Sapphire, and Rimmel London. To purchase tickets and view show times visit www.MiamiFashionWeek.com.
