~ By Toy Taylor - What a fascinating evening at Phoenix Fashion Week’s 2014 Emerging Designers event in beautiful Scottsdale, Arizona. This event was held at the Toni & Guy Academy who are big contributors to Phoenix Fashion Week. This was a sold out event and quickly became standing room only. Phoenix Fashion Week brought in some fierce competition for this years event. The dynamics of the individual designers were superb! We have couture from resort wear and bikinis to sophisticated chic and long sleeved evening gowns. With the multitude of fashions on the runway this season, Phoenix Fashion Week may outdo themselves yet.
All 14 emerging designers got the chance to give us a sneak peek at their own unique brand in front of a packed house. I was in awe of the level of sophistication I saw in each designer. Blackberry Maverick out of Colorado Springs states their brand is a fusion of “retro socialite with an edgy artistic flair”. Their look boasts a vintage look with sophisticated pizzazz. The teal summer dress debuted was full of fun and girly-ness. And I love anything girly. Atiz Fashion has a real sense of Eastern cultures merging them with Western innovations then sprinkled with a dose of an exotic feel. Designer Swati Padmaraj debuted an elegant piece. Purple shirt/jacket with an inlaid paisley print was sheer elegance. I’m not sure of the material but it looked very soft. I wanted to touch it. Very nice! Jacqueline Nicole had fun with her debut piece. A fun and flirty crop top complimented by an asymmetrical mini skirt. The look was quite the trend!
Designer Julia of Point & Hue did an impressive rendition of the LBD (Little Black Dress). The simplicity of the dress was perfect by day yet flirtatious enough for the after hours. Personally, I would have bought the LBD Julia was wearing right off her back. Loved it! Local designer Lillienne Lang displayed a brilliant sage dress that dusted the floor. This design was a trendy mix of old school avant-garde. Kismit, who is one of 7 local emerging designers, gave us so many things. Sleek. Sexy. Eye-catching. Kismit gave us something to gawk at with this low-back stunning maxi dress. I can’t say anything more. Kismit is sure to bring her A-game. Adoire by Saba showed off a beautiful suede-looking olive green dress adorned with intricately embroidered embellishments. What a perfect blend of old world style and today’s modern flair.
One of my absolute faves was Hues of Ego. Natasha Duran-Lynch definitely put her brand on the fashion map. An all white halter style pantsuit with a plunging neckline was stellar! Accompanied with a full-length trench set the tone just right. This wasn’t the first time Natasha has been affiliated with Phoenix Fashion Week. At last year’s fall event, Natasha was one of 4 finalists in the little black dress contest. This year, Natasha will surely have her eyes on the big prize. Hues of Ego has the right fashion sense to be a star on the runway. Fabulous!
Well it wouldn’t be a fashion preview event if they didn’t have swimwear on the runway. Designer Neida Hall of Charmosa Swimwear adds a brazilian touch to each piece with hand-painted and hand-crafted unique styles. The one-piece suit was fun and playful with intricately detailed artwork. During an interview, I asked Neida if her swimwear was made for the ocean and happily, she said YES! Just amazing! One designer that caught my attention were two sisters who created Rayan. Nadia and Nora saw a need for long sleeved evening gowns. Through their vision Rayan has produced an exquisite brand that goes beyond the world of traditional evening gowns. Can’t wait to see what Rayan will bring to the fall event.
I love the energy all the emerging designers bring to the runway. But what tugged at the heart strings most is how giving and caring and eco-friendly some of them were. Michelle Biondolillo of Schuylark Designs shares her passion for environment friendly fabrics that help reduce waste in our fashion cultures. Michelle recognized how much material is wasted in this realm and decided to do her part and make a change in her creations. Her designs boasts “style without compromise”. Fabrics used by Schuylark Designs are all natural or organic. Her debut piece of a simple ombre jacket white tee and a darling tennis skirt was a hit in my book! Michelle proved you can create an amazing piece AND conserve waste at the same time. Kudos to Schuylark Designs!
Misha Mendicino Designs gave us comfort in every sense of the word. Her brand boasts comfortable relaxed resort wear. Misha was inspired by the thoughts of comfy clothes not only for lounging but for running out and about. The sheath dress she debuted was just adorable. It definitely reflected a resort style flow but also showed her passion for saving the elephants. Elephants are stitched around the bottom showing Misha’s love for them. And each piece of clothing created has an elephant subtly embroidered on the back. Misha Mendicino Designs of Phoenix brings a real zen feel to her simplistically chic resort wear. I recently saw Jenesis Laforcarde and her Woman’s Touch Apparel line at Phoenix Fashion Week Spring Event last March and thought, wow, what a way to spread the word. Its no surprise Woman’s Touch Apparel is an emerging designer. Jenesis brings a strong powerful message to her collection. Empowering women everywhere encouraging strength and confidence is the creed of Woman’ Touch Apparel. All shirts are made and produced right here locally. Another local favorite is State Forty Eight who celebrates their love for good ole Arizona by making a wicked cool T-shirt line. These tees have an outline of our beautiful sunny state with their name etched in the middle. I have to give it to the men of State 48 (hand clap) for creating an excellent way to give back to Arizonans everywhere.
Over the next four months, all 14 emerging designers will go through a rigorous boot camp learning business building skills to make their brand the best it can be. I can’t wait to see what all of these designers learn over the next few months. A special thanks goes out to Executive Director Brian Hill and his amazing team. I can only imagine how difficult it was to choose only 14 up-and-comings. Phoenix Fashion Week Fall Event 2014 should prove to be spectacular!
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| #phxfashionweek #emergingdesigner #pointandhue |
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| #emergingdesigner Charmosa Swimwear |
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| #phxfashionweek #emergingdesigner Jacqueline Nicole |
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| #EmergingDesigner @HuesOfEgo - Natasha Duran-Lynch |
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| #phxfashionweek #emergingdesigner Atiz |
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| #phxfashionweek #emergingdesigners Rayan |
Presented by www.chronicbehavior.com / @chronicbehavior , www.facebok.com/FilmFashionFutures , www.facebook.com/chronicbehaviorllc - Thanks to the team of Karen Sundt, Dasche Taylor, and Toy Taylor for their excellent coverage of the event. They are the team helping to support the brand and we appreciate you.
