Tampa Bay Fashion Week Fuels Beauty In The South
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer
The Tampa Bay area in Florida recently exhibited strength in beauty and fashion as the area welcomed fashion enthusiasts to enjoy a ninth big year of Tampa Bay Fashion Week. (www.fashionweektampabay.com) The main goal of the event was to make it ever so easy for customers to buy some of their favorite looks as they watched the event. Organizers used a new app called MeSpoke, which was developed locally. The app enabled customers to identify clothes in front of them and get to the designers’ websites to shop. Customers were also able to shop more low-tech from their seats using runway cards with designer information on them. The exciting event took place from September 21, 2016 through September 24, 2016.
Tampa Bay Fashion Week was first introduced back in 2008 with the objective to bring emerging and established designers located in Florida and the Southeast into the spotlight. This year, 2016, brought with it some incredible talent. The event has garnered enough acclaim to draw media and buyers to attend along with avid fashion lovers. The runway shows were hosted by one of the chicest malls on Florida’s West Coast, International Plaza (www.shopinternationalplaza.com)which is located close to downtown Tampa and easily accessible from Tampa’s airport. Some of the mall’s high-end retailers gave shoppers a look at their latest Fall/Winter 2016 collections including Athleta, Banana Republic, Free People, Lilly Pulitzer, Neiman Marcus and Pandora. Choosing a favorite look seemed to be almost unimaginable with so many gorgeous ways to dress for any and all occasions. Local designers were also a part of the fashion week, including Sanford-Brown College, IADT School of Design.
These particular designers debuted their Spring/Summer 2017 collections. Ally B. Swim (www.allybswim.com) is designed by Allison Bailey with adventure in mind. Swimwear brings that unique flair to a day at the beach with lace and mesh accentuating many of the suits. Models flaunted their stuff on the runway in this beautiful swimwear.
Elizabeth Carson Racker (www.elizabethcarsonracker.com) takes creativity to the next level with clothing that is made for everyday with that aesthetic touch. She has gained fame in the fashion world for her brilliant designs inspired by art, music, dance, nature and photography. Her looks were ever so exquisite and favorites of the event.
Charlotte Marin dazzled with Floridita (www.floriditaswimwear.com) which is a handcrafted swimwear, resort wear and accessory line taking root in Colombia. Marin also happens to be a marine biologist who sets her collections apart with custom embellishments, intricate embroidery and wows with bright patterns. They were gleaming on the runway.
Passionate about her craft and her family, Marsha Vacirca has dedicated her fashion line to her grandmother who was definitely one of the master sewers of all time. Madame Adassa (www.madameadassa.com) clothing is glamorous for any woman, and yet, has a touch of risqué to each look. Her couture-like pieces give every woman a boost of self-confidence and an air of sexy and flattering, as was seen on the runway.
Student designers proudly showcasing their creations this year on behalf of the Sanford-Brown IADT School of Design (www.sanfordbrown.edu/Academics/school-of-design) were Smyrna Charles, Joshua Duck, Lakesha Johnson and Rachel Ternival.
Tracy Negoshian (www.tracynegoshian.com) contributed a wealth of fashion knowledge as she gave event attendees a glimpse at her multi-line, multi-season clothing label which uses trendy quality material that is very affordable to today’s fashion-conscious woman. Many of the guests quickly fell in love with her fashions.
In addition to the runway shows, there were other activities that took place over the course of the event. A sip & shop soiree, an enticing discussion at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts (www.fmopa.org) with a top photographer from the region, Kid Couture workshops at Glazer Children’s Museum (www.glazermuseum.org) and a philanthropic get-together to benefit Brookwood Florida (www.brookwoodflorida.org) a social services organization providing a home for at-risk girls who have suffered from abuse, neglect and family dysfunction. Additional beneficiaries during Tampa Bay Fashion Week included Pinellas Pace (www.pacecenter.org/locations/pinellas), believing in girls and women by giving them an opportunity for the future with education, counseling, training and advocacy and Dress For Success Tampa Bay (tampabay.dressforsuccess.org), promoting the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.
It seems as if each year brings with it a sense of pride and fashion ambience to the city of Tampa, all thanks to Tampa Bay Fashion Week. This exceptional event is a shining beacon for the entire state of Florida in the eyes of the fashion world.
Photos : Courtesy of Tampa Bay Fashion Week Facebook page.
