Day one of Islands of the World Fashion Week On opening night, we took in some of our favorite designers who usually showcase in the Bahamas including Harl Taylor BAG of The Bahamas who is consistent with their stunning collections of handbags and clutches made of straw and sisal plait adorned with luxurious beading and shells. This season, K-Bobby of Jamaica stunned us with his beautiful cocktail dresses, both long and short in sumptuous fabrics. NextGen Designers presented next starting with Whitney Miller of the Bahamas. We loved her soft collection of dainty shorts and dresses in hues of gray's, whites and light pinks. David Rolle (who ended up winning the prestigious scholarship from Parson's) showed off a decidedly darker side of metallic suits for men and creative cocktail dresses for the ladies. ICandy, another Island favorite, showed off some of her latest swimwear creations in rich teals, whites and hot pinks to a crowd that no doubt loves the Bahamian beaches by day. Jay McCarroll who won Project Runway's first season was the final designer on day 1 showing off his Spring 2011 collection. He hasn't shown a full collection since his documentary "Eleven Minutes" and it was exciting! Jay's take on the modern sheath dress was fun to watch. Each dress was a bright color of green, blue, pink and even white accented with either block shapes or circles. Models wore platform shoes that were covered with socks that were found at the market in the Bahamas the day of the show that matched the color of the dress. A superb ending to that night's shows!
Day two of Islands of the World Fashion Week started off with the very charismatic Nick Verreos (season 2 of Project Runway) who hosted a new award for the fashion week - "In Search of the Next Oscar" Competition. The contenders were Raynelis Howell from Turks & Caicos and Georgina Estherr from the Dominican Republic. The most exquisite design from Georgina was a full length silver sequin gown with cut-outs around the mid-section. From Raynelis, we loved her black, ruffled cocktail dress that featured a skirt made out of sheer drapes. Theodore Elyett, the "Runway to Fashion Week" Winner from the Bahamas, had a stunning collection of colorful printed looks that seamlessly mixed well together. Guest designer Indashio from the U.S.A. brought some bubbly fun to the runway girly dresses in bright, happy colors. The final designer of the night was Oliver Tolentino from the Philippines. Each creation that came out was more stunning than the last. A Factio favorite was a copper bustier with floral shorts and a full-length beaded gown with blue and brown flowers.
Day three of fashion week featured "Fashion Cares for Haiti: The Relief Benefit Fashion Show." Dignitaries from Haiti flew in specifically for the event, sat front row and enjoyed Haitian designers including Veve Collection by Phelicia Dell, David Andre Collection by David Andre, Artisands du Soleil Haiti by Giovanna Menard, Michel Chataigne, Maguy Durce, Maelle Creations by Maelle David and Savannah Savary. After the show, an after party outside at the British Colonial Hilton featured Bahamian singers and lots of great local food like conch fritters, conch salad shots and drinks like Bahamas Mama's. It was a beautiful end to Islands of the World Fashion Week and all we can say is, we can't wait for next year.
*Photos by Factio Media
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