Welcome To The Bahamas Club!
Turquoise Hosting: Nick Verreos poses at Islands of The World Fashion Week 2010 Red CarpetDarlings: We're now onto Night Two--or "Runway 2"--of The Islands of The World Fashion Week 2010. This was the night I was to host the "In Search of The Next Oscar" Fashion Design Competition. After the previous evening's great start, with the NextGen Designers and Eco-Fashion Designs Presentations, I didn't know how IOTFW would be able to "bring it", but they sure did! They OUTDID themselves!!!
My day began, as I pulled the curtains in my hotel room and witnessed one of the two BIGGEST Cruise Ships known to man: The Royal Caribbean Allure of The Seas. The one with Central Park in the middle (along with REAL birds in it!), a skating rink and like 25 floors! Yep, THAT ONE! (see above photo). It was just arriving into Nassau as I was trying to make my morning coffee! They need to have a fabulous Project Runway-esque show up in there--and hire me to host it! Just sayin'...Well, now onto the Second fashiontastic night of Islands of The World Fashion Week:
Caribbean Cocktail Hour: Tomas Frenes, Nick Verreos, Beverly Taylor, Oliver Tolentino, Owen Bethel and Louis Sarmiento, Islands of The World Fashion Week 2010The night began with a VIP Cocktail Hour where attending fashion designers, editors, and fashionistas alike got to mingle and discuss the wonderful Bahamian weather, hospitality, and yes, the fabulous fashion! I opened the night's festivities with my "DIVA" (I have to put it in quotes thank you very much!) runway walk "blessing" and then we were off, starting with the "In Search of The Next Oscar" Design Presentation.
Violet Sequins: A Design by Georgina Esther Dominican Republic, Finalist "In Search of the Next Oscar" Design CompetitionThis Contest was created to find the next great Island Designer and was coined after Dominican Republic-born Oscar de la Renta. The Finalists were Georgina Esther from the Dominican Republic, who showed cocktail and evening wear, and Raynelis Howell from the Turks & Caicos, who showed sportswear separates as well as cocktail ensembles:
Models showing the designs of Raynelis Howell, Finalist "In Search of The Next Oscar" Design Competition
Nina Michael Heidi...What Do You Think: Nick Verreos hosts "In Search of The Next Oscar" Design Competition Islands of The World Fashion Week 2010I brought both Georgina and Raynelis out--with their model muses--for a Q&A session--a la Project Runway--with the judges, which turned out to be a big hit with the audience--maybe not so much with the finalists who were a bit , shall we say, nervous. The announcement of the Winner would actually happen on Day Three so stay tuned...
Red Bull Barbie: Indashio takes his Finale Walk, Islands of The World Fashion Week 2010Another highlight of the evening were the Runway Shows of Guest Designers Indashio and Oliver Tolentino. Indashio--whom you might remember winning VH1 Glam God Reality TV Show, is a stylist/designer out of NYC. Miss THANG pushes buttons. And huney, he sure did in The Bahamas. For his final walk, he danced his way--holding a Red Bull--in full DRAG bubblegum pink feathered dress, wig and make-up! The Crowd went CRAZY!
Strike A Pose: A look from Indashio modeled by Miss Bahamas 2010 (and Top 20 Finalist at Miss World 2010) Braneka Bassett, Islands of The World Fashion Week 2010 (photo courtesy of Adrian Richards)As for his collection, it was very colorful, Club-Kid cool, and just the right side of H&M-meets-TopShop; lots of sexy neon-colored mini dresses, printed one-shoulder Resort-wear for that stylish girl arriving on to the Bahamas via the Royal Caribbean Allure of The Seas.
Six-Pack Sailor: A look from Indashio, Islands of The World Fashion Week 2010And he didn't forget the boys: They were either wearing a THONG swimsuit or sexy low-slung colorful pants. Next up was Philippine-born Los Angeles-based fashion designer Oliver Tolentino. He was the complete opposite of Indashio--in terms of his Ladies-Who-Lunch...and Black-tie Gala Collection.
Fashion Designer Oliver Tolentino and his Muse, model Tutay Maristela, Islands of The World Fashion Week 2010Oliver has dressed former Philippines First Lady Imelda Marcos, and was also a Finalist in the Oscars Designer Challenge: Behind The Dress Competition at this year's Academy Awards. His Collection was elegant, showed lots of intricate draping, bows and ties, and used fabrications such as pineapple and abaca fibers.
He even flew in his muse, Filipina model Tutay Maristela, who STOMPED the runway OVERTIME in his gowns. Take a look at that pose above which she did at the end of the runway: WOOOORK!!!!!!
Matchy-Matchy: Host Nick Verreos and model Tutay Maristela (wearing Oliver Tolentino) at Islands of The World Fashion Week 2010It was a wonderful ending to a fantastic second night at the Islands of The World Fashion Week here in The Bahamas.
Stay Tuned for "Runway 3" or Day Three---darlings, there's even more from my fun time in The Bahamas to come!
Click below for the Finale of Indashio's Show:
Click below to watch me host "In Search Of The Next Oscar" Design Competition:
