Tampa Bay Fashion Week
September 22-25, 2010
By Lena Hunt
Cruising usually means the need for a variety of clothing. Casual wear that is stylish yet doesn't require much maintenance are needed for basking in the sun and strolling along the cruise ship's deck. Evening attire is required for special cruise dinners and certain restaurants on the ship. Plus cruising usually means shopping and buying things from different places so that you can have something new from your special getaway. Now not only can you find great fashion in Miami, you can find just what you need for your hot-weather cruise or stylish warm clothing to bring back home with you in the Tampa Bay area. (Yes, you can find winter wear in Florida. On many visits to Tampa when I was living in the midwest, I brought back fur-lined snow boots and amazingly warm and stylish winter coats at extremely low prices. Go figure. Winter wear from Florida? Who knew.)
Tampa Bay Fashion Week Part Two
September 22-25, 2010
By Lena Hunt
Southern Florida Cruise Port Specialist
Tampa - Miami - Port Canaveral - Ft. Lauderdale
October 31, 2010
A few years ago I was laughed at when I mentioned fashion coming out of the west coast of Florida. “There's no fashion in the Tampa Bay area. Miami, maybe but not this side of the state.” This was during the time that I had been offered a writing position with a luxury watches magazine based in Clearwater. In all fairness to the ones who said there was no fashion on the Gulf side of Florida, yeah this area really wasn't known for
being fashion forward and it was not known for producing many designs that would set the nation stepping its fashionable foot forward.
Yet that was then, this is now. Designers, makeup artists, stylists, fashion editors, writers, photographers, the area's local residents and even those in the fashion scene from other states were dreaming. Not only were they dreaming, they were creating and making their dreams come true. Enter Fashion Week Tampa Bay with Nancy Vaughn to blaze the trail and set Tampa Bay on the fashion map forever. Since then, the Gulf coast side of Florida has never been the same.
Last year's event was fabulously successful and Fashion Week Tampa Bay (FWTB) 2010 was even more amazing. A large white glamorous tent was set up riverside at the historic Tampa Armature Works location. The Armature was a place where mining equipment and machinery were repaired. It was a
surreal setting as it comprised of glam fused with industry along a lazy river on Riverview. Beautiful, shiny new automobiles by the main sponsor Audi Clearwater sparkle against the rustic industrial buildings' interior and exterior, Audi reps in polished black suit and tie, and a mix of Florida's most fashionable mingling to and fro made for an all-evening fashion shoot. It was a photographer's dream come true and the cameras clicked, clicked, clicked throughout the evening as the media-infested event carried on. As I had VIP seating to focus on the runway happenings, my photographers did the job of capturing the designers' creations.
It was a showcase of mixed designs and apparel for different occasions. Polished, smooth fabrics, sequins and dazzle, everyday and extravagant bikinis, glammed-out fantasy loungewear and lingerie, dream wedding dresses, military-inspired every day outfits, dazzling flowing fabric gowns, custom design pill box hats and military mixed with couture hats, and even rhinestone studded swimwear for men were coming down the runway.
The music that was pumping during the evening was just as creative and varied as the designers' creations. From tropical to rock to a sick version of “Sweet Dreams are Made of This” (my personal favorite), Fashion Week Tampa Bay guests were well entertained. The refreshments, free
gifts, and excitement kept right up with the models that were cat-walking down the runway one after the other. It was an intense evening; a cranking up the fashion notch by several levels that I'm sure will be topped during next year's event.
I have a bag of goodies from the event, hundreds of photos, new friends, a pile of business cards, a collection of custom made hats and soon a custom designed gown, several more events to attend from this one special evening along with a new appreciation for the fashion scene that has been set by Tampa Bay Fashion Week. The only thing that I could have asked for (which I'm sure will be created soon) is an automated way to purchase the outfits that I wanted as it was brisking by. With the way technology moves (just as fast as fashion!) I'm sure there will be a device for this soon.
Bravo! A job well done as you, Tampa Bay, have permanently become THE perfect accessory for the Miami and NYC fashions
