International Designers Took Center Stage During Eighth Annual Miami Fashion Week: May 6 - 9, 2006

MIAMI BEACH, FL (May 11, 2006) – Miami Fashion Week®, the official fashion event for the City of Miami Beach and the largest Latin American fashion event in the US,  dazzled spectators with signature designs on the catwalk.   From May 6, 2006 – May 9, 2006, 36 international designers from all of over the world including North and South America, Russia, Spain, Italy and Egypt previewed their spring 2007 collections to over 6,000 guests during the week at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Drawing some of the most exciting new and established designers in the world, participants included Spain’s Adolfo Dominguez, MFW’s 2006 Lifetime Achievement in Fashion Award recipient, Russia’s Jenia Fashion House and D’Lorisan, Colombia’s Cecilia Perez, Argentina’s Maureene Dinar and Sandra Santillan and Venezuela’s José Maria Almeida, Nicolas Felizola and Samy Gicherman.  Miami Fashion Week® opened with a fashion prelude by Camilo Pardo, chief designer in Ford Motor Company’s Living Legends Studio, who led the development and design of the timeless GT concept.  Also featured were showcases by graduating students of the Design & Architect Senior High School (DASH) and A.i. Miami International University of Art & Design. 

During Miami Fashion Week®, a fascinating Jewelry & Accessories Exhibition showcased original craftsmanship from designers including Mexico’s Flor & Plata and Samuel Burstein, Argentina’s Me Obligaron and Maria Lopez Osorrio, Fassardi & Rohrscheib of Venezuela, Chile’s Michelle Granger and FIBO of Italy.  Attendees of the showcase had the opportunity to browse and purchase items from the rare collections of fourteen international designers. 

The four-day experience was a whirlwind of events, including panel discussions, industry seminars, celebrity appearances including Candela Ferro, Poncho de Anda, Pilar Montenegro, Sergio Catalan, Hamlet Garcia and Susana Gonzalez among others and VIP after-parties at Miami Beach’s hottest venues; The Forge/Glass, Opium Garden, Lucky Strike Lanes and Klub Lounge.  More than 400 international media representatives covered this elite fashion event. 

Closing the week-long celebration was the star-studded 2006 Miami Moda & Music Awards hosted by Candela Ferro and Poncho de Anda with a special live performance by Latin recording artist, Estéfano, recipient of the Cultural Achievement Award.  Additional performances by Sabrina and Alto Reed of the Bob Segar and the Silver Bullet Band were also highlights of the event.  Throughout the Miami Fashion Week® shows, judges including Charlene Parsons, Director of the Fashion Department and Ana Esther Soued, Metalsmith and teacher of Gemology and Jewelry Making, both of the A.i. Miami International University of Art and Design, Sonia Tita Puopolo, Director of Communications at Haute Living Magazine, Gina Arcic, Marketing Director of the Village of Merrick Park, Sergio Corominas, Wardrobe Coordinator for Telemundo Networks and Marines Duarte, Publisher of Harper’s Bazaar en Español  observed and rated collections based on Salability, Creativity and Quality of Fabrication.

The 2006 Miami Moda & Music Awards were presented to:

1. §       Adolfo Dominguez – 2006 Lifetime Achievement in Fashion
2. §       Estéfano – 2006 Cultural Achievement Award
3. §       Fabrizio de Castro, Colombia -- 2006 Prêt-a-Porter Style
4. §       Francis Montesinos, Spain -- 2006 Excellence in Eveningwear
5. §       Nazly Villamizar, Miami -- 2006 Diamond Accessories
6. §       Mohamed Dagher, Egypt – 2006 Designer Choice
7. §       Veronica de la Canal, Argentina – 2006 Celebrity Style

The title sponsor of the 8th annual event was Cognac GALLISS.  Based on impeccable traditional quality using the best cognac spirits from the heart of Grand Champagne, GALLISS marks a new trend in the development of the international cognac market. Slava Albu, President Cognac GALLISS was present at the event and remarked that “GALLISS is a French cognac with a Russian flavor.” Cognac GALLISS will be entering the US market in 2007.  Mercury Milan, the official automotive sponsor of Miami Fashion Week® debuted its new sedan, the Milan Vogo.  Mercury’s sponsorship also included hosting a kick-off event and fashion show with Harper’s Bazaar en Español at The Fifth in South Beach.  Terra Networks, www.terra.com, the official Spanish language internet partner provided fashion fans with a close-up look at the week’s events.  A complete overview of the event and list of participating designers is also available in English at www.miamifashionweek.com

Beth Sobol, of Sobol Fashion Productions, Inc., founded Miami Fashion Week® in 1999 to provide a forum offering international exposure for designers from Latin America.  During the past eight years, it has developed into one of the world’s premier fashion events spotlighting designers from Europe, USA, and Canada, the Caribbean, Middle East and Asia as well as the largest showcase of Latin American design talent in the United States.