Photos by Jacinto Ariza
The final night of the six-day Latino Fashion Week left nothing to be desired from its runway shows. The lofty theme, Art in Fashion, was an indication of just how elaborate some of the creations showcased were. Cuban designer Jorge Perez de la Habana showed wedding gowns that some women only envision in their dreams, while Paco Mayorga and Tamaris Rubio set a standard in design with no short supply of floral prints, ruffles or imagination. Todo con sabor latino, por supuesto.
Jorge Perez de la Habana’s wedding gowns took center stage at his breathtaking show. Think intricately placed stones, extreme trains and whimsical ruffles—wearable clouds any novia would be thrilled to wear as she floats down the aisle. In fact, I’m sure every woman would consider marriage for at least a few seconds after seeing some of his dresses, if for no other reason than to own one. That’s not to say that Habana has no range. His wide a spectrum of designs included simple-and-sweet, body-fitting gowns, while others were voluminous and romantic. My favorite looks of his included one with a fishtail bottom and a strapless stunner that looked like a hill of white flowers at the hips.
Mexican designer Paco Mayorga was all about variety. He featured both mens- and womenswear, though the latter had more offerings. His mens line was mostly contemporary casual stuff, khakis paired with tidy button-ups. Mayorga’s touch was a hint of embroidery, which polished up the pieces. Yes, it’s a men’s shirt with flowers—and it looked good. However, his best looks were his gowns for women, which subtly revolved around a tribal jungle look: Flowing chiffon dresses of animal prints and vibrant colors with black or gold undertones. Some of his dresses were flamenco-like with head-to-toe ruffles, ruching and lace construction. Mayorga’s models feature flower-studded updo’s, como Frieda Khalo. His collection was very much ar in fashion.
Domican designer Tamaris Rubio struck the perfect note to end the runway shows for Latino Fashion Week 2011. Rubio’s collection was a lot of dramatic ’70s-style ruffles and long, flowing dresses in candy-color shades of greens and reds. A lot of her looks overflowed at the top with ruffles at the shoulders that draped over high-waist shorts. Her most impressive pieces were unevenly cut dresses that opened mid-thigh in the front and draped to the floor in the back—completely engulfed in ruffles, naturally.
See slide show of Latino Fashion Week 2011: Closing Night on Flickr »