The runway shows officially began for Phoenix Fashion Week 2014 on Thursday night. Talking Stick Resort played host to the most fashionable crowd in Arizona, all waiting to see what the designers would bring to the pristine white runway.  The buzz at the beginning of fashion week is one that we have come to love. Everyone gets dressed in their best and most trendy outfits,  visits the salon for a fresh blowout and set of false lashes, and shows up to the event just glowing with excitement.

We have been attending Phoenix Fashion Week for a few years now (See posts from 2012 here and posts from 2013 here), and have always given general coverage of the event for all you at home checking out our photos.

But now, we want to tell you what we really think.

Before we get started, we feel like disclosure is in order. This quote sums it up perfectly. “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is perspective, not the truth.” — Marcus Aurelius.

The reviews below are solely how we felt about the shows. You might (and probably do) have a different opinion. And that is fabulous! In fact, it is the reason we love fashion. A reaction – whether positive or negative – is what fashion is all about.

So let’s begin.

Emerging Designers

Charmosa Swimwear with Olga M Designs

This designer really got the night started with a lively performance from scantily clad dancers performing an exotic number that truly transported the audience to somewhere in the islands of the Mediterranean.

Although the audience seemed a little shocked at first, they eventually warmed up to the performance and cheered as the dancers shook the tiny feathers covering their… well you know. We truly loved the performance. It was fun, unexpected and down right entertaining, setting the mood for the show that was to follow.

Swimwear is not easy on the runway as the audience tends to get very fixated on the mostly naked people in front of them, and forgets that the swimsuit is supposed to be the fashion (yes, we can hear your “under the breath” comments to your buddies!). Charmosa Swimwear battled that stereotype with fantastic styling and accessories by Olga M Designs. We loved the thought that went into each look and the way the show was lined up.

Some of our favorite pieces from Charmosa’s collection were the cover ups. With her lightweight fabrics and attention to detail, designer Neide Hall dresses up her itty bitty bikinis with these stunning accessories. We also adore the designer’s use of fabrics and unexpected textures.

Overall, we thought Charmosa had a few special pieces that any swimwear boutique would be thrilled to have (buyers, please pick the red crochet one piece! It’s a personal fave), but that it was the production quality of the show that will make it memorable to all in attendance.

 

 Misha Mendicino Designs with Lana May Jewelry

Misha Mendicino knows her customer.

The resort wear designer took her pieces to a completely new level by styling the show in such a way that it completely reminded us of Scottsdale resort poolside. We felt that it was a complete 180 from the styling we saw at Shop Garment District and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Mishas’s designs are easy, breezy pieces that are perfect for a warm day by the pool but can easily be translated to dinner and drinks after you’ve laid out all day.

The jewelry pieces from Lana May Jewelry sent this message to the audience and made the Misha Mendicino pieces look as wonderful as they feel (We’ve tried on almost the entire collection for our resort wear photo shoot, so we can say first hand that when you put on a dress, you don’t want to take it off).

We loved the way the mission of saving the elephants was translated from the video, to the subtle details in the garments, to the pendants on the necklaces and bracelets. Misha keeps the mission of her collection at the forefront of everything she does and that passion was definitely translated on the runway.

 

State 48 with Tom Horn Collection

We love this brand. We love it in stores, we love it in Instagram posts, we love it on college campuses, we love it on our friends.
We don’t love it on the runway.

At the end of the day, our fashion friends put it best. State 48 designed a logo, not a fashion collection.

They have done an absolutely incredible job marketing their brand and getting people on board with their mission of AZ state pride, but at the end of the day it’s a look that’s better suited in boutiques like Here on the Corner than on the bright lights of the runway.

Runway shows are meant to be exciting, engaging and awe inspiring and it is insanely hard to do that in styles that are pulled off the street. We saw a few new designs from the guys (buyers, I hope you were paying attention because college kids are going to be knocking on your doors for these soon!), but overall thought that the show was better suited for Palm Walk then Talking Stick Resort.

We absolutely wish these guys the best of luck and couldn’t be more proud of the success the trio has already had.

Woman’s Touch Apparel

Young designer, Jenesis Laforcarde, knows how to put on the show. The No Holds Barred designer started off the show with a Dolce and Gabbana like entrance with several girls storming the runway. We were pleasantly surprised when these girls took formation and orchestrated a dance number that brought the energy back to the crowd.

What was even more of a pleasant surprise were the new designs from Woman’s Touch Apparel. We saw a gold printed shift dress from the designer at her Brave Wings Fashion show and completely fell in love. We were thrilled to see a few similar styles on the runway Thursday night with some of her iconic phrases like “Estrogen Made Me Do It.”

Some of our favorite pieces were the girly floral prints accompanied by powerful phrases like C.E.O. This femininity paired with the bold statements that Women’s Touch is known for opened the line to a whole new crowd of girls and should be quite successful for the designer. We also loved the new clutches from the line and are excited to see the brand expanding into more than just t-shirts. Although the quality of fabrics could be improved, the designer is off to a good start with her dresses, skirts, and handbags.

We will say that Women’s Touch Apparel is not a line that will resonate with everyone in the audience. It is bold. It is unapologetic. It is even, dare we say, brash at times. But that is the brand. Her customer is the Rhianna’s and Beyonce’s of the world. Some might say it’s too much, some might say it’s distracting, but we say rock on, darling.

Jenesis Laforcarde has a long career ahead of her and is already making a name for herself in the community. Once she finds the right audience, we know she will kill it.

Established Designers

Diego Milano

Denim is not something that is usually seen as different, innovative or unique. However, Diego Milano is looking to change that. This brand took a risk with denim, using shapes, textures and colors that were not in the least bit expected.

The show extracted a variety of reactions from the crowd. Most of our fashion friends were less than pleased with the risks taken, but the sweet girls from Divaz Grand Central Boutique shared our delight in a few of the women’s styles that fit tight to the body and lacked the cargo like pockets that dragged down some of the other looks.

We appreciated the flared bell bottom jeans and acid washed colors, but could have done without the exposed zippers, ribbed inseams and oversized pockets. The men’s styles were not exactly our cup of tea. They were over designed and tried way too hard. These jeans need to take a lesson from Coco Chanel. “When accessorizing, always take off the last thing you put on.”

Simplification will be this brand’s best friend. If they can hold back all the elements and stick to one surprising detail per design, we see potential for them.

Carol Wong

The best fashion collection of the night came from FIDM designer Carol Wong. Inspired by a notion of medieval armor meets future, Carol Wong showed a collection of interesting fabrics and silhouettes that was equal parts engaging and charming.

Some looks could be worn straight off the runway, while others transported the audience to a land of fantasy. We loved the metallic fabrics that were layered to create a  look that was multidimensional. This technique caused the garment to look different from one end of the runway to the next and was engaging the entire length of the runway.

Carol Wong understands how to balance femininity with edge, modern fashion risks with classic silhouettes. She played with unique textures, unexpected layering and exaggerated shapes to create a collection that could easily be seen on the runway at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

Ms. Wong this is just the beginning for you and we can’t wait to see where you go from here.

Tylor Leigh

The most cohesive collection of the night belonged to another FIDM designer, Tylor Leigh. The yellow and black color palette complemented the sportswear silhouettes perfectly. We loved that the designer created garments for both men and women (after all, guys need clothes too). We definitely preferred the women’s designs for their wearability, but we thought the men’s designs had an interesting aesthetic… Perhaps more suited on the pages of Marvel then on the streets of the city.

The best look of this collection (and a personal favorite of the entire night) was the finale look. The long skirt with a completely mesh panel was absolute perfection and the crop top complemented this dramatic bottom perfectly.

Overall, this designer has a definite voice and strong viewpoint. We believe that as he continues to design he will be able to rein back on the dramatic and design a collection of sportswear that speaks to the modern man and woman.

Alber Andrada

Phoenix Fashion Week has shown us several designers from Dubai now, so we have become familiar with the over the top aesthetic the country seems to be known for. Alber Andrada was no different, showing gowns that were all out glitz and glamour.

One element that made this designer different from the others we have seen was his unexpected details. The back of the gown would be completely different from what you expected, and there would be up close details that made you look twice. Although we wouldn’t even begin to compare him to our long standing favorite Furne One, we did appreciate the effort that went into the pieces. Although some were a bit too much (a little more drag than fab if you know what we mean), the crowd truly enjoyed the show. The Oo’s and Aa’s from the seats next to us were enough to keep us entertained.

 

Overall, we would consider this one of the better Thursday night shows for Phoenix Fashion Week. Stay tuned to see what the designers have in store for us on Friday & Saturday!

P.S. A HUGE thank you to our sponsors, Saskia Salon and Divaz Grand Central Boutique for helping us dress to impress this week at Phoenix Fashion Week.