Miami Beach International Fashion Week hosts their Second Annual Humanitarian Awards

On Thursday, January 27th, ten of South Florida's most philanthropic residents were honored with a Humanitarian Award during the official kick-off party for the 13th annual Miami Beach International Fashion Week (MBIFW). The poolside event took place at the beautiful Mondrian South Beach where guests sipped on champagne, glanced through a silent auction and enjoyed a variety of hors d'oeuvres. Sponsored by Tiffany & Co, the event benefited the Miami Fashion Week Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to the winners of the Miami Beach International Fashion Week competitions. Throughout the year, the foundation hosts a variety of events to help raise funds for the emerging designers and students studying fashion design, jewelry making, photography and graphic arts. Beth Sobol, President & Founder of MBIFW, is pictured above along with event sponsors Oslan Osovio (Televisa) and Pamela Cordova (Copa Airlines). After a fabulous night of honoring those who give back to our community, here are some pictures for you to enjoy!

Above: The talented Viviana G (second from the left), Designer of Petit Pois, strikes a pose with her models who were showcasing her Spring 2011 Collection during the Humanitarian Awards. To discover international designers like Viviana G, make sure to mark your calendars for the 2011 Miami Beach International Fashion Week taking place on March 3-6. This is the largest international & Hispanic fashion event in the US so get ready to experience the best of fashion, beauty, music and art. Tickets are currently available on the MBIFW website. See you there!

Above: An eye catching piece of artwork called "Legends of Basketball" was featured in the event's silent auction (produced by Icon Art; collage by Miami based artist Erika King).

Top Left: Humanitarian Award Honoree Vince Castro (Bentrust Financial) along with Deborah Nuñez. Top Right: Humanitarian Award Honorees Maria Elena Salinas (Author and Univision News Anchor) and Manuel E. Machado (CEO of MGSCOMM).

Above: Natalie Saenz, Carolina McAllister and Elaine Mangia.

Above Left: Humanitarian Award Honorees Jackie Nespral (NBC6 News Anchor) and Maria Elena Salinas. Above Right: My awesome friend Jen and I during the festivities!

Above: Couture Jewelry Designer Shannon Saint Clair attended the event with husband John Saint Clair (Offensive Tackle for the Cleveland Browns) and Olivia Wolff (Sofi Magazine).

Above: Luis Dominguez, Mike Priceman, Suzie Peruyero and Henry Billete from In the Scene Magazine, a new monthly publication launching this summer that fits in your pocket and provides you with the ultimate "in the scene" guide for what's happening in Miami. The official kick-off party for Miami Beach International Fashion Week was truly amazing! Congratulations to all of the Humanitarian Award Honorees: Somy Ali, Ricky Ariola, Tina Carlo, Vince Castro, Manny Machado, Jackie Nespral, Maria Elena Salinas, Shareef Malnik, Dr. Omar Pasalodos and Joy Wallace. Thank you for generously giving back to our community.

The "Miami Style Awards" honors Miami's Most Fashionable Women at the W South Beach

It's been an amazing week of fabulosity! On Thursday, October 7th, the first ever "Miami Style Awards" took place at the W South Beach where our city's most notable Fashionistas took center stage. The poolside award show was emceed by Elaine Lancaster- a.k.a. South Beach's Queen of the Night and star of Bravo's upcoming Real Housewives of Miami (pictured on the right). During the evening, guests enjoyed informal fashion shows by Miami's top designers, jewelry trunk shows and a luxury silent auction. DJ Frank Delour kept the beats flowing while attendees sipped on complimentary wine and champagne by Barefoot Wine and Bubbly. Proceeds from the event benefited The Miami Fashion Week Foundation's scholarship program. Founded by Beth Sobol, the foundation aims to raise scholarship funds that will help emerging designers and students studying fashion, photography, film and graphic design involved with the Miami International Fashion Week™ competitions. For more information on this organization or to attend their next fundraising event, visit www.MiamiFashionWeek.com.

Are you wondering who won the coveted style awards? This year's honorees included Loren Ridinger, Lea Black, Alexia Echeverria, Lisa Pliner and Abigail Pollak. Above: Marysol Patton (President of The Patton Group Public Relations, Marketing & Events) strikes a pose with Alexia Echevarria (Executive Editor of Venue Magazine). You can watch these beautiful ladies starring in Bravo's upcoming Real Housewives of Miami alongside Lea Black and Elaine Lancaster.

Above: Abigail Pollak showcased her AMAZING Valentino dress during the Miami Style Awards. A true fashionista indeed!

Above: Venezuelan Fashion Designer, Viviana Gabeiras (second from the left), revealed her newest Petit Pois designs. I actually had a chance to interview Viviana and chat about her Fall 2010 Collection.
MBS: How would you describe your new collection?
Viviana: Petit Pois is a contemporary collection for today's women. It’s right on the cutting edge, wearable and comfortable. I combine a multitude of solid colors, tie dyes, and artsy prints combined with laces. I like to use a mixture of delicate and vintage looks with a shabby chick flair invoking a provocative sense, which makes the line special and unique in appearance.
MBS: Where can shoppers find your clothing line?
Viviana: Well, there are currently 1,200 boutiques that carry our collection. Locally, you can find my line at any Nordstrom's as well as The Make-Up Store at Sunset Place. To find a complete list of boutiques, your readers can visit my website.

Above: Jose Terry, Zoe Torres and Viviana G. Zoe Torres is the host of "Zoe, Vive Verde, Vive Mejor," a show that airs on Telemiami from 1 to 1:30pm (daily).

Above: Andrea, Lauren Goodman and Kelly Saks (Miss Earth Florida 2010 & Editor of Kelly's Kloset). Lauren is actually wearing a dress by Franovik Designs that is actually made out of recycled curtains. Eco-friendly and fashionable...I love it!!!


Above: My sister, Diaset, and I during the event. How did I do on the "style" meter???

Above: Jewelry Designer Charles Albert displayed his one-of-a-kind fossil, mineral and gemstone jewelry collection. I was blown away by his creativity so I had to share this one! Elaine Lancaster wore one of his unique necklaces during the event (see top picture). Check out www.CharlesAlbert.com for information on this designer.

Overall, it was a beautiful night in Miami with a great mix of Sazoneros! In the words of Yves Saint Laurent- "Fashion fades, style is eternal." Create your own personal style that reflects all of the things which make you shine. xoxo