Beatrice Italiana: Event: Fashion Weekend Nicaragua

8.26.2011

Event: Fashion Weekend Nicaragua

Last night I attended the opening of Fashion International Weekend Nicaragua for the first time. According to the pamphlet, it's an event that brings together fashion, beauty, music, and art on a top of the line runway. FIWN started in 2007 and (again according to the pamphlet) positioned itself as the fashion event of the year. The founder and creator, Ossiel Herrera is a hairstylist - and now calls himself an editor of a magazine named Fashion by Ossiel Herrera and 'image designer' - I'm assuming that means image consultant.

By now you can tell, I have a bone to pick with the producers of this event. So let's start at the beginning.

Press: I saw a few banners, billboards around the city (image on left), added the events I could find on facebook, and read a short article in the local newspaper. I emailed the producer and asked for time and prices because everywhere I looked has different answers - free entrance, 150 cords ($7), or random people saying they were selling tickets.

This whole time, I'm thinking ' don't be a bitch, go check it out, see for yourself, be open-minded '

so that's what I did - however, there were a few signs that told me that this was going to be bad [ Burlesque (the movie with Aguilera and Cher) theme? raunchy public invite? only 3 posts by them on their official FIWN event page? ]

So I get there, 10mins to 5pm - I'm told its a private event for special guests .... however, I scored staff/press passes from the producer (buhahahaha). I walk in and all I see is a bunch of sponsor stands like I was walking into some sort of block fair in a non-decorated space. No one is here. I walk around and come across a mayonnaise stand getting ready to serve tuna and mayo ( really? i mean REALLY? ) ..... I take a few pics (pictures below) and sit and wait. While I'm waiting - the place is still being set up - the runway was being built, the chairs have covers on them with pink sashes like its a quinceñera party, dj isn't playing yet, some stands are still setting up...etc....and Sak Noel is playing in my head "I couldn't believe what I was seeing ... la gente esta loca, WTF?" ..... I am seriously confused and decide to walk outside .... oHHH! by the way, the event is being held at the mall's convention center cause malls now have convention centers LOL ...

( picture on the top right: free magazines from 2010, WTF?)

(incomplete runway)

(open bar)

(still model)

before I head out the 'bouncer' says to me "once you leave you can't get back in unless you ask the producer"

so I ask him "What time is this starting?"

he nods "I don't know"

I say "don't worry I have my staff/press pass, I'll be back"

I walk around the mall and keep thinking "omg what if its starting right now? and who the fuck has a fashion show at 5pm?"

I come back around 6ish ... I see a little more people and press cameras. I walk in again and by this time the dj is playing really loud LMFAO, Salt and Pepper, Britney Spears, and Sir mix a lot, there's open bar giving out white rum and green apple syrup and everyone is taking pictures of a still model in a gold gown.

Eventually its 7:40pm and I am about to peace out - my back is killing me and I don't want to be seated anymore. Lights go dim and the opening starts with a dance sequence from the movie, Burlesque, - ARE YOU FUCKIN KIDDING ME???? ..... after the dance, 3 hosts start rambling and don't even get me started on what they were wearing - where's the image consultant? ..... let me cut it short and show you what the program pamphlet reads (which I received 10 mins before the show - as you can see the 'Openning' starts at 7pm - why was this not publicized? I don't get it? you led me to believe you were on a 2 hour delay, thanks!)

As you can see (picture above) there was a show by Almacenes Siman (department store), Aca Joe (denim store), Revlon, and Zumba Ballys Gym ....... WHAT THE FUCK????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First of all, let me just say if you are having designers (student designers, emerging designers, recognized designers) present collections, do not mix them up with store collections. Designers dictate fashion and impose trends, trends which are then copied and mass produced by the product developers of department or fast fashion stores.

Aside from this, the fashion event included 2 dance sequences, a retarded hair dye promotional show where the models were dressed like traffic cops carried signs that read "Stop if you have bad hair" and a box of the newest hair dye and a 5 minute promotional dance sequence of a Zumba class that had the crowd roaring - was I the only one that thought all these things were out of place???? I thought I was at the fashion event of the year!?

Three designers were set to show however only 2 presented collections. I am not going to rag on the designers - all I'm going to say is that El Salvador designer had too many ideas and not a collection and the Panamanian designer presented a consistent collection but failed to fit the models. So what happened to the 3rd designer, the Nicaraguan?

I also don't understand why the models were of all sorts of sizes (height and width), there were some girls that had bigger thighs and asses than mine! In case you didn't know female fit model measurements are: 34-24-34 in (86-61-86 cm) and 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) tall - you can't find them in Nicaragua? Well according to your information your models are from Miami, Costa Rica, El Salvador...LOOK HARDER! .... o0oo0o0! I also noticed a few male models with sparkles on their face...YOU STILL DO THAT? WTF? They aren't fairies for Midsummer Nights Dream! It's a damn 'fashion show'!!

So a lot of you guys are probably thinking "you are all talk! do something about it! how bout you pull off a fashion show? who the hell are you?!"

let me answer those questions for you. yesterday motivated me to actually do something and i will be meeting with designers, editors, and other fashion connoisseurs in order to create a yearly fashion event in nicaragua - perhaps in the near future it will turn into something big but meanwhile fashion doesn't exist in nicaragua (store wise, dress wise, conscious wise) i don't want to bother branding something that doesn't exist yet. before living in italy and new york didn't mean i didn't see these problems before, i just had no idea what to do and now i do.

so thanks for the press pass but I will not be attending your lame attempt at fashion weekend - i ask that you please refer to it as Retail Weekend. thanks.