GEN ART SHOWCASES TOP EMERGING DESIGNERS AT 6th Annual FRESH FACES IN FASHION 2010 SHOW

Six of Miami and New York’s Preeminent Young Designers Join Three Rising Accessory Designers March 10th to Open FASHIONmiami
Miami, February 23, 2010 – Gen Art will showcase nine top emerging designers from Miami and New York at its 6th Annual Fresh Faces in Fashion Show on Wednesday, March 10th at the opening of FASHIONmiami presented by Chrysler (at the former DesignMiami space) located at NE 39th Street and 1st Court in the Miami Design District. The evening will begin at 8 PM with a Cocktail Reception featuring three accessory designer installations followed by a full seated runway presentation at 9 PM and a post-show reception at 10 PM.
Gen Art’s designer slate consists of four of Florida’s brightest stars in emerging fashion talent Romina Heighes, By Smith, Lialia, and Fernando Carneiro along with accessories designers Rella Jewelry, Babette Epaulette and B.Rawlings. They will be joined by New York alumni designer Duskin, who had her runway debut with Gen Art during New York Fall Fashion Week 2009 and Whitney Eve by Whitney Port which will be making its Miami debut on the runway.
Regional designers were selected by a committee of distinguished fashion industry professionals including Hadley Henriette, 944; Melissa Cantor, Miami Magazine; Jilian Sanz, Florida International; Brooke Siegel, Daily Candy; Rene Ruiz, designer; and Danny Santiago, celebrity stylist.
Fresh Faces in Fashion Miami has become one of Miami’s largest and most prestigious fashion events. Fresh Faces (which takes place in 4 markets) has featured the runway launches of many top rising designers including Zac Posen, Rebecca Taylor, Uli Herzner, Vena Cava, Milly, Twinkle, KRELwear, Sari Gueron, Julian Chang, Jeffrey Sebelia, Phillip Lim and dozens of others.
“We are extremely excited to be returning to Miami with our Fresh Faces in Fashion show after a year’s absence. And we cannot think of better way of doing such than by kicking off the exciting new FASHIONmiami shows.” said Gen Art CEO/co-Founder Ian Gerard.
FASHIONmiami presented by Chrysler will launch with a schedule of Fall/Winter 2011 collection runway shows and events taking place from March 10th to March 14th at the stunning 35,000 sq ft event space in the heart of the Design District. The design district has been dubbed the “SoHo” of Miami by the Financial Times, and “A Mecca for those in search of style” by the New York Times. The Miami Design District, which plays host to international marquee events such as Art Basel, Design Miami and a Midnight Affair, will now also be home to FASHIONmiami.
Principal corporate sponsors for the show include UNITE Hair Care, Kim Crawford Wine, Maybelline New York, The Catalina Hotel and Beach Club, and 944 Magazine.

Tickets for the event are $45 for regular tickets and $75 for VIP tickets (with discounts for Gen Art members). Membership and ticket purchasing information is available online at www.genart.org or by calling 212.255.7300.

Ticket proceeds benefit the Gen Art Foundation. Approved fashion industry professionals including media and buyers will also receive VIP guest tickets.
DESIGNER BIOGRAPHIES:
By Smith: Created in 2009, By Smith is a collection of sophisticated, chic apparel for women. By Smith is most notably identified by its elegant pairings of bold patterns and vibrant solids. Sourced in Bangkok, Thailand, each piece is made of natural hand woven silk material. The contemporary designs place a spin on the classic looks that so many women adore. The designer, Smith Sinrod, graduated with a degree in Apparel Design from the University of Alabama. Always the little girl in the boldest outfits and unique accessories, Smith realized her passion for fabrics and bright colors as a child. She worked for set designer Mary Howard, who has produced photo shoot sets for iconic fashion magazines such as Vogue, ‘W’ and Vanity Fair. After travelling to Thailand in search of inspiration and business resources, Sinrod later returned with her first full collection in the making.

Duskin: The brainchild of designer Stephanie Tran, Duskin made its debut to rave reviews for Spring 2009. Barely a year old, Duskin has already appeared in Elle, InStyle and style.com. In the middle of a retail slump, with many stores cutting the number of lines they carry, Duskin has defied the odds by gaining traction in always-ahead-of-the-curve stores like Steven Alan in New York and Confederacy in Los Angeles. The runaway success of the line would be surprising if one weren’t familiar with Tran’s pedigree. With stints in retail, editorial and design prior to starting her own collection, Tran has a comprehensive approach to building her company’s brand identity and aesthetic that sets her apart from the pack. Her innate style of offhand chic was honed in the halls of Vogue Magazine, American Eagle Outfitters and Forever 21 and it’s that unique blend of high and low, fantasy and practicality, flash and function that gives shape to the beauty of Duskin.

Fernanda Carneiro: Carneiro showed a penchant for design at a young age, cultivating her creativity under the watchful eye of her paternal grandmother, from whom she inherited her refined taste for clothing design and impeccable construction. Growing up in Miami and Los Angeles further exposed her to a wide variety of cultural and stylistic influences, and translated into the designer’s inclination towards free-spirited designs and rich colorways. Upon graduation from the University of Florida she worked in both production and design for major fashion labels including BCBG Max Azria. Carneiro has garnered attention from press including Lucky, Latino Future, and Daily Candy as well as celebrities including Julie Benz, Roselyn Sanchez, and Melonie Diaz.

Lialia: A cleverly crafted namesake line from designers Julia and Natalia Alarcon. Two sisters with individual personalities combined the harmonizing elements in their names and shared creative vision to create Lialia – a modern interpretation of classic elegance. Fused with hints of the designers’ Spanish heritage, Lialia translates their experiences at Parsons School of Design, where they studied under the likes of Cristof Beaufays – Creative Assistant to Jean Paul Gaultier, and work at the houses of Oscar de la Renta, Phi and Reyes, into their own distinct design sensibilities. The result is a versatile collection of richly detailed and tailored, high-end day and eveningwear. In addition to Women’s Wear Daily, their work has been featured in Papierdoll, Latina, Monocle and Fashion Windows

Romina Heighes: Roming Heighes is a high-end ready-to-wear designer and her name is quickly growing within the fashion industry. A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, one of the top fashion schools in the U.S., Heighes’ dream of becoming a fashion designer began at a young age. Her inspirations come from moving to different cities with her family. Spending the majority of her life in Miami, it’s no surprise that the colorful and cosmopolitan City has been a great part of Heighes’ inspiration. Being part of a thriving Latin community strengthened her visual and creative drive. While living in New York, Heighes had the opportunity to work with some of the distinguished designers that inspire her on a daily basis – American designer Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs of the Louis Vuitton group, and world-renowned Venezuelan designer Carolina Herrera, to name a few. A great deal of her success today can be attributed to those learning experiences. She has also had the privilege of attending and working in New York Fashion Week for the past five years.

Whitney Eve by WHITNEY PORT: Whitney Port was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Two years ago, she moved across the country to NYC and began working for Diane Von Furstenberg. After a year there, Whitney’s path took her back to work at Kelly Cutrone’s PR firm, People’s Revolution. It was here that she decided to make her dream of becoming a fashion designer a reality. Her line, Whitney Eve, which had its first runway show during Fashion Week 2009, showcases Whitney’s creativity and knack for style. It’s sophisticated yet comfortable cocktail attire, featuring feminine dresses, tops, skirts, sweaters and jackets. Whitney’s Fall 2010 line is her third complete collection. Whitney Eve can be found online and in various high-end boutiques.

ACCESSORY DESIGNERS:
B.RAWLINGS: A luxury accessories brand, by designer Brittany Rawlings, had its genesis on Margarita Island in 2009. Inspired by the natural beauty of the island while visiting and the abundance of semi-precious gemstones, Brittany began to experiment and design pieces back home in south Florida during her study breaks from law school finals. The B.RAWLINGS jewelry collection is a juxtaposition of semi-precious stones and metals in various colors, textures and sheens. Each piece is functionally and complimentarily designed, allowing the jewelry to be adjusted in size, worn together, and layered. The signature Miami collection is a composite of brightly colored stones, in radiant shades of hot pink fuchsia, turquoise and red coral, which compliment Miami’s obsession with white and summery looks. The New York collection boasts a darker, glamorous, and more urban aesthetic, including interwoven metallic chain with gold and leather. For more information please visit www.brawlings.com.

Babette Epaulette: Seville Michelle Anastos discovered her creative voice at an early age. Whether she was expressing herself through her wardrobe, which entailed unexpected pairings of fabrics, colors, and patterns or through her painting and writing, Seville Michelle has always felt that she has something important to say: “You have to be past possible. We all dream of the possible but being past it, means you’re living it.” In New York City, Seville Michelle went to work at a major fashion publicity house where she immediately fell in love with the openness of the fashion world. She furthered her career in fashion by continuing on at a fashion publicity firm two years later. It was through these experiences she established lasting relationships in the fashion industry which launched her career as a fashion stylist and assistant art director. Inspired by a well-known pop star, Seville Michelle created her line of accessories, Babette Epaulette, by the following her instinctual fashion intuition and style. Since launching in October 2009, Babette Epaulette has been featured in Accessories magazine, DailyCandy.com, Glamour.com and many other publications, websites and fashion blogs.

Rella Jewelry: Cindy Borjas, Rella Jewelry designer, graduated from the Art Institute in Downtown Miami, with a degree in Fashion Marketing/Merchandising, but it was her history of fashion classes where she found her niche. As a result of her fashion history curriculum, she became an assistant for Elizabeth Kohen Martinez while she wrote “The Vintage Clothing Price Guide”. An avid collector of vintage clothing and accessories for over 10 years, she was able to bring personal experience to the project while she photographed, cataloged and documented the precious pieces. It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. From her education and passion for the past, Rella was conceived to bring to women jewelry with historical significance and a modern twist. Rella Jewelry can be purchased at Oyuki and Lola y Maria in Miami.

ABOUT GEN ART
Gen Art is the leading independent arts & entertainment organization dedicated to showcasing, promoting and supporting the best emerging talent in fashion, film, music and the visual arts. Created to propel the careers of up-and-coming fashion and accessories designers, Gen Art’s fashion programs and events have proven to be a successful launch pad for big names, including Zac Posen, Rebecca Taylor, Vena Cava, Peter Som, Phillip Lim, Jeffrey Sebelia, and Milly. Gen Art was tapped by Bravo TV’s hit show “Project Runway” to coordinate casting in major US cities for the show’s first 4 seasons and several of the designers featured in Fresh Faces in Fashion have been finalists on the show including Miami’s own Uli Herzner and the 1st and 3rd season’s winners. It has also been featured in fashion episodes of “America’s Next Top Model”, “The Apprentice” and “Stylista”. For more information visit www.genart.org