11TH ANNUAL MIAMI FASHION WEEK® TO SHOWCASE GLOBAL FASHION, CULTURE AND CUISINE
2009 Dates Announced – March 19 to 22
MIAMI, Fla. – January 20, 2009 – The largest event in the country spotlighting Latin American and international fashion hits the runways in Miami when designers, entertainers and celebrities from around the globe take part in the 11th annual Miami Fashion Week®, March 19 through March 22.
A widely respected and highly anticipated event for more than a decade, Miami Fashion Week® artfully blends global culture and style, attracting designers, entertainers, celebrity jet-setters and fashion royalty from throughout North, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, The Middle East and Asia. The fashion shows and after parties have earned a well deserved reputation as the places be among this elite crowd of bold face names.
For the third consecutive year, SOHO Studios in Miami’s trendy Wynwood Art District will be transformed into a state-of-the-art “fashion city,” housing fashion shows, the jewelry and accessories marketplace, and sponsor lounges and displays. New for 2009 are an International Buyers’ Salon and the International Culinary Arts Pavilion. A fashionable feast occurring nightly, the International Culinary Arts Pavilion features a different celebrity chef each evening who will create cuisine inspired by the native countries of the fashion designers being showcased that night. The International Culinary Arts Pavilion is being presented by Whole Foods Market, Johnson & Wales University, and A Joy Wallace Catering Production and Design Team.
Also joining the line-up for 2009 is Fashion Week’s special guest designer Agatha Ruiz De La Prada, whose exuberant, brightly colored creations garnered her the 2004 fashion Oscar in Italy as best foreign designer.
As is the tradition at Miami Fashion Week®, the event will culminate with the star-studded Miami Moda Awards®, a celebrity fashion and entertainment awards show featuring special guest designers, celebrities and international recording artists.
The general public is invited to attend fashion shows and the International Culinary Arts Pavilion. Tickets are $25 per fashion show. Culinary Arts Pavilion tasting admission is $20 each night.
For more information on Miami Fashion Week®, visit www.miamifashionweek.com

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About Miami Fashion Week:
Beth Sobol, president of Sobol Fashion Productions, Inc., founded Miami Fashion Week® in 1999 following a successful career as an international fashion model. She has worked with some of the fashion world’s most influential designers and producers and launched Miami Fashion Week to provide a platform for designers from Latin America to gain international exposure. During the past ten years, the event has evolved into a premier fashion event spotlighting designers from Europe, USA and Canada, the Caribbean, Middle East and Asia as well as the largest showcase of Latin American design talent in the United States.

Models, Celebrities, Entertainers and VIPs Converge
at Largest International Fashion Event in the U.S.
The 11th annual Miami Fashion Week® is definitely the place to see and be seen this week, mixing and mingling among a confirmed list of international celebrities, entertainers and even some royalty.
Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza and Miss USA Crystle Stewart will attend the opening night festivities and fashion shows along with a group of 23 special guests from South Florida’s Armed Services. The Armed Forces special guests are all members of the U.S. Army Garrison – Miami Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers program, a program that supports all single military personnel assigned to U.S. Southern Command, headquartered in Doral.
Also confirmed to appear at Miami Fashion Week shows and after parties are: Grammy Award winning singer Albita; actress Sofia Comparini; singer Ricardo Montaner; singer, actress Patricia Manterola; actress Elsa Pataky; supermodel Elena Tablada; noted journalist Chabeli Iglesias; stage, movie and television star Alejandro Chaban; actor Gabriel Porras; television personality María del Carmen Sojo; celebrity hairstylist Samy; Miss España 2006 and top model Elisabeth Reyes; and actress and former Miss Panama Patricia De León, among many others.
The culmination of Miami Fashion Week will be the annual Miami Moda & Music Awards, this year co-hosted by radio personality Ileana Garcia and MEGA TV host Alan Villafañe. Actor Vincent De Paul from the movie “Poseidon” and the original cast of “Hairspray,” actress Angelica Celaya, and South Florida drag diva Elaine Lancaster will be among the star-studded award presenters. Performances will feature Patricia Manterola, Alexia, Ria, and South Florida’s own Albita who will sing “Mis Tacones” (“My Heels”) from her new album.
The largest event in the country spotlighting international fashion runs March 19 through March 22 at SOHO Studios in Miami’s Wynwood Art District. This year’s 60 attending designers represent the four corners of the globe — Dubai, Pakistan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Belgium, Spain and Italy, as well as from throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
The public is invited to attend fashion shows and the first-ever International Culinary Arts Pavilion – themed nightly tastings based on the countries the designers are showing from each evening created by Miami’s most renowned chefs. Tickets are $25 per fashion show and are available now from www.miamifashionweek.com/Tickets. Culinary Arts Pavilion admission is $20 each night with tickets available at the door.
For more information on Miami Fashion Week®, www.miamifashionweek.com

Show Schedule
Monday, March 16th

6:00pm – 8:00pm; Opening cocktail reception for the press to introduce the designers from the Dominican Republic. Hosted by the Dominican Republic Tourism Board.
Location: TBA (by invitation)

Tuesday, March 17th

6:00pm – 8:00pm; Business Seminar and Cocktail Reception hosted by Citibank and moderated by Charlotte Gallogly, President of the World Trade Center Miami with speakers from Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., the world’s largest apparel law firm and Citibank business bankers.
Location: 1685 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach 33139 (by invitation)

7:30pm – 10:00pm; MFW Designers and Press Welcoming Party hosted by Gibson Guitar, 180 NE 39th Street, #200, Miami 33137 (by invitation)

Wednesday, March 18th

6:00pm – 8:00pm; Trends & Retail Seminar presented by Global Purchasing Group NYC
Location: Aquabar & Grill poolside at The National Hotel, 1677 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach 33139. Cocktail reception hosted by The National Hotel. (by invitation)

10:00pm; MFW 2009 Kick-off Party at Blade at the Fontainebleau Resort, 4441 Collins Ave, Miami Beach 33139

Thursday, March 19th – Opening Night

6:00pm; Press Conference and Cocktail Reception co-hosted by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Jewelry & Accessories Marketplace Opens

7:00pm; Sabrina Barnett Collection “Empowering Women” International Launch

8:30pm; St Vincent & the Grenadines Caribbean Designers Showcase featuring Deb E Barbour, Kimya Glasgow Designs, Tami B. Designs, SOKA, Kimmystic Clo and Poshelle. Sponsored by St. Vincent & the Grenadines Invest.

9:30pm; Miami Style Showcase featuring ECO Sustainable Collection from DASH (Design & Architect Senior High School,) Student and Emerging Designer Competition Winners, Miami Style Prelude with Eduardo de las Casas and the Miami Style Showcase featuring Julian Chang, Natasha Sarah for Rockstar Tans Swimwear and Nicolas Felizola

11:00pm; Opening Night Afterglow Party TBA

Friday, March 20th

12:00pm – 4:00pm; Buyers Salon open (Registered MFW buyers and designers only)

6:00pm, Jewelry & Accessories Marketplace Opens

7:00pm; Colombia Showcase featuring Anarita Benjumea Acosta, Jeronima Palacios Bonilla and Sulma Arizala

8:30pm; Dominican Republic Showcase featuring Belkola – DominicanaModa Best Designer 2008, Damaris Rubio, Carlos de Moya, Cinthia Avelino, Gutierrez Marcano, Magaly Tiburcio and Lismarie by Marielena Chotin & Lisbeth Hazoury sponsored in part by the Ministry of Tourism for the Dominican Republic

9:30pm; COPA Airlines Showcase featuring Veronica de la Canal – Argentina, Tatiana Torres – Ecuador, John Estrada – Colombia, Ingrid Holters – Bolivia

11:00pm; Afterglow Party at Plunge Rooftop Lounge at the Gansevoort Hotel, 2377 Collins Ave, Miami Beach 33139

Saturday, March 21st

12:00pm – 4:00pm; Buyers Salon open (Registered MFW buyers and designers only)

6:00pm; Jewelry & Accessories Marketplace Opens

7:00pm; International Designers Showcase featuring Federica Vacarro – Italy, Franco Montoro – Venezuela, Gabriela Cadena – Ecuador

8:30pm; Emerging East Designers Showcase featuring Deanoor Batik Couture – Malaysia, Hadi Katra – Lebanon, Munib Nawaz (men’s) Pakistan and Michael Cinco – Dubai

9:30pm; Amato Couture by Furne One, Dubai

11:00pm; Afterglow Party at Karu & Y, 71 NW 14th Street, Miami 33136 (corner of North Miami Ave and NW 14th Street)

Sunday, March 22nd

12:00pm – 4:00pm; Buyers Salon open (Registered MFW buyers and designers only)

6:00pm; Jewelry & Accessories Marketplace Opens

7:00pm; Miguel Angel Leal for Cristian Lay Designer Jewelry Fashion Show – Spain

8:30pm; Special Guest Designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada and the Miami Moda & Music Awards®

10:00pm; Closing Night Wrap Party at SOHO Studios