During Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2013,  the hottest ticket in town this season was the formal, Mercedes-Benz–sponsored, invitation-only party to toast former French Vogue editor, Carine Roitfeld’s CR Fashion Book on Saturday, September 8 at the Frick Collection, for which tuxedos and long gowns were de rigueur.

Roitfeld mused, “It’s very different from my last party,” referring to the wild karaoke extravaganza she hosted last year at Westway NYC, a strip club on the West Side Highway for her Barneys campaign.  By contrast, this year’s party was set in the posh surroundings of the Frick Museum on the Upper East Side.  That’s not to say this wasn’t quite the bash, as evidenced by the din of broken champagne glasses, accompanied by laughter and applause and the pile of mile-high stilettos gathered in the center of the dance floor by the end of the night. Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

Fashionably Conscious Fundraising Sale

Hundreds of shoppers, including:  VIPs, socialites, and philanthropists raided the donated designer goods of Miami’s most elite crowd last week at the annual Fashionably Conscious fundraiser, raising almost $85,000 for Coconut Grove Cares, The Barnyard, a locally beloved and cherished community center which provides after school and community care services to families of the West Grove Community.  From Valentino and Giorgio Armani suits to Chanel dresses and Prada and Jimmy Choo shoes, Fashionably Conscious brought the best of the best to the generously donated space provided by Village of Merrick Park. The weekend began with a VIP sale where more than a hundred devoted shoppers lined up outside the space waiting for doors to open. By Sunday the fully stocked space was nearly cleared and little to nothing remained to be purchased. The fashionably conscious crowd sipped on champagne, shopped for a cause and mingled with Miami’s biggest trendsetters. Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

Eight blissful days of runway shows and presentations showcased the trends for next spring and summer at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2013 in New York City.  It appears that brilliant orange, is next season’s “hot pink” a perfect complement to our year-round Miami tan. Just ask Carolina Herrera, Victoria Beckham, Nanette Lepore, Zac Posen, or Peter Som.  In addition to the typical pastel shades, floral prints, and free-flowing fabrics, geometric patterns and stream-lined styles appeared in several shows.  While it’s difficult to pinpoint pervasive trends, as the looks were as varied as their designers, many collections boasted bold colors, solids, cut-outs, black and earth tones, leather and lace, pleats and pantsuits.  Some designers gained inspiration from foreign lands, including Mexico, Spain, France and India.

Minimalist pieces in black, white and nude were present in a number of shows including Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Alexander Wang, Narciso Rodriguez, Vera Wang, Herve Leger and Donna Karan- opting for solids over prints and color blocking.  Sexy cut-outs allowing for a peek of sun kissed skin were also prevalent. Geometric shapes and stripes were everywhere- dominating the Marc Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors shows.   Read the rest of this entry »

Actor Emilio Ourciolo, Film Director Felipe Joffily, Scriptwriter Ale Felix

By:   Dr. Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

 Gisele Bündchen, the Samba, Ronaldo…just a few gifts from Brazil. Meaningful and enchanting films are just another way Brazil continues to delight and draw us in.  Twenty two of these films attracted several celebrities to the Magic City for the Inffinito Festival Circuit, the Brazilian Film Festival, which took over Miami from August 18 to 25 to celebrate its 16^th year as the foremost showcase of Brazilian cinema abroad.  This year’s Festival consisted of competitive screenings at the Colony Theater and special screenings at the recently renovated Miami Beach Cinematheque.

Considered the largest event solely dedicated to Brazilian cinema outside of Brazil, and viewed by the local government as a successful business and communication platform between media, industry professionals and investors in the audiovisual sector, the Festival brought 22 Brazilian productions to Miami representing the most recent, top tier Brazilian productions.  Read the rest of this entry »

Christina Getty-Maercks' Rock of Ages Celebration

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

Christina Getty-Maercks celebrated her birthday in grand style a couple of weeks ago with a Rock of Ages themed bash that has officially become known as the party of the summer.  The social elite, dressed to the nines (we’re talking 1989) in their finest ripped rocker clothes: vintage t-shirts, leather, miniskirts, tulle, neon and wigs for the birthday bash at the Maercks’ sprawling Sunset Island home.  The award-winning, Ms. Cheezious food truck was parked in the Maercks’ front lawn, serving grilled cheese with bacon and pulled pork sandwiches to soak up the copious amounts of alcohol that fueled the party.  The garage had been transformed into a photo booth complete with a green screen that became a backdrop from the Rock of Ages movie once the photos were printed- perfectly complimenting the guests’ outlandish outfits.  Inside the house, a tattoo artist decorated exposed skin with temporary tattoos and inflatable dolls floated in the pool outside.  Read the rest of this entry »

Michael Gongora, Michael Capponi, and Deede Weithorn

By:  Dr. Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

Can you believe it’s been five years since SET Nightclub opened its doors on Lincoln Road?  The VIP mega-club with the most European flair in Miami celebrated its birthday in grand style, with an Amazonia themed bash hosted by Michael Capponi, Eric Milon, Francis Milon, Roman Jones, Gilles Curtat, Laurent Bourgade and Beto Biscaia. The jet set celebrated 5 years of SET with a grand affair at Michael Capponi’s gorgeous new Hibiscus Island residence.  The two-story waterfront home emulated a soulful environment with amber lighting for the cocktail party, while rhythmic sounds by DJ Adam Lipson alongside live drum percussions set the tone. Afterwards locals and models (and local models) – many of whom dressed in bohemian attire and carried branded tambourines – proceeded to the main event at SET, which was magnificently transformed into an Amazon Jungle for SET’s five year anniversary party, in anticipation of its upcoming renovation. Guests in attendance included Miami Beach City Commissioners Michael Gongora, Deede Weithorn, Jerry Libbin; North Miami Councilman Michael Blynn; Music Artist Melky Jean; and Professor Deborah Mash.

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