The team behind the biannual alternative fashion week Funkshion has partnered with event planning company Siinc Agency and real estate company Dacra Development president Craig Robins to create a new high-end schedule of fashion presentations in the design district. FashionMiami kicked off Wednesday night with Gen Art’s sixth annual Fresh Faces in Fashion showcase for more than 1,000 guests.
The week’s events are all housed in the 35,000-square-foot temporary space created by EventStar for Design Miami 2009. “When we were ready to lock down a venue, Craig [Robins] offered us the Design Miami structure, so we went with it,” said Funkshion co-founder Sale Stojanovic, whose Funkshion partner is EventStar president Alain Perez. Robins and Dacra have been executive partners with Design Miami since its inception in 2005 and launched a new fashion exhibition during Art Basel in 2009.
Stojanovic, Perez, and Siinc worked with Gen Art to redesign the inside of the venue for last night’s show, which returned to Miami after canceling its 2009 show due to a lack of high-caliber designers, according to Fresh Faces’ lead producer, Lauren Hurley. The structure had two lounge areas, a Maybelline makeup area with product demonstrations from company reps, three accessory designer installations, and multiple bars throughout, as well as a fashion runway surrounded by seating for 600—twice the capacity of Funkshion’s tents.
The tent also housed two Chrysler installations (an additional one was positioned outside the entrance) as part of its new rebranding campaign following the company’s purchase by Italian carmaker Fiat. “Chrysler is doing a big program with Condé Nast publications, especially Vogue, called Arrive in Style, and [FashionMiami] is the first event of that fashion initiative,” Stojanovic said.
FashionMiami will have 10 more shows from designers such as Custo Barcelona taking place in the tent nightly through Saturday. Fashion Group International will also host its Emerging Designers Competition on Friday night. Sponsors include Stella Artois and SmartWater.
