Two San Antonio fashion weeks

 

(Photo:occasion dresses)With two locally produced fashion weeks this month, fashionistas had a stylish slate of runway shows and parties to take in.

Kicking off the back-to-back events was Fashion Week San Antonio, produced by Tony Harris, followed by Fashion Week South, produced by Ceslie Armstrong. Both certainly proved if you throw a fashion show, people will catch it.

Last week, fans of S.A.’s “Project Runway” reality star Samantha Plasencia checked out her spring 2015 collection of sporty separates in black, white, pops of bright cobalt blue and a bandana and paisley print mash-up.

She also worked with mesh — next spring’s dominant fabric — and neoprene, the stuff of surfer wear that has gained high-fashion popularity.

Among her best designs were crop tops over skirts, jogger pants and scrunched up cigarette trousers. But her mini boxy baby doll dresses, including one in black and cobalt blue neoprene with pleats manipulated into waves were crowd pleasers.

“The collection is a continuance from what I brought to casting for ‘Project Runway,’ ” she said about the Lifetime cable show that took her through seven challenges before she was voted out last month by judges Heidi Klum, Zac Posen and Nina Garcia.

Another Fashion Week San Antonio highlight was the Moda Next show that featured collections from Joey Ramirez, Christian Alonzo, Valerie Perez, Bruno Horwath and Blanquita Sullivan.

Each designer presented well-made, wearable sportswear looks and pretty dresses in all lengths. Best of all, unlike past emerging designer shows, it was nice to see the absence of evening wear that often is poorly constructed and rarely offers a ‘wow’ moment.

Instead, Ramirez, whose collection was inspired by Stevie Nicks, sent out a gorgeous, voluminous, black floor-length skirt teamed with a short sleeveless top. And Cullum’s plaid and hand-painted floral floor-length dress with a 1950s vibe, perhaps the best in the show, was beautiful.

√Alonzo stuck to athleisure, a look inspired by street and atheletic wear with jersey shirts, tight, stretchy trousers and varsity jackets. √Horwath’s menswear collection included fitted shirts in bird, dog and floral prints worn with skinny drop crotch pants. And among √Perez’s best was a black leather pleated dress with a front zipper, edgy and still ladylike.

Fashion Week South’s headliner was Manhattan-based Cesar Galindo, who brought his fall “Alternate State” collection of swingy tops stopping short of the waistline, a couple of short boxy jackets, tight-flared leather pants, a brocade sheath in a circle print and another fitted on top and gathered at the waist for a fuller skirt.

“I had a very successful time in San Antonio,” said the designer, who hails from Houston. “It’s the first time I’ve shown here and I’ll be back.”Read more at:cheap prom dresses