Nov 01 - Runway Select Success at Grand Battery House
Ah, the fashion world, a strange place, an unknown plain upon which designers, models, celebrities and high society live. I never thought I'd be going to a fashion show or even report at one yet there I was at the newly renovated Grand Battery House for Runway Select.
The show opened with Gibraltars very own 'Shorji', real name Cristel Mifsud, who's collection showed the right mix of sports wear vs evening wear. Described as street wear, the elegance displayed along with the interesting fabrics and 3d textures made the dresses 'pop out' more. She received a huge applause and glancing over to her during the interval I noticed her receiving plenty of compliments and messages of support. Well done 'Shorji'!
Franchises were bound to be present, after all they play a big part in the everyday fashion world so Boux Avenue, Next, Oasis and Marks & Spencers all had the runway at their mercy. It was great to see these International franchises sharing the catwalk with independent designers and they gave the 'average joe' a look at what would be available on the high street.
Arjan B's classical style (which is similar to that of the more haute couture designer level) showed great choices in fabrics, ranging from soft chiffons to highly embroider sequences. The collection was clearly designed for women looking to go to glamorous events. Edeline Lee was billed as a 'headliner' of sorts and her oriental approach (meaning fabric manipulation and technique) were key to her collection. Her interesting prints and boxed silhouettes were bold. It was very stylised overall with a relaxed feel to it.
Entertainment on the night was key. During the intervals and after the show the audience were treated to local band Fuse who performed both originals and covers. I've seen these guys several times now and they keep getting better and better. Carrie Haber, who I had the pleasure of meeting described herself as a big fan of Tori Amos, I had no idea how much of a fan she was until she began playing the keyboard and she took me on a journey back to the days of 'Cornflake Girl'. She, like final act Dana McKeon is originally from Malta but based in London. Dana is a World-Class beatbox artist but also incorporates singing and guitar into her shows. So outstanding was her set that several of the audience had their iPhones out filming and plenty of jaws had dropped. Pure Class.
Let's not forget the models though! Being a newbie to the fashion world I asked local designer Paul Perez what he thought of those strutting their stuff on the runway and he said "Best models in show were Samatha enriles, Yael Williamson and Daniella Morillo which took the runway by storm over shadowing models from aboard".
