Please let the party go on!

It would be hard for me to say that I didn't enjoy every minute of Charlotte Fashion Week. As the last runway show geared up on Saturday night, I grabbed my camera man Josh, and I proceeded to enter the VIP lounge to interview many of the guests that I hadn’t had a chance to interview during the previous nights.

As I move towards this women and her extremely tall partner, I'm thinking, ok.... he has to be an ex-basketball player. Right I am, but as I introduce myself, I realize I have come face to face with Shekina Moore of Sokina Designs, a woman I had interview two months before at the Red Carpet Fashion Lounge. She showed her line on the runway and it was huge hit! She was now sporting a pregnancy and truly glowed. Small world, but then again it was another fashion event so I shouldn't be surprised!

As the interviews progressed, I interviewed many people in the fashion industry, athletes and people that appreciated great fashion and wanted to be a part of what was coming next to a store near them. I interviewed a group of five women fully decked out in fishnet tights, boots over the knee, plunging necklines, leather and fur combinations and yes, my favorite, animal print shoes. Of course, they way they lined up and proceeded to field my questions made me stop in mid-stream to ask the obvious. Where they the designated Charlotte housewives?

I continued to move from the guests and then to the back room where the designers and make-up and hair stylists were housed. I attempted to snag just a few designers before the final line up began. I caught one or two designers and then went out to watch the show. Finished with work, and now on to the best part of the evening!

I knew that Bill Evans was going to be showing men’s smoking jackets made of upholstery weight and fine fabrics acquired throughout the world. I couldn't wait to see how they would translate to the runway, especially since many of them would be modeled by women only wearing the tights and jacket. One silk gold and black horizontal stripe didn't disappoint. The model’s hair was carefully coiffed and a burglar’s eye mask was painted on her face. Bill's smoking jackets were so well received that the audience rose to their feet in appreciation of his creativity.

Another highlight of the evening was Eleanor Morgan, a designer from Charleston, whose burnout designs trimmed with gold leaf was outstanding. The attention to detail between the underlay of fabrics from the sheer to the heavily embellished had many of the audience clapping. A note of interest is that Eleanor is a graduate from NC State School of Textile and Design.

My favorite designer of the entire week was Cory Corture. Cory's designs were truly extravagant with layers upon layers of fabric building pillows of billowing fabric. I felt as though I was seeing costumes designed for the museum of history and dress. The coordinating headwear, jackets and capes truly were breath taking. Talk about a finale!

The audience was really treated to some spectacular designs over the course of the three day event. I marveled at the local support through stores and merchants, the major sponsors, and the general public. We went from a good turnout on Thursday night to a fully packed house on Saturday night. What I did realize is how exciting this event is and the importance of highlighting up and coming designers. All it takes is one show to launch a designer who is seen by a buyer to have their goods being worn by the public!

I have to commend the crew that I know worked so hard to make this all happen. Anthony Simons, Director of Plitz Fashion Marketing Charlotte, Kayla Rose, Patricia Woo, who kept the all the models and designers on cue, Soraya Williams and Wayne Shields from Plitz Fashion Marketing NYC, and Samantha Busch, the host and the many others who made it come together. It was a wonderful production and I am so happy to have been the back of the house commentator.