More FWB Recaps – A Good Cause Amidst a Fashionable Affair

Huge thanks to Shanise Gibson for collaborating with Fashion Nexus on this post, and sharing her amazingly stunning images from FWB! Shanise Gibson is an aspiring freelance photographer born in Brooklyn, New York. Known for her constant love of being a “Free Spirit” & never passing by the word “Free” itself, she has taken in all knowledge given to her to soon make a name for herself in the world of photography.

FWB is of course a wonderful platform for emerging and independent designers to showcase their work. But it’s great that there was a way to combine fashion with a good cause amongst all of the ongoing runway presentations. More on that in a bit! But first up, let’s take a look at the exotic and vibrant S/S 2015 collection presented by John Guarnes.

Stunning looks for both men and women. Bold colors. Immaculate fits. Inspired looks. This and more is what John Guarnes put down the runway for FWB. Guarnes is known for elegance, simplicity and distinctive details. And this is exactly what came down the runway for FWB, showing evolution and development in his signatures.

Guarnes’ base was lace detailing, some scalloped hems and his work only grew from there. I enjoyed seeing his vision come across a vast array of styles & silhouettes – elegant eveningwear to bodycon dresses.

Guarnes’ vision for his label is to create clothes that are luxuriously wearable but with feminine simplicity. His touch is especially sophisticated and modern, striving to make fashion that is timeless in its elegance. The luxe fit and comfy, elegant looking fabric choices worked for both the gents and the ladies.

But what certainly stood out for me is that the black lace detailing really worked well with the dramatic pops of color Guarnes utilized – electric lime green, bright tangerine, and sizzlin’ hot pink.

Keeping in line with sexy, modern looks for the femme fatale, let’s check out Claire Henkel of Urban Sewn. Various heels & shoes for the looks were courtesy of Navalo Shoes.

Stretch mesh V-turtle neck top with stretch ponte skirt. Wrinkle-free, hassle-free.

Urban Sewn was founded in 2013 by Claire Henkel, based on the principles of timeless design, versatility, and luxury. Inspired by the lifestyle of the city girl who is always on the go, ready for whatever the day and night brings. AM to PM, city to city, all she has time for is an outfit that works. And because it works and makes her life easier, it is luxurious.

Silk georgette top with cut out details on sleeves. Stretch metallic skirt with fold detail

The looks are perfect for being on the go, very representative of the brand’s core vision. Urban Sewn embraces influences from different times and different places. They are inspired by old and new, unique and common, vintage to modern; ingredients of timeless design are the foundation of all of the pieces.

Classic silhouettes and styles create for pieces any woman would love to have as a part of her wardrobe because it’s a fave, but also because it will stand the test of the fashion times! These pieces definitely do that — fitted pencil skirts, sheer effects, wrap dresses, and more.

Blue stretch ponte top with handcut lace detail. Matching skirt with zipper and asymmetric hem.

All pieces start with hand drawn patterns then to a handmade garment. Each fabric is carefully hand selected for effortless style, comfort, and versatility. The brand’s mantra, wear confidence and effortless luxury with Urban Sewn. This makes perfect sense!

White raised pinstripe jacquard with sheer asymmetric peplum detail.

It’s easy to be confident in such sexy, luxurious, high quality looks. And it’s not an overtly or obvious form of sexiness, just very sensual, alluring looks with a feminine vibe.

Heavy Italian jersey with fringe detail at sleeves. Black & white stretch jacquard skirt.

The details in the collection are truly stunning, very eye-catching. There is leather detailing, a shoelace effect, fringe, draping, & more. These are very much pieces that are on trend, but done in a unique fashion, fitting for the Urban Sewn vision.

Ponte aroma with white lace detail. Asymmetric bottom hem.

There is a little pop of color and even a print, but most of the looks are in the staple, traditional black. A sea of black could be a bore, but not when done so phenomenally and with an intricate, very crafted hand.

Hand cutout scale detail with faux leather on mesh. Gathered faux leather detail on sleeves

Sexy, confident looks continue with Angel Rodriguez OMI’s presentation!

Designer OMI of SaiOne creates one of a kind apparel for both men & women who are unique &
appreciate clothes that showcase their individuality.

The show was well thought, attention paid to details from head to toe — the eyewear, the belts, jewelry, face masks, & more!

The aesthetic for this collection will tell a story of regal luxury & underground fetish. What helps to carry on this tale is the great use of color and bold prints.

The dramatic flare aides to how sexy and feminine these pieces are, looks certainly fitting for the daring, confident woman.

There is also a great interplay with softer silhouettes to that of stronger, tougher pieces, such as the hooded leather separates piece above.

Clearly an underlying concept for this final day of FWB was that of sexy, confident looks. Here is Bradley Douglas Jordan’s take on this concept with his 3rd showing at FWB!

Very daring, such dramatic flare are seen with these varied pieces, taking for example the stark white structured separates look above, and the fur bikini, complete with a floor-length vest.

And who says men are not able to take on looks that scream bold & confident. It was great to see Jordan’s translation to that of menswear. He also made use of a sky blue/grey print that was seen amongst looks for both women and men.

The looks were very understated in that of style, some simplistic minimalism, which is always nice to see. Not every designer has to use bells & whistles to get a concept or message across!

Denim was quite refreshing to see. It was perfectly in line with many other great touches seen throughout the collection, some swimwear, hooded garments, floor length vests, and more!

And now onto the charitable cause, certainly worthy of giving additional recognition — Goodbye Malaria. BK Style & FWB chose to support this deserving cause amidst the runway presentations. Goodbye Malaria is an initiative by African entrepreneurs with global partners who believe it’s time for Malaria elimination. In support of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM), Goodbye Malaria is a campaign that benefits The Global Fund by raising funds for Malaria elimination in Africa.

Various PJs, sleepwear are now up for sell to support the cause. The aim is to eliminate malaria beginning in Mozambique.

You can make purchases and show your support here.

LET’S ALL SAY GOOD-BYE MALARIA!!

Additional Event Details

Executive Director – Abby Wallach
Creative Director/Producer – Rick Davy
Operations Director – Gregory Hutchinson
Media Director – Colleen Gwen Armstrong
Legal – Golding & Associates
Key Style Team – Erica Bradford & Christina Edwards
Models Casting Director – Jerry Jordan & John Thao
Beauty Team Coordinator – Tiffany Coates
Key Make-up – Kennetta Vaughn
Key Hair – Aisha Robley
House DJ – DJ Flyy Girl
Model Agency – BK Rebels

Additional event sponsors & information –

Scent the Runway – creating luxurious scents for runways around the world, now you can expierience right at home
Klust Creative – Branding & Identity, Website Development, Internet Marketing & more.
Davelly Model Management – We are Fashion. We are Couture.
Hybrid Branding
Clique by Roble – The 1^st fragrance recipe by Chef Roble Ali
Luevo — an online platform that creates a direct channel between American and Canadian designers and shoppers announced a new partnership with FWB enabling guests the opportunity to reserve and shop new looks straight off the runway!

GoGo Squeez
yelp
Brooklyn Winery – locally crafted wine, eats, and private events
Alchemy Creamery
Creative Engineering — Set Director for FWB

Splash PR Agency
Brooklyn Style, aka bk Style — Fashion Director for FWB
Green Living – build a better planet
City Point
Orange Peel SL
Beautiful Stranger –– a vibrant community of lifestyle trendsetters sharing their personal style and insider secrets. Beautiful Stranger will provide visual content featuring fashion tastemakers and trendsetters attending the four-day FWB event and on the streets of Brooklyn. All in all, partnering with FWB to further engage its audience this season!

Fashion GPS
EM Design — Graphic Artist/Designer, Eric Lucas of EM Design
Akaria Apparel
Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation
Avitto Shoes NY
Bespoke Atelier
Solis Magazine
Uber

New York Events – daily source for NY events
ae 56
TimeOut New York
Duggal
Brooklyn Brewery

Gotham Stages

NYC 2^nd Chance Rescue – established 2009
CrossFire Sound Productions — Sound director for FWB
Levy Lighting NYC — Lighting director for FWB

Brooklyn Tourism
zico – pure premium coconut water

Again, huge thanks to Shanise Gibson for collaborating with Fashion Nexus on this post, and sharing her amazingly stunning images from FWB! She also enjoys snapping away at conventions, festivals, concerts & whatever else catches her eye.