By Mayeesha Galiba, news correspondent
The SYNERGY Events held its eighth annual Emerging Trends Fashion show on Friday to end Boston Fashion Week. The show was split into two parts, featuring up-and-coming designers from all around the world, and was hosted by Miss Massachusetts USA 2015, Polikseni Manxhari.
Designers came from Thailand, Bulgaria, Hungary, Australia, China and the US. For many of them, it was their first big showcase, and it gave them an opportunity to enter into the fashion market, according to Reaz Hoque, SYNERGY C.E.O. and lead organizer of the event. At the entrance of the space was a red carpet photo-op area. Interns bustled around before the show began, wiping down every spot on the runway, putting out sparkling water for the guests and making sure everything was perfectly in place.
“Boston really needs a properly executed fashion week show,” Hoque said. “I think with so many people’s support and months of work, we are very privileged to do what we’re doing here. With the blend of local and international designers that we brought in tonight, it really creates that diverse talent.”
The show started with videos playing on the two sides of the stage before an array of models wearing gowns made of silks and satins, particularly wedding dresses, walked across. This was the “With Love” collection by Mallika Hetrakul, a designer from Thailand. The models wore crystal headpieces and dark makeup, giving them an old-fashioned but refined look.
Next was Thai designer Kanjana Amato’s collection “Ocean’s Tale” – plenty of plunging necklines and aquatic colors.
“My collection is inspired by the ocean, and it’s involved with silk, pleat and velvet fabrics,” Amato said. “It’s my first fashion show and it has been amazing. I’m hoping that my clothing line [will] take off and share with people out there.”
The fashion show wasn’t totally limited to garments, though, as Bulgarian designer Mariela Skenderova’s collection consisted of reinvented Bulgarian shoes and purses with natural themes, featuring woodsy colors and embellishments.
The attendees were a mix of the New England fashion elite and people who wanted to break through in the industry and network. In between shows, VIPs went to the beauty bar and had their hair and makeup touched up, adding an interactive aspect to the experience. Some designers had tables set up to further market their brands.
“I’m developing my own business idea, my own company,” Katya Tsyganova, marketing director for Casa Design Boston, said. “I’m here to discover some new ideas, to meet some people and to see some beautiful designs.”
The second part of the show featured bolder styles, including the bright patterns and pastels of Modern Vintage, an online boutique of contemporary women’s apparel.
The collection from NuVu Studio, an innovation studio in Cambridge, stood apart from the design crowd, as it featured outfits that combined technology with fashion. A glowing mask rested on one model’s face, creating a futuristic look. Another model came out in a dress called “Spikey” that featured long red spikes protruding in every direction. There was also a focus on distinct lines and metals – one model’s geometric golden shawl was made from small adjacent triangles.
The goal of the Emerging Trends Fashion Show is to push lesser-known designers into the fashion world and show that they can be marketable, according to Hoque.
“It’s a catch-22 when it comes to fashion shows and fashion brands,” Hoque said. “If people don’t know you, they don’t want you. What we can hope for from a show like this is that we created a buzz, we got to show it to the right type of people.”
Photos by Robert Smith
