Port Au Prince, Haiti — The third edition of Haiti Fashion Week (HFW) wowed audiences with fashions and accessories from 40 designers from Haiti, Mexico, Dominican Republic, St. Lucia, Guyana, Canada, and other nations.
“Haiti Fashion Week has been a significant success over the last three years,” said internationally-acclaimed designer Maguy Durce, president of HFW. “It has become a platform not only to share the tremendous talent that exists here locally with the world, but also a forum for collaboration and partnership, as we saw this year with Mexico.”
Womenswear and menswear featured dramatic crafts by local artisans. Young designers and make up artists rocked the runway with sexy collections and challenged the use of body art, and the marketplace drew large crowds looking to take home inspirations from the runway.
“The core goal for Haiti Fashion Week is to interface with buyers, merchandisers, and retailers,” said renowned designer Maelle Figaro David, vice president of HFW. “Haitian designers create beautiful fashions and accessories that are ripe for the global market place.”
The opening gala kicked off with musical performances by Mexican singers and a mariachi band. At each of the three nights that followed, attendees were dazzled by unique, innovative, and out of the box signature pieces.
“Each year, I am amazed by the vibrant and bold use of color, fabric, and nontraditional materials,” said seasoned fashion stylist Michel Châtaigne, artistic director of HFW. “This year’s show rivaled productions that take place in NYC, Milan, and London, and next year we plan to raise the bar even further.”