On Thursday, January 27th, ten of South Florida's most philanthropic residents were honored with a Humanitarian Award during the official kick-off party for the 13th annual Miami Beach International Fashion Week (MBIFW). The poolside event took place at the beautiful Mondrian South Beach where guests sipped on champagne, glanced through a silent auction and enjoyed a variety of hors d'oeuvres. Sponsored by Tiffany & Co, the event benefited the Miami Fashion Week Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to the winners of the Miami Beach International Fashion Week competitions. Throughout the year, the foundation hosts a variety of events to help raise funds for the emerging designers and students studying fashion design, jewelry making, photography and graphic arts. Beth Sobol, President & Founder of MBIFW, is pictured above along with event sponsors Oslan Osovio (Televisa) and Pamela Cordova (Copa Airlines). After a fabulous night of honoring those who give back to our community, here are some pictures for you to enjoy!
Above: The talented Viviana G (second from the left), Designer of Petit Pois, strikes a pose with her models who were showcasing her Spring 2011 Collection during the Humanitarian Awards. To discover international designers like Viviana G, make sure to mark your calendars for the 2011 Miami Beach International Fashion Week taking place on March 3-6. This is the largest international & Hispanic fashion event in the US so get ready to experience the best of fashion, beauty, music and art. Tickets are currently available on the MBIFW website. See you there!
Above: An eye catching piece of artwork called "Legends of Basketball" was featured in the event's silent auction (produced by Icon Art; collage by Miami based artist Erika King).
Top Left: Humanitarian Award Honoree Vince Castro (Bentrust Financial) along with Deborah Nuñez. Top Right: Humanitarian Award Honorees Maria Elena Salinas (Author and Univision News Anchor) and Manuel E. Machado (CEO of MGSCOMM).
Above: Natalie Saenz, Carolina McAllister and Elaine Mangia.
Above Left: Humanitarian Award Honorees Jackie Nespral (NBC6 News Anchor) and Maria Elena Salinas. Above Right: My awesome friend Jen and I during the festivities!
Above: Couture Jewelry Designer Shannon Saint Clair attended the event with husband John Saint Clair (Offensive Tackle for the Cleveland Browns) and Olivia Wolff (Sofi Magazine).
Above: Luis Dominguez, Mike Priceman, Suzie Peruyero and Henry Billete from In the Scene Magazine, a new monthly publication launching this summer that fits in your pocket and provides you with the ultimate "in the scene" guide for what's happening in Miami. The official kick-off party for Miami Beach International Fashion Week was truly amazing! Congratulations to all of the Humanitarian Award Honorees: Somy Ali, Ricky Ariola, Tina Carlo, Vince Castro, Manny Machado, Jackie Nespral, Maria Elena Salinas, Shareef Malnik, Dr. Omar Pasalodos and Joy Wallace. Thank you for generously giving back to our community.
