Day to night
Islands of the World Fashion Week (IWFW) is huge for fashion enthusiasts in the Bahamas, around the Caribbean and other island nations of the world. Voted 'Best Fashion Show or Fashion Week attended' at the Caribbean Fashion Awards earlier this year it is the foremost local fashion week attracting local and international designers as well as international press, buyers and stylists. Though only in its second year – it provides a viable fashion outlet not only for local designers, but for stylists, models, fashion journalists, fashion retailers and a host of other fashion and entertainment professionals.
A welcomed annual event for the fledgling local fashion industry - IWFW will run from November 5th to 7th with the bulk of the shows being held at the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort.
This year, instead of shows spread out during the entire day - more shows have been compressed into bite size designer chunks with many of the catwalks scheduled for the late afternoon and evening hours – allowing many more corporate fashionistas to get their fix after work. With shows beginning at either 5pm or 6pm it’s doubtful that you will have a chance to run home and change before the shows.
Therefore, pulling together an outfit that can easily be restyled to take you from corporate chic to front row ready is your goal. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you master the art of day-to-night.
Your base look should be something that can easily be transformed simply by changing your shoes, bag, accessories and makeup. Your best option is either a great double duty dress or a tailored pant suit. It’s the trimmings that will really transform your look.
Bib Necklaces
Accessories
Changing your jewelry is a surefire way to convert your look. With fun, statement necklaces still all the rage, top off a simple shift dress worn during the day with a dramatic bib necklace for the evening. With a high drama necklace, bare ears or demure studs are best to avoid competing with your statement piece. If you like to have a little shimmer on your hands, opt for an oversized cocktail ring.
Bag
Take that bulky day bag and toss it. A great clutch big enough to fit your cosmetic essentials, keys and cash is all you need. There are some colors that are what I call pseudo-neutrals that are great accent colors and work with many looks. They are not your typical neutral colors such as black, white, gray or brown, but they work with just as many different colors as traditional neutrals do. A metallic pewter clutch is a perfect example of a pseudo-neutral and an easy way to add a little evening element to a daytime look.
Shoes
Every woman’s obsession. Comfort is always at the top of my list when it comes to fashion but this is one occasion where you should forgo the ballet flats and pull out the stilettos. You’ll be sitting for the runway shows, so no need to worry about extended standing in your high heels. Bani Shoe Warehouse is the official shoe supplier for IWFW, outfitting all the models in fashion forward footwear to complete the designer looks. Check out their selection for a pair of killer heels to pull your day to night look together.
Makeup
Keep it simple during the day so you can pump it up for the evening. For daytime, keep eyes bare with a little liner and mascara as eye makeup tends to get cakey after long hours of wear. Remember the basic rule, if you’re going for a strong eye then keep your lips simple and vice versa.
Unless you’re a celebrity, there’s no need for an over-the-top look for fashion week. As a rule of thumb, keep it stylish yet casual. If you try too hard it will show and you’ll end up sticking out like a sore thumb.
Stay true to your style aesthetic. If you’re a simple jeans and T girl with a love of fashion then step it up a notch. A tailored pant with a funky v-neck T-shirt and a great blazer and long layered necklaces is a great combination of dressed up pieces combined with casual pieces for a look that’s pulled together, stylish yet simple.
Tyrina Neely
Tyrina Talks Fashion is your weekly serving of fashion forecasting, trend reporting, figure analysis and helpful fashion tips and tricks. Email Tyrina with your fashion questions and photos at tyrinaalicia@hotmail.com.
