This winter a sensual theatrical production has come alive in a gorgeous pop up theater at Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast 38th Street in Miami.The venue is called the Pleasure Garden and it's a courtyard, with 1920's circus motifs and exterior design by designer Luis Pons. There are two lovely antique Belgian Spiegeltents, one devoted to a prix-fixe menu by celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein, the other home of a new show called Orchid.

The show is burlesque with a very loose theatrical plot. It's a mix of singing, dancing and acrobatics. Director William Baker has worked with Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears and other music stars, and seems to have had a music video style vision for this.

The Orchid script, a collaborative effort by Baker and vocal arranger Terry Ronald, takes from the biblical Garden of Eden story with quotes from the book of revelation even thrown in at the end. Mind you somewhere in the middle there is a rendition of "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton. Here lies the problem with the Orchid. It does not make a whole lot of sense. The design, costumes, aerial work, are great though. There is a trend in musicals these days to cover popular songs and weave them them in to the plot  (Mamma Mia, Rock Of Ages, Glee). Orchid does the same.
Songs include Madonna ( Like a Virgin, Justify My Love), Rihanna ( Umbrella), DeBarge ( Rhythm of the Night), Space ( Female of the Species), Cole Porter ( Down in the Depths), Jerry Ross and Richard Adler ( Whatever Lola Wants), Fats Waller ( Honeysuckle Rose) and more.

The burlesque and acrobatics are the best parts and over all the Orchid is a unique and enjoyable production, other than being about 30 minutes too long.

The Orchid is erotic and the stars are semi- nude. No one under 18 is admitted.

If you're in Miami we suggest you check it out. If you're not in Miami keep looking out. They plan to go on tour with the show this year.

Set to take the stage next August and play host to over 80,000 music fans, Friends of Nature Music Festival also holds the prestige of the city’s first completely eco-friendly music event.

Miami, FL – Miami is renowned around the world as a hub of culture and diversity, boasting some of North America’s largest festivals and most sought-after shows. However, a new chapter will begin on August 31st 2013 as the city debuts yet another global accolade – a 100% eco-friendly music festival.

Dubbed ‘Friends of Nature Music Festival’ the event aims to raise awareness about the planet through two days of spectacular music, peace, entertainment and a wide variety of activities and exhibitors. While setting the standard by being 100% sustainable in itself, the ground-breaking festival is set to take the city by storm.

“Friends of Nature Festival was created with the idea of starting a movement to raise awareness about our planet and to push major companies to produce and promote more green products. We believe that we can still enjoy the things we love, we just simply have to make sure we are not being selfish with our planet,” says Ines Galindo, Owner of Eyeness Productions who are planning the event.

Continuing, “To be a concrete role model, Friends of Nature Music Festival is going to be completely eco-friendly, from the sponsoring products to the tickets sold. We are determined to work as role models for other events and festivals by having fun and giving back to our planet at the same time.”

Giving back is clearly on the agenda, with Galindo and the rest of the festival’s team choosing to donate a portion of all festival profits to a nominated charity. For the 2013 festival these funds will be given to the Ocean Preservation Society (OPS).

“Ocean Preservation Society is a non-profit that creates film, photography and media to inspire people to save the oceans and animals. They produced their first documentary film in 2009, The Cove, which has won over 70 awards globally including the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2009,” Galindo adds.

To further their environmental commitment, the festival’s Management team is planning to source all power from natural sources such as solar and wind power, while ensuring that all products sold remain true to their 100% eco-friendly mandate.

Those interested in purchasing tickets, sponsoring the event or enquiring about trading, can visit the festival’s official website, here: http://www.fonfest.com/

The festival can also be found on Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/Fonfest , and on Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/Fonfest

Event Details
DATES & TIMES: Saturday August 31st from 11-1:30 am
                    Sunday September 1st from 11- 1:00 am
LOCATION: Historical Virginia Key Beach Park. Key Biscayne, Florida
ATTENDEES:  80,000 Attendees over the length of two days.

About Friends of Nature Music Festival:
FRIENDS OF NATURE MUSIC FESTIVAL is bringing a new face to our community with all the fun and innovation Miami is known for and at the same time raising awareness about our planet. FON FESTIVAL is completely eco-friendly festival from the sponsoring products to the tickets sold. We are determined to work as role models for other events and festivals by having fun and giving back to our planet at the same time.

Contact
Ines Galindo / 3059874262 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The theme of the 2012 Teen Miami Pageant was all about each of the contestants having the ability to gain self-confidence, self-esteem and the opportunity to make new friends. This pageant was based on PERSONALITY.

The three part judging process started with a 3-minuet interview with each young lady. We had to ask them questions about their life, education and plans for their future, plus some random things that told us a bit more on who they were. The most amazing thing here to me was how proper and well spoken these gals are! As judges we were to gage each ones scores on a set of criteria. They had to just be them self and present themselves in a manner that their personality shined through! What we discovered was some outstanding things, most of the girls were not into social media, they helped out at home, they volunteered in their community and had high hopes for their future education. They smiled and laughed freely. One question was what is your favorite subject in school……..hands down it was math or science. When asked why, the answer was summed up as it gave them the opportunity to think, reason a decision and come to a conclusion. They just amazed me!

The second part of competition was the Casual Wear Competition.  Each contestant was able to choose an outfit that they feel comfortable in. The outfits include what they would wear to a casual event or could represent what they would wear to a sport that they participated in. They had to be age appropriate, and they were, it was extremely nice to see girls this age with their hair styled in a natural manner, with a light makeup and cloths that not only fit them properly, but outfits that were casual and suited their personality.

The third part of competition was the Formal Wear Competition. Simple formal wear, with hair and makeup appropriate for their age! The Emcee presented each contestant center stage and had an interview question. The questions were based on current lifestyle and plans for the future. It was amazing that the common denominator here was they all were making plans for a higher education. The scope of what they wanted to do for a future career ranged from being a physician, involved in the forensic sciences or involved in police sciences. I was amazed at the options they had researched and as well, that they were involved in magnet school  or program that had pre requisite courses in line for their future, or volunteered within the community pertaining to their future goals. The get it girls of the future, were on stage and blew me away!

I have to say I was extremely impressed with each and every one of them. It was a great experience not only for the young ladies, but each of us that were invited to judge the competition. The judges were an amazing group of people who have successful businesses, give back to the community, implement programs and/or volunteer for the needs of their community.

The scope of the judges were individuals like me who have mentor programs, there were a panel of 10 of us total, Long time professionals in the beauty industry like Rick Lesser a freelance stylist for film and photography, Raquel Watters who is the owner of Ric-Rac salons in Miami, Jessica Rae Anderson a international fashion stylist and writer, just to mention a few. After the pageant concluded a group of us judges went out together, seems like we all felt that we received much more then we gave, everything we were hoping for the girls, we got as well, we made new friends, we had a great time, we felt wonderful and inspired. When you think of pageants, know there are many types……….the real deals that make a difference will always impress and inspire me to do more for the industry & the community.

Best said is this: No Honey Boo Boo’s here!

Fashion's Night Out Miami was ton's of fun! Me and photographer Angie Lagou went out to check out the scene on the streets of the always cool Design District. See out escapades here:

The Broken Shaker the first pop-up cocktail bar in Miami closed back in May but will reopen in November!

It will return to the Indian Creek Hotel, which is undergoing renovations. In addition they are expanding into a nearby house to add a full service restaurant, complete with an upstairs lounge.

Broken Shaker at the Indian Creek Hotel
2727 Indian Creek Drive
Miami Beach, FL 33139
http://bar-lab.com/

Check out the Video Below!

Miami Swimwear Fashion Week is becoming a week long festival for cool people. It's not as crowded as Art Basel in December but it is having the same kind of cache that Basel did 3 or 4 years ago before Basel became the over saturated mardi-gras that it is now. In other words Swim Week is hot! Even a few years ago swim week was mostly just Mercedes Benz Swimwear Fashion Week at the Raleigh Hotel and the 4 day long Swimwear show for buyers at the convention center. Now the entire South Beach is taken over by events. Every trendy hotel has a fashion show or event (W Hotel, SLS, Soho House). Funkshion, the Miami based fashion week has its own fashion week tents set up with emerging designers showcasing everyday.

Planet Fashion even has an annual event at the Ritz Carlton showcasing designers featuring Amour Luxury Swimwear from Colombia and Chio from Milan.

Here is a quick run down of highlights for the week:

Omega Watches showcasing luxury waterproof watches had had a fun event at SLS early in the week. Chris Bosh from the NBA championship Heat team made an appearance.

La Perla the Lingerie specialists had a fun cocktail party and swimwear presentation at Soho House.

Vanessa Simmons, Hip-Hop royalty, Russel Simmons niece debuted her bedazzled collection at the Raleigh which for whatever the reason took place at 11:30 at night.

Oakley had a fashion show and party at SLS that was probably the best party of the week. It was model overload. Nick Cannon DJ'd and was amazing. Lil' Jon passed through.

Mercedes Benz fashion week: The trend of one pieces, geometric shapes and in general suits that are more covered up continues. A lot of the collections seem to skew older, possibly because of the price point.

Our Favorites:

Mara Hoffman

Vitamin A

Lisa Blue

Delores Cortes

Lisa Blue is one of our perennial favorite designers. This Aussie brand is huge in Australia and is continuing to get more popular here. The brand designer, Lisa Burke is a leggy blonde who models as well. She is trending because not only are her swimwear collections consistently cool but she is an environmentalist who raises money for whale and dolphin conservation. It's worth your time to explore more about this brand. It's our top pick for this year's swimwear fashion week. Her runway show was a mix of Goddess meets pin-up girl. Cool right? The show also featured "Dancing With The Stars" tango expert, Karina Smirnoff. 

Check it out here:

European fashion designer Dolores Cortés introduces her new model, who is 10 months old and happens to have Down syndrome: Valentina Guerrero.

Miami, FL.- On Friday July 20th Spanish designer Dolores Cortés showcased her 2013 collection at the Cabaña Grande of the Raleigh Hotel in Miami Beach. Celebrities and top industry executives gathered to get an exclusive look of the stunning collection filled with vibrant colors and patterns.

The 2013 line was not the only thing that left everyone in awe. At the end of the show, when all the models walked out, Dolores Cortés appeared on the runway to thank the attendees and, in an unprecedented move picked up a special baby. She introduced to the industry and media the new model for her DC KIDS 2013 collection, Valentina Guerrero, a little girl with Trisomy 21.

That night every guest received a DC KIDS brochure with Valentina on the cover. They also got a pamphlet and bracelet from the Down Syndrome Association of Miami.

Valentina Guerrero has become the first person with Down syndrome in history to be the main model of a prestigious fashion designer. Both Valentina and Dolores Cortés are breaking pre-established molds of beauty, reminding the world that our differences are precisely what make us all unique and fascinating. “People with Down syndrome are just as beautiful and deserve the same opportunities, I’m thrilled to have Valentina modeling for us,” said Dolores Cortés.

Dolores Cortés Kids USA will donate 10% of the profits of this collection to the Down Syndrome Association of Miami.

### Valentina and her mother are available for interviews Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 786.546.5022 Follow Valentina’s adventures and lessons on Twitter: @BraveWarriorVG

Planet Fashion is pleased to welcome Chio Luxury Swimwear in their debut at Miami Swim Week. Chio is an exclusive brand from Milan that is quickly becoming one of the must have swimwear lines for international celebrities.

Designed by two sisters, Stefania and Maria Cristina Di Simone, CHIO is a line that is created and manufactured exclusively in Italy. Their goal was to create a swimwear collection that contains a strong measure of high fashion and introduces 'haute couture' to the world of beachwear. CHIO is a luxury brand that embodies glamour and innovative vision through cutting edge creations, luxurious fabrics and the finest craftsmanship. CHIO’s use of Swarovski crystals, crochet, embroidery, French lace, and precious stones make this line one of a kind and nothing like it out there. The label is recognized throughout the globe with devoted celebrity followers such as Paris and Nikki Hilton, Madonna, Beyonce, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Anniston, Nelly Furtado, Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza, Miss Universe Navarette Ximena and supermodels Bar Rafalie and Molly Simms.

CHIO di Stefania D Swimwear
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.chio-online.com