Fashion Wire Daily Colombia - Club El Rodeo's massive white tent was transformed into a Bamboo Garden for the opening night show of ColombiaModa (Fashion Week Medellin). The mountainous entry was lined with Japanese lanterns and chamber music. More lanterns, islands of bamboo and handmade straw mats created a magical, yet perilous-looking catwalk. Colombian designers Hernan Zajar, Francesca Miranda and Olga Piedrahita were selected for the opening show. Zajar, known as the "King of Crochet", was expected to unveil his newest, sexy dresses and jeans, but instead presented an auspicious press show featuring kabuki dolls and a ninja warrior of sorts wrapped in tulle and panels of rice-paper fabrics. Dignitaries were both dazed and delighted.
Miranda's bridal collection seemed to portray celebs from different decades. There was Twiggy, Ali McGraw, Cher, Jackie O, the Great Gatsby, and of course Marilyn Monroe in a mermaid, strapless dress. A veritable history of fashion. Miranda exclaimed after the show, "I'm in heaven!"
Piedrahita unveiled a collection of extremely delicate silk eveningwear, so fragile, you could almost hear the designer screech in pain backstage as her fine gowns scraped over the handmade straw mats. But, the crowd loved it, straw mats and all.
"This was very original and unique," said Maria Christina Restrepo, managing director of Vogue Colombia. "I loved the concept and styling of the show," said Luigi Ratino, of L'altro Uomo, a designer rep firm, " it's refreshing to see something so out-of-the-box."
