Islands of the World Fashion Tour - Chicago at Loft on Lake

On August 10th, another successful Islands of the World Fashion Tour took place in Chicago with other successful stops in Palm Springs, California and Miami.

Since 2008, fashion designers from islands all over the map have been coming to Nassau for Islands of the World Fashion Week, and with the success of that show, a tour was born for 2010.

The Chicago event took place at the hip, West Loop space Loft on Lake, a creative venue with much character. With the venue’s high ceilings, exposed brick walls, and gorgeous skylight, runway production by Studio 808 and event production by our very own Factio Magazine, the show turned out beautifully. The décor was tropical with sand, tiki candles, plants, and white drapes framing the walls and gorgeous hues of ocean blue lighting thanks to Art of Imagination. With a cocktail hour starting at six, the 200+ guests were able to mingle before the show began, while sipping islandy cocktails from Pama and Hpnotiq.

The show started out by presenting Harl Taylor BAGS (Bahamas), with female models dressed in black or white leotards, simple hairstyles, and cateye makeup while the male models made a statement wearing loincloths while showing off accessories. One of Factio’s personal favorites was a lipstick red woven clutch with intricate shell detailing at the center to give the gorgeous accessory an island-themed look. Following was Nadya (Bali) who used stunning fabrics and a mixture of earthy tones and metalics, making each piece memorable. K-Bobby (Jamaica) took a more beachy approach with one of his most jaw-dropping pieces being an itty-bitty teeny-weeny brown monokini with a stunning teal overcoat. The brightest and most feminine looks however came from Eric Raisina (Madagascar). His unique creations ranged from a turquoise mod-like dress with a matching cap, to a hot one-shoulder red dress with feather-like fringe from head-to-toe.

 DJ Megan Taylor from Fig Deejay played a mixture of reggae, electronic and upbeat tracks to match the models’ strut on the catwalk. As the sun set the venue got darker and the colored lights filling the room made for an even more sophisticated show.

Find out more about Islands of the World Fashion Week in Nassau this November 11-13th and be sure to visit www.islandsfashionweek.com. We'll see you at the shows!
-Leigh Loosbrock

Photos Left to Right: Harl Taylor BAG, Nadya, K-Bobby, and Eric Raisina, Photos by James Gustin, Figphoto.net