Strutting the catwalk in the Multi-purpose Sports Complex July 26, models from the Virgin Islands and abroad showcased outfits from 15 designers for the 15th anniversary of Summer Sizzle BVI.
The Global Glamour Runway Show was the main event of a four-day fashion series that kicked off July 24 with a group hike and continued through July 27 with dinners, parties and other activities.
Summer Sizzle BVI founder and CEO Terry Donovan called the series a success.
“I think it has really created an event in the Caribbean like no other in terms of a fashion-and-lifestyle-destination experience,” Mr. Donovan told the Beacon on Monday. “The fact that we’re able to attract some visitors to the destination for this fashion-and-lifestyle event, it shows the potential of growth, which is enormous for the future.”
On the runway
The July 26 show featured children and adults modelling everything from swimsuits to eveningwear.
The designers ranged from Andrea Wilson, whose Islander Swim Collection features prints of VI scenes, to Nigerian-British artist Chuks Collins, who works to bridge African and Western aesthetics.
The finale showcased the work of Philippines native Oliver Tolentino, a Beverly Hills-based celebrity designer who has been featured on America’s Next Top Model.
Halfway through the night’s exhibition, VI singer Toriah Pryce took the stage for a rousing performance.
Mr. Donovan said attendees, who paid between $60 and $300 for a ticket to the show, were given an experience worth the cost of admission.
He added that the snaking catwalk used this year — which gave the models a longer time on stage — was also a success.
“Everyone who attended the event — the runway show — this year really enjoyed it and thought it was different,” Mr. Donovan said.
Ticket cost
Mr. Donovan admitted that the ticket costs were steep, but he said if more people could be expected to show up, the prices could be reduced.
“That’s something that really needs to be re-evaluated as well, to get more people,” he said. “When there’s so much going on, people have to pick and choose [between events].”
Some of the constraints of event planning in the VI, Mr. Donovan added, have to do with the size of the population.
“Based on the limitation of sponsorships on such a small island — [where] people are stretched thin — it’s very difficult to make the tickets $20 and $30 to cover the cost of the event,” he said. “Summer Sizzle BVI cost over $250,000 to produce.”
Activities
The fashion series began July 24 with a hike.
“We had about 20-something people who went on that hiking tour, and everyone came back and they said it was like one of the best hikes and experiences they’ve ever had,” Mr. Donovan said.
Later that night, the Loose Mongoose on Beef Island hosted a welcome dinner, setting a glamourous tone for the weekend ahead.
Friday’s activities kept fashion centre-stage with a “Beauty Trends Event” at Wyndham Lambert Beach Resort followed by an art gala and a masquerade party at Long Bay Beach Resort.
The events wrapped up July 27 with a yachting excursion and beach barbecue on Jost Van Dyke.
