Anticipation hummed through the air in the ballroom of the Hotel Republic on Saturday; the crowd was hungry for the first taste of the best and brightest San Diego fashions of the season. Fashion Week San Diego (FWSD), now in its 15th year, returned this weekend with its Spring Showcase after two years of mostly online operations.
This spring sneak peek showcased a piece from each of 10 local designers:
- Bliss and Bless Apparel
- Dorothea
- Elegantique Lingerie
- JumpBall Apparel
- MOTIV
- Needles and Spines
- Nina Cicolo
- Odd Bird Designs
- Sierra Mitchell
- Territa Torres
The designers’ work encompassed a wide variety of styles, ranging from sustainable formalwear with materials sourced from a single agave farm to lingerie, as well as skate and basketball apparel. With just one piece shown per designer, the event was a perfect teaser for the coming Fall 2022 season.
FWSD founder and former director Allison Andrews kicked off the festivities with a theme of gratitude and a warm introduction for newly-minted owner and director Gwen Bates. The rest of the event was hosted by Emmy-winning meteorologist Jodi Kodesh alongside longtime broadcast commentator Jonathan Harris; the two smoothly guided the event through lively musical and comedic opening acts and onward through each spectacular fashion.
Hair and makeup was supplied by local salon Gila Rut; models looked radiant with hairstyles that alternated between slick half-up half-down styles and loose, bejeweled looks, complimenting the variety of clothing styles on display. At the end of the evening, the well-dressed crowd (many who clutched trendy canned cocktails from Cutwater, a sponsor of the event) buzzed about what the fall would bring. Saturday’s event marked the start of the on-sale period for tickets to FWSD’s main attraction: the runway shows being held October 8 and 9 at the Andaz Hotel, which will spotlight the full collections of the same designers.
The longest and largest fashion week on the West Coast, FWSD has previously sold out a month in advance; this year, tickets start at $125 per person and can be purchased at FWSD’s website.
“The in-person aspect of the Spring Showcase allows our community members and fashion lovers to fully experience the raw talent of these exceptional designers,” said Bates in a statement. And if all goes according to plan, October will be an even bigger and brighter opportunity for trendsetters who have been missing the fun of in-person fashion to jump back in, feet clad in designer shoes-first.
