Arturo Paulino Blog

It was Thomas Edison who first said, “Most people don’t recognize opportunity when it comes, because it’s usually dressed in overalls and looks a lot like work.”  Two things stand out from this quote – opportunity and work.  While living in South Florida I have asked myself many times what are some of the things I can learn from this community.  I’m a strong believer of feeding off of, not imposing on, the community and culture; so when it comes to photography and Miami, fashion has to be in the conversation.

As I was making an intentional effort to learn more about fashion photography I started to google the top fashion shows in the industry.  Please bear in mind that my fashion IQ has been limited to glances of Project Runway while my wife, mother-in-law and daughters oohhh and ahhhh whenever they see “good” designs.  Having said that, I learned about the popularity of Fashion Weeks.  Milan? too cold.  Paris? Too pricey.  New York? Just passed. Miami? really is there a Fashion Week taking place in my backyard??? YES!!! Miami Fashion Week is a well established fashion outlet for designers from Latin America, Europe and beyond.  So this was my opportunity.

So, now the work part.  First of all, I came across MFW only 8 days before the opening night (translation: not enough time to request a media press).  Not only was I running out of time, but I had questions regarding the right equipment to bring, times, flow of events, poses, looks and intangibles.  With all of these reasons-why-this-might-not-work-out I decided to call their PR department.  Just as I thought, I was reminded over the phone of how late in the game I was, but despite all of this less-than-encouraging phone call, I decided to write them an email and formally petition for press credentials.

Within hours of me clicking “send” I got a “reply” and just like that I WAS IN! I was jumping up and down from excitement!!! After that it was a fashion photography crash course search on the internet, asking around and putting myself “out there”.

Days later I was about to document the opening night alongside professionals from major media outlets like CNN, Univision, Telemundo, and Yahoo to mention a few.  This first day was stacked with talents.  The event started showcasing lingerie and swimsuits from designers Zella Machado Swimwear from Brazil, Eugene Jones Swimwear from the USA, Kanomi Swimwear from Venezuela, De Lancret Swimwear from the USA, Sambarela Swimwear from Brazil and MaddSexy Lingerie from the USA.  The second part of the event showcased eveneningware by Somy Ali of So-Me Designs for the No More Tears organization supporting women and children in need, GooRoo Baby, Erin Healy, Arefeh Mansouri, Zula Khramov, Art of Shade and Cesar Rosario.  Also featuring their collections for this eveneningware were Miami’s top designers Julian Chang, Petit Pois by Viviana G., Samy Gitcherman and Nicolas Felizola.

The following images are some of the highlights of the first day.  In this first batch are the works of lingerie and swim designers Zella Machado Swimwear, Eugene Jones Swimwear, Kanomi Swimwear, De Lancret, Sambarela and MaddSexy

For the second part of this opening day, designers Somy Ali ,GooRoo Baby, Erin Healy, Arefeh Mansouri, Zula Khramov, Art of Shade, Cesar Rosario, Julian Chang, Petit Pois by Viviana G., Samy Gitcherman and Nicolas Felizola graced the runway with their creations. Here are some of my fav gowns

Designed by Erin Healy | Modeled by Elena Kurnosova

Designed by Arefeh Mansouri

Designed by Zula Khramov | Modeled by Elena Kurnosova

Designed by Art of Shade

Designed by Julian Chang

Designed by Cesar Rosario

Designed by Viviana G. from Petit Pois

Designed by Sami Gitcherman

Designed by Nicolas Felizola

Designed by Art of Shade

Needless to say this was a memorable evening.  Creativity, design and display combined for a beautiful fashion show.  I guess Thomas Edison was right after all.  Let us be encouraged when we sense “opportunity” passing by and seize it with hard work and persistence.  Trust me, it pays off   Stay tuned for more in-depth coverage with interviews to Zula Khramov, Cesar Rosario, Viviana G., Samy Gitcherman, Nicolas Felizola and super model Elena Kurnosova!

If you’d like to check out more of my fav’s check out this Gallery Slideshow

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Special thanks to Rachel Levy and Maria Lanao from Levy Communications for the opportunity and great attention. For more info regarding Miami Fashion Week feel free to check out their website here.