Carlos Miele Runway Show Spring 2009 - Exciting, Musical Mix of Cultures

The Carlos Miele Spring -Summer 2009 Runway Show at the Bryant Park Tents was one of the most entertaining and lively shows of the week, thanks in part to live music on the runway, by singer Seu Jorge, a once-homeless kid who lived in a Brazillian slum outside of Rio de Janeiro. Jorge electrified the runway, singing his heart out, while serenading the passing models on the runway. Not just a signer, Jorge appeared in the film: "City of God." He has also created several music DVDs and solo music albums.

photos courtesy of Mercedes Benz

But it's the clothes that everyone comes to see, and Miele's wearable but sexy, Springtime frocks delighted the fashionistas. Miele called this collection: "a dance between nature and the female body." The clothes, delivered.

Dresses floated and swayed down the runway, with lots of artful wrapping and draping The designer found his inspiration in a tropical garden and in the colors of day and night in the tropical rainforest. The clothes, according to the designer's note, are a "a movement of the leaves, the shadows of the native trees and flowers, the lightness and reflection of the water, the sleek shapes, curves, vibrant colors, and rich textures of the rainforest." But there were also very sophisticated, glamorous, body conscious gowns, such as this glittering one.

Miele is part Italian and part Brazilian, and creates clothes that will work on cosmopolitan women in every city with clothes that are sophisticated for women who know what they want, and how to get it. The clothes were structured in some cases, flowing and light in others, with lots of chiffon prints in soft patterns, balanced by skin tight black pants and sheer tops, and a smattering of sparkles that were sensual, but not trashy. Jeweled necklaces held dresses in place, and from where I sat I could only glimpse the beading, feathers and light fringes of tulle.. There were plenty of soft pastel prints and muted tones, but there were also pops of brights: turquoise, green, red, pink, orange and blue.

Brazillian women love long, soft, shiny, swing-y hair. Hair stylist John Barrett created the shiny, bouncy hair look with an uneven part that look exotic and pretty on the runway. Lead makeup artist Romy Soleimani and the M.A.C. Pro Team created the fresh-faced, smouldering eye look. "The look is that "end-of-summer bronze, as natural as possible and really buffed," Soleimani, used deep bronze cream shadow buffed onto lids to create the sensual eye. Romy applied MAC Sculpt and Shape Foundation in one tone darker than models' natural skin tone for a bronzed effect. Her Pro Tip?: "Use your bronzer as a contouring powder with a soft brush that offers control. This will serve as a bronzing technique that will give the face balance and a vibrant finish."She then blended a combination of bronze and orange cream blushes into the cheeks. Like almost all the lips I saw, the lips for Carlos Miele's show were moisturized with a touch of sheer pink gloss, but not a lot of fuss or color.

All content and photos (unless otherwise specifically marked) --Alison Blackman Dunham for the Advice Sisters copyright © 2008 all rights reserved by Alison Blackman Dunham of THE ADVICE SISTERS® The Advice Sisters is a registered United States trademark. Please feel free to link to this post. For other permissions, email the Advice Sisters advicesisters(at)advicesisters(dot)net

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week 9/6/07-Carlos Miele

Carlos Miele's Spring 2008 collection was inspired by the encounter in 1960 between Frank Sinatra and the Brazillian Musician, Tom Jobim (who immortalized songs like "the Girl from Ipanema"). The bossa nova, the sensual music that blends sunsual, Brazillian thythms and jazz, and it's surrounding social and artistc influence, was the true inspiration for this Spring 2008 collection . Just like the music, Miele's collection was sensual, full of movement, and featured Brasil's culture through lace, crochet and "fuxico" or, for an English term, "rosettes." They appeared in every shape and size. On the left, the goldenrod-olored gown literally looks like it is comprised of large, open flowers, drooping every so languidly as the model walks. The fxico appear on the gown on the right, as tiny little buds covering the top.

Miele also used exotic colors, inpsired by tropic fruits. Oddly out of place with the flowing clothes and tropical colors (and lots of champagne and gold) were fabrics featuring photographic prints inspired by the designer's travels. The clothes would appeal to a sophisticated women of any nationality. The black, tropical wool ankle pants worn with a champagne silk bubble blouse with embroideered neckline and metallic, peep-toe pumps, would work for almost every woman of any age.

Makeup was done by Romy Soleimani and the MAC Pro Team. The model's skin was slightly glowing and bronzed, with corall-y lips and not too much emphasis on the eyes. The hair by Rolando Beauchamp and the Bumble and Bumble team featured small, beachy" buns.

There were plenty of "for play" and "for day" looks, but the standouts were the red-carpet-type gowns with lots of appeal both coming and going. All in all, a pretty collection of very pretty clothes that would make any woman feel special.

*all text and photos by Alison Blackman Dunham -- copyright © 2007 all rights reserved by Alison Blackman Dunham of THE ADVICE SISTERS® No portion of this content, including illustrations, may be copied or used in any without written permission. Please do not take my work! If you want to use text or photo (with proper credit) please ask for permission first at: advicesisters@advicesisters.net. The Advice Sisters is a registered United States trademark.