Feeling Haute Haute Haute

From the low-budget runway shows you put on for mom and dad as a kid to the way you now stare longingly into boutique windows – it’s safe to say that you’ve always had a bit of a thread lust. As an adult your tastes have matured with you. While you still lean toward the glamorous, you’ve also cultivated a devotion for fine lines, uncommon textures, and shapes that give poise and balance to a body’s form. That’s where Gen Art comes in. The organization is dedicated to showcasing the best emerging designer talent across the country. Its biggest and grandest affair of the year – Fresh Faces in Fashion -- is occurring on Saturday in South Beach at the positively plush Gansevoort South Hotel (2377 Collins Ave., Miami). This year’s installment features a jaw-dropping display of mostly-regional designers, and it’s your chance to bat an eye at their newest clothing lines before they’re ripped from the models and displayed proudly in boutiques nationally.

All participants are on fame’s cusp: Georgia-girl-turned-Italian-thread-hound Megan Huntz creates hand-stained, raw silk delicacies that flirt and ripple down the female form. Miami’s sister act duo, Shumaq, anchors its ultra xx-chromosomal duds at the shoulders – allowing the clothing to play up and down our lovely lady lumps. Grace Sun’s (New York) collection has a gentle, wearable quality – while bringing out a touch of ´70s sophisticate, it stays rooted firmly in the modern. Our best pick for women’s fashion is the New York power team Bensoni. Created by Parsons’ alums Benjamin Channing Clyburn and Sonia Yoon, the petal-like forms of the collection draped over willowy models gives you a hunch of what Olive Oyl might have ascended to if only she had developed a passion for couture. Also, check out menswear by August Alexander, internationally-inspired swimwear by Miami’s Fabiana Ferreira, and accessories to pull them all together by Malcolm Fontier, Nazly Villamizar, and Septimo. Tickets cost $45 to $75. Get them before they’re off the rack at 305-695-8200, or visit www.genart.org.
Sat., April 12, 2008