The photos above are of three of Michelle Cole's 25 pieces that will be shown in Miami this week. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Cole)
Michelle Cole is `fashion elite' in local designer circles but in Miami, Florida, she is yet to reach that status.
But Cole is climbing the stairs of haute couture and her second invitation to Fashion of the Americas (FWA) in Miami is testimony to this.
FWA Founder, Beth Sobol began her fashion career in 1970 as a runway model and at the request of several designers started one of the world's premier fashion events that attracts the experienced, the talented and the budding among designers far and wide.
FWA is now the largest Latin American fashion event in the US and the ultimate showcase for Latin fashion, beauty, style, music and culture.
One year ago, Cole exploded at FWA with an all-white linen collection that was symbolic of her first appearance at FWA. The line was dubbed, 'Tribute to the Amerindians' and won the local girl rave reviews on the international scene.
The Miami Herald singled Cole out from among the Caribbean designers in its report after the show. Fashion TV also took notice and featured the collection hours after the curtains went down at FWA.
This year, Cole is taking her collection to another level with the introduction of a silk, Latin-inspired line with a little haute couture 'flava'. Everything from silk chiffon and crinkled silk to heavyweight and lightweight silk pieces make up the new collection.
In a recent interview with Stabroek News the designer said she has matured since last year's FWA and is hoping to once again leave her mark at the showing. But this time around, Miami must have more to talk about.
Cole said she had completed her 25 required pieces for FWA earlier this year. Commenting on her participation in the show, she said that FWA is about promotion as well as recognition at a certain level of the field.
She explained that a designer's work has to be of a certain standard before FWA responds to a recommendation. Then the designer has to be sponsored for the show. Sponsorship covers model fees and fees for make-up artists among other things.
This year at FWA Cole will be part of a 'Caribbean Showcase' that includes acclaimed Trinidadian designer Heather Jones, Dennis Devaed of Guadeloupe, Slyviane Gody of Martinique and Claudia Pegus and Denise Carew both of Trinidad.
The local designer will also rub shoulders with Lifetime Achievement in Fashion Award recipient, Patricia Field of the House of Field - USA, the New Star in Fashion Award Winner, Sitka Semsch of Peru and Vogue en Espanol Designer Choice Award Winner, Torge Luis Salinas also of Peru.
Cole who had the desire to create at age 11 combined her acclaimed collection at FWA with other pieces and launched her 'Innocent Maybe...' line last October.
In addition to working on her FWA collection this year, Cole pulled off four successful in-flight fashion shows with Universal Airlines during February 17-21 as a pre-Mashramani promotion.
Still on Mash, she outfitted the Carib costume band that included delegates of the Miss Mash International Pageant.
Her label, 'Colefacts' is sold in stores across the Caribbean. According to her several pieces are sold at two stores in St. Vincent, two stores in Barbados and one in St. Lucia. Plans are underway for sales in Jamaica and Grenada.
Though Miami beckons, Cole said she will always be Guyanese and never lose track of her roots.
"My heart is here, which means I will always be here. I am taking on America now and the world later but nothing changes where home is concerned and for Michelle Cole, Guyana is home."
FWA 2004 hits the runways from May 13 to 16 at Roney Palace Resort, 2399 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach. The FWA website says 30 designers are expected from 15 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia.