South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Delray Beach Fashion Week comes back strong
If you’re ready to get your glam on in 2019, then head over to Delray Beach Fashion Week, Jan. 23-27.
The five-day spate of runway shows, shopping events and live entertainment is returning for the sixth time. Even better news: Two of the catwalk shows are free and open to the public.
The production shines the spotlight on local merchants and designers including Glavidia Alexis, Bill DeBilzan, Arianne Brown, Lizzie Lambert, Sam Delaney and Amanda Perna (who appeared on “Project Runway” twice, in 2011 for Season 9 and then in 2015 for Season 14).
What’s new this time around?
There is a “Fashion Never Dies” theme, a riff on James Bond and a way to involve the iPic movie theater opening this year in downtown Delray Beach. There is also a shopping event where attendees take a shuttle from store to store.
“We take everyone around town to give them the opportunity to shop and win some great prizes and meet the owners of the stores,” explains Laura Simon, executive director of the Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority (DDA), which created the event in 2004.
Simon says this time around the DDA is expanding the live entertainment.
“We’ve incorporated an a cappella group from Orlando called the Edge Effect,” she says. “They’re amazing. They blew us away.”
How to attend and what it costs
Anyone can stand and watch two shows staged on and around Delray Beach’s shopping and dining enclave on East Atlantic Avenue (of course if you want a reserved seat, you can buy a
$30 ticket).
The first is “Fashion Royale” on Wednesday, Jan.
23, from 7-10 p.m. This is a show of designer eveningwear and will be in front of the Colony Hotel,
525 E. Atlantic Ave.
The second is “License to Swim” on Saturday, Jan.
26, from 7-9 p.m. This is a show of swim and surf apparel and will be in Old School Square Park, Northeast Second Avenue.
Ticket prices range from
$25 to $50 for events during the week. There is a
$150 Fashion Week VIP Ticket that will get you into all the events and includes a swag bag, entry into a grand prize drawing and a oneyear membership to the upcoming iPic Movie Theater.
To order tickets, go to DelrayFashionWeek.com.
Why they do it
Overall last year more than 5,000 people attended the fashion week.
The event is also a fundraiser for Achievement Centers for Children and Families.
“Last year we exceeded our expectation at $63,000,” Simon adds. “Every year all the ticket proceeds go back into the pockets of our Achievement Center and our charities. This is not a for-profit event.”