Last week I had the pleasure of attending the 3Jay Style Exhibition. I say “pleasure” because last year I wasn’t too pleased with the event, but this year…..MAHJAH improvements were made.
The event’s two fashion shows were held at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center and the Networking Social- which is a great idea by the way- was held at Jillian’s. Both locations were downtown in the Vista, and were perfect for each event. The sets were nice and fit each space. The offering of designers was ok too. Yes there were a few that had a construction and taste level issues, but when the designers were good they were great! Project Runway Season 6 alum Ra’mon Lawrence stole the show, and he was very nice when I met him backstage.
While the event was great this year, I would say just a few things that I think would make the 3Jay Style Exhibition better. The event should have an official host. They need someone that can tell the DJ when to play music and when to stop behind the scenes. They need better transitions between designers. They need a program printed out on paper with a description of each line and contact info for each designer. The designers don’t need to come out on stage and introduce their collections.
Little torrid details shouldn’t be known. Case in point…if a designer couldn’t make it because he couldn’t get a ride but you still want to mention his name for support… Just mention his name, thank him for support, and move on. If the lights cut on while you are speaking, don’t announce the obvious and tell the audience that the lights shouldn’t be on. Just go with the flow and act like that was supposed to happen.
Even though there were a few hiccups here and there, this year’s event was fabulous and people are already talking about next year.
3Jay Style Exhibition April 26-28, 2012
List of Designers:
Thursday:
SIR, Vitesse eXchange, Azure Swimwear, Scripted Designs, Stiletto Soule & Yeni Creations, Songbird Design
Saturday:
MICHI Knitwear, Design By U, Lauren De’Vaughn, Nepenthe, ATIV, Ra’Mon Lawrence