Art 2 Wear: San Miguel de Allende

I had my first experience photographing a runway show! A group of designers and fashionistas led by India Bastien in San Miguel de Allende organized a weekend-long fashion event called Art 2 Wear. I attended the fashion show held on a large tented stage in the center of town two weeks ago on Saturday, August 17th. Free and open to the public, the event drew a large and all-age diverse crowd. It was a long show, about five hours. I was there for the last half, positioning myself with the other photographers at the end of the runway. It was a thrill!

There was a DJ playing high-energy catwalk music and then it suddenly died. While the poor DJ tried to fix the sound system, one of the resourceful organizers had a group of mariachis from El Jardín, the main plaza, pop up on the stage and play. They were dressed so sharp, they're naturals on the runway.

Designs from Tuna Boutique, this dress modeled by Mittie Roger. 

Beautiful traditional style on the street. 

Opening entertainment with great flair and style for the clothing line Apashanka, by designer Apashanka araña tejedora. 

I fell in love with Apashanka's sexy designs using traditional embroidery but in a bold modern way. This dress worn by Mittie Roger.

The Apashanka dresses were modeled with Cock of the Walk boots. 

The fashion show ended with the tribal, hipster Mexico City designs of Summer Romero. 

It was a fabulous event, full of sensory delights. The range of creativity and talent in San Miguel is a constant source of surprise and inspiration. This year was such a success, there are plans for a bigger Art 2 Wear festival next year and I hope to be there at the end of the runway once again!