The fashion forward gathered atop the Mosaic complex downtown Saturday night for the much anticipated Miami in Dallas Fusion Fashion Show benefiting the Zacarias Guerra orphanage in Nicaragua. Thankfully the weather was perfect, so the poolside runway and glittering Dallas skyline were thoroughly enjoyed by guests sipping cocktails and swaying to Latin beats supplied by incredibly young DJ’s.The idea was to bring the caliente fashion of Miami to Texas, with a focus on minority and female designers and talent.

Though the list of sponsors was long, including Plano’s Classic BMW store, Runway Ready and The Aveda Institute Dallas, the fashion left a little to be desired. The show was incredibly long in relation to the short and sweet collections exhibited at NYC’s fashion week, so there was bound to be a few good surprises, namely local designer Chance Jackon’s own Carnce bag line, a luxe, over-the-top handbag collection that exists in stark contrast to the creator’s quiet, country boy demeanor. The models were a mixed bag of flown-in professionals and SMU students, and the fashion was just as confusing. Besides a switch from female to fella models once or twice, or cocktail wear to swimsuits, it was not clear which boutiques or designers made what. This was especially frustrating considering the designers were supposed to be from all over the globe, from Jamaica to Italy. But since this was the first year for the event, overall it went fairly smooth, and they are anticipating an even bigger turn out next year. Here’s my piece: hire an emcee.