Fashion Week Launches off Hoboken Runway

New Jersey Fashion Week concluded its first appearance in Hoboken Monday night after a two-day program of runway shows at . The event, the second annual since its inception, is intended to showcase the work of New Jersey based talent in the fashion industry, including clothing designers, models and hair and makeup stylists.

Most of the shows ran in a special tent erected on the pier that housed a runway, carpeted seating, lounge and dressing room.

Fashion Week founder Donnella Tilery was brief in her remarks welcoming over 150 guests and members of the press for the first show Sunday afternoon.

“Thank you to everyone for coming out today,” Tilery said. “I'm really excited to have everyone see this amazing group of designers.”

The slate on Sunday afternoon included shows from seven designers in the tent, and one later show at nightclub presented by celebrity hair stylist and Hoboken native Eric Alt.

The shows at the pier on Monday included featured appearances from celebrity guests including Food Network chef and Hoboken resident Chris Nirschel, and Kim Granatell from the reality television show The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

In a show very popular with the audience, several survivors of breast cancer walked the runway each with pink incorporated into his or her outfits. New Jersey Fashion Week is donating a portion of its proceeds to the North Jersey chapter of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure foundation.

Lisa Gallipoli, executive director of the North Jersey chapter, emceed the survivor walk.

"It's a great way to bring awareness to a deserving cause, and bring awareness about the need for mammograms in a creative and fun venue," Gallipoli said.

Altogether the shows presented several distinct clothing lines, for both women and men, and for children, teens and adults.

Designer Jean Ralph Thurin from Princeton opened the shows Sunday with his spring evening line, which featured a parade of several white gowns contrasted with shorter dresses in various colors. Thurin said he drew from a common inspiration. “A girl's best friend: diamonds,” he said.

Following Thurin's line was Conquer Style, a Franklin Lakes, New Jersey based men's line featuring polo and dress shirts with a distinct cannon logo. Among the Conquer models was Olympic boxer Eric Kelly.

Conquer co-creator Bijan Zamanian, who left Wall Street to start the clothing line, said that the cannon logo symbolizes power. “It's about knocking down barriers,” he said.

One of the biggest stars on Sunday was thirteen year-old designer Jazmin Brown, who charmed the audience with her line of children's wear. Brown's models included young children in clothes that they could wear to school, and teenage girls in dresses that they could wear to the prom.

“It's fun and crazy,” Brown said. “It's different colors, different ideas.”

Brown's parents were in attendance to support their daughter.

“She worked hard, I'm happy for her,” Brown's mother Camara Brown said.

The younger Brown has already appeared on the Tyra Banks Show and said her goal is to open her own boutique by age 16.

The shows on Sunday also featured a South American themed nightlife line by Alexandra Miranda-Sangillo, a Paraguayan native now based in New Jersey; a bikini line by New York designer Helen Robles; an extensive active wear line that involved over 40 male and female models by Russian transplant Elena Vasilevsky; and a colorful, loose-fitting line called Prajje 1983, which takes its inspiration from the Haitian countryside.

The night ended with a very creative show at Room 84 presented by hair stylist Eric Alt, who brought a team of designers together to create a multimedia fashion “carnivale” featuring women, men and drag queens wearing outfits that ranged from traditional to kitsch to avant garde. Among Alt's models were Kim Granatell and Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir. Alt's show ran multiple times Sunday night to accommodate a large audience waiting to see it.

The shows Monday included a showcase inspired by the colors and flavors of Fashion Week sponsor Vitaminwater Zero, a jewelry line entitled Rock Goddess by designer Justice Belle, a versatile women's line by Gwen Beloti, a young adult line for men and women by designer Darius Gibbs.

Monday also saw a line from organic children's clothier GooRoo Mini, which featured a parade of toddlers.

Finally on Monday night Fashion Week sponsor LA Sunset Tan hosted an exclusive after-party at the Chandelier Room in the .

The hotel was the originally planned site for the runway shows, but Tilery changed the location after discussions with the City of Hoboken. The city offered space on the pier, which Tilery said gave the event more exposure and the waterfront as a scenic backdrop. Mayor Dawn Zimmer appeared with Tilery in a announcing the Fashion Week in September, and Cultural Affairs director Geri Fallo attended the shows on Sunday. Tilery said she is considering bringing next year's Fashion Week to the same spot.

“We wanted to try something different,” she said. “The city has been great with helping us.”