New York- FRIDAY FEBRUARY 19TH | MAIN ROOM OF THE MALCOLM X & DR BETTY SHABAZZ
MEMORIAL AND EDUCATIONAL CENTER.
7:00PM
RED CARPET & VIP RECEPTION
8:00PM
Denisse Washington (Plus-Size) New York
Angel Ayala (Avant Garde) Puerto Rico
Carlos Vigil (Haute Couture) Peru
Pipo Pere (Teen) Puerto Rico
9:00PM
Marlene H’ Couture (Bridal) South Africa
Dario Mohr (Menswear) America
CLOSING SHOW: Willfredo Gerardo (Haute Couture) Northern California
FROM DAHIANA PERE
With dozens of fashion designers bringing new ideas from around the world, Uptown Fashion Week
has established itself as a crucial stop on the fashion circuit. Uptown Fashion Week has become the
signature multicultural fashion event of New York City, founding it's development on providing exposure
for established, emerging and upcoming clothing designers from around the world in an effort to extend
meaningful fashion trade. Accomplishing this has required nurturing opportunities for the publicity of
international talents whose creative abilities are effervescent but financial resources are not. Uptown
Fashion Week prides itself on continuing its work throughout the year by building bridges within our local
community by leading and engaging in events, social activities and diversity initiatives. This season UFW
will expand its interests to bring awareness to the world's continued fight for human rights. Tonight you will
be the first to know about the Uptown Fashion Week highlights for the start of 2016 and the year’s Fall /
Winter fashion collection. This will include our new collaboration with the United Nations in the
humanitarian effort of gender equality.
PIPO PERE
(Teen) Puerto Rico
Born in Puerto Rico, Pipo Pere established his own clothing line in 1999 with immediate
success among youth clientele. He quickly escalated as a designer and by 2001, was the
"star designer" from the fashion event "Coors Light Cat Walk.” In a competition, Pipo won
the designer’s award for Carolina Herera’s fragrance, “CH,” with a dress judged by local
and international critics. This won him a trip to NYC for the Herrera NYFW show, which
later inspired his ultimate move to the city, from Puerto Rico, in 2013. Pipo now has his
own atelier in New York, serving clients both here and in Puerto Rico.
DARIO MOHR
(Menswear) New York
Dario Mohr is an American fine artist, painter, graphic designer, illustrator and fashion
designer. He is also the curator and founder of AnkhLave Mind Media. Dario is CEO and
founder of two clothing lines designed to bring fine art to the forefront of fashion under
the aliases Daft Minerva Fine Art Fashion and BuddhaHood Threads. Both brands have
graced New York Fashion Week and been featured in multiple publications, including
Lucky Mag, AfroPunk, and I-Fashion Magazine.
.
MIGDOEL FIGUEROA
( Haute Couture) Dominican Republic
At the age of twelve and without proper skill or education, Migdoel Figueroa began
developing his talent in the confection of clothing and wardrobe by using scratch wood
and fabric pieces left over from his father’s furniture store. He began making pieces for
friends and family and before long was dressing different clients in the Dominican
Republic. In 2010, Migdoel arrived in New York without financial resources or
connections. He began work with several Latin figures to expand his knowledge and has
since become independent, releasing a complete head to toe collection for the first time
at the spring showcase of Uptown Fashion Week, 2015. This opened new doors,
including dressing celebrity clients including Miss Dominican Republic, USA, recognized
Latino American celebrities, and clients for, the Latin Grammys and others., He is now
preparing for a grand opening studio/store in the fashion district of New York City this
spring, 2016.
.
MARLENE H’ COUTURE
( Bridal) South Africa
Marlene Thomas started in the fashion business in South Africa in 1983. The awardwinning
international couture designer has been branding her name and label since 2011
through participation in multiple fashion events in the United States, Europe, Asia and
South Africa. She is best known for her exquisite wedding gowns, formal eveningwear
and couture pieces. Marlene, better known as Marli, has her own unique fashion ideas
and does not believe in following trends blindly. Her pieces are one of a kind, always
handmade with elaborate attention to detail, and created to make a statement.
AUGUSTO MANZANARES
( Bridal) Sout
Originally from Lima, Peru, Augusto Manzanares moved to New York in 2005 to realize
his dream and passion for fashion and design. With a creative personality since a young
age, everything he creates has an eclectic mix of influences from his Latin background
and his love for High Fashion. Starting as a child designing clothing for Barbie dolls, he
has concentrated the last 10 years in women’s-wear designs and has elevated to
become Assistant Designer for the design duo The Blonds. It was with this opportunity
ANGEL AYALA
( Avant Garde) Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Born to a Puerto Rican family in The Bronx, Angel had already fallen in love with the
world of fashion by age six. He learned how to sew by hand and was heavily influenced
by his maternal grandmother, Cecilia Bahamundi—who herself was an accomplished
couturier and worked at several fashion houses during the 1950s & 60s. By thirteen,
Angel had been accepted into The High School of Fashion Industries and went on to
enroll in The Fashion Institute of Technology. At age 17, Angel received an award for
excellence in fashion design from The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Angel's work
has been showcased throughout the US and Caribbean, namely through Miss USA and
Miss Universe. His work has been worn by various artists such as Lady Gaga Angel is
well versed in all aspects of design, from Ready to Wear to Haute Couture for both men
and women of all sizes, and prides himself on being able to cater to all.
WILLFREDO GERARDO
( Haute Couture) North Hollywood, California
Born and raised in North Hollywood, CA, Willfredo first attended several performing arts
schools in Southern California and Sarasota Opera House before migrating from
performing arts to fashion. This resulted in a move to New York where he first stumbled
into designing bridal gowns for high-end clients and was able to embrace his love for
couture fashion. He opened his first showroom in Los Angeles, CA, and his pieces are
constructed with the running theme of complimenting the silhouette and lines of a
woman’s body. He has been featured in such publications as Elle Bulgaria, Runway
Magazine featuring Nancy O’Dell, and People en Español. He has been head designer
for the beauty pageant and reality show, Nuestra Belleza Latina, in 2015 & 2016 and his
looks have covered the red carpet from the Golden Globes, Emmys, People’s Choice
Awards, Latin Grammys, Latin Billboards, & Premio Juventud.
CARLOS VIGIL
(Haute Couture) Lima, PeruThe Peruvian Designer as been in the High Fashion industry for over twenty-nine years.
Specializing in Haute Couture evening dresses and wedding gowns, Carlos is the
founder and creative director of atelier—a family-ran business which he operates along
with his three daughters. A favorite among latin celebrities, diplomats and politicians, as
well as TV and theatre productions, he creates lavish period pieces. Carlos gets his
inspiration from the aesthetic and beauty of nature, as well as the unusual shapes and
perfect lines of modern architecture. The Atelier’s new collection, “Cao” was inspired by
the pre-colombian Moche culture from the Northern coast of Peru, where Carlos was
born, and by the “Lady of Cao,” the only woman priestess and leader ever found in Perú,
buried in the most exquisite pyramid overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Denisse Washington
(Plus Size) New York
Denisse Washington was born and raised in Harlem, New York. She began practicing
her passion at thirteen, creating designs for her mother, aunts and sisters just to make
their Harlem Nights special. Studying fashion design at The Fashion Institute of
Technology in New York, Denise was able to fulfill her lifelong dream and launch her
fashion line, 710 Fashions. As she worked with many well-known individuals in the music
and fashion industry, she always felt someone was being underrepresented: plus size
clientele. When Denisse is designing, she is inspired by shape, architecture, and color.
Every design focuses on flattering a “real” woman's body. Denisse’s technical knowledge
of a garment’s fit and design, combined with her innate creative abilities, result in a line
that reflects the kind of woman she is herself: strong, sexy, fun, fearless and a little on
the plus size of society.
OSCAR ABREU
LIVE ARTIST
We are honored to introduce a tremendous artist, Mr. Oscar Abreu. Born and raised in the
Dominican Republic, he is known globally for his performance art pieces-on-canvas, which he creates
live before the eyes of his audience. He will be gracing us all tonight with the magnificence of his skill
through a live painting made in the spirit of fashion and the cause of this event: Gender Equality. At the
end of the press conference we will be able to view and appreciate the final product of his talent.
RAVI KARKARA
SPEAKER, UNITED NATIONS
We are enormously honored to have Ravi Karkara with us on behalf of the United Nations. With
twenty years experience, Mr. Karkara is currently the Senior Advisor on Strategic Partnerships and
Advocacy to the Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director with UN-Women.
Personally inspired by the outcomes of the Beijing Conference in 1995, Ravi proudly calls himself a
feminist and has been advocating for gender equality and the empowerment of girls and women throughout
his career. He has worked on programs for strengthening women’s political participation in local
governance and economic liberty in South Asia, as well as having served as a pioneering Male Trainer for
gender sensitization at the Centre for Social Research’s Gender Equality Training Institute, India.
Recently, Ravi organized a partnership between UN Women and the City of New York, resulting in
the organization of a unique gender equality march with over 20,000 participants who walked from the UN
Headquarters to Times Square.
The author of more than 80 publications, Mr. Karkara has become a recognized expert in various
development-related fields, working with multiple well-known organizations on gender equality, including
UN-Women, UNICEF, and Save the Children.
He served as Global Advisor on Youth with UN-HABITAT and has represented UN-HABITAT as
the co-chair of the UN Interagency Network on Youth Development.
As evidence to his international partnerships built in the areas of human rights Ravi is the recipient of
innumerable awards for his work, including the celebrated NOVUS Award – which unites global leaders
PRESS CONFERENCE
U P T O W N F A S H I O N W E E K
F a l l / W i n t e r 2 0 1 6
from around the world to tackle today’s big challenges via actionable change.
We would like to take the opportunity to congratulate Ravi on the accolade he received just this week: the
prestigious Interfaith Leadership Award.
YDANIS RODRUIGUEZ
SPEAKER, DISTRICT 10 COUNCILMEMBER
Uptown Fashion Week is extremely appreciative of the ongoing support of Councilmember Ydanis
Rodriguez. He has supported our endeavors from the start and we are continually grateful.
MARC BOUWER
SPEAKER, FASHION DESIGNER
This speaker is one from the fashion industry who, to many, needs no introduction. He is known for
his stunning, sultry, silver-screen-ready eveningwear, and is the recipient of awards for avoidance of animal
products in his fashions, including a PETA Humanitarian Award and the United States Humane Society’s
“Compassion in Fashion Award.” With iconic pieces that have graced everyone from Beyonce, to Angelina
Jolie, to Whitney Houston, and magazine covers ranging from Vanity Fair, to Cosmo and Harper’s
Bazaar… He believes in the vision and purpose of Uptown Fashion Week and came tonight in support of
this. We are incredibly grateful for the friendship of Marc Bouwer.
DATES AND SHOWS
INFORMATION
