By Jun Medina
Former Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Gionna Cabrera showcased over the weekend her collection of high fashion wooden bags which were modeled by a diverse line-up of ramp mannequins at the Sheraton Airport Hotel in Portland, Oregon.
The Sunday luncheon fashion show was attended by some 200 mostly Filipino Americans and it featured models from different ethnic backgrounds, Gionna said.
“More than half of the models were ethnic Filipinos, but we had a diverse group – American, Canadian, Nicaraguan, Dutch, African American, Korean,” said the winsome beauty queen-turned fashion designer.
It was an auspicious launch of Gionna’s Fall Verdant Vitale Collection that also attracted representatives of modeling agencies hoping to spot new talents, said Gionna, who won Miss Photogenic at the 2005 Miss Universe Pageant in Bangkok.
“My partners, Maria del Rosario and Riza Asa, produced the whole event with brand sponsors (makeup, travel, etc.) and trained the models while I was in New York City,” said the 5-foot-10 statuesque beauty queen. “I was creative director, and Dale Villar (former TV host and commercial model) emceed the event and synthesized other show elements.”
Enthused by the success of the Portland event, Gionna said she is considering mounting similar fashion shows in other US cities, like Seattle in Washington and Tampa in Florida.
She said a major fashion show in Manila will introduce her summer collection of wooden bags, which became an instant hit after their launch in April.
Gionna thanked the Filipino Americans from the City of Roses, Portland’s nickname because of it world-famous rose gardens, for patronizing Filipino ingenuity as well as the motley event team that had to do multi-tasking to ensure the success of the show.
“The entire process, from planning to creative direction, was simply exhilarating. Everything was on point and the attendees were impressed,” said Gionna who is flying back this week to New York, her US base of operation.
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