Chicago Events. Latino Fashion Week 2009: El Fin.

The view of V Live from above

Sunday night hosted the final night of Latino Fashion Week with the closing ceremonies, El Fin. The final festivities featured a showcase of Chicago Latino designers, as well as a special awards' presentation for the winners of the week's competitions. Before the show, guests mingled in the loft-like space of venue V Live. Backstage, Ford models bustled about with fittings and last-minute alterations while the Bedhead hair team and Sin Cosmetics worked feverishly at last minute touch ups.

Backstage before the show

The host of the evening, ABC News' Sylvia Perez

Finally, it was showtime and the evening's celebrity host, Sylvia Perez from ABC news, honored the week's sponsors, special guests, and all participating designers. The show began with a celebrity runway show where Chicago-based personalities, escorted by Ford models, displayed designs by the evening's featured designers.

Telemundo's Nelly Carreno

Television personality Johana Londono

Diane Fong

Bianca Alexander

The first designer to present her designs, Ariana Magana, was also the winner of the Student Designer Competition earlier in the week. The young designer's four piece collection was crisp and elegant, featuring streamlined silhouettes with playful accents like over sized buttons and swingy capelets.

Ariana Magana

Designer Sonya Galaviz presented her collection which brimmed with feminine separates in bright, flirty colors and bold patterns. Celebrity model Veronica Zepeda (middle) showed off Galaviz's flouncy, patterned halter dress with impeccable grace and style. 

Hector Monttarez seemed a master of sleek, vampish pieces as he brought out his wares full of lacy tops, pencil skirts, and sparkle. Monttarez's collection was compiled mostly in black, playing up the vixen, goth-like quality. His sequined minidresses were the definition of glam and most of the pieces translated into the ideal uniform for the perfect night out.

Nora Del Busto's name can be heard all around Chicago. The former attorney turned designer has made a name for herself in Chicago's design community for her sleek shapes and simplistic details. Her luxe fabrics and use fo accents like zippers and piping made the mostly neutral palette of the collection truly stand out.

Elda De La Rosa wowed the crowd in her staggeringly beautiful evening wear collection. De La Rosa seemed to channel her Latin influence through the over sized floral motifs that decked out the hem or shoulder of her elegant gowns, and the ruffles that curled down the backs of her sleek sheaths. She topped off her lovely collection with a gorgeous black and champagne formal gown fit for a queen.

The final designer, James De Colon, kicked off his show with a collection of fun separates like playfully patterned minidresses, polka dot beachwear, and full-skirted frocks all set for spring. But just when he seemed to corner the market on fun in the sun, his brought out his showstopping finale in a glamorous, Old Hollywood ivory ballgown with black maribou feathers. De Colon's dress served as a perfectly decadent end to the week of watching Chicago's incredibly talented Latino designers take center stage. 

 
 
Ford models Brian Kerwin (left) and Jayson Hicks


Leticia Herrera (left) and Candace Jordan


Bianca Alexander


Singer Michael Stuart


Betzaida Ramirez

Photo Source: Second City Style, Steve Starr
-Alia Rajput