In an anachronistic twist, Faith Connexion is presenting its fall 2023 collection on Friday after showing spring 2024 at Paris Fashion Week in September. The runway show is part of the VIP preview night for Mana Fashion Services’ Fashion Pop-Up at Mana Wynwood Convention Center on Saturday and Sunday. Faith Connexion cofounder and chief executive officer Maria Buccellati, who grew up in Miami and lives between Miami and Paris, said it’s the brand’s first fashion show in her hometown.
“It’s not about the normal fashion places anymore but about these new experiences,” said Buccellati, referencing new arrivals like Riyadh Fashion Week. “Miami became the hub of the future after COVID[-19]. I could live anywhere, but I like the creativity, climate and centrality here.”
The experiment also marks her foray into a see now, buy now format, as Faith Connexion moves into the phygital sphere to compete with social media and other digital advancements. Believing that her clientele doesn’t have the patience for what they see on Instagram to be produced, and fluidity is the new power, she’s considering similar events in Los Angeles [LA Fashion Week], Seoul, and Doha, Qatar.
“We’re still a French brand, but we aren’t stuck in one place. We work all over the world.”
The Faith tribe’s collaborations with guest designers ranging from famous personalities to emerging designers further expresses her globally inclusive view. The fall 2023 collection’s collaborations include jeans with Neapolitan upcycle brand NTMB (Never Too Much Basic); embellished, reimagined pieces from Faith’s archive with Paris-based, street couture label YLLVV16; lingerie-inspired looks with Parisian corset collection Kriba, and dresses in vibrant ombres and prints with Miami-based, Peruvian designer Fortuna.
The international aspect aligns with Mana Fashion Services’ pop-up and big-picture goal of transforming Miami into a hub for the industry with sustainability at the core of its mission. The event, which focuses on ethical brands across fashion and lifestyle categories, has grown from an initial 25 to the third edition’s 120 vendors. A section will highlight a dozen accessory and fashion brands from Ukraine, including Iva, Elena Reva and Omelia. Other vendors include Colombian menswear brand Lugó Lugó, and foreign designers whose brands are based in Miami, such as Russian women’s fashion designer Valeria Krasavina and Colombian women’s shoe maker Lina Polania. Mana Fashion Services creative director Aleksandra Sivokoneva said 85 percent of participants have South Florida ties, and half of the 13 designers with showrooms in Mana’s properties throughout downtown Miami will be there.
“Dope Tavio, who has one of our spaces, will display his made-to-order, avant-garde pieces that are often upcycled on mannequins at the entrance,” said Sivokoneva, who’s also planning sustainability workshops and panels; Sneaker Impact nonprofit’s donation drive for businesses and people in developing countries, and a clothing swap, where leftovers will be donated to Curley’s House of Style, a local nonprofit that collects food, clothing and other necessities for people in need.
