A little rain failed to stop the Bermuda Fashion Festival 2015 from bringing some heat on Saturday night.

The City of Hamilton made the most out of its last-minute venue change by offering local department stores and boutiques the chance to show off their latest collections to a sold-out auditorium at Ruth Seaton James Centre for the Performing Arts.

Coral Coast Clothing was one of the new additions to the Evolution Fashion Show, joining alongside City staples such as Hornburg Calypso Ltd, Gibbons Company and AS Cooper and Sons.

Calypso opened the show with a soca-themed presentation as models took the stage wearing bright, neon swimsuits and elaborate carnival-style headpieces.

Sophisticated sundresses, maxi dresses and loungewear were on offer at many of the department stores, while boutique stores like Jazzy’s showed off bold, street-chic pieces and statement necklaces.

Calais Boutique lit up the stage with a collection of metallic numbers — a silver skirt and gold jumpsuit — and a few eye-catching, white embroidered dresses.

Meanwhile, men’s clothing stores such as The Booth, Choices and The Edge brought their own flair to the stage. Choices went the extra mile by featuring local rapper Imari Wade as the focal point for their scene. Male models donned a series of classic urban looks, with the popular men’s accessory for the night being the sunhat.

But the show-stoppers were the kids’ fashions provided by Heaven Sent and AS Cooper Kids.

The cute, confident youngsters worked the runway by offering big smiles and a little sass as well. The audience spurred them on by cheering and offering loud applause.

In Motion School of Dance created a really impressive choreographed number in the first half of the show, while Roxy Bermuda took the cake for its entertaining scene with a young, male contemporary dancer in the second half.

As the young women modelled some of Roxy’s formal evening gowns and sparkling bling, the dancer tried in vain to catch each girl’s attention.

It was not until the end of the scene that the last model showed him some attention in return. The performance was funny and well thought out, to say the least.

Another stand-out moment came when the Bermuda Regiment soldiers and band took the stage in full regalia to help AS Cooper and Sons close the show in dramatic style.

Overall, there were 18 retail outlets showcased at this year’s show, but organisers kept the scenes moving in quick succession throughout the night. The show ran for a little more than 2½ hours, with a lengthy interlude in the middle.

There were no awards handed out to the local models this year, however, they received a hearty cheer for all their dedication and hard work on the night. It is to be imagined the event would have been even more impressive at its original City Hall location, but they did a great job considering the late reshuffle.