The Poinciana Ballroom at the Fairmont Southampton played host to a mini-invasion of international designers, models, photographers, writers, and fashionistas on Friday night. It was a rare gathering of designers from the United Kingdom, New York City, and Bermuda that had the international fashion industry abuzz.The show was dubbed ‘Some Like It Hot: An International Fashion Excursion’ and featured exciting new designs from four up-and-coming designers. Ms Phyllis Garraway emceed the show with considerable humor and charm, and United Dance Productions presented a delightful opening act.Sidnie Pee out of Manchester, England was the first designer to show, bringing chiffon, lace, and satin to the party early on. Bold glossy prints collaborated with sharp whites and ethnic sensitivities to deliver some stunning ensembles from this collection. Flowing chiffon-trimmed dresses and majestic prints exuded class and sophistication, while summer-themed pieces added funk and fun to the proceedings. This was a nice collection that ranged from spectacular to bizarre, and struck a lot of classic fashion chords throughout.The next designer to show was a local, Regina Simmons, whose Regina Q designs represented very well for local textile tinkerers. Glossy print tops with long, flowing white bottoms, accentuated with pastel coloured sash belts, lace, teal, animal prints, and shiny satin; oh my! This was a very satisfying collection; a collection to make Bermuda proud, and a wonderful show for a young designer.Local retail outlets 27th Century Boutique and Marion’s Fashions presented stock showcases on either side of the Regina Q collection, which gave the event a bit of an amateur feel. The clothes were fine, and the models were good, but the idea of an international fashion excursion kind of makes boutique stock showcases passé. Perhaps these were added late to accommodate the unmentioned no-show of Theo Sealy from the Bahamas. In any event, the hype surrounding this show was deflated considerably by the community centre style shop showcases.The next actual designer to show was Bermuda’s own Shay Ford. Shay presented a small but cute collection of summer wear that was clearly inspired by the eccentricities of a Bermuda summer. Print swim trunks, gregarious drawstring skorts (skirt shorts, shorts, and skirts), and bright, glossy prints dominated this sunny little collection, giving the pint-sized local designer a decidedly impressive seminal showing.The last and biggest collection to show was from the New York City-based designer Thomas Lavonne. Guest model Kamela, from the Bahamas, stole the show in a dazzling silver sparkling gown during this portion of the exhibit. Other standout designs included a red ‘leaf’ dress, various sequined delights, and a plethora of flowing print dresses in bold colours with subtle, nuanced cuts.Lavonne’s offerings were sometimes glamorous, sometimes practical, and always beautiful. It was the kind of collection from which you could find a nice summer dress for your mom or a sizzling evening gown for your lady; a collection designed to be shown on the runway, and worn for a sunset stroll on the beach. Lavonne closed the show, which was fitting, as every model seemed to glow in his luminous, flowing designs.Technically, ‘Some Like It Hot’ was not a memorable spectacle. The designs, models, and designers represented well, the make-up and hair teams did excellent work, but disorganised music and downright surreal video displays left a great deal to be desired as far as technical production goes. I mean, music stopping in the middle of a model’s walk is not cool, and not professional at this level of the game; and why did I watch a very well-produced commercial for Sri Lanka tourism? (Apparently I can find my miracle in Sri Lanka, who knew?!) I don’t even want to mention the Norah Jones karaoke video. No really, it was the full ‘Don’t Know Why’ karaoke video track, complete with words being highlighted in time; very confusing.The fashions, however, were good, and the models delivered, so as far as the fashion show goes: this was definitely a solid one of those. In conclusion, a delightful showcase of up-and-coming international designer and model talent all wrapped up in a technically weak and frustrating production.The event was covered by international fashion photographer Dave J Hogan, who has already posted several shots from the show on www.gettyimages.com, as well as New York City-based fashion TV show BTE. If this sort of event is to become a regular occurrence, then local production values need to be examined and improved.The conspicuous patronage of Premier Paula Cox and Minister of Tourism Wayne Furbert certainly added prestige to the proceedings, but the technical issues were often inexcusable in a setting so elegant.