La Prima Donna Restaurant is Venue for Luxury Fashion Show Series by Producer Andres Aquino

USA International Fashion Shows has partnered with New York City restaurant La Prima Donna to present the Martini Fashion Dinner and Champagne Fashion Brunch series of shows. Martini Fashion Dinners are held on selected Monday evenings and Champagne Fashion Brunches take place on selected Sunday afternoons. Located on West 47th Street, in the heart of New York City’s Times Square and famous theater district, La Prima Donna's elegant and traditional Tuscan cuisine is updated with Venetian style and modern urban panache. Guests enjoy a truly original and exceptional culinary experience in an ambience of a Venetian Carnivale complete with wall murals and Renaissance art. The popular eatery, operated under the experienced direction of General Manager Mohamed Choayra, has received excellent write ups in the New York Daily News, Playbill, Gotham and A La Carte. “We are really excited about working with La Prima Donna,” says fashion show producer and company CEO Andres Aquino. “After considering numerous places in New York, we found this venue to be a perfect fit for our shows due to its location, the ambience and decor as well as its exquisite Italian cuisine and, above all, the service of its management and staff.” The concept behind the events is to bring fashion shows to the people who love fashion, taking them out of the exclusive domain of the trade. The runway shows are combined with fine food and drink making a thoroughly enjoyable experience for the appreciative guests. A major marketing campaign is being launched in an array of media ranging from Playbill to the New York Times along with a heavy Internet presence. Opportunities are available for sponsors and advertisers who want to reach an affluent fashion-conscious audience. Attending guests come from as far as Australia and as near as midtown Manhattan. They come for special occasions such as family reunions, birthdays and anniversaries, father-daughter outings, and wedding proposals. Tickets to the shows are becoming popular customer appreciation gifts for favored clients and corporate incentives. Other guests include celebrities out for an unusual afternoon or evening activity and buyers looking for unique fashions. The ability to buy right off the runway and meet the designers and models in a relaxed atmosphere are among the features that make these events special. From the Far East to Europe to Canada and South America, the shows have generated a great deal of interest, and people are buying tickets up to six months in advance. Tickets are available through the company website as well as through various ticket outlets worldwide. “These events are positive experiences for everyone,” notes Andres Aquino. “The audience gets a fabulous fashion show and a delicious meal, the designers get a great platform to show and hopefully sell their creations, the makeup artists and stylists get an opportunity to show their talent, the models get to wear beautiful clothes and add to their runway experience, the restaurant gets to introduce itself to new customers, the sponsors reach a targeted audience that is receptive to their message, and the attending press gets some great content for their editorials.” The participating designers present some of the best wearable couture and exquisite accessories. Recent shows have featured collections by designers from a host of countries including Austria, South Africa, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Russia, Israel, Bulgaria, England, India, and of course the USA. Some already have their lines carried in exclusive stores like Bergdorf Goodman and chic boutiques on Madison Avenue as well as in other fashion capitals. The modest participation fee makes this an attractive opportunity to designers looking to expand their market base and reach the press as well as wholesale and retail buyers. Press coverage of these events has included many articles in the printed press and Internet as well as TV coverage, sometimes from the fashion point of view and other times from the human perspective. One recent Champagne Fashion Brunch attracted media attention when an 87-year old former fashion model fulfilled a lifelong dream of walking on the runway. She modeled a couture gown made especially for her. Upcoming shows will be making donations to children’s charities. Producer Andres Aquino is CEO of USA International Fashion Shows and Fashion Syndicate Press, founded in 1997. He is also the founder and creator of New York's Couture Fashion Week and Bridal Fashion Week, attracting fashion and accessories designers from around the world. -------