Grande Bataille de la Femme et L’Homme Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL October 22, 2011

In the past, Martin has produced fashion shows incorporated with dancing and acting but this time it was nothing but runway and fashion. Upon entering the ballroom it was set up like a giant sized H, the right and left side, including the middle, had chairs sitting across from one another leaving enough space for the models to walk the entire room. >p>As the clock struck 8:15 p.m., models hit the runway strutting to Rosin Murphy’s “Orally Fixated Mix” rocking Madame Couture by Securittee Brown. The highlight of this line was a leopard blazer which resembled R&B singer Rihanna’s edgy style. Moving along to “Enuenwosu” by Samantha Enuenwosu, the crowd had a look of admiration on their faces as models entered the room wearing African wear. Some of the males wore no shirt with pants, while carrying large wooden sticks. Other models wore exotic blue, tan, green or orange matching tops and bottoms with no shoes.

The energy from the audience was amazing as each designer was introduced on the runway. There were at least 12 different designers, in which a few were sponsors and vendors which included Victoria Secret, Aussiebum, Socialite ,Adela Red and H&M. Speaking of Socialite by Veronica Kelly, this appeared to be one of the crowd’s favorite designers in the show. They cheered as her most stunning pieces hit the runway, which were the teal sequin shorts with the black sheer shirt and the navy electric blue romper. The runway was hit with a sexy and urban look, as models showed off Hype Marz by Martae Gohston. The signature piece was a T-shirt that read “2 Hype” which models wore in lime green, navy and white and pairing it with khaki shorts, while sporting either red heels or high top gym shoes.

The next designer Alexis Noel Sullivan by Alexis Sullivan brought forth a collection that was for the fun and flirty girl. As Britney Spears “I Want to Go Remix” played,the audience grew fond of the silver and black hooded sequin dress with the back out and the signature black sheer halter dress with a silver belt that looked amazing on Arielle Jones, one of Martin’s star models, who have one of the most fierce runway walks in Chicago.

Other talented designers who showed off their skills, included the Catherine Dean Collection by Catherine Dean, who introduced the velvet navy evening dress and Adela Red by Jessy Doolin, a classy and elegant women’s collection that had that Audrey Hepburn/60’s look and of course the blazers, top hats and inspector gadget trench coats for men that made you think of how Al Capone use to dress.

The show also featured the debut of Free Rebellion by Blake Martin. “I’m a person that lives my life free as a designer and producer. I rebel against what other people think and that’s how I came up with the name Free Rebellion,” explained Martin. He is known for adding Blazers and bow ties to his own personal style and his love for those two pieces led him to add them in his own clothing line. The most astonishing pieces included a turquoise blazer with a faux fur collar, black or white overalls and a burgundy bow tie.

The show ended with the debut of Llewellyn by Jeffrey Hawkins. The most intriguing pieces that catch your eyes are the tweed skirt with the black studded vest and let’s not forget the royal blue shoes. Hawkins introduced a creative yet sexy and edgy line of clothing that will circulate well in the fashion world. “I love Jeff’s line, it’s phenomenal and as a designer he was able to hold down the finale,” explained Martin.

This was one runway show that was worth paying for. Each designer presented a tasteful and trendy collection that was eye catching and different from the rest.

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