Founder and President Beth Sobol To Receive Honor
at March 18 Press Conference

MIAMI - March 4, 2010 - City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado will declare Miami International Fashion Week™, the largest Latin American and international fashion event in the U.S., as the official fashion week for Miami during a press conference on March 18. Mayor Regalado will present the proclamation to MIFW Founder and President Beth Sobol.

“We are thrilled to have achieved this recognition from Mayor Regalado,” said Sobol who recently received a 2010 International Women’s Day Award from the World Trade Center and a 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year from the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. “Miami International Fashion Week has been elevating the work of amazing local and international designers for 12 years. We have grown steadily over time to be viewed as the premier fashion week for foreign designers entering the U.S. market and emerging designers seeking international exposure.”

Sponsored by Wellaflex and Stella Artois, the 12th annual Miami International Fashion Week™ will take place March 18 – 21 at the Shops at Midtown, North Miami Avenue and NE 34th Street, in Miami's trendy Wynwood Art District. More than 60 international designers from throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, India, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Lebanon, Europe will reveal their latest collections in women's evening wear, prêt-a-porter, swimwear, men's wear, jewelry and accessories.

Among the many highlights, Special Guest Designer Silvia Tcherassi will receive the 1st annual Victoria Puig de Lange International Style Award, and designer Jad Ghandour from Lebanon will unveil the ultimate dress, a stunning work-of-art consisting of diamonds and 18-K gold valued at $1.5 million.

The International Culinary Arts Pavilion sponsored by Whole Foods Market, A Joy Wallace Catering and Johnson & Wales University will feature a different celebrity chef each night who will prepare a tasting menu based on the countries the designers are showing from that evening. Each course will be accompanied with a different wine paring to further compliment the dish.

More than 500 international members of the media register each year for the event including CNN en Español, Fashion TV, Gulf News and The New York Times as well as over 400 buyers from around the world.

Miami International Fashion Week is presented with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.

About Miami Fashion Week
Beth Sobol, President of Sobol Fashion Productions, Inc., founded Miami Fashion Week® in 1999 following a successful career as an international fashion model. She has worked with some of the fashion world’s most influential designers and producers and launched Miami Fashion Week to provide a platform for designers from Latin America to gain international exposure. During the past 12 years, MFW has evolved into one of the world’s premier fashion events spotlighting designers from Europe, USA and Canada, the Caribbean, Middle East and Asia as well as the largest showcase of Latin American design talent in the United States.

About The Miami Fashion Week Foundation
The Miami Fashion Week Foundation, Inc. is a § 501(c)(3) independent, not-for-profit organization formed as the entity to generate funds and accept corporate and private contributions for charitable and philanthropic initiatives. Operating year-round, the foundation hosts a variety of fundraising events to raise scholarship funds that benefit the emerging designers and students studying fashion design, fashion photography, film and graphic arts involved with the Miami International Fashion Week™ competitions. Among other exciting prizes including mentoring and study abroad programs, the competition winners will receive a cash prize from the MFWF Scholarship Fund as part of their award.

© 2010 Miami International Fashion Week, Inc. All rights reserved. Miami International Fashion Week™ is a trademark of Miami International Fashion Week, Inc. Miami Fashion Week® and Sobol Fashion Productions® are registered trademarks of Sobol Fashion Productions, Inc.