Local and regional fashion and accessories designers take the runway spotlight during Fashion Week Tampa Bay, a multi-day showcase that exposes the up-and-comers to retail buyers, boutique owners and consumers. Among the featured participants are 2008 Creative Loafing Best of the Bay fashion design winner and St. Pete style maker Ivanka Ska; Essence Flowers, a Tampa-based IADT graduate known for her classy couture and swimsuit leanings; Maison Rouge lingerie shop owner and designer Rhonda Shear; and Bebe Ziegler, whose intricate hand-printed t-shirts landed her a gig as TLC's tattoo-inspired apparel creator for its Miami Ink and LA Ink tattoo shop reality shows. Runway shows featuring Francisco Azucar, Robert Buck, Trineice Cagua, Bebe Ziegler, Darrius Mitchell and Aruk Orhrrvani as well as an International Academy of Design students, Thurs., Sept. 25, 7 p.m., The Ritz Ybor, 1503 E. Seventh Ave., Tampa, $40 general in advance/$55 day of; runway shows featuring Essence Flowers, Audrey "Pat" McGhee, Rhonda Shear, Ivanka Ska, Shante Styles and Sam Varela, Fri., Sept. 26, 7 p.m., The Coliseum, 535 Fourth Ave. N., St. Petersburg, $40 general in advance/$55 day of; and a Fashion Brunch and Silent Auction, Sat., Sept. 27, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., The Table Mesa Lounge, 539 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, $15 in advance/$20 day of, with proceeds to benefit Best Buddies Tampa and the YWCA.
