Thursday night's show at Gateway Village, courtesy of Charlotte Seen Fashion Week, did not end with the announcement of the Emerging Designer winner. Oh no, after the voting started, three more designers began to show their fabulous collections.

The first to show among the designers was Odelia Rouse, who hopes to be known as a designer who not only is passionate about her craft, constantly seeking way to improve her collection in an innovative way, but also one who shows sensitivity to a woman's figure. Rouse's collection was beautifully constructed as her desire to craft clothing fitted to a woman's figure was accomplished because each piece fit them perfectly.

Sept. 22 kicked off the three-day fashion event for the Charlotte Seen Fashion Week, held at Gateway Village on West Trade Street. Thursday night's show was the People Choice Award among four emerging designers. Each designer showed their line and at the end of the show the audience texted in who they thought had the best collection among the four. It was Charlotte's equivalent of Project Runway.

Miikelle Fowler was the first of the emerging designers to show her collection. A trained architectural engineer Fowler has only been designing since 2007. Miikelle had a bright collection inspired by the '50s and '60s with floral print filled with oranges and purples. This collection was fun and playful, definitely pieces that are perfect for spring.

The next collection to grace the runway was Anno Domino Designs, which means In the Year of Our Lord in Latin, by Emily Kramer and Amanda Gaskins. Anno Domino Designs work to be as world-friendly as possible, using organic cotton and natural fabrics (such as silk, linen, cotton and wool). The pieces are sustainable, recyclable and natural. This was one of my favorite collections only because the opening dress was this beautiful peacock dress, and after that I was hooked. All the pieces really made sense. That is really important when watching a fashion show: The pieces need to tell a story as though they are characters, and this showcase did that for me.

The long weekend of fashion celebration has come to a close. In another successful year, Charlotte NC Fashion Week jam-packed a few short days with cocktail parties, designer receptions, runway shows, and after-parties galore. On Thursday, Sept. 22, the Pavilion at the EpiCentre was the sight for a boutique and emerging designer fashion show. From chain retailers including Gap Kids and Off 5th, to local boutiques and designers like Belle Ville, Pretty Birdie, Nitsa’s Apparel, and Sada Fashion, citizens caught glimpses of the face of Charlotte’s fashion industry.

Gap Kids of SouthPark hosted one the most captivating children’s fashion shows to hit the runway in Charlotte. Kids ranging in age from 3 to 13 confidently hopped, skipped and jumped in classic Gap looks, including the best of denim, corduroy, military blazers, down vests, trench coats, sportswear and more. The well-clad kids couldn’t leave a straight face in the audience.

For the more mature crowd, Off 5th showed off the best designer looks of the season for men and women. Funky pieces from the night included a pair of peach high-waisted trousers and a sleek, black ankle-length zipper dress. Men’s pants wavered from the usual neutral colors to more daring shades of burgundy and red.

Belle Ville, which has three locations in Charlotte, gave us a little taste of everything it has to offer. From denim and casual day looks, to fun and flirty party dresses, it’s no wonder why the one stop shop has been consistently popular since it opened in 2002.

Nitsa’s Apparel transformed the runway into a soiree. The SouthPark designer boutique wowed onlookers with beautifully crafted formal dresses, including a stunning couture wedding gown. After such a glamorous entrance, Nitsa’s undoubtedly secured a plethora of women to drop in and shop for upcoming galas.

Every woman I know loves a good "Girls Night Out" event, and last night Belk at SouthPark was the place to be. All shoppers were able to receive 20 percent off of all purchases, including sale items and the coveted designer brands that are almost always excluded during other sale events.

The shoe department was the busiest area, of course, as it seems footwear is the biggest fetish for women in the Q.C. From the super stylish to business casual, these ladies were on a shopping mission. Bags, boxes and plastic suit bags were in almost every hand. Guests also enjoyed light hors d'oeuvres and no evening out with the girls would be complete without a nice glass of complementary wine. Needless to say, there were smiles on every face.

If that weren't enough, guests were invited to register to win three incredible giveaways — a $1,000 shoe wardrobe, a $1,000 spa gift certificate or a getaway for two to NYC, including a day at the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa, and personalized makeup consultation and application. Believe me, I entered. Many others did as well, but I feel lucky and mama needs a few new pairs of fabulous shoes!

T. Strong is a TV personality, personal stylist and fashion journalist who contributes commentary on Creative Loafing’s Klepto blog in addition to writing for several other national media organizations. To learn more visit www.StyleMayvin.com or follow “therealtstrong” on Twitter.

Vivace at the Metropolitan was all a buzz with some of the most fashionable and creative people in Charlotte last night. Day three of Charlotte Seen Fashion Week introduced attendees to the designers for its runway shows that will run from Thursday night to Saturday night, and we all got a sneak peak of what's to come.

I bumped into Tara Davis of FLOW by Tara Davis who will be showing on Saturday night at Gateway Village who said she is "still hard at work completing her looks." I'm sure I'll be in love with every piece.

I also spotted designer Luis Machicao, who recently showed his collection at the Waldorf Astoria in New York, and a number of "new-to-me" designers who are participating in the re-design shows on Thursday and Friday. Who knew Charlotte had so much talent? Well, I guess we'll see just how much over the next few days.

T. Strong is a TV personality, personal stylist and fashion journalist who contributes commentary on Creative Loafing’s Klepto blog in addition to writing for several other national media organizations. To learn more visit www.StyleMayvin.com or follow “therealtstrong” on Twitter.

Here are some random shots from the Runway Raiser fashion show that happened at Amos' Southend on Aug. 27. (Photos by Hannah McBride.)

Slideshow Runway Raiser, 8/27/11

9 slides

Runway Raiser, 8/27/11

Click to View 9 slides

Can you imagine wearing a pillowcase with ribbon and just being thrilled about it? I know at first the thought of it made me shudder a bit … a pillowcase, really?! But then I realized that for some little girls, a pillowcase and ribbon made into a dress is all they have.

A few days ago I noticed Dress A Girl Around The World on my news feed. I was intrigued but too busy to actually and read on. Today when I had a moment, while I was browsing at clothes too expensive for my budget, I was reminded of Dress A Girl Around the World and ventured to find out more.

Hope 4 Women International is a nonprofit organization that was started 37 years ago; the organization empowers women who are suffering from poverty, disease and low self-worth to become self-sufficient with businesses of their own and to raise their dignity through tea parties, day spas and celebrating women.

As noted on the site: "People from all over are forming clubs and sewing pillowcase dresses for Hope 4 Women International to distribute around the world. Teams and partners hand-carry these dresses to countries throughout the world." As of today, more than 38,000 dresses have been delivered to 48 countries!

If you are interested in making a dress and sending it, you can get all the information you need from the Dress A Girl Around The World website. Isn’t it amazing how a pillowcase and ribbon can make a difference in a little girl’s life?

Here's a video from Dress A Girl in Pakistan.

When I heard that Estelle would be in town, not to perform but on promotional tour for her new album, All of Me releasing later this year and the current single "Break My Heart," I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to talk fashion with the Grammy Award winning artist. I've admired her sense of style for quite some time, and to be honest, those girls coming out of the UK really know how to put a look together.

On the day of the interview, Estelle was wearing a beautiful, silk, multicolored scarf on her head, and who but me would ask her to show me how it's tied? She graciously obliged and talked freely and very excitedly, if I might add, about fashion.

When asked if her current residence, Brooklyn N.Y., influences her style, Estelle says that she really holds on to her "London roots" but "loves the wonderful little shops in Brooklyn." She admits, as most women know, it's hard not to shop every day. She emphasizes this by saying, "I love my clothes, I love my fashion, I love shoes." And that was the perfect segue into our lengthy shoe conversation. I love meeting and talking to other women who truly understand the importance of a tight shoe game.

Estelle says that her favorite shoe designer was, and without a second thought or any hesitation, Charlotte Olympia, someone I'd never heard of before. Of course they are based in London. "I wear her shoes to the end of the Earth!," Estelle exclaimed. "They are comfortable and have so much style." I think at this point we both said in unison, "How does that work?" Comfort and style? "They look so good and go with everything," she continued.

Admittedly with "close to 500 pairs" of shoes, Estelle hinted that there would be something new added to her website soon, allowing for the purchase of her shoes. The artist said she gives a lot of them away because she has so many and a lot of them come to her free of charge. I found out that we are both a size 9, and after checking out her "look of the day" blogs on her site as well as the shoes she was wearing that day, Estelle and I are now Shoe BFF's (in my head).

T. Strong is a TV personality, personal stylist and fashion journalist who contributes commentary on Creative Loafing’s Klepto blog in addition to writing for several other national media organizations. To learn more visit www.StyleMayvin.com or follow “therealtstrong” on Twitter.

• Lotus owner Effie Loukas (left) and Cigi Guzman. (Photo by QC Exclusives)

Fashion in the Queen City is growing by leaps and bounds. Even the vitaminwater brand is getting in on the action. Recently, one of the biggest outdoor fashion shows took place with Lotus Boutique and vitaminwater inspired designs. The beverage company gave the winner of the competition a $1,000 prize for their creative design efforts, and Creative Loafing was there to see it all. I was able to catch up with the winner of the competition, Cigi Guzman. Here's what she had to say.

Creative Loafing: Congratulation on your win! With so much of what we've seen that night, can you tell me what fashion means to you?

Cigi Guzman: Simply put, art.

How would you describe Charlotte's fashion scene/industry?

Growing.

(Laughs.) That's an understatement, but I'm glad to see it happening. How long have you been designing and when did you know you wanted to be a designer?

8+ years. I didn't really realize until my early twenties that I wanted to design professionally. Before that, I just wanted to be good at being an adult. So far, so good.

I know the feeling. So I've heard you are a self taught designer. Is that correct?

Yes.

How long did it take you to create the competition piece?

Three and a half weeks or so. This include : developing creative concept / story boarding / resourcing materials / fitting and construction / final execution.

• The winning dress. (Photo by Sean Pressley)

Is that usually the length of time it takes you to create a garment?

Nah. The blue dress I wore the evening [of the competition] took less than an hour to create.

Wow. That's pretty fast. So, what's your main design focus? (i.e. womenswear, personal clientele, main market, etc)

Currently, it's sustainable fashion. I'm currently teaming up with Value Village Thrift to develop a new local brand. Stay tuned.