Interview with Beth Sobol: Woman of Progress
Profile: Premier Fashion business Expert & Consultant. International Model. Founder of the Original Miami Fashion Week.
MFS: It’s a pleasure to have you back on our new list of “Top Real Women in Fashion & Business 2022-2023.” Do you recall appearing on our initial list of the “Top Real Women in Fashion in 2012”? We’ve seen how far you’ve come and how influential you are in global fashion. How has your approach to fashion and style evolved since 2012?
Beth Sobol: To be honored by my home fashion community and named one of the original honorees of Miami Fashion Spotlight’s “Top Real Women in Fashion” award was a true highlight of my career. Since the 2012 award, I stay at the forefront of change and innovation within the fashion industry through my company Global Fashion Business Alliance. I concentrate on the educational and business needs of emerging brands. It is through education and business development that a brand is truly able to grow into a viable business.
MFS: You are the founder of the original Miami Fashion Week, one of the top fashion weeks in the world. What inspired this amazing idea and how has your life changed because of this accomplishment.?
BS: In 1997 I produced the DILA, a two-day fashion event for live television in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The organizers of this event brought 21 designers from 12 Latin American countries to participate in this event. After 15 days of working together, they all wanted to come back to Miami, but no one knew how. Two years later the former owner of the Miami International Merchandise Mart asked me to create an event that would increase the fashion image of the Mart. It was the perfect opportunity to create a new event that would promote both the Mart and the Latin American designers I had previously worked with to launch the first annual Miami Fashion Week in 1999. Through the years of initial development and on to creating the full annual productions, I ran Miami Fashion Week for 20 years, creating the brand and platform that launched the world’s top emerging designers into the American market. After so many successful years, I sold the brand in 2015 to a group of European investors.
Developing MFW and Her Modeling Career
MFS: What have you learned from collaborating with so many different designers and how do you feel when you see most of them succeed in their fields?
BS: When I first started meeting the young and talented brands around the world, it didn’t take long to discover that they were struggling on the business side of their operations. This became a focus in further developing Miami Fashion Week as I started to include fashion business and educational seminars within the events programming. This was allowing the local, national, and international brands in attendance to learn about business and operational needs that their companies were missing. Seeing young brands grow and succeed in business has been a great personal pleasure of mine as through their experience at Miami Fashion Week and the connections they made, was how the designers were able to sustain and build their brands into successful businesses.
MFS: When we interviewed Spanish designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada in 2014, she told us that you were a model in her runway show “Agatha for President” 25 years ago. We later discovered that you had been a model for over 20 years in 40 countries. What did you find most and least secure about working as a model?
BS: I started my career in fashion as a runway model. I worked locally in South Florida for a couple of years and was then discovered by two Parisian fashion designers in the same week! Guy Laroche and Paul Louis Orrier were both doing fashion shows with Saks Fifth Avenue, and I was one of their models. One show was in Miami and the other was in Palm Beach and both designers approached me after their show and asked if I would come to Paris and do their press shows. A month later I was on a plane, and this was the start of a very successful 20-year modeling career. My entire career as a well-known, working international fashion model was incredibly positive and I never had any negative experiences along the way. I also treated my career as a “business” because that is exactly what it was! Modeling was the way I earned my living. After 25 years and inviting Agatha Ruiz de la Prada to be my special guest designer at Miami Fashion Week, it was with great pleasure that I showed her a 1984 photo of me modeling in her press show in Madrid. With shock and excitement, Agatha threw her arms around me and started reminiscing as she then remembered everything about me being in her show. It was great fun for us both!
Iconic Dresses, Evolution of Fashion & More…
MFS: We still remember the five iconic dresses designed by Samy Gicherman for you at MFW 2014. We even wrote a piece about them. How did you handle the red carpet during that hectic week & what was your most memorable look?
BS: Samy Gicherman is my personal go-to designer when I need something special. Generally, I will come up with the over-all style and color and Samy will fine tune a custom gown or outfit just for me. Since Miami Fashion Week is a five-day event, I had a specific gown designed for each evening. The first show started at 5:00 PM and as the host of all shows, I would begin the evening in a short dress, and then change before the 7:00 PM show into a custom gown. I love all of my gowns that Samy has made for me, but my all-time favorite is the fuchsia one-shoulder gown that I wore on opening night of 2014 and my hairstyle was a high ponytail. Everyone called it my “Barbie Dress”!
MFS: How would you describe style these days and where do you see fashion evolving in a few years?
BS: As someone who’s life and career has been centered around fashion, the evolution of fashion will always be one of the most creative sectors to follow. In a post-pandemic world, I do see current fashion for the most part being more relaxed and casual, as our world has become the same as far as dressing goes. I do feel that as time progresses and the world, in general, becomes more stabilized in all respects, fashion will somewhat return to a more elaborate state. In the end, people like to dress for occasions so for all of us that do, we look forward to the opportunity to buy and wear designer clothing again.
Women Empowerment and Her Mentoring Program
MFS: What is your genuine opinion on women’s empowerment?
BS: My honest opinion on today’s women’s empowerment is that we, as a generation of women have never been more empowered in all that we do. In business, in education, in opportunities across the board Women are being heard and respected more than ever!
MFS: What makes Beth Sobol feel empowered?
BS: Power is not something that you are given, it is something that you take! My personal character is that of being in charge of all that I do. I have been an entrepreneur all of my life and nothing ever happen unless I made it happen! Currently, I am developing new fashion projects for the local South Florida market as well as developing a new branded merchandising line for an exciting company in Central Florida.
MFS: We also discovered your mentoring program for young women at YoungatArt and the various fashion charities you organize. How do you feel about empowering the young generation of women through what they do?
BS: Mentoring young women is my true passion! I really enjoy any opportunity to engage with young fashion designers. Whether it’s university student studying business, merchandising, and design or through national and local organizations that support girls and young women, my goal is to help inspire their creative desires. Caring and guidance go a long way in the development years of a young person. With all that I have learned over the years, it is a pleasure to share my experiences to help these young girls and women to understand that it is okay to go for your dreams!
More information about Beth Sobol, please visit: Globalfashionbusinessalliance.com
“We, as a generation of women have never been more empowered in all that we do. In business, in education, in opportunities across the board WOMEN are being heard and respected more than ever!”
–Beth Sobol
*Craving for more? We suggest: