Leadership Spotlight: Beth Sobol

2/21/2013

Leadership spotlight Beth Sobol

 
 
Leadership spotlight Beth Sobol
BETH SOBOL

South Florida native, Beth Sobol, has been basking in the spotlights of global fashion runways since her teen years. An international fashion model for over 20 years, Sobol worked for many of the world’s top fashion houses in the US, Europe, South America and Far East. Since retiring from modeling, the mother of two has become known as a globetrotting fashion show producer. Now, her notoriety is as founder and producer of Miami Fashion Week (MFW), which bows its 15th anniversary this year.

Recognized as one of the world’s premier fashion show producers, Sobol’s contributions to launching the careers of the world’s top emerging designers are unparalleled. She is credited by many in the fashion industry, and in the South Florida community as putting Miami Beach (aka SOBE) and Miami on the fashion map. One wonders how much of SOBE’s highly touted “Latin style” can be attributed to Sobol’s fearless and passionate mission to initially launch Latin fashion designers, and now designers worldwide, into the U.S. market.

From the beginning, fashion superstars including Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Mary McFadden and Betsey Johnson supported Sobol’s mission and helped capture the attention of international media. In 2012, five reality TV shows were filmed and more than 650 international media covered MFW.

Going into its 15th year, MFW is ranked in the top 5 on the world fashion calendar and is recognized as the largest and most prestigious international fashion event in the United States.

Beth served as a judge at the 2001 Miss Colombia pageant in Cartagena, Colombia where she was presented with the Key to the City; a judge at the 2004 Miss Ecuador pageant in Guayaquil, Ecuador; 2004 Miss Universe pageant in Quito, Ecuador; 2008 Dubai Style Awards in Dubai, UAE; 2010 Banja Luka Fashion Fair in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Additionally, over the years, she has received five Keys to the City of Miami Beach.

Sobol was named one of “Florida’s Top 100 Power Players” by Florida International Magazine in 2006, as one of the “50 Most Powerful People in Miami” by Real Life Magazine in 2007, and as one of the “Top 25 Influencers in Florida” by General Motors Corporation in that same year. In 2009, Sobol was presented with the “Entrepreneur of the Year Award” from the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. In 2010, she received the “International Women’s Day Award” from the World Trade Center Miami and the “Gold Medal Award” from Miami Today. And the awards continue. In 2011, she received the “Movers and Shakers Award” from South Florida Business Leaders Magazine and the Influential Business Women Award from South Florida Business Journal. In 2012 Ecuador Fashion Week announced the annual “Beth Sobol International Fashion Award” to be presented to a top designer in Ecuador each year in honor of the work she has done in assisting the world’s emerging fashion designers. Beth has also been the keynote speaker at the Women Who Lead Conference at Florida International University, impacting hundreds of young women.

For the past two years, Sobol has seen her production company explode under the skillful hand of her new co-owner and managing partner, Aaron Perry. The new company, Sobol-Perry Fashion Productions, Inc. has expanded Miami Fashion Week to include two ancillary shows, Miami Bridal Week and The Fashion Collective Pop-Up Boutique Show, which premiers at the 2013 edition this month.

The 15th Anniversary edition of Miami Fashion Week will be held March 20 – 24 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. This year, more than 60 women’s wear, men’s wear, swimwear, bridal, jewelry and accessories designers will present collections on the Miami Fashion Week runway, the Miami Bridal Week pavilion and in the Pop-Up Show. Visit MiamiFashionWeek.com for ticket and event information.

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