Bahamas / Eleuthra
The Second Greatest Fashion Show on Earth

Real Bahamian fashion is not very exciting. A few of the islands produce admirable straw work and Androsia Batiks handprints some beautiful cloth. That's about it for real island-made goods, we think are worth mentioning.

Even though there's not much island fashion to buy, there's fashion galore right under your nose...or should we say right in front of you. If you know where to look for it.

We're talking about what we think is the second greatest fashion show on earth! It's held impromptu on Harbour Island, Eleuthra, the style mecca of the Bahamas. It's a fashion photography location favored by the biggest & best in the magazine industry. Vogue and Elle magazines, among others, come here frequently.

Most leading names in the modeling industry have lolled on the beach or have struck a pose in town for the camera on Harbour Island. Elle MacPherson loved the place so much, she bought herself an old beachfront estate to renovate. Style icon Diane Von Furstenberg also calls Harbour Island her home for part of the year. This is no castaway island...it has lots of fashion style, even though most of it is imported regularly for a few days at a time.

The fashion "show" goes like this: Keep your eye open for what's going on, especially on the beach, in front of one of the few hotels here. The best spot is right in front of the Ocean View, a small home cum guest house that particularly caters to the modeling industry. At any given moment, an entourage could show up. Lots of camera equipment, racks of clothes, makeup & hair artists, assorted assistants, photographers and those drop-dead, gorgeous models, looking absolutely perfect in their itsy bitsy bikinis.

Then, just pull up your lounge chair (no crowding or seat assignment problems to deal with) and enjoy the fashion show. If you're not having much luck finding a show on the beach, head for town. Many times it's off with the bikinis and into town for a shoot. Look for models posing in stunning tropical clothing & accessories, with the charming and very colorful buildings of Dunmore Town as the back-drop.

While you're there, stop into Miss Mae's. This is the one Harbour Island shop where fashions are on par with anything you'd see on a model. Parisian straw hats in unusual shapes, richly colored Antik Batik clothing & special jewelry pieces. Not Bahamian obviously. But if you gotta do imports, this is it.

Finally, consider what the best part of this Bahamian fashion show ultimately is... Six months later, you can relive it all through the stylish photos in the magazine you're reading in bed!