Runway
Luis Aponte spearheads Florida Men's Fashion Week with "Water Lilies," a vibrant artistic exploration that masterfully blends tailored menswear with delicate fluidity. Discover the collection's serene inspiration, capturing the beauty, serenity, and light of a lily pond through a bursting palette of colors.
Updated 01:48 pm EST, November 21, 2025
Published 11:11 am EST, November 20, 2025
Photo Courtesy: Florida Men’s Fashion Week
Runway Photography: Stanislav Kozub
Backstage Photography: Luis Aponte
Luis Aponte spearheads Florida Men's Fashion Week with "Water Lilies," a vibrant artistic exploration that masterfully blends tailored menswear with delicate fluidity. Discover the collection's serene inspiration, capturing the beauty, serenity, and light of a lily pond through a bursting palette of colors.
Updated 01:48 pm EST, November 21, 2025
Published 11:11 am EST, November 20, 2025
Photo Courtesy: Florida Men’s Fashion Week
Runway Photography: Stanislav Kozub
Backstage Photography: Luis Aponte
It was a vibrant start to Florida Men’s Fashion Week with the opening designer, Luis Aponte. who presented “Water Lilies.” From the first look to strut the runway, Luis’ collection was a delight for the eyes, bursting with violet and lilac tones and shades of green.
His collection was nothing short of the beauty, serenity, texture, and light that one experiences while taking in a landscape of water lilies.
I found myself going to a faraway place, imagining Luis spending a day beside a quiet pond, contemplating the journey of life and oneself, and of what was and what could be.
An invitation to reflect, join the flow, and embrace the water and stillness. Watching the glassy water dotted with lush green water lilies – the blooming purple petals standing uprightly and bending to rest peacefully along the surface of water and leaves. The brightening and deepening of colors with the shifting of the sun. Being immersed in this wonder and a glimpse of Luis’ tropical dream within a dream.
Luis’ collection was a tactile and visual artistic exploration – a union of tailored menswear and fluidity built on cotton, denim, chiffon, lace, sequins, and embroidered tulle infused with the heartbeat of the tropics and rhythm of Miami.
The repetition of petals and flowers could be seen from look to look – from petal-shaped pieced collars and lapels, to the floral prints, lace, and embroidery, to the delicate fabrics layered and intertwined just as the lily is.
The sheer tulle, deep hues, and movement of fabrics were reminiscent of the clarity and flow of water. And the shimmers of sunlight reflected as sequins dashed by.
It was a culmination of strength and softness, elegance and structure all combined into one, and a portrait of Luis as designer, muse, and man. A beautiful expression and balance of masculinity and sensitivity, confidence and vulnerability, and an invitation to be true to oneself.
A declaration and reminder that, as the lily remains from season to season, following your heart and living in your true identity never goes out of style. As penned in his poem “The Road Not Taken”, Robert Frost wrote, “I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference.” (lines 19-20)
And so, I leave you with one question – what road will you take? Congratulations to Luis for a dynamic, beautiful show, once again.
With a fashion buyer grandmother and Mack Sennett Studios producer as a great grandfather, Dana’s love for Old Hollywood and fashion ignited. Sparking wonder, accentuating one’s being, helping them reach their potential, and knowing how valuable they are is always central to everything she does.
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