Multimedia show combines fashion, art and music

Art, music and fashion collided at Sweatshop, a one-night-only multimedia exhibit held on Sunday night.

Tampa-area tastemakers Nessie Fernandez, Raven Reda, Kamran Mir and Ben Chmura presented the third installment of the event at Czar nightclub in Ybor City.

"I'm feeling really good about this one," says Fernandez, event co-organizer. "The concept of the art party is always evolving, and it's been done. Now we're trying to do something new."

In its third year, Sweatshop showed works by local artists, hosted live music performances and featured two fashion shows.

For the first time, organizers added a Sweatshop-inspired marketplace, known as the Trunk Show, featuring the latest works for sale from independent regional artists and designers.

Fashion designers Reda and Chmura unveiled their newest collections on the runway to the sounds of local bands Vera Violets and In Fireworks. (Both designers have select items on sale at the REAX Space boutique in Ybor.)

Reda showcased clothing and designs from her unique accessory line Dementa.

"I always knew I was going to be doing something creative, but I didn't know until I was in my teens that it would be fashion," says Reda who is known for her love of vintage threads. "I made a decision that this was something that can be done here in Tampa. I'm doing what I love."

Chmura debuted his fall/winter 2009 collection, Taliesin, inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's Wisconsin estate and the eponymous Welsh mythological hero for a retro-futuristic look.

"This year we didn't hold back," Chmura says. "I'm just pleased to be a part of something that has such an influence on the community. It's really encouraging."

The arts community has been hit especially hard by the struggling economy, Chmura says, but that doesn't mean he won't be sticking to his creative guns.

"It's been tough, there's no two ways about it," says Chmura who sold his car earlier this year to support his passion. "Its hard, but this is the time to focus. I'm serious about this. It's what I love to do."

Jedd Lancaster, James Dormer-Schneider and the infamous SmileMaker erected their own interactive installations and Tampa culture mongers Properly Polished also presented a live painting/fashion installation.