The Edit by Brett Graff
Fashion moves way forward with human rights, Jungle Island gets lit, and the city serves tacos.
Fashion Done Right
Adrienne bon Haes and Soledad Picon co-hosted an event for Human Rights Watch that invited members of South Florida’s garment industry to discuss fashion industry abuses. Held at the Instituto Marangoni in the Miami Design District, HRW senior counsel discussed Transparency and Labor Abuses in the Garment Industry, focusing on fast fashion and its effect on workers in India, Bangladesh and throughout Southeast Asia. The conversation centered around low wages, manager harassment and and long, work hours. Notable attendees included fashion legend Barbara Hulanicki, founder of BIBA, author Francesca Belloumini, The Cheat Sheet on Italian Style, jewelry designer Soledad Lowe, DesignLabMIA founder Angie Cohen, fashion designer Renee Ruiz of Rene by RR, Adriana Sanchez, VP at Goldman Sachs, influencer and social activist Danié Gómez Ortigoza of Journey of a Braid and doyenne of the philanthropic community Patricia Papper.
“We want to make sure when our concerned community is talking about sustainability,” said bon Haes, the evening’s moderator who is well-known in the community for her creative cultural dress and designs, “they are also including ethics in that dialogue. We don’t want the well-being of workers to be left out of this equation.”
Human Rights Watch opened a Miami office 3 years ago and is swiftly and steadily seeing the community join in to support their their world-wide efforts to stop human rights abuses. Their next event will be October 22nd with a screening of Charm City, a documentary about the relationship between law enforcement and black communities, at the Adrienne Arsht Center, Carnival Studio Theatre 6:00pm-9:00pm.
Lighted Jungle
Jungle Island, which is undergoing a multi-million dollar reinvention, is debuting its first-ever Luminosa Festival of Lights. Opening this week and running until January, the park will feature 13 acres of illuminated trails and live-sized authentic lanterns, 34 exhibits of animals, plans, and iconic Miami destinations, all made with over 1 million LED lights and 11 miles of silk. 
“Luminosa at Jungle Island is certain to be one of the most Instagram-worthy and talked about events of the season,” says Curtis Crider, Jungle Island’s general manager. “Between the rich history behind the festival and its beautiful pageantry set within a jungle-like setting, this must-see installation will be a celebration of two cultures coming together and the rebirth of an iconic South Florida attraction.”
A few of the visual delights will include oversized orchids and flowers, a demure cassowary and striking silk parrots in the Birds and Blooms exhibit; a sea of glowing jellyfish in the Biscayne Bay display; some of the world’s rarest animals down Jungle Trail; to a 114-foot long by 26-foot tall panoramic rendition of an iconic Miami destination decked out in Chinese graffiti art in the Miami Style exhibit. All lanterns will be illuminated by environmentally-friendly LED lights and made out of water-proof and fire-resistant materials, supported by steel frames.
1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, Miami, 33132, October 5 through January 8, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., $35.95 per adult and $30.95 per child, save 20 percent by purchasing tickets in advance.
An Official Taco Time
National Taco Day is this Friday, October 4th, and if Miami can rally on a culinary occasion, it’s one involving tortillas and tequila. Lightkeepers at The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne has an indoor-outdoor bar serving Crispy Pork Belly Tacos and a House Margarita for $10, beginning at 6 p.m. And Toro Toro, located downtown inside the Intercontinental Miami, is offering an array of $5 tacos – two per order. The Al Pastor Soft Tacos is made with pork shoulder, tangy chili sauce, pineapple and shaved red onion slaw, the Crispy Shrimp Tacos have Napa cabbage, jalapeno ranch, avocado and cilantro. Get boozy with $5 Classic Margaritas and Mexican Beers such as Corona, Modelo and Pacifio or upgrade to a Cadillac Margarita for $10 or an El Matador Margarita for $15.
Brett Graff is SocialMiami.com’s managing editor and has been a journalist covering money, people and power for over 20 years. Graff contributes to national media outlets including Reuters, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, Maxim, and the PBS show, Nightly Business Report. A former U.S. government economist, her nationally syndicated column The Home Economist is first published in The Miami Herald and then on the Tribune Content Agency, where it’s available to over 400 publications nationwide. She is broadcast weekly on two iHeartRadio news shows and is the author of “Not Buying It: Stop Overspending & Start Raising Happier, Healthier, More Successful Kids,” a parenting guide for people who might be tempted to buy their children the very obstacles they’re trying to avoid.
