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Local fashion boutiques and familiar faces will be highlighted at a “Girls Next Door” themed fashion show headed to Asbury Park.

The event, organized by Jersey Shore Premiere Events [JSPE], will take place Wednesday, Sept. 18 at Watermark.

The fashion show supports small businesses from the Jersey Shore area by “representing and boosting the exposure of several unique and enticing boutiques and designers,” according to event organizer Chris Fotache.

Model that walk in the event are local girls (and boys) next door, from Asbury and surrounding shore towns, their ages range from 17 to 50.

“We don’t use professional models. As long as they feel comfortable and look good, we don’t mind them walking,” he said.

Fashion show attendees can expect to see collections from JLynn’s Boutique [Belmar], D Monaco Designs [Point Pleasant], Brazen Bras [Freehold], Posch Boutique [Rumson], Rare Cargo [Manasquan] and designers Massive Apparel, Thomas Lavone and La Maison de Pascale, according to a prepared release from JSPE.

“It is more than just a fashion show, it is a celebration of the Jersey Shore’s wealth of local beauty and character,” the release said.

This will be JSPE’s sixth fashion show since they began in 2011, he said. Fotache and his business partner, Rosa Davis, host two fashion shows per year, one in the spring and one in the fall. Davis handles the fashion and Fotache handles the promotions, he said.

Fotache is from Romania and Davis from Peru, both made the move to the U.S. about 13 years ago, he said.

“I had friends here, found a job and liked the Jersey Shore – there is no reason to leave,” he said.

The two got together three years ago and started JSPE to organize events to help local businesses, combining fashion with networking, Fotache said.

Part of the fashion show proceeds will also benefit the American Diabetes Association. The association will also have a booth set up at the event set up to promote and inform the public about their Jersey Shore Tour de Cure bike ride, said Fotache. The 10 to 100 mile bike ride and fundraiser takes place the following Saturday. It begins and ends in Bradley Park, west of Convention Hall.

During the fashion event there will be numerous opportunities to take photos on the red carpet with models, media personalities, and a few celebrities, the release said.

Although Fotache does not have any clear indication of the celebrities that may grace the Watermark doors on the night of the event, they have had reality TV stars from The Real Housewives of New Jersey attend events in the past, he said.

He does suspect some cast members from the series Jerseylicious may attend, since one of models that will be walking in the show is related to a cast member, he said.

The event will begin at 6:00pm, with the fashion presentation starting around 7:15pm, and an after party with music provided by show sponsor Instinctive DJs to follow.

Other sponsors of the fashion show include VanNortwick Properties, The Jersey It Girl and J Michael Salon in Sea Girt, who will provide hair and makeup services for the models.

Tickets for the event are $20. They can be purchased at the door, or on the JSPE website.

Watermark is located at 800 Ocean Ave, Asbury Park, NJ.

[Photo at right: Model Angela Longette at a previous fashion show representing JLynn’s Boutique in Belmar. Photo courtesy of Kristen Driscoll Photography.]

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