Dr. Bahar Couture at the FDG Fashion Extravaganza

The Fashion Destination Group held their first annual Fashion Extravaganza on June 9th at the St. Regis Resort and Spa Monarch Beach in beautiful Dana Point. Aimed to showcase emerging local designers and music artists, the all day event benefited Costa Mesa based Working Wardrobes, a charity devoted to helping men, women and young adults re-enter the workforce after catastrophic life events. During the day, an outdoor catwalk featured trendy summer fashions from brands like Young, Broke & Fabulous and Hudson. During the evening, the indoor Luxe Runway Fashion Show took place in the St. Regis Ballroom and was hosted by Catt Sadler from E! News. Emerging designer Dr. Bahar Couture was the second show inside the St. Regis Ballroom on Saturday evening.

This evening marked the first ever runway show for Dr. Bahar, a physician turned fashion designer. Dr. Bahar grew up in Iran and learned to sew from her grandmother while she was growing up. Even after medical school in Iran, international moves to study at Yale and then to California, Dr. Bahar's love for fashion and her sewing machine never wavered. Says Dr. Bahar, “I kind of went through ten years of transition of getting adapted to the new culture. And then I started sewing again. I started sewing again and I came to my office, my paitents were asking me who all my clothes are by. Everything is very colorful, very feminine. It was a very classic A line look. Very retro. Everybody told me you should do this.”

Bahar actually is the Persian word for "spring" which makes perfect sense when you look at Dr. Bahar's collection. The line is comprised of bright, feminine, tasteful dresses which would not be at all out place at a spring garden party . Says Dr. Bahar, "this collection is about flowiness, people that are comfortable in choice of color and very comfortable being a woman. Not necessarily exposing so much skin to show their femininity.” Two personal favorites were a long, strapless, emerald green dress and a long, peach dress with flowy, accentuated short sleeves.

With plans already in the works for a fall line, Dr. Bahar Couture is on the way to becoming the go to line for tasteful and bright dresses.