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With a parade of light wear, fancy dresses, purses made with a variety of materials and designed in sober colors and different sizes, plus belts, luring berets, accessories and painted cloths that sort of brought back memories of the retro age, the International Fair of the Fashion Industry, Furniture, Ambiences and Styles (FIMAE 2004) came to a close at Havana's International Conference Center.

The attractive, exquisite and restrained collection entitled Fashion Trends 2005, presented by the Boga Corporate Group, brought down the curtains of the this major yearly runway show that gathered designers, experts, tailors and fashion execs from the turf and around the world.

The varied collection –put out by a team of designers with Miguel Angel Ramos at the helm- included striped swimwear, full-color beachwear and trunks spruced up with flower motifs, shorts for both men and women, light shirts, under-the-knees shorts in light and dark shades, motley combos, sandals for both sexes and footwear designed and made by Combell Company.

Sleeved and sleeveless gowns, top-neck blouses, large and small purses –either for casual and black-tie occasions in broad daylight or at night- necklaces, slacks, tight-fitting jeans, denim wear, a variety of vests, low-neck blazers and refreshing men's shirts were some of the top outfits designed to soothe the sweltering summer of the ongoing year and pave the way for the hot months of 2005.

Despite a few bold skirmishes by a bunch of fashion designers (though not off-key in any way), most experts focused on georgette, flax, cotton, denim, organza, satin, stretch and twill as the fabrics of choice.

Another collection that got two enthusiastic thumbs up during the show was Art & Fashion's presentation of ample choices for men's and women's wear, some of them featuring audacious designs for casual outings or more formal social functions, but all of them marked by peerless finesse.

The Versatile Spirit collection, presented by Confecciones Encanto of the Ministry of Non-Heavy Industries, came out with standing ovations from youngsters and adults alike. Its designs featured neutral colors that once marked the 1950s avant-gardism and that are now beginning to catch on all over again.

Juvenile designer Kenia Artiles, author of many of the abovementioned garments, was savvy enough to give her designs the necessary touch of soberness and enchantment to every gown, dress, guayabera, set of pants and handkerchief for casual and non-casual outing that she unveiled that night. Mrs. Artiles centered on flax, cotton and knits as her top fabric choices.

Other collections that brought down the house during the recently concluded Havana Fashion 2004 event were the ones presented by designer Guillermo Moreno of Holguin's Confecciones Yamarex, who combined trendy plain fabrics to come up with a vast assortment of casual and formal clothing, as well as the Caribe, Boutique and Casual collections of Combell, that included a variety of footwear and garments to choose from.

In the same breath, other collections presented by the Institute of Industrial Design, Ropa Rampa and Art & Fashion laid bare daring designs that drew thumbs-up reviews by industry experts and eventually pleased the younger part of the audience.