Raccoon-eyed models in snug alpaca coats were standing on platforms at the Kevin Bruk Gallery one recent evening, looking a little restless.

They had been told not to move, for a spooky-arty effect. But their fidgeting kept breaking the spell.

''The models, we tried to clone them -- having them standing still, like freaky-looking,'' the designer of the coats, Silvia Argüello, said before rushing off to kiss more guests.

With the help of candy-pink bellinis, visitors appraised the human installations. A few even tried on the clothes, available for purchase.

Part art expo, part fashion boutique, this was a sartorial coming-out party for Argüello, and it was unusual even by Miami standards.

Fashion shows are commonplace in sultry, dim nightclubs like The Forge or Nikki Beach, lending collections an erotic edge. The Raleigh and Setai hotels routinely host runway shows, allowing the garb to be viewed through a historic or luxe prism.

Mounting a fashion show in an art gallery is rare. And with their blinding wattage, often sketchy neighborhoods and boxy rooms, it's no wonder.

But Argüello, 33, had good reason to host her American debut at the Kevin Bruk Gallery. She wanted to make the case that the items aren't merely artistic; that they are art. Her fine-spun coats and rectangular, geometric dresses were lined with a silk print by Miami artist Craig Kucia.

''Everyone who buys [an Argüello] coat becomes an art collector,'' said her brother and business partner, Ernesto Argüello, who lives in Miami.

Collaborations between fashion designers and artists are nothing new, and among the most successful is the Marc Jacobs--Takashi Murakami team, which has made a mint for Louis Vuitton.

Argüello's pieces -- no more than 20 per item -- are numbered, suggesting they are collectibles that will increase in value. The designer felt that Kucia's colorful, whimsical paintings were the perfect backdrop for her folkloric fashions.

''I think the inspiration is really my European experience,'' Argüello said of the line. ``I try to make it very fashionable, but with Latin American colors -- the gray, the green. Very sleek, very fitted.''

Dozens of her family members and friends had flown in from Honduras and Nicaragua for the event, and Argüello flitted around the rooms to greet them. Her dress, asymmetric and belted, was made entirely from Kucia's silk print. More than any other garment, it seemed to garner the most accolades. But it was not for sale.

Some of the guests privately puzzled over why the displayed clothing did not appear well ironed, a slip accentuated by the gallery's harsh lights. It turns out that while alpaca wool is delightfully soft, it doesn't easily stay pressed.

''It does wrinkle,'' conceded Tanya Bodden, who works at Rosa Clandestino in Milan. ``You have to dry clean it or steam it.''

Raised in Honduras, Argüello calls Milan home. She worked for Emanuel Ungaro in Paris as an intern in accessories and later as a shoe designer and after two years finished a master's in fashion accessories at the Marangoni Institute in Milan. In 2004, she launched Rosa Clandestino, with made-to-order items.

It was through the Kevin Brun Gallery that Argüello discovered Kucia's works and bought one. ''His paintings are a combination of realism with surrealism, and I like that,'' she said. ``It's an ironic touch.''

Fred Segal, the fashion-forward boutique in Los Angeles, also liked what it saw -- a major coup for a freshly launched designer.

'I took a couple samples in a suitcase and they said, `Forget it, we want the whole line,' '' Ernesto said. Fred Segal is the sole boutique worldwide to carry the clothes, though Argüello's website also sells the line.

Guest Katerina Friderici slipped her arms into a black, knee-length coat with rounded pockets and admired herself in a full-length mirror.

''I love it -- the silk feels really amazing,'' she swooned over the $3,000 item.

One of Argüello's longtime friends, Tania Atala from Honduras, purchased a frothly pink scarf for $299 on the spot. ``I'll wear it in Europe or when I go to Argentina to ski.''

Others weren't entirely sold.

''They're very urban although they're definitely not for Miami,'' said Grettel Singer, referring to the wool's spectacular insular properties.

Gallery owner Kevin Bruk said he got behind the idea instantly.

''This is something that's really exciting and creative,'' Bruk said. ``Gallery openings get boring after a while.''

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