Thursday, June 28, 2012

Hot, Bold, and Beautiful…Style in Action

If you want to talk about transformations, this years Phoenix Fashion Week is going to be on top with all the incredible designers being brought into the mix.  Here's the recap of the event on Thursday, June 21, 2012.
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Last week, not only was the heat on in Miami with the NBA Finals, but it ruled the space at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix on June 21, 2012 with the fashionistas out in style and the paparazzi photographers out to cover the next big announcement from Phoenix Fashion WeekEmerging Designers 2012!!  The excitement and the energy were strong as the anticipation built up in the pre-event gathering where heavy networking, pictures, and people watching took place.  There were designers, jewelers, and other fashionable attendees everywhere you looked. 
In their normal guided pace, Phoenix Fashion Week kept the crowd on its toes waiting until everything was just right and the moment the doors opened there was the frenzy to get to the right position to have the best views.  The Founder’s Room was the site where all would take place on this lovely night.  As always, there is plenty of media, fans, support, family and friends in the audience and it was standing room only once everyone was allowed into the room.  The organizers for the event began the night with the introductions and Brian Hill, Executive Director for Phoenix Fashion Week,  took his place at the helm and started the show. 
I always get goose bumps at these times as you are in place where history is being made with these types of events.  You get to see the past accomplishments and then begin to see the vision for the year and into the future at these times.  Brian did not disappoint anyone.   He started off making sure everyone was seated and began discussing , “The Experiment”.   More to come on that later.  A great message was delivered from the main sponsor for Phoenix Fashion Week, Balluun Inc. , who has developed a business collaboration and commerce network to rival all others.  They are very excited to be involved with these events and you will see more of them. 
Now to the highlights - the introductions of the emerging designers:    1) Bri Seeley was out the gate first with a blue and white flowing dress, 2) ENVY sauntered into the room with a black and white block design outfit that was bold, 3) EYE Thread rocked a very versatile, patterned, and lovely creation that just exuded confidence,  4) Italia Rocks Couture strutted with the classic chic long black dress couture style, 5) JHaus entered with a dynamic model wearing an innovative open back design, 6) Living Dreams shared a great message and the look and feel of paradise with the blue hue T-Shirt, 7) Ofra Style walked into what seemed like their fan club of support with an incredibly comfortable styled jumpsuit that has versatility, 8) Samantha Patterson demonstrated that Arizona does have more than one season with the classic simple skirt and blouse-jacket style with very nice cuts, 9) Sew Twisted Designs showed why they were twisted with a nice pairing of pants and top, 10) Paulie Gibson definitely included a unique styling and colorful array for their menswear model, 11) Shawl Dawls carried the catwalk with the stylish convertible and classic styling with the shawl and pants, and finally 12) Suzzane Lay showed another way you could lace it up with the purple flush dress.
You can see the designers and read more about them at their links on Phoenix Fashion Week’s page Emerging Designers 2012.  The night was not over with those introductions as SJ Couture talked about what the next steps and the journey was like based on their past experience.  Additional announcements were made and several successes were shared from the podium.   The last great information shared was that Miss Arizona USA (2011) Brittany Brannon, was there representing for her first major event of Phoenix Fashion Week as the new Fashion Host of PHXFW TV.  She was amazing and did a fabulous job as contributing host along with Brian Hill and the rest of the team.  Looking forward to a fantastic season with Phoenix Fashion Week!!!

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Film or Fashion??


Can you imagine life without Film or Fashion?  I can't...I don't think there isn't a day that fashion hasn't ruled my life and film hasn't been an instrumental part of something I do, see or feel.  You may wonder the significance of this...but this is what I'm here to explain.  We all have passions and dreams to do something that is bigger than ourselves and sometimes we have to stifle that dream or desire because something we call life gets in the way.  In all honesty, it should never be like that.  Our life and what we live everyday should be about our passions and desires and what drives us to get up and move and make a difference.  We are all individual creatures and have a uniqueness that calls us to do different things.  Film and fashion are not for everyone, but let's just take a moment here and imagine that they are.  My idea is that if you can relate to this and the journey, you can also relate this to other passions and desires because at the end of the day, what makes the world go around is all the different things that we love, want to do and desire.

"Film as dream, film as music. No form of art goes beyond ordinary consciousness as film does, straight to our emotions, deep into the twilight room of the soul. A little twitch in our optic nerve, a shock effect: twenty-four illuminated frames a second, darkness in between, the optic nerve incapable of registering darkness." ~ Ingmar Bergman

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” ~ Coco Chanel

As this journey begins, I will be telling the stories of where I have been as well as the stories of individuals that I have come across, am working with today and I hope to work with in the future.  Everyone has a reason and a purpose for why they have chosen what they pursue.  What follows is all the additional intersections and corresponding interactions that surround the successes and the challenges that are faced while on the journey.  It is often times the story behind the perception that gives one the determination and the resolve to look at their own life and see what they can do differently that will impact their success and their ability reach to others.  I have the phenomenal opportunity to be involved with so many great entrepreneurs as well as individuals that are working on making their dreams and passions come true.  I want to make sure that these stories are shared.  Not only are the stories going to be important for edification of the businesses and the individuals in and running them, but the community that is impacted as a recipient of the business via the work created, the ideas developed, the opportunities given that enable them to survive, grow, flourish and have their worlds transformed into something bigger, better, and stronger than they ever knew before.  

We walk a fine line in doing the work we do, that it can be perceived to be frivolous, and a waste of time to others.  If you have the understanding that everyday, you cannot wake up or go to sleep without being impacted by fashion as it is part of everything you wear and even if you don't watch television, film, or anything related to entertainment, almost everyone else around you is watching those things and every conversation will have some kind of connection to communication which ultimately resembles some form entertainment.  Film and fashion gives one the chance to see, feel, imagine, escape, and dream... as it is everywhere and in everything and surpasses and consumes the soul and our consciousness for us to reach and go beyond.