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Category: Kathy Friend
The Makings of a Fashion Show – part 5
The nest step is MODEL FITTINGS!
My 2 assistants help me go through TONS of racks of clothes to pull outfit ideas together. And by tons, I mean more than 30 racks.
We then size those outfit ideas, and sort them by each model. Each model had 4-6 different looks to try on when they came for a fitting. The goal is to get 3 great looks for each model to wear on the runway.
When each model comes for her fitting, we spend about 30-45 minutes going over the outfit ideas. Generally we need to run back to the racks to find different sizes, colors etc.
Once the outfits are selected, we then start styling them. Choosing jewelery, shoes, handbags and other fun accessories to complete each look.
The final step is to inventory and catalog each look. We go through each look, write down exactly what each model is wearing (down to rings, necklaces, shoes). We also make special notes for the models on specific attire concerns (i.e. proper undergarments). All of this information is put into the computer so inventory sheets can be printed for each look.
…and now on to developing the actual show!
The Makings of a Fashion Show – step 1, 2, 3 and 4
I am frequently asked what it really takes to pull off a fashion show. It seems so simple: get some people who want to be models, grab a few outfits, turn on some loud music and **BAM** you have a fashion show! Right? WRONG!
Let me be frank: it is a LOT more work than you realize!
The behind the scenes work I’ve done, alongside an amazing committee, for this year’s Little Black Dress fashion show is pretty incredible. For the past year, we have been sitting in pow-wow sessions going through every little detail of the event.
Once we nail down the details, it’s time to start collecting clothes. All of the Goodwill of Michiana stores have been collecting clothes for the fashion show and boutique. The employees of each store have an amazing eye for what is trendy, stylish and designer brand names! All of those things are then cataloged, organized, and shipped to one location where they are again cataloged and organized.
Next, comes the really fun part – choosing our models! This year we held model casting calls across Michiana to allow interested ladies to get information about being a model. The calls were held at Goodwill stores, Kerri’s Avenue Salon and Bethza Professional Makeup Studio.Kerri’s has been named the event’s official hair stylist team, and Betha’s has been named the makeup artist team for the event. We are very grateful to have these pros as part of our fashion team for this event!
Typically we have a core group of 12 models who participate in the show. This year, we had an overwhelming number of ladies show an interest. So the committee got together, and decided to pull rabbits out of hats and expanded the number of models for the show!
I am very excited to share who has been chosen as the models for the2013 Little Black Dress Fashion Show and Luncheon!
| Chavala Wilson | ||||||
| Cher Herald | ||||||
| Cheryl Hunt | ||||||
| Cindy Postma | ||||||
| Deb Miles | ||||||
| Diane Bennett | ||||||
| D’Nisha Zona | ||||||
| Jayne Flanagan | ||||||
| Joanna Holland | ||||||
| Joy Decker | ||||||
| Liz Haynes | ||||||
| Maria Stancoti | ||||||
| Maxin Koontz | ||||||
| Melinda Miller | ||||||
| Rachel Schultz | ||||||
| Suzanne Purewal | ||||||
| Terry Kiska | ||||||
| Whitney Glass
cartoon image from: http://imgc.allpostersimages.com |
TRENDS – Spring is finally here!
One quick way to add some life into your wardrobe is with a dash of a current trend. Nothing feels better than adding several new pieces into your closet; things you love, that fit you well that are spot-on and trendy.
Let’s be honest – revamping our closets every season just to maintain relevancy and life can be really expensive!
Let’s think of trends in terms of accessories. Handbags, shoes, jewelry are all ways we can take a simple monochromatic outfit from drab to fab! …and can maintain our budget at the same time!
OVERSIZED SUNGLASSES
Channel your inner Jackie-O with some over-sized sunglasses this season. The bigger, the more colorful the better! This trend leans a little catroonish in style.
Thrift shops always have a ton of sunglasses in a variety of styles. Be sure to check out this section next time you are at your local Goodwill store.
LUCITE DETAILS
This trend reminds me of the 70’s and 80’s in a BIG way. I remember my Mom having a pair of sandals that were see-through Lucite. They had little flowers that were glued on the toe. Ahhhh yes, memories!
Today, this trend is a great thing to look for at your local Goodwill. The true fashionista will want to embrace this trend in its pure form: the mod vintage feel from the 70’s and 80’s!
THE TOTE
Another big trend this season is the tote. I love the notion of this, especially for summer. Imagine yourself strolling through an open air market, with your super trendy cool tote to hold all of your goodies! Or for moms, consider doing away with the baby-bag and embrace something a bit more sophisticated in this season’s trendy tote!
One thing I always check out at Thrift Shops is handbags. You never know what you are going to find there! This season, be sure to train your eye to look for the larger bags.
BOLD METAL
In jewelry, the trend is strong metals. Bold, thick metal statement pieces are all the rage! And, yes, GOLD is very on-trend right now.
Consider layering your jewelry this season to create this big bulky look.
Did you know that most Goodwill stores have a section just for jewelry? I have visited dozens and dozens of Goodwill stores all over the country, and I notice the jewelry counter / display seems to get overlooked. If you are a collector or maybe someone who likes to make or re-purpose jewelry, check out this area of your local Goodwill store.
TREND ALERT: walking shorts
One of the hottest trends this season is the walking short. I’ve been looking all over for the perfect walking short (that won’t break my very-limited budget) and have fallen short.
While organizing my closet this week I came across a pair of trouser pants that I never wear. They are a loose fitting linen that would be perfect for shorts. But alas, they are a baggy pant.
My instinct was to set them aside in the Goodwill pile, but then I thought twice. Maybe I could make these into the perfect walking short!
Well…long story short, I really messed up my first attempt (or two) at this DIY project (let’s just say I am NO Amy Clark!).
After several trips to Goodwill to get other “perfect trousers that will become perfect walking shorts” I stumbled upon some ideas and tips that will help you not make the same mistakes I did.
STEP1
line everything up and mark your pattern
To create the pattern, I found a pair of shorts in my closet that I like. The length of these old shorts seems to be perfect, so I used those as a pattern for my DIY ones.
Lie the shorts on top of the pants. Line up the rise of both pants. This will insure that the length of both sorts is about the same. **NOTE this is a step I did not take the first few times around, and found that it is in fact a critical part of the equation!
STEP 2
Measure twice…cut once
Mark the pants with alteration chalk and a ruler **NOTE yet another step I left out the first time or two around.
The ruler is critical. Although I can cut a straight line on wrapping paper, apparently I can not cut a straight line on fabric.
(Photo Credit: http://www.refinery29.com check out this blog for great How To, Entertainment, Fashion Beauty and more!)
STEP 3 
Time to cut
I made sure to make my cut an inch longer than I needed. This allowed for some ‘slop’ (and by ‘slop’ I mean my inability to cut a straight line).
STEP4
Stitch it down
Since I don’t own a sewing machine, I try to use Stitch Witchery or hand mend things that need a needle and thread.
(photo from http://adoremore.blogspot.com – check out her blog and see how she made some denim DIY shorts)
STEP 4
Be the envy of your friends
One of the best things about projects like this is when people ask you where you got those super cute shorts, you can say “They are a one of a kind, and I got them from Goodwill for just a few dollars and made them into shorts myself”…it’s a real bargain for up-to-the-minute style… that is unless you mess up as many times as I did (*wink*).
SPRING TRENDS! Color…
New trends mean new colors. This season is no different. The color story is a wild tale of typical Spring pastel hues, and a mix of vibrant tones.
The hot color of the season is Emerald green. We are seeing this Emerald green color paired with a mix of hues ranging from Dusk Blue, Linen to Grayed Jade.
The HOT HOT color combo of the season is Poppy Red with Grayed Jade or Emerald.
WHAT COLORS SHOULD I WEAR?
The key to knowing if you can wear these new hues lies in an honest look at yourself in the mirror. Take a look at your eye color, skin tone and hair color. Look at the overall contrast in your look. For example, if you have blue eyes, blonde hair and medium skin tone you could say that you have soft contrast coloring. If you have dark hair, brown eyes and dark skin you could say you have a deep contrast. Make sure that the tones of the colors you choose this season are inline with the contrast in your own natural coloring. For example, if you have a soft contrast in your look, choose colors that have a soft hue to them (Grayed Jade or Dusk Blue for example). Likewise if you would say your over all natural coloring falls in the deep category, then the hues you wear should be deeper, higher pigmented tones (Emerald and Monaco Blue, for example).
SHOPPING FOR TRENDY COLORS
A tip my shopping mentor gave me was to print out the seasons hot colors and carry them with you (go HERE for an easy reference to print). Take this reference sheet to your local Goodwill store and simply look for these colors. Choosing something that has a vintage feel, and pairing it in a fashion forward way by teaming it up with a trendy color combination will make you an instant fashionista!
WANT MORE ON TRENDS?
Pinterest is a great place to check out trends. Be sure to follow my Spring Summer 2013 board on Pinterest!
Welcome to the Rochester Store!
NEW YEARS RESOLUTION #1
NEW YEARS RESOLUTION #1
get all the holiday décor dealt with before February.
New Years Day. What does it mean to you? For me, it means cleaning and organizing. Putting away all the holiday décor and getting my house back in order. And for some reason that task seems to get harder and harder each year.
My goal is simple: get my home to a Christmas-decoration-free zone. Inevitably as I started going through things, I get side tracked and unmotivated. This year it occurred to me ‘why don’t I eliminate some of this holiday clutter and donate it to Goodwill’. BRILLANT!
Imagine being able to just load up your holiday stuff into your car, and not dealing with the organizing / reorganizing! Then, next year head to your local Goodwill store and load up on new holiday decorations. Seriously…I might be on to something here!
3 EASY STEPS
Here are some tips when considering eliminating your holiday clutter:
1. Before you start undoing all of your beautifully staged holiday decor, go through the storage totes and consider what you didn’t use. Do you really NEED those things? Can they be donated?
2. Then, as you put things away, think about it’s meaning. Of course you don’t want to donate those sentimental ornament that your daughter made for you in 3rd grade, so before you repack your ornaments, have 2 piles “keep” and “donate”. Put things in the ‘donate’ pile that you may not like, you haven’t used or simply want to replace next year.
3. Keep a list of those things you’ve decided to completely replace next year. Nothing could be worse than next December, getting all into the holiday spirit and decorating and realizing you donated all of your garland and lights. …and when next year comes, remember to start your holiday decor shopping at your local Goodwill store. You will be surprised what you find!
To find a list of Goodwill stores close to you, click HERE.
Stay tuned for other New Year’s Resolution tips!
Gearing up for the Holidays
I’m all wrapped up in the holiday spirit, aren’t you? Even when I go out on the weekends, I am searching my closet for something with a little sparkle or shine. One of the HOT pieces this holiday season is the sequin skirt.
I had this outfit idea in my head that requires a gold sequin skirt. Seemed when I wasn’t searching for one, I saw gold sequins EVERYWHERE. Of course now, I can’t find one anywhere. So I got busy looking online. The one I found that seemed to be the right gold was well over $70. This Mom’s budget can’t afford $70 for a skirt she’ll wear a few times! Then I wondered, could I make one?
Again, back to the Google searching, and voila! Why didn’t I think of this weeks ago? Of course…find the perfect fit in a skirt at Goodwill, and simply sequin it!
Here are the quick and easy steps:
STEP 1
Go to Goodwill and find that perfect little skirt. The color doesn’t matter, just make sure that the fit is exactly what you want.
STEP 2
Head to the craft store (or if you find something that is sequined at Goodwill, that might work too…rework what is already done?). Choose a perfect color sequin fabric. Make sure the sequin fabric has some stretch. Sequined fabric can be a little pricey, so before you hit the stores, look online for a coupon. I found a 40% off coupon and used that…making my “holiday gold” MUCH less expensive!
STEP 3
My step 3 is a bit different than the inspiration (link below). Cut your sequined piece of fabric about1-1.5″ bigger than the “pattern skirt”.
I then used a fabric glue to seam the sides of the sequin fabric together. I stitched the sequins at the waistband of the skirt, and only about 2″ down the sides. This allowed the Goodwill skirt to act as a sort of slip for the sequins.
DONE!
Here is a ‘how to’:
(from: http://toothfairyfashiontale.blogspot.com/p/diy-sequined-skirt.html)
Fall/Winter Trends – Leather
Nothing says Fall/Winter like LEATHER! The thing that I think is so unusual this season, is I’m seeing more and more pleather (fake leather). Pleather is much more affordable, and very easy to alter or re-work.
The ‘rocker chic’ look is a fun one to incorporate into your holiday looks. Think about pairing a motorcycle leather jacket with a flirty ruffled or lace skirt.
For the office, take the same motorcycle jacket and pair it with a tweed skirt.