Fashion Show: Think Pink

A couple weeks ago, I hosted a breast cancer charity at our store and led a pink-themed fashion presentation.  Prepping for it turned my office pink.  Here’s a peak..

Though the idea of running your own fashion show or getting to style beautiful models seems like a fun task, the reality is that you have limited time, people pulling you in different directions, and a thousand other projects and to dos.  Imagine a game-show-like challenge with a major time crunch and the pressure of being on TV (remember how those reality TV stars sweat?)  That is what it’s like.

Scurrying through the two retail floors grabbing everything pink in sight, I must have looked like a crazy pink ball of fire.  It was a somewhat frightening task knowing pink was not a trend color this season, but somehow I managed to pull more items than I thought imaginable all the while making sure to pull sizes that my itty bitty models would fit into.  Then, I’d drop everything onto this rack and spend the next hour creating out of nothing, 20 head to toe outfits.

The pressure was on.  I knew all eyes would be on me.  And I knew I had to be prepared enough to not run out of things to talk about.  I imagined my mic in hand running through topics such as:

  • how to find your perfect shade of pink
  • how to dress up and dress down each outfit
  • how to go from cubicle to cocktails
  • how to wear pink in small doses
  • how to vary each dress option and create 3 different looks
  • what colors match well with pink
  • etc. etc.

Once my filler topics were listed, I organized the outfits by category:

  • little black dresses with pink pops of color
  • casual daytime looks
  • everyday dresses
  • evening looks

And then I organized the categories further – worn by model vs. on rack as filler piece.  It was important for me to have additional items to talk back to since some of the pink finds didn’t have model-appropriate sizes and also because I knew I’d have to kill some time while waiting for my models to change and reappear.

Once the untagging, scanning and re-tagging was done, my intern (love her!) made my flash cards – each card detailing the outfit’s pieces by brand and price.  I later numbered the backs of all the cards in case I dropped them (which I did do during the actual presentation btw).  Note to self, also add holes and a ring clip so that if they are dropped, time is not wasted trying to put them back in order.

With any leftover outfits, I styled my assistant, intern and myself so that we would also represent additional looks (on real people’s bodies), then hurried off to deal with all the other events’ setup needs.  Here are some pics!

And you can’t have a pink party without pink cupcakes…..I’m disgusted to think how many pink cupcakes I’ve eaten during my many breast cancer fashion events.

Yummy- looking huh?  Mind you, I had no event budget for decor.  F&B was all donated (perk of partnering with a charity), flowers were begged off of our visual team, and all other items were things I scrounged up in-house!

As guests checked in, they were greeted by the charity, welcomed with complimentary cupcakes and pink sparkling wine and encouraged to mingle / shop.  The models stood on platforms wearing SFA black dresses while wearing pink jewels from our jewelry department.

My events are all about sell-through so I had the models spritz guests with some of our pink – colored perfumes, just as another way to highlight product.

Here are some shots of the fashion presentation.  There was something for the pink-shy…those who wear pink in small doses and/or those who wear pink only as an homage to breast cancer charities at these sorts of events.  And there was something for the pink-enthusiasts whose closets scream pink and yearn for more.

Where do you fall on the love-of-pink spectrum?

I’m learning to love the color.  My next entry is about my very own pink outfit.  (here in these photos, I was borrowing the store’s DKNY striped dress and cardi from Lavia.  What do you think?

After running around all day, being the host for the event, the stylist and emcee for the show, serving as the event designer and planner, I put on my next hats:  event financier, charity shmoozer, events team manager etc. And before you knew it, I was off continuing to plan my next 10 events!

 

 

 

Style Diary: Sweet Studs


If you’ve been reading my blog, you’ll know that I’m a fan of fashion juxtapositions.  I love mixing vintage with modern, girly with masculine and sweet with tough.  Here’s yet another example and it has to do with studs.  Back in the ’80s when studs were hugely popular (remember Madonna and her studded black leather jackets?), I never ventured into that rock ‘n roll territory.  I was too much of a goody two shoes to adorn myself in such tough leather and studs.  It would have felt too costume-y for me.

But I’ve since learned that I can incorporate the rocker look in small doses and in doing so can up the “cool” quotient of any of my more feminine pieces (and Lord knows I have a ton of them!)

This entry is about mixing studs, and spikes with sweet pieces like lace, skirts and dresses.  The first outfit is something I wore to work today.  It all started with my new H&M find, this navy lace top which I found for about $30.  I brought it home thinking, I could easily wear it now this summer, and transition it into fall because of the darker color.

I paired it with this red skirt which is actually half of a Calvin Klein suit (always think about your suits as being separates for increased wearability!)  and being that I was wearing red, it seemed perfect to pull out these studded red ballerina flats to match.

The Zara flats have this cute Chanel-like chained ankle strap that makes everyone take a second look.  I had 2 co-workers today try to figure out whether I was wearing ankle bracelets or whether the strap was part of my shoe.

Do you see what I mean though about balancing out the girly lace with the edgier studs?  It gives the outfit a little more interest than say, if I were to wear a pair of red pumps; don’t you think?

That necklace is my mom’s btw.  I make a point to steal something from her closet every time I visit 🙂

Okay and now to the 2nd sweet studded outfit.  This one was also something that I wore to work (last week).  And this time I mixed a vintage lace sheath with a more modern Patrizia Pepe black blazer while again contrasting the girly lace with spiked belt and shoes.

Sorry the photo is a bit grainy due to the bad lighting but you get the picture (pun intended).  Below, you’ll see a close-up of my spiked accessories. Hopefully, if you didn’t think you could do the punk look, you’ll agree that it is highly do-able in small doses.

You wouldn’t normally think to wear spikes with lace but I think these pictures prove that the contrast works!

By the way, I’ve been thinking about selling this Chanel leather purse.  So if you want it, make me an offer I can’t refuse!  It’s in great shape!

By the way, if you’re noticing what looks like Scotch tape on one of my eyebrows, that is surgical tape.  Instead of getting stitches, you can sometimes use this new surgical, breathable, waterproof tape to adhere two parts of cut-open skin.  Thank God for it because I’m a huge crybaby when it comes to pain and needles!  Okay, so you’re wondering what happened to me… I’m sorely embarrassed to say that I was retarded enough to walk straight into a street sign.   Yea, and as if that wasn’t embarrassing enough, I now have to repeatedly re-tell the stupid story of how I was so fixated on the going out of business -last day sale that I walked myself straight into a pole.  (blush)

I truly am a fashion victim.

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