Justin Timberlake wins the Indianapolis 500

I did not see Justin Timberlake at race events this weekend, but he was still a huge presence. How? It was all due to Dan Wheldon and #98 car. Thanks to a wreck during the 200th lap, Wheldon pulled out his second 500 win. The car he was driving had a splattering of sponsors. The most visible was the sponsorship of William Rast. William Rast is the luxury clothing company founded by Timberlake and Trace Ayala, in 2005. Timberlake even gave a tweet shout out about it.

It is very encouraging to see such a fashion sponsorship in the IZOD racing series. When I saw that the William Rast car won the 500, I knew I wanted to share how cool it is for the fashion scene. The luxury denim company of William Rast adds a new element to the Indianapolis 500 scene. But who is William Rast, and why does he look so good being rugged?

The brand gives us a bad boy with the gorgeous girlfriend, living the crazy life, and looking hot while doing it. Timberlake and Ayala have created the man that everyone wants to be around. The William Rast label has all the favorite items for any man, and is perfect for the Midwestern guy. The brand is known for its luxury denim. The price tag for a pair of the Williams Rast denim is $128 to $225. I love that the denim does not have bold decorative stitching, but instead has stitching on the back pockets that adds style. Remember guys, bold and bright does not equal style and fashion forward. The great thing about the denim is its versatility. The denim does not have crazy stitching and embellishment, but you can still wear it as a dressed up look. You could also take the same denim and wear a basic William Rast t-shirt, scarf, and leather jacket and be the cool guy about to start trouble. Timberlake plays the role of Williams Rast in the videos on the website, and watching them helps give a good idea on the brand.

The brand is available locally at Nordstroms and Saks 5th Avenue. The average guy is probably not able to afford some of William Rast pieces, but here is what to take away from the brand. Keep your denim simple, people! Focus on the fit of the denim over its details. William Rast also has t-shirts and button down shirts. If you can’t afford William Rast right now, I recommend at least checking out the website to get inspiration on how to combine the different pieces and accessories. The William Rast man is a worthy inspiration for your upcoming shopping trips!

Congrats to Justin Timberlake on your Indianapolis 500 sponsorship win. Weldon accepted his prize and was honored at the annual celebration gala last night in Indianapolis. He was also rumored to be rocking a pair of the Williams Rast denim – can anyone confirm?

Meantime, I’m looking forward to seeing which fashion sponsorships will be around for the Indianapolis 500 next year!

 

Nataliya Kitic: Studio NTK

Nataliya Kitic’s experience with the fashion industry started in the middle 90′s in her home country of Bulgaria. Her father was a manager at the local apparel

manufactory and she liked to visit him every day, especially when he was working in the pattern-making room.  At that time, the designers did pretty much everything; from creating the fabrics and patterns to piecing together the prototypes. She found the process wonderful and interesting, and decided to make her career in fashion. In 1999, Nataliya graduated from a four-year school with a Fashion Design major.  During this part of her education, she was exposed to many of the technical aspects of the design process, including manufacturing.

Nataliya moved to the United States from Bulgaria in 2004. In 2008 she decided to move to Indianapolis to further her fashion career. The fashion design program at The Art Institute of Indianapolis helped her discover her creative side. After gaining both technical and creative experience through the program, Nataliya decided to open Studio NTK.

Studio NTK’s mission is to help small and start-up businesses with consulting, designing, pattern-making, sourcing, and small-run manufacturing. Nataliya had been told that in order to hire a good pattern-maker or designer, one had to go to New York or California. She wanted to prove this statement to be false, and show the world that there are lots of talented designers in the Midwest.

Since opening in January of 2011, Studio NTK has helped three companies with design, sourcing, and manufacturing. Studio NTK’s long term goal is to raise enough funds to buy modern industrial equipment such as a computer pattern making system, a plotter, and other manufacturing equipment. Nataliya is striving to grow the fashion industry in Indianapolis, and would love to bring more customers to the Midwest.

Two of Nataliya’s designs will be showcased at the May 31st, IFT Night – Fashion Movement event.

Nataliya’s Studio NTK is located in Greenwood, IN. Nataliya can be contacted via email at studiontk@gmail.com or by phone iat 502.939.7966.

Be a Great Communicator

Communication in business can win or lose you a contract, client or opportunity. Lack of response is just as bad, sometimes worse, than a poor response.

Here are some tips and tricks to keep you in contact with the people who will  get your business moving:

Business correspondence:

  • Follow up any phone discussion with an email, which sums up what you spoke about, what actions you both agreed to, plus any additional information that may help your client make their decision. This way they have a reminder in writing, you know the date you spoke to them (and all the points you covered), and they have an easy way to contact you again. Photographs, links, and other people’s contact information are all useful bits of information to include in your email.
  • When you have made an appointment with a client (further than 2 days away), remind them the day before the appointment. Leave them your phone number in case they need to cancel or reschedule.
  • If someone does need to reschedule an in-person appointment, offer to do a phone call (or Skype) instead. This keeps things moving.
  • Be consistent. If someone calls you, return their call by phone and leave a short and clear message if you’ve missed them. If they email you, respond by email. If they text you, respond with a text. I can’t tell you how many people have tried to respond to my email with a phone call to a land line, which I may not access until the business day is over. Not smart!
  • When sending large files to someone via email, send them a quick note in a separate email that tells them to expect it. That way, if the file is blocked or put into spam, they know to look for it or can tell you if they didn’t receive it.  Don’t get mad that someone doesn’t respond without checking first to see if they actually got the information!
  • Before you interpret someone else’s written message wrong, please ask the sender what their actual intent was. Often this requires a phone call or in person conversation. Never assume you interpreted their tone correctly from an email, text or memo.
  • Be precise in your language. Use pronouns as little as possible, be very descriptive. Before you mail off an email message, re-read it several times to check for possible mis-interpretation. Check spelling, check etiquette.

Technology & etiquette:

  • Be respectful of cell phone numbers! Keep your calls within business hours. Some people answer their cell even if it is not convenient. Get an idea of when they are generally available, and stick to those hours.
  • Be respectful of texting! I may be the only person in the US with no texting plan, but every time I get a text with a one word message or unnecessary comment, I wince. I get charged every time. Make it count, and only text when you feel it’s an emergency (you’re running behind, need to cancel an appointment, etc.).
  • Email etiquette: these are not text messages. Make sure when speaking with someone for the first time, your message is polite, cordial and not too familiar. Address them as you would when meeting them in person for the first time. Thank them for their time and provide several ways for them to contact you, including times when you are readily available by phone.
  • Use the technology that you have at hand. If you tell someone you will call them back later, why not be more specific and ask when is a good time to call back? Then set your cell phone alarm or Google calendar alert to remind you at that time to call them back. You can even leave yourself a note that reminds you what you needed to speak to them about.

Dealing with Volume:

  • Don’t neglect or ignore emails. We know you get a lot of emails, so be smart about it. If you have several addresses to check, have them all forwarded to one email and use your labeling/sorting tools. Gmail, for instance, can put emails from other addresses into separate inboxes. You can even prioritize emails coming from a particular address (for instance, orders from a web catalog).
  • Check your emails several times a day. This is an easy way to keep the load down…checking 40 emails a few times a day is much easier than looking at 200 emails at the end of the day. There may be some urgent messages that get buried in a large batch of emails, so don’t lose out on opportunities. Learn to scan the subject lines to see which need attention immediately!  Delete the garbage right off the bat so you can find the gems.

Social media:

  • Facebook messaging is not a professional way to conduct business. It may be a convenient way to make first contact, but always request their email address or phone number, or provide your own information as a more efficient and reliable way to contact them. Facebook changes its messaging system and on a regular basis. Often I am unable to load, read or write messages. Very frustrating!
  • Newsletters (like MailChimp, Constant Contact) are pretty, but beware. Sometimes they are perceived as spam and are immediately discarded. Often images are blocked when the recipient first opens the email, so any “first impression” is lost. Simpler is better.
  • Make it personal. Twitter and Facebook is great for disseminating impersonal messages to a lot of people, but if you really want to hook someone, send them a personal message…tailored to them.

Working with the media/press:

  • Press release: Be brief, to the point. People hate to read! Add a few lower resolution photos if they help tell the story, but the meat of the information should never be in an attachment. It will never get opened.
  • Contacts from reporters are always URGENT. They are working on a deadline, so never wait to respond. If you wait, you lose the opportunity! Five minutes can be too long. In this instance, mobile web phones are great…you can have your email ping you when there is a new message.
  • Again, make it personal. If your press release is tailored to the particular reporter’s interests, or the publication’s focus, it will be perceived as more relevant.

 

Pop-up Shop Report

As most of you know, IFC held its first ever Pop-up shop on May 6 at the Circle City Industrial Complex. While it cannot be hailed as a huge success, it was, nonetheless an important learning experience for our organization AND we even sold some stuff! Pop-up shops are nothing new in bigger markets and around the world, but it’s safe to say that the Midwest and Indianapolis in particular are still playing catch up in this particular area of retail.

Our first pop-up showcased IFC members including Nikki Blaine – who was our gracious host as well, R.Lynda Couture, Picnic, Blue Eyes and Bare Feet, Antonio Fermin, Dressed Her Days Vintage, Stitch Sisters, Faith Blackwell, Atelie, House of 5th and Cheeky Couture.

Currently, we are refining our vision of what the IFC pop-up should look like and how it should function to help us meet our organizational goals even better. We think that partnering with local boutiques and retailers is the next evolution. Stay tuned!

A big thank you to CCIC & Nikki Blaine Couture for hosting us!

Images courtesy of Marc McCoy.

Enjoy the 100th Indianapolis 500 in Style!

The 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 brings with it a sense of nostalgia. It’s strange that a race that started in 1909 has turned into “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing”, gaining global clout. Local news sources have been producing stories highlighting the long history of the race. And I can’t help but recall my first trip to the track when my uncle, took my cousins and I. We walked through the infield, saw gasoline alley, and watched the pit crew do what they do. It was an unforgettable day. As an adult, I’ve also had my share of visits to the race; partying in the infield and enjoying the race from the comfort of a suite. It’s great to have such a long-standing tradition here in Indianapolis, but I do have a complaint. Year-in and year-out, in spite of the diversity of the crowd and the unpredictability of the Indiana weather, the ubiquitous cargo shorts with the cut-off shirts keep making an appearance. It’s time to up the ante! Indianapolis is getting some pretty great press as we head into not just the racing season, but also (keeping my fingers crossed), the 2012 Superbowl. So guys? How about a few tips to help you look your best at this year’s race?

I recommend that every fashion conscious guy who’s planning on partaking in this year’s race festivities, needs 3 specific outfits. First, the Carb Day outfit. If you’re a race fan, it is a tradition to go to the biggest party at the track. It’s a great day to grab your friends, beer, and enjoy being outdoors with the sound of cars zooming around you. Just make sure you leave your ill fitting cargo shorts and cut off shirts at home. Instead, try the Polo Ralph Lauren Chino Vintage Officer short. The shorts are a perfect length, hitting a few inches above the knee. The Chino is a nice sun bleached casual short that looks great with a button down shirt or simple cotton T-shirt. If you don’t want to pay the $89.50 price tag, then I recommend the European fast fashion retailer H&M. H&M has some inexpensive cotton short options around the $29.95 price tag. This is a great option because you get a lightweight inexpensive short, since Carb day can get a little rowdy, that you wouldn’t mind getting a bit dirty. A perfect pairing is to find a linen button down shirt. Linen is a great option for the hot weather at the track, because linen is breathable and lightweight. H&M seems to have these every summer season around $19.95, and in a wide range of colors. If you guys choose to wear a T-shirt, please check out my earlier post about graphic T-shirts.

The second outfit you’ll need is a party outfit. There are a handful of celebrity hosted parties like the Fantasy 500 Party that are the hot parties to go to. My ideal party outfit suggestion is a blazer, button down shirt and a dark pair of denim. Let’s start with the denim. I am not a fan of all the fancy decorative stitching, but prefer and always recommend a simple pair of dark denim. Something that looks clean and put together. I often go to my Express straight leg denim for this look. I also love the traditional style of the Levi’s brand. Next, find yourself a black fitted button-down shirt. There is nothing worse than an ill fitting button down shirt. Sticking with a neutral colored shirt will give you the ability to wear multiple color combinations a lot easier. Then finish off the look with a pin stripe blazer. Then the fun comes in with some style options. Instead of just wearing a standard outfit, throw in a bow tie and pocket square. Pick a color from any of the signal flags used at the race, to add that hint of color. If by chance you don’t know how to tie a bow tie properly, I highly recommend the knowledgeable staff at Nordstrom’s. They taught me!

The last outfit is for Race Day. Go back to a nice pair of fitted shorts, and a thin polo. Believe it or not guys, there are different weights of polo shirts. Take the time to find the thinner weight shirt, sometimes it will have the description of “weekend polo”. I am a fan of the “boat style” slip on shoes too. It is a nice mix-up from tennis shoes and flip flops. To bump up your level of style, go ahead and add a breathable straw hat or fedora. The hat will not only add some style to your look, but also keep you protected from the sun.

The Indianapolis 500 is a fun event, so have fun with your fashion. Just because you are going to the 500 does not mean you have to stick with the cargos and cut off shirts. There are breathable fabrics out there for men, that will not only keep you cool but protected from the sun. So make sure you stay hydrated, slather on some SPF and have a great time, hanging out with friends, new and old. After all the Indianapolis 500 is a large social event. Hope to see you guys at a race party or track. Ladies and Gentlemen start your engines, and go shopping!

 

David Lowry {hair stylist}

As one of Indianapolis’ most trusted salons opens a new boutique location in Broad Ripple, on May 19,  Elle magazine joins salon owner David Lowry in recognizing a great addition to the city’s fashion fabric. “This city works hard and Indianapolis rarely gets the PR it should. There are a lot of cool things here and people working very hard. This is great for the whole city,” he said.

IFC: How did you get your start in the business?

DL: I used to be in the restaurant business, which required a lot of work and late hours. I didn’t really want to go back to college or anything so I just thought I’d give it a shot. I was never one of those kids who played with hair or anything like that, it was like trial and error. I didn’t know I had the ability to do what I’ve done.

IFC: Why did you choose to open your salon in Indianapolis?

DL: I have my roots grounded here. I looked at other markets, where my competition would have been greater. I like being a big fish in a small pond. I wanted to create an environment for training and teamwork, and that just wasn’t available when we opened the salon in 1991. There wasn’t any high end opportunity for recent graduates to come in and get educated and start a high end career. I was trying to improve the industry as a whole.

Read more

Indy Fashion Time Preview

by Dlang

Hello Fashion World! My name is Dlang, and I’m a fashion designer and the producer of IFT (Indy Fashion Time).

I’m extremely impressed and motivated by the growth of the fashion industry here in Indiana. When I started producing runway shows over 12 years ago, the industry in Indiana was extremely difficult. There was just a lack of opportunities, especially for a teenager like myself. I didn’t care; I just knew I wanted to be in fashion.  I remember going to shows and ooooohing over creations by Thierry Baptiste, Nikki Blaine, and Cc.elaine.

To find my niche, I learned how to sew and started producing shows locally. I also traveled to LA, Chicago, Kentucky, and Atlanta to do shows.  Whether I was a personal assistant, “coffee-getter”, coordinator, stylist, or model, 99% of it was free work. It didn’t bother me because it was all about learning and networking.

I liked what other cities had to offer in fashion and wanted to do my part to bring opportunities to Indiana. I was struggling with the need to purchase equipment and pay for shows, but I wanted to do something that could help and give back to designers.

So, Indy Fashion Time was created and has now been active for nearly four years. IFT is an annual event held the 1st week of June to kick off the summer.  I am thankful for all the love and support we are receiving from both inside and outside the state. The show is expensive, but with personal savings, along with the support from the community and local businesses, the show has again received a Proclamation from the City of Indianapolis recognizing IFT from May 31- June 4th.

We have a great line up this year. We will open up with IFT Night-Fashion Movement on the Indianapolis Cana l with a performance by Harpist, Stephanie Newberry Hall. The week will continue with a three day youth Fashion Challenge, called “Style Evolve”. Events conclude with IFT’S Grand Finale show “Impact on the Runway” held at the Grand Hall of the Indiana State Fair Grounds. Guests can shop with exhibitors, attend workshops, network, and witness the 4th annual designer competition.

Check out June 4th Schedule:

4:40pm -7:40pm WORKSHOPS

  • Marketing/Branding yourself & business with Elisabeth Barton of Life of Leo Designs
  • Body Altering Experience with Cathy Fritsch of Sweet Revenge
  • Model Workshop with Leslie Turner of LModelz
  • Designer’s World with Celebrity Designer Althea Harper, Project Runway Season 6

7:45pm Networking Reception

8:45pm Designer Competition

This year Baby Lock (www.babylock.com) joined the team and is sponsoring Machines as prizes. We also have other great perks and a $1,000 CASH Scholarship.  I’m so excited!!!!! I’m glad I’m not a judge.  We would love for you to get involved and attend.  For more information and ticket purchases visit www.iftworld.com and “like” Indy Fashion Time World” Facebook page for exclusive updates.

Don’t miss this opportunity to “Experience the passion, art and business of design, at IFT, Indy FASHION Time!

IFT would like to thank its sponsors: Harrison College, Geneva Hair Salon, Fashion Business Incorporated in Los Angeles, Baby Lock, Tyler Mason Salon, Fashion for Profit, Sew News, Jeremiah, Talking Rain, Mini Bar Cakes, Ani Ziemnaik Photography, MUA Re-creations, Aesthetic Design Style, Life of Leo, and Charles Letbetter Photography along with the many others who have embraced the show and blessed us with their time, service, and donations that have aided in the show’s rapid growth.

Dlang graduated from Harrison College with a major in Fashion Merchandising & Business Management. She currently works as a fashion designer and acts as the producer of Indy Fashion Time. IFT proceeds benefit youth and adult educational and learning opportunities through workshops and internships. Dlang is the 2011 Award Recipient for the Goodwill Youth Connections Honor.

Josh Madden: Don’t Judge a book by its cover

Sensu Indianapolis has only been open a little while, and they have already showcased some great DJ talent to the city of Indianapolis. This past Friday, Sensu hosted DJ Josh Madden from New York; it was his first time performing in Indianapolis. Josh looks like your typical rock musician, but is much more than just a DJ and Music Producer. He is also the Co-Founder for two different companies, DCMA COLLECTIVE (a clothing line) and West Hall Media (a new marketing company). AND? He is a stylist.

Yes, the tattooed DJ has styled bands such as: Good Charlotte, The Static Jacks, Pierce Brosnan, Metro Station, and the White Tie Affair. He has also styled for Ben Sherman, Kangol, and House of Cassette clothing lines. Josh has been featured in People, Nylon, Spin, Paper, Status, and Inked magazines. Not to mention being a writer for Nylon magazine.

I have been a fan of Josh’s styling, our tastes being quite similar, so when I heard he was coming to Indianapolis, I knew I wanted to pick his brain. Here is our interview:

Jeremiah: Thank you so much for your time. I am a fan of your styling work, and gain inspiration from your vibe and aesthetic. My intention for the interview: is to offer a platform to inspire and share experience and knowledge to my readers. I read, I think it was a Nylon spread that you started out doing projects based on the experience over the pay. What was your first styling job?

Josh Madden: My first formal work, that put my name in print, was for PAPER Magazine…Styling 50 kids for 3 days, to be photographed by this radical guy Torkil. I just googled it… wait…here is the link.  We did that for free, I think I actually lost $500 on the shoot, because all these kids ruined these George Cox shoes; it was more money than I had. I had a whole room of borrowed clothes and my own collected stuff. Shout outs to Jimmy at Trash & Vaudeville, on St. Marks, for letting me pay him back late. I love Jimmy. Hey also, whoever put that on their tumblr, thanks, that’s awesome to see. That shoot means a lot to me to this day. There’s so much I’ve done that I didn’t even keep for a portfolio or whatever…

Jeremiah: And what was that first “on the job” lesson you learned, and how did that change the way you approached future styling opportunities?

Josh Madden: The girls at the showrooms were rude, except for Betsey Johnson, she was at her actual showroom, I love you forever Betsey…I was real frustrated because I was a straight tattooed guy, going into these showrooms where the clothes weren’t really that great anyway; so I started collecting. I decided I was gonna take any job, because I wanted to change things up and work collected stuff in with stuff that had to be shown, because of advertisers. If you make something look amazing, nobody can ever say no. There were a lot of lessons for me, because I feel like a fashion outsider. I don’t think the fashion world will ever recognize me…I don’t feel accepted by the fashion magazine crowd, but that’s all good because people like Charlotte Ronson and Christian Siriano make stuff that people actually wear and they’re my friends. F*ck, I don’t wanna be around anyone that doesn’t want to discuss and be inspired by creativity. So if those two kids [Charlotte and Christian] are the only kids in the High School, of the fashion world that hang out with me, I’m cool because a large part of that world is lost and boring anyway, haha.

Jeremiah: You have since worked on some pretty dope campaigns and editorials, not to mention the bands you have styled. Living in New York, I can only imagine the amount of inspiration you visually come in contact with. Where or how do you find your inspiration, for your different styling projects?

Josh Madden: Really, most of the time someone is just like, “What if…” then someone else is like, “And also if…” then I’m just like, “Yea and also…” haha. I went to see my buddy Sky at his office and he was like, “I’m working on this video for Lupe’s band “Japanese Cartoon”. We were thinking you’d be good to style it…” He went to buy a Pepsi and then he returned and was like, “Lupe texted me back…We’re having lunch in a half hour.” We had lunch and two weeks later, I was making a video. There was no back and forth about money or manager or anything, we just created. We can make everything out of nothing…and we can make it awesome because we all do our part.

Jeremiah: What advice would you give someone who lives in the Midwest, who wants to explore getting into styling?

Josh Madden: Get all of your photographer friends together and make them friends. Get all of your styling friends together and make them friends. Get all of the bands you know and tell them to stop trying to look like other bands and to let you all help them look better. Make a zine. Get 5 people together and make a blog, with new content that you’ve made on it. Do whatever work you can for free. Get a job handling visuals for a department store. The only way to make a bigger effect is to work in teams. I would love to expound using examples in my life, but I’m not interested in discussing all the people I’ve worked with. I think as a stylist person or a behind the scenes person, it’s better if you’re invisible.

Jeremiah: What have you found to be the biggest misconception of people’s view of being a Stylist?

Josh Madden: That you get credit. That it pays well.

Jeremiah: Reading your Tumblr, Listening to you radio show, and reading articles you have written: The impression is that you are an everyday guy following your passion. Many people wouldn’t even assume that you were interested in fashion and styling, based upon stereo typical assumptions. What advice would you give guys in the Midwest, who might be afraid to explore the arts within the fashion industry based upon stereo types?

Josh Madden: None of us are going to change the minds of anyone who has a stereo typical subscribed vision…I’ve just found a place where I have to be so obsessed with what I’m doing, that I just don’t hear and try to see any of that. I engage people and openly accept them as best I can. Two years later when they’re doing exactly what they were making fun of me for, I’ll be on another wave. The recognition and good feeling comes when 30,000 people listen to your radio show weekly, and your inbox is flooded with questions from people you identify with. I love the people living all over America, don’t get it twisted, I love New York City…I could give 2 sh*ts about an invite to a fashion show that will underwhelm me and bum-out my positive and excited spirit. I live for the 15 year old me who was called “Chunk” on a daily basis, considered a weirdo and told I was wasting my time…No kidding, I find myself standing in the most awesome situations, feeling like there is nobody in the room but me and the 15 year old me, and we’re just laughing. The secret for me is…I found the part of my life that I loved and made it my whole life.

Jeremiah: Besides styling, you also write for popular magazines, produce music, the co-founder of two companies, and currently doing a DJ tour. What fashion/style advice would you give the guys, who are coming out to check out your shows?

Josh Madden: Wear your favorite sh*t. I find my favorite thing to wear and sometimes I wear it for days…I’m better at life when I’m wearing my favorite shirt.

Jeremiah: What’s your favorite brand?

Josh Madden: Can we have a whole different discussion about that next week? I need a couple hours on that one.

Jeremiah: One accessory you always wear.

Josh Madden: This Hermes bracelet my brother got me years and years ago…I’ve never gone a day without it.

Jeremiah: What’s the most important Spring/Summer trend you like?

Josh Madden: I don’t really like the current trends. I like the 90’s

Jeremiah: Thank you Josh for your time and advice.

Josh Madden: Thank you for taking the time to check out anything I’ve done and interviewing me…If anyone reads this, thank you. If anyone wants to live a life dedicated to creativity, thank you. If we ever meet in person I apologize ahead of time for being completely shy and quiet, or possibly being 180 degrees the other way and being really weird, saying odd stuff and maybe being inappropriate. I promise I get normal after a few minutes. I’m just cripples in some social situations. I really do like people.

To learn more about Josh Madden, check out JoshMadden.com for blog, portfolio, and links.

Cincinnati Fashion Week Opening Night

By Ian Stikeleather

We’ve been talking about connecting with Cincinnati Fashion Week Founder and CEO, Nathan Hurst for some time now, so going down for the Opening Night of Cincinnati Fashion Week was a no-brainer! Catherine Fritsch, my lovely sister Erica, photographer Marc McCoy and I loaded in the ride and headed southeast.

We arrived at the Old Contemporary Arts Center, not sure what to expect.  My experience of similar local events has been lackluster to say the least, so I was not optimistic.  However, I was pleasantly surprised! Swag bags in hand + 2 complimentary drink tickets each (Thanks Nathan!), we entered a huge, open space that was really rockin’!  There were tables loaded with food from local eateries, a Vitaminwater bar, a dance floor and a DJ for starters. As we explored the space, we also found a photobooth and a VIP lounge sponsored by A-Line, a new, Cincinnati-based fashion/culture magazine and Absolut. THEN, there was also a smaller bar featuring a local microbrew and a small exhibit showcasing local high school student designs and  concept boards.  Along the way we met Miaja Xummo, the editor of A-Line, and ran into great friend and muse, model Erica T. Also, we got to enjoy watching  Cinci’s young and stylish set get their party on. We helped. :-)

All in all, we had a blast! We’ll be talking to Nathan as soon as he recovers from this past week and picking his brain on how Indianapolis and Cincinnati can join forces to help make Midwest a fashion force to be reckoned with. Stay tuned!

All images courtesy of Marc McCoy.

Quality Over Quantity: Think Twice Before Committing to “Shows”

By Ta’keisha Violet

With all of the “fashion shows” happening literally at least once per month, I can’t help but wonder if the models are kind of burned out. For the most part it’s the same designers showing the same clothes, so it has to feel like you’re doing the same show in a different location every time. Now, I use the term fashion show very loosely because a lot of these shows that people are throwing together are about a lot of things; but fashion doesn’t seem to be one of them. For that, I say, “Don’t call it a fashion show. You’re tainting the image”.

Ok, before you go calling me out of my name, let me say that I understand everything is for everyone. However, some of these shows are a little scary. Personally, I rarely go to “pop-up” fashion shows if it’s at a night club; chances are I won’t attend even if I have free tickets. There’s just something about a club and a fashion show that don’t jive well with me. What’s even worse is the massive number of people who say things like, “This is the best fashion show Indianapolis has ever had”. Really?! Ok, well maybe the pictures posted on Facebook are of the wrong show, because all I see when I look at some of the pictures is a mess. Sorry, that’s just my honest opinion.
A lot of newer models feel that they have to walk in random shows because they need the practice and it’s the best way to gain experience. I understand this thought process, and I’ve even suggested that models find smaller shows to walk in, but what I was not referring to were the shows that happen in clubs and bars. I don’t want to see models horse walking and spinning down the runway. I recognize that not ALL fashion shows that take place in clubs are trashy, but I have to say that most are. Club shows tend to be for a totally different type of “model”, and one that I wouldn’t dare cast for a show I was serious about. I’ve done the castings for Midwest Fashion Week for the last three years, and when the models from those other shows come to the casting calls, I give them a “No” before they even walk. This is because I’ve already seen pictures of them at the end of the runway bent over, butt in the air, touching their toes; you won’t embarrass my judgment. Thanks for coming. See you later.

I’ve assisted a few associates with casting calls for shows that were in clubs, and I selected models from my “other models” list because those are the types of shows they belong in. I would never put any experienced models in those shows because in my eyes, they’re too good. Yep, I said it. When considering these shows you have to ask yourself, “Is this an image I want to follow me throughout my modeling career”? If you want to be the model that only does local club shows then have at it! If not, be more selective. Don’t sacrifice Quality for Quantity.

Ta’Keisha Violet Ryan is currently the Manager of Designer Relations for Fashion Week and works side by side with some of the best designers in the Midwest. A love of fashion is what led her to create her blog Violet Meets Fashion where she encourages her readers to live life fabulously.