Dayton Fashion Week

The Anatomy of Dayton Fashion Week(Part 2): The Success Stories

September 3, 2012 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

International Fashion House Azucar

The bar was set high for the Inaugural Dayton Fashion Week, what started out as just a fun idea grew and grew and in the age of social networking word soon traveled outside of the city, outside of the state, and oh yeah outside of the country!! Who would have thought that little old Dayton, OH would cause such a stir in the Fashion World that even the people at Italian Vogue’s party during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Miami would be talking about us and watching us…after all this was just the first one! The designer submission for DFW 2013 have already started rolling in starting with South Africa’s International Fashion House Azucar who has already signed on!

In this first year, we faced it all controversy, skepticism, criticism, and attempts of sabotage, yet we were lifted up each time by friendships, support, faith, determination, shared visions, encouragement, opportunity, and outreach, making dealing with the negativity from a handful of individuals much easier to ignore and here we stand today with success in our hands.

In the days and weeks leading up to and following Dayton Fashion Week, I experienced a rollercoaster of emotions from a huge sense of accomplishment to asking myself if I ever wanted to be a part of something like this again…especially since I wasn’t in it for personal gain; I was and still in it because I love this city! Each time I thought about throwing in the towel I was reminded and motivated by those who stood behind me and had my back when we faced adversity, next to me when there was work to be done, and in front of me when it came time to take the lead and show the world just who and what Dayton Fashion week was and is all about. I found that the support far out numbered the naysayers…and I can proudly look back at our first year with ABSOLUTELY NO REGRETS!!

The success stories that have followed in the past couple of weeks speak for themselves and have made it all worth it, starting with:

“The Face” of Dayton Fashion Week

Celebrity photographer Rich Jackson was in the building during Dayton Fashion Week doing some scouting. Rich has been credited

DFW Model Olivia Nichols wearing designs by Dlang Ferguson, Jewelry by Serket, photo by Rich Jackson

with discovering some of the today’s top models and entertainers. During his stay here in Dayton he hand selected 9 models from Dayton Fashion Week that caught his eye during our Kids Couture and Ready To Wear shows. Including Jessica Ventus, Kayla Holts, AjA Howard, Ashley Jones, Grace Langshaw, Dana Langshaw, Erica Skrylac, Jeanne Kinne, and Olivia Nichols who was named “The Face” of Dayton Fashion Week; Olivia has gone on to do other shoots with Rich for national campaigns!

Abercrombie & Fitch signs Dayton Fashion Week Model

Model Josh Reid signs with Abercrombie & Fitch

Joshua Reid was discovered while walking the runway of Dayton Fashion Week by scouts from Abercrombie & Fitch who were in attendance and as of today Josh is officially the newest face of A&F!

“The Hidden Gem”

According to McKinley Pierre, the Executive Producer of Miami, FL based fashion series Inside Couture Dayton designer L’Amour Ameer stole the show! From his creative runway presentation to his multipurpose multifunctioning designs—“Look! Up on the runway!! It’s a bag, it’s a—wait for it…wait for it…Wow it’s a jacket??” Mr. Ameer’s showcase during DFW had people cheering in their seats and left the people from Inside Couture in awe naming him the “Show Stopper” and “Hidden Gem” of Dayton Fashion Week!

Sew Dayton Opens for Business!

What can I say about Dayton designer Tracy McElfresh other than the fact that she was a God send during DFW! Not only was she one of our most popular designers appearing with us on Living Dayton, FOX 45 In The Morning, and appearing in F.I.Q. Magazine but when Junda suffered her stroke days before the kickoff of DFW Tracy stepped up, took over some of my duties and became my right hand woman when it came to answering most of the contractual questions being asked of me by designers. So, I’m super excited for her new business Sew Dayton; in conjunction with Activated Spaces Tracy and her business Partner Jesy Anderson will open their own clothing shop complete with original designs from Tracy, hand bags designed by Jesy, and they will even offer sewing lessons! Located in the Oregon District across from Thai 9, Sew Dayton will open its doors this Friday Sept 7!

Sarah Tyrchniewicz of Pretty In Dayton

Pretty In Dayton gets invited to the Big Apple

Another God send was Fashion blogger Sarah Tyrchniewicz of Pretty In Dayton, like Tracy, Sarah stepped up and took over some of my duties when Junda fell ill and helped us to keep the ball rolling. And in the process, her honest, sincere, and edgy writing style caught the attention of designers who are participating in New York Fashion Week which kicks off this week! They invited her to sit in the audience and do what she does best give her thoughts and opinions on the latest fashion trends hitting the runway and the streets! Though she had to decline the late invites we’re pretty confident that Sarah and Pretty In Dayton will continue to capture the fashion worlds attention!

Photographer of the Year!

Dayton Fashion Week Photographer Lamar Pacley has been nominated for Photographer of The Year for the 2012 Ohio Hip Hop Awards! Lamar played a huge role in the success of Dayton Fashion Week, from scouting models, shooting the cover of F.I.Q. Magazine, and working with the designers to name a few. Lamar definitely has our vote you can vote for him too at http://survey.websitegear.com/launch/29437/173!

Moving Forward

Photographer Lamar Pacley of Shuttereye Photo

These are just a handful of the success stories that have unfolded in the last couple of weeks from members of Team DFW! I’ve been approached about creating a Designer Incubator for the Midwest, Dayton Fashion Week caught the eye of producers from Naomi Campbell’s new reality show “The Face” and requested some information about several of our models, Dayton Fashion Week models and designers will be on a big screen near you soon after being cast as extras and stylist for a feature film being shot locally, DFW Events Manager Cindy Gaboury is writing for a new magazine called Envision Chronicle, you’ll also see the work of one of DFW’s models on a national hit show soon, and DFW Designer and CEO of Midwest Fashion Week Berny Martin will be showcasing his Spring 2013 designs during New York Fashion Week Emerge Show just to mention a few more!

The Inaugural Dayton Fashion Week has made its mark in the Fashion Industry and Fashion Weeks from across the country and fashion insiders from around the world have reached out to us for support and to help us grow to make it to the next level! The 2012 Dayton Fashion Week consisted of a lot of educating, trial and error, lessons learned, adjusting, adapting, communication, and corrections. Coming into this year we only had 3 people who were familiar with Fashion Weeks– myself, Junda, and one other model– now we have 300! The planning for the 2013 Dayton Fashion Week is currently underway. Stay tuned for details on how you can become a part of the planning process! For more information on Dayton Fashion Week be sure to “Like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/daytonfashion .

The Anatomy of Dayton Fashion Week: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (Part 1)

August 3, 2012 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

Lawd a mercy…where do I even start?? When I first heard that someone was trying to bring a Fashion Week to Dayton in September of 2011, I immediately got excited and went to work on trying to find out who this Junda Morris-Kennedy person was, I called, I wrote, I googled, I Facebooked, pretty much I stalked her until she finally responded!! I offered my assistance thinking that this Dayton Fashion Week thing was just going to be a cute little fashion show—BOY WAS I WRONG because This “Dayton Fashion Week Thing” turned out to be an International Fashion Spectacular that can only be summed up into three categories: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly…of course there was more Good than anything else.(que Ennio Morricone please)

The Good

The Friendships: Excuse me while I get a little teary eye’d and sappy but in the course of the past 10 months I had the opportunity to meet some of the most wonderful people and even better we became more than friends we became a family.

To the models, I want you to know how much I love and respect each and every one of you! As a former model myself, I set out to do for all of you the things that I wish I had accomplished in my career! Modeling isn’t an easy career to break into and all too often your hard work, passion, and dedication are dismissed and go unappreciated because you are “just a blank slate” and I want you to know that you are more than that. From the very first calls that we made to you after the casting calls and hearing your excitement and even tears of joy made me feel like a Fairy Godmother making a dream come true. And every event thereafter you went out and represented Dayton Fashion Week and let the whole world know that we had officially arrived on the Fashion Scene.

To the designers, WOW is all that I know to say!! Actually Wow and Thank You! It wasn’t an easy process finding designers to be a part of the first year of Dayton Fashion Week. I remember sitting at Junda’s house going over plans for the casting call and being really worried about the lack of commitments that we had from designers and doubting whether or not we could go on as planned with DFW. But in true DFW style we continued to reach out and slowly but surely you all answered the call, stepping out on Faith and risking your names and reputations to be a part of this Inaugural event. To say that I was blown away by your presentations throughout the week would be the understatement of the century! Your drive and push to make this event the success that it was will never be forgotten. I’ll be hitting some of you up soon for my custom orders!!

To the Photography team, Lamar Pacely, Robert Coyle, Pete Bradow, Krissy Mills, Cj Kim, and Cliff Fennell, I don’t know very many if any photographers let alone photographers as talented as you all are, who are willing to give up so much of their time voluntarily. You rose to the occasion with each phone call and yes even the last minute cover shoot calls!! If a picture tells a thousand words then your efforts made it a thousand and one!

To the Hair and Makeup Team— Great job Angelica Ross DFW’s Creative Director of Cosmetics, Elite Hair Academy, Stacia McVey, and The Hair Gallery. McKinnley Pierre of Inside Couture said it best, “Dayton Fashion Week’s Hair and Makeup team was better than any such teams that I’ve seen in Miami Fashion Week, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, and L.A. Fashion Week, so my hat’s off to them.” What more can I say?

To Maha Kashani—thank you so much for welcoming me to your hood!! lol From the very moment that I contacted you about DFW. You jumped on board and worked your butt off to make sure that this event was a success. You are Dayton, you are the bomb, you are the best, you are amazing, you are fabulous, and all of the positive adjectives that you can name but most importantly you are my friend. Without you and your work there wouldn’t be a Dayton Fashion Week.

To Junda Morris-Kennedy—We did it!! This was not an easy journey, we climbed up the rough side of the mountain together and I’m honored to call you more than a friend you are my sister. We put in countless hours in planning, we worked together, cried together, we even disagreed a couple of times, and when push came to shove…we always had each others back and like real sisters we toughed it out, stepped out on faith, kept God first, and kept on climbing to the top of that mountain. Thank you so much for taking me under your wing and teaching me another side of the industry, for believing in me, and allowing me to be a part of a positive event for the city I love! I love you from the bottom of my heart.

The Bad

In the days and weeks leading up to Dayton Fashion Week we were rocked by a series of tragedies that shook us to the core. Junda suffered the loss of several family members back to back and 6 days before the Kickoff to Dayton Fashion Week on July 18 at the age of 37, Junda suffered a stroke. I was thrown into the leadership position and was faced with answering a challenging question…Will DFW continue? Not knowing all of the details of the business end of things, I called a last minute emergency meeting that was opened with prayer led by DFW Event Manager Cindy Gaboury and the number of people that showed up and the outpouring of support I received gave me the strength to go on and reaffirmed that cancellation WAS NOT AN OPTION!!

On Friday July 20, DFW’s Executive Producer and MTV’s Made Coach Kyle Haggerty, called his best friend to pick him up to take him to the airport to fly into Dayton and help with Dayton Fashion Week’s preparations. The weather was bad that day and his friend never arrived because he had been killed in a car accident on his way to pick up Kyle leaving him completely devastated and cancelling his trip to be a aprt of DFW.

On Sunday July 22, our Director of Public Relations Tamieka Kent had to step down from her DFW duties when she received a phone call requiring her to leave town to be at her mother’s side who had emergency open heart surgery.

The Ugly

I’ll keep this short,in the days leading up to DFW and when Dayton Fashion Week was struggling to survive after being rocked by back to back to back tragedies there were attempts made to kick us when we were down by those who we bent over backwards for the most to help and accommodate. Did I mention those were FAILED ATTEMPTS??

Back To The Good

Surely you didn’t think that I was going to let the ugly outshine the good right? As McKinnely Pierre the Executive Producer of Inside Couture told me when he called to check on me the other day. “Don’t let a couple of barking dogs steal your joy, especially when you have hundreds of silent ones standing behind you who have your back”. This is only the beginning and you know my motto Dayton Fashion Week #ItJustKeepsGettinBetter 2013 here we come!! News Flash WE ALREADY HAVE DESIGNERS FROM BRAZIL, LONDON, SOUTH AFRICA, INDIA, JAMAICA, AND YES DAYTON GETTING READY FOR 2013

Stay tuned for Part 2 and be sure to check out our Facebook Page to see all of the wonderful images captured by Dayton Fashion Weeks Photographers at Facebook.com/daytonfashion.

The Top 10 Reasons Why Dayton Fashion Week Is a Must See Event

July 20, 2012 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

Dayton Fashion Week Takes place July 24-28

Alright everybody, after months of planning, promoting, talking about, writing about, through all of the ups and downs that we have experienced—Dayton Fashion Week is finally here AND IT’S GONNA BE HAUTE!!! The Schedule is as follows:

July 24 Fashion For A Cause Local Celebrity Fashion Show at the Masonic Temple 6p-9p
July 25 Dayton Most Metro Presents Fashion In Downtown at Court House Square 4p-9p
July 26 Kids Fashion Collection at The Bainbridge Hall the show starts at 6p
July 27 Ready to Wear Collection at the Dayton Convention Center the doors open at 5p show starts at 6:30
July 28 Haute Couture Doors open at 5p show starts at 6:30p.

For those of you who have been living under a rock and haven’t heard about Dayton Fashion Week or maybe you were a little skeptical about whether or not Team DFW could actually pull off an event of this magnitude, or maybe just maybe you’ve heard about it and just needed a little reminder about all of the great things that will be taking place this week. So I’ve compiled a Top 10 List of why Dayton Fashion Week is a Must See Event!

10. Dayton Fashion Week was named a “Must See” Fashion Event of The Year by F-Politique Magazine in London England.

9. Dayton Fashion Week is being Executive Produced by Kyle Haggerty MTV’s MADE Coach.

8. Dayton Fashion Week will be covered by Miami, FL based fashion series Inside Couture and word is Dayton Fashion Week was on everyone’s lips during the Italian Vogue Party last week during Miami Fashion Week.

7. Dayton Fashion Week will be covered by Phoenix, AZ based Fashion-Faces Magazine and Television Show who also featured Dayton Fashion Week models during the Cover Model Contest for F.I.Q. Magazine.(What’s F.I.Q. you may be asking well check out Reason # 2 on why Dayton Fashion Week is a Must See Event but don’t skip Reasons # 6-3)

6. Dayton Fashion Week is featuring over 90 of the hottest models from around the world and close to 80% of them are from right here in the Miami Valley!

America's Next Top Model Contestant Laura Kirkpatrick Phot by Jonathan-Mannion

Do you wanna be on top? That’s right America’s Next Top Model Cycle 13 Runner Up and Cycle 17 All-Star Contestant Laura Kirkpatrick will debut her Grumbage Line during Dayton Fashion Week and she’s bringing some of her America’s Next Top Model friends to strut their stuff on the runway of Dayton Fashion Week.

4. Dayton Fashion Week’s After Party at Club Vault will feature performances by American Idol’s Season 8 Contestant Ashley Mendez and DJ Trick who has toured with Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake, and will be hosted by Spokes Model and Actress Gigi

3. Dayton Fashion Week gives back, from day one Dayton Fashion Week has made giving back and reaching out to the community a priority! Whether it’s collecting can goods during Casting Calls, to participating in builds for Habitat for Humanity, getting a little muddy volunteering during the Mud Volleyball for Epilepsy Tournaments, to raising money for the Hospice of Dayton and Clothes That Work. Dayton Fashion Week is here to make a positive impact on the community.

Dayton Fashion Week Model Raynel Scott prepares to install some insulation during Dayton Fashion Week Habitat For Humanity Build

2. Dayton Fashion Week will debut the HOTTEST Fashion and Lifestyle print magazine the city has ever seen. F.I.Q.(Fashion Index Quarterly). All ticket holders to the July 27&28 events will receive a complimentary copy of F.I.Q. Magazine featuring 68 pages of some of the most talented writers, designers, models, makeup artist, hair stylist, photographers, community figures, and business owners and the very first issue is dedicated to and featuring the talented people of the Miami Valley Area.

1. Dayton Fashion Week is featuring 22 of the world best designers! We have International designer s like Bothdol Fashions from Nigeria, National Designers like 1847 & Co, and to make this journey complete we are featuring local designers and Boutiques: Temiki Jewelry, Kerapa by Sonya Mills, Jamilla Jones, Tracy McElfresh, J’Norreh by Nakeisha Maroney, Gill Mart & Co., L”amour Ameer, Joli Boutique, Pieces of Style, Serket Jewelry, and Love The Limelight by Amy Longo.

Well there you have it folks the Top 10 Reason’s why Dayton Fashion Week is a Must See Event!! And if you still aren’t convinced why you should check it out well—BECAUSE I SAID SO!! No but seriously, Dayton Fashion Week is being put together by close to 300 volunteers from the CEO Junda Morris-Kennedy to yours truly Caressa Brown the Director of Operations we haven’t drawn a single pay check for planning out this event. We believe in the City of Dayton and the talent that it possesses. We want to grow a new market here to help retain the talent that the city and surrounding areas has to offer. The designers have been investing their own money into the designs being showcased, the models, photographers, makeup artist, hairstylist have been giving freely of their time working hard to make this event successful, our sponsors have faith in us and are committed to seeing our vision thru, and last but not least DAYTON not only ROCK BUT The DYT is FIERCE!!!! Dayton Fashion Week #ItJustKeepsGettinBetter

Win a Chance to Walk in Dayton Fashion Week at the Dayton Dutch Lions Game July 18

July 16, 2012 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

Models lined up outside in the cold and rain for Dayton Fashion Weeks Casting Call

Did you miss out on your opportunity to be seen during one of Dayton Fashion Weeks casting calls? Were you not lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to be scouted while grocery shopping like DFW models Jaylin Snider and Maoly Ricardo? Well, Dayton Fashion Week and the Dayton Dutch Lions F.C. Soccer team are giving you one more opportunity to strut your stuff before a panel of DFW Scouts, Leo The Lion, and oh yeah hundreds of fans in attendance cheering on the Dutch Lions Men’s Soccer team during half-time on Wednesday July 18, 2012. The game starts at 7:30pm at Miami Valley South Stadium located at 3737 Upper Bellbrook Rd., Bellbrook, OH, 45305.

The Inaugural Dayton Fashion Week has taken the Fashion World by storm, named a “Must See” Fashion event of the year by London Based fashion magazine F-Politique, and will feature international, national, and local designers, models, and media. Dayton Fashion Week kicks off on Tuesday July 24 and runs thru Saturday July 28. DFW models are receiving once in a lifetime opportunities including taking part in seminars conducted by Executive Producer McKinley Pierre of Miami based television show Inside Couture and Celebrity photographer Rich Jackson who discovered Jessica Sutta of the Pussycat Dolls, they are receiving Runway lessons by MTV’s Made Coach Kyle Haggerty who is also the Executive Producer of Dayton Fashion Week. Dayton Fashion Week models have been featured in Fashion-Faces Magazine out of Phoenix, AZ, and this just in DFW models will be featured in Europe’s Fashion & Styles Magazine just to name a few.

The Dayton Dutch Lions and their Orange Legion have been taking the USL by storm and on July 20-21, former Dutch National Player Bryan Roy will be in town conducting a Skills Clinic for kids. The Dutch Lions will be raffling off tickets to each of Dayton Fashion Weeks events during the game on July 18, including the Fashion For A Cause Local Celebrity Fashion Show featuring both the Dutch Lions Men’s and Women’s Teams and Nixon Dias #4 Defender and one of the top DJ’s in the Netherlands will be mixing it up on the 1’s and 2’s for the event as well; proceeds from the raffle will be given to a charity of the Dayton Dutch Lions choice!! For ticket information for Wednesday’s game please visit the Dayton Dutch Lions website at http://www.daytondutchlionsfc.com and “Like” them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DaytonDutchLionsFC . For more information on Dayton Fashion Week please visit http://www.daytonfashionweek.com and “Like” their page at http://www.facebook.com/daytonfashion.

Dayton Fashion Week and De’Lish Café To Host a First Friday’s Model Meet and Greet

July 3, 2012 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

DFW's Pre-Launch Soiree was a sold out event and standing room only!

What do you get when you combine one of the most talked about events taking place in Dayton this summer and one of the chicest Restaurants in the Heart of Downtown Dayton—You get Dayton Fashion Week and De’Lish Café’s First Friday’s Model Meet and Greet! With Dayton Fashion Week’s Inaugural event just weeks away they are getting the party started this Friday July 6 and this event is something that your entire family can attend!

From 6pm-8pm, DFW and De’Lish will have an Ice Cream Social for the DFW Kid Models. During this portion of the event, the kids will be introduced to attendees and there will be ice cream floats, music and games! Then from 9pm-2am it will be the adult models turn to mix and mingle; still reveling in the success of DFW’s Pre-Launch Soiree in March, models selected from the second round of Casting Calls in May will be introduced.

Aside from hosting 2 out of 3 casting calls for DFW, Jasmine Brown Co-Owner of De’Lish Cafe had this to say about her involvement with Dayton Fashion Week, “As a fashion enthusiast I’m really excited to see this happen in our city! Dayton is a very eclectic and artsy city so it’s not too far-fetched that we can do fashion as well. At De’Lish we try to correlate our food into art with the presentations, so for us we’re just excited to be a part of something so big.”

This event is free and open to the public, there will be lite hors d’oeuvres served but De’Lish will also have their full menu available for those who would like to purchase a full meal. De’Lish is located at 139 North Main Street Dayton, OH 45402 right across the street from The Victoria Theatre. Also, De’Lish Café’s well known Chef Anthony Head will be grilling out on De’Lish’s newly opened patio. Tickets for Dayton Fashion Week are on sale now at De’Lish Café, SunWatch Indian Village, Joli Boutique, American Pi, and they are also available online at http://daytonfashionweek.com/html/tickets.html. Tickets are going fast so be sure to buy yours today!!

Models stood outside in the cold and rain for a chance to be seen by DFW's panel of judges during their 3rd casting call.

Dayton Fashion Week and the Dayton Dutch Lions Soccer Team to Bring Fans a Unique Half-Time Show

June 27, 2012 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

The Dayton Dutch Lions Soccer games are about to get a lot more fashionable!! On Friday June 29 the Dutch Lions will be taking on the Northern Virginia Majestic and welcoming the models from Dayton Fashion Week for a unique Half-Time presentation. Fans are being asked to come to both the women’s and men’s game wearing their most fashionable outfits for a chance to win tickets to Dayton Fashion Week and a Spa Treatment at Beaute Box.

During the women’s game which starts at 5pm the models will be selecting kids from the Dutch Lions Youth Academy and kids from the crowd to be a part of a mini-fashion show and runway challenge during Half-Time. The child that shows the most personality during their runway presentation will receive a pair of tickets to Dayton Fashion Weeks Kids Fashion Show taking place on Thursday July 26, 2012, the winner will be selected by team mascot Leo The Lion and models from Dayton Fashion Week.

Dayton Fashion Week models, staff, and volunteers are regulars at Dutch Lions Game.

For the men’s game which starts at 8pm, Leo and the models will be selecting the best dressed fans out of the crowd for a mini-fashion show and runway challenge during Half-Time as well. The winner of the contest will receive a Spa Treatment at Beaute Box and a pair of Tickets to Dayton Fashion Week’s Ready To Wear Show on Friday July 27, 2012.

Both games takes place at The Miami Valley South Stadium located at 3737 Upper Bellbrook Rd, Bellbrook, Ohio, 45305. General admission ticket prices for kids are $6 and adult tickets prices are $12 for the game. For more information about tickets and the Dayton Dutch Lions Soccer team please visit their website at http://www.daytondutchlionsfc.com/site/. Tickets are also on sale for Dayton Fashion Week please visit their website at http://www.daytonfashionweek.com to purchase your tickets today!!

Dayton Fashion Week’s Salute To The Troops!

May 22, 2012 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

Dayton Fashion Week will be debuting a fashion/lifestyle magazine magazine in July–though it will be geared and promoted towards a national audience the first edition will be dedicated to the people of Dayton because we wouldn’t be where we are today without you all!! We will be highlighting, local models, designers, artist, entertainers, business owners, community leaders, and etc.

For those of you who don’t know Junda Morris-Kennedy, the Founder of Dayton Fashion Week recently relocated to the Dayton Area when her husband who is in the U.S. Air Force received new orders to be stationed at Wright-Patt Air Force Base, we have several models who have served our country including William Willet who was in the Marine Corp., Nakiesha Maroney who is currently stationed at WPAFB, our makeup artist ShaTerra Mills served in the Army, and I personally come from a military family as well, my dad was a Drill Sergeant in the Marines, my oldest brother was in the Army and served in the first Gulf War, my oldest sister was in the Navy, and my older brother is currently a Master Sergeant in the Marines and is serving in Afghanistan. So as you can see we have nothing but love and respect for our service men and women.

One of the highlights of the first edition of Dayton Fashion Weeks magazine(whose name will be revealed in June) will be a salute to our troops and a feature story on how WPAFB has played a vital role to the Miami Valley’s growth! We are looking to profile several active duty members of the U.S. Air Force who are currently stationed at WPAFB along with other local service men and women! If you or someone you know would like to be a part of DFW’s Salute To The Troops feature story please send an email to Caressa.L.Brown@gmail.com. Please include your contact information and a brief bio. We look forward to hearing from you!!

Dayton Fashion Week Gives Back

May 14, 2012 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

When you think of the Fashion Industry as a whole, the first thoughts that probably come to mind are the vain egotistical plots and twist of the hit movie The Devil Wears Prada. Though bits and pieces of that movie may be true for some but in actuality behind that thin veneer of superficiality is one of the most philanthropically known industries in this country. Whether it’s Ralph Lauren’s Pink Pony Fund to fight breast cancer, to Ken Coles AmFar Foundation for AIDS Research, to Gucci’s partnership with UNIECF, giving back has always been a key component of the Fashion Industry.

If you’ve ever visited the Facebook page of Dayton Fashion Week you’ll notice that we are listed as a Community Organization. When I first came on board at DFW in October 2011, Junda and I both emphasized the importance of not just giving back but reaching out to the people of the Miami Valley. For me it was second nature to be active in the community, I’ve been a volunteer since the age of 12, volunteering for such organizations as The Buckeye Trails Girl Scout Council as a Camp Aide, to the Anpo O Project which delivers school supplies the Standing Rock Reservation in S.Dakota where the dropout rate for students is 85%, to The Action Youth Outreach Program which teaches entrepreneurial skills for inner city and “at-risk” youth using STEM Curriculum, to being a Guest Speaker for the My Beauty is Priceless Seminars which teaches young girls tools of empowerment from spirituality, cooking, education, and personal appearance, not to mention I sign up to volunteer for almost every event that takes place in the City of Dayton!

For Junda, who is new to the area this would serve as her opportunity to see just how great the people of the City of Dayton and surrounding areas are. Since word of Dayton Fashion Week broke Junda has been blown away by all of the hospitality, support, and encouragement that everyone has shown towards our Inaugural event! During our first two casting calls, we collected can goods for the Dayton Food Pantry and doesn’t stop there–we are very happy to present Dayton Fashion Week Gives Back! On Saturday May 19 we will be launching the first of many outings geared towards giving back to the community and raising awareness for important causes starting with our models and staff taking part in a build for Habitat for Humanity http://www.daytonhabitat.org.

Dayton Fashion Week Models pose for pictures during Urban Nights

As a producer for 91.3 FM WYSO’s Community Voices, I’ve been working on a story about The Vision Keepers and The Circle of Courage re-entry and recovery program which is a local non-profit organization that provides clothing, bus tokens, emergency toiletries and support groups. Founded by the late Dr. Robin Herman, the organization is now headed up by the 2011 Justice Award recipient Khadijah Ali and falls under the 2011 Dayton’s Ten Top Women Award recipient MaryAnn Angel’s Two Tree organization, http://www.twotreesinc.org/vision_keepers.shtml. Dayton Fashion Week will host a fundraiser for this organization in August of 2012. More details will be announced soon.

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m very cautious of the company that I keep and I apply those same life rules to DFW and I’m honored to be amongst such good company. I’ve heard several models refer to Dayton Fashion Week as a family and I can honestly say that we probably have the most amazing team filled with positive, caring and supportive people who aside from our love for fashion we are also into building each other up and building lasting bonds and friendships.

Since our Pre-Launch Party in March the models have been asking us to get together for a fun outing sp that we can spend more time getting to know each other and it was suggested that we form a team and be a part of the Mud Volley for Epilepsy. So when I called the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Ohio to inquire about what was needed to form a team I was a surprised when the Director asked us to do more than just form a team she wanted us to form a partnership–after all we’re both very small organizations, and both heavily dependent on volunteers so we came up with a couple of ideas about how we can help each other out we will be providing more details soon but in the meantime be sure to sign your team up at http://www.daytonmud.com. We hope to see you all on July 14!!

July 24 will mark the official start of Dayton Fashion Week and we will be kicking things off with Fashion for a Cause! This event will consist of a silent auction, live entertainment, and a local celebrity fashion show. Proceeds from this event will go to our charitable partners Clothes That Work http://www.clothesthatwork.org and Hospice of Dayton http://www.hospiceofdayton.org . This event will take place from 6pm-9pm at the Dayton Masonic Temple located at 525 W. Riverview Ave., Dayton OH 45405.

July 28 does not mark the end of Dayton Fashion Week’s activities for 2012. We are 100% committed to being a part of the revitalization of Dayton and the entire Miami Valley year round. For more details about how you can help out with these worthy causes please click on the links provided and for more information on Dayton Fashion Week Gives Back please “Like” our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/daytonfashion.

Dayton Fashion Week and Urban Nights Presents: Ambush Makeover!!

May 9, 2012 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

Dayton Fashion Week will be participating in Urban Nights This Friday

Dayton Fashion Week will be making its Urban Nights Debut this Friday and of course it’s going to be one of the most fashionable events of the evening! Our sponsors at The Downtown Dayton Partnership have asked the DFW Team to give the patrons of Urban Nights a unique and fun experience– and of course we don’t want to disappoint!! So with that being said, DFW staff, along with our models, team of makeup artist, hair stylist, and photographers will be out and about at various locations downtown during Urban Nights scouting for individuals to be a part of our first ever Ambush Makeover!

That’s right, the lucky individuals will receive super model treatment during Urban Nights, they will have their hair and makeup done, treated to a professional photo shoot by our amazing photographers, and will receive lessons on how to rip the runway by DFW models right there on the spot! The individuals selected by our scouts will also be appearing in Dayton Fashion Week’s fashion and lifestyle print magazine which will be debuting in July—just in time for our big event!

The Makeovers will be taking place from 6p-9p at our table located in Court House Square! Though we are finished holding Casting Calls for this year’s event—I’ve been known to approach random strangers and do some scouting! So make sure you stop by and say hi because you never know you just may get discovered!

Dayton Fashion Week Introduces Marlene Haute Couture

April 26, 2012 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

Marlene Thomas Designer of Marlene Haute Couture

The very first time that I saw a design by Marlene Haute Couture, I was ready to run out, grab the first guy that I saw, and marry him just so that I could wear one of her wedding dresses. There are no words that come to mind that can describe the amount of detail and creativity that she puts into every piece. Originally from South Africa Marlene Thomas affectionately called Marli has traveled the world living in various places from Australia to Italy, and she describes her designs as “very feminine and soft with intricate detailing”.

Over the past couple of months Marli and I have become good friends, we’ll call each other up and talk for hours from fashion to just life in general. She’s been one of our biggest supporters, cheerleaders, and motivators. She’s even shared with me several of her confidential sketches—which I’m going to go ahead and say are Oscar Red Carpet worthy. There’s not a week that hasn’t gone by that she has not called either myself or Junda to share some big news about her work and her appearances. In recent months Marli has been highly sought after by the Sundance Channel, her designs have been recruited for the Grammy’s, most recently she’s been approached by the PR Staff of Vogue Magazine, and in July she will be the headlining designer for Dayton Fashion Week.

Model: Kendra Leigh Designs by Marlene Haute Couture

Since a child Marli has been a fan of fashion and upon enrolling in Linea Fashion Academy in South Africa she was advised that her designs and work were too advanced, she had natural skills and was told that she should go to Italy to study fashion design. According to Marli, she does sketch but very rarely will she find it necessary to sketch out a final look. “I usually have an idea which fabrics to use, then when I start working with the fabrics I make additions to the base design… It’s all about the fabric, especially the soft fabrics like chiffons, voiles, and silks”

Marli and I at the Dayton Fashion Week Pre- Launch Soiree. I'm so glad that I averted the Animal print "no no"

If I had to describe Marli style of design in one word, it would be impossible because her style ranges from business professional to avant-garde. She doesn’t follow style trends she believes that every person has their own style and they should follow it. She does have some fashion pet peeves—a big no no for Marli is people who wear animal prints from head to toe—“if you’re going to wear an animal print, please don’t wear animal print shoes.” Another fashion no no according to Marli is over accessorizing, “I always say LESS IS MORE” so don’t wear huge earrings with a huge necklace and finally a big no no for Marli is clothing that clings to all of the wrong areas!

The Marlene Haute Couture line has been on the rise and one of Marli’s major goals is to have a ready to wear production line. “I would love to see my designs at a very high end fashion boutique and of course land a major celebrity to wear my designs”

The thing that I love and respect most about Marli is the fact that she uses models of all sizes and in fact she will have a size 18 model in her show for Dayton Fashion Week. “We all love fashion, big, small, tall and petite. Women of all sizes want to wear beautiful fashions and designs. Although thin models are often used on the runway, it is also good to have plus sized models, and for me to see them on the runway, is almost a “must”! It is important for me to know that a model is healthy and has never had an eating disorder or losing weight just because they want to be that perfect fit on a runway. I do not like to use model at all who are sizes 0 – 4 anymore because the facts are the ones wearing my designs in the end are sizes 6 – 10.”

Marli also has some advice for those seeking to enter the fashion industry—“It’s hard work– nothing happen instantly. You have to develop the business side for it to be a viable company. You always hear people say “That is my passion” but I go a step further by saying put effort into your passion to become successful. And forget being a copycat of someone else’s designs, do your own thing, use your creativity!”

Marli, has also let me in on a few secrets and a surprise for her appearance during Dayton Fashion Week including a one of a kind design to be auctioned off during DFW’s Silent Auction for Hospice of Dayton and Clothes That Work. As far as the other surprises are concerned– my lips are sealed and you’ll have to be in attendance to find out!! “This will be my highest couture line ever! I am very grateful that Dayton Fashion Week has given me this opportunity to design “out of the box” which of course I love.” Marlene Haute Couture is well known for the one of a kind, very high fashion, avant-garde pieces for the person who wants to make a fashion statement. “Those in attendance during Dayton Fashion Week will not be disappointed!!” For more information about Marlene Haute Couture please visit http://marlenehautecouture.com.

Dayton Fashion Week Announces Final Open Casting Call For Models

April 26, 2012 By Dayton937 1 Comment

This Saturday April 28 area models will have their final chance to to strut their stuff in front of Dayton Fashion Weeks scouting panel! The casting call will take place in the Town Square at The Greene from noon-4pm come RAIN OR SHINE–even though it’s looking more like rain–the show will go on!! Please note that if you plan on attending this casting call you MUST BE REGISTERED AND IN LINE BY 1PM SHARP or you will not be seen– no exceptions will be made.

We will be looking for models who are at least 5’8 and taller, female models must bring with them a pair of 3″ heels to walk in. There are no size restrictions involved in fact we are seeking additional plus sized models and we are in need of more male models as well. All models must be at least 15 years of age and models under the age of 18 MUST be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to participate. Here is the link to the application that must be filled out completely to participate . Models must also bring 2 recent photo’s a head shot and full body shot and the photo’s do not need to be professional.

There will also be some guest on our scouting panel this go round, we are pleased to welcome fashion blogger Sarah Tyrchniewicz of Pretty In Dayton on board and we will also have a couple of designers who are presenting their work during Dayton Fashion Week as guest. For more information about this casting call and Dayton Fashion Week please visit our website and “Like” us on Facebook.

Dayton Fashion Week Seeks Volunteers

April 17, 2012 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

Recently it seems like no matter where I go and no matter what I do, I run into somebody who expresses their excitement or has questions about Dayton Fashion Week– from my close friends to random strangers who recognize me from my picture on this blog. The word has gotten out and I’m pretty comfortable saying that the City of Dayton is ready to take its place as the Fashion Capital of the Midwest!!

When I first heard about Dayton Fashion Week in September and signed up to help last year, I naively thought this was just going to be a fun little fashion show that will give people something to do–BOY WAS I WRONG!! Dayton Fashion Week has become a week long International Production that has grown beyond words in the past couple of weeks! From Fashion Politque Magazine out of London, England naming us a “must see” Fashion Event of 2012, to our Cover Model Contest gaining national attention by Fashion Faces Magazine out of Phoenix, AZ. We’ve had Fashion Bloggers from New York to L.A. seek out information and request press passes, and we’ve even had the head of several International Modeling Agencies reach out to support us and we are in talks of offering a few local models affiliated with DFW contracts. More importantly on the local front the Downtown Dayton Partnership and Dayton Most Metro have played major roles in helping us get the word out, we’ve appeared on FOX 45 In The Morning twice, this Wednesday we will be appearing on Living Dayton on Channel 2 at noon, and Wednesday evening we will be featured on WYSO 91.3 FM Kaleidoscope Hosted By Juliet Fromholt and we CAN NOT THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT!

So to say that Dayton Fashion Week is just a “fashion show” would be an understatement because we have gone beyond just an event it’s officially a movement!! Dayton Fashion Week has grown and like every great movement, we are looking for a few good leaders, supporting staff, and volunteers to add to our already talented team. In July Dayton Fashion Week will be launching a quarterly print Fashion and Lifestyle Magazine; we are looking for writers, editors, and a sales and marketing team.

This event represents what the cutting edge fashion industry is all about and will be a great experience for anyone interested in a career in events, fashion, media, or marketing. There is a volunteer job for everyone and their roles will include:

Runway Venue Preparation
Designer and Guest Ushers
Backstage Assistance and Set Up
Assemble Gift Bags and Press Kits
Help maintain the main event Information Desk
Assist in the Volunteer Center
Various other tasks for the Dayton Fashion Week Staff

For the opportunity to be involved with the Volunteer Program, please RSVP and email your resume and cover letter to: caressab@daytonfashionweek.com. We will have a Volunteer Meeting on Thursday April 19 from 6p-8p at the Kettering Library located at 3496 Far Hills Ave. Dayton, Ohio 45429.

Inside Couture – Looking for hosts to cover Dayton Fashion Week

April 4, 2012 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

On Saturday April 7, 2012 from 10a-1p Miami FL and the Miami Valley will be partnering up when Dayton Fashion Week holds a casting call looking for four hosts to cover DFW for Miami, FL based fashion series Inside Couture—the casting call will be held at Sun Watch Indian Village located at 2301 W. River Rd, Dayton, OH 45418. You will need to bring a recent head and full body shot, with your name, phone number, and email address the back.

When I first heard that Inside Couture would be coming to cover Dayton Fashion Week and would need four hosts, I immediately grabbed one of those spots—when you are the Director of Operations you can do things like that! However, as I started to learn the ins and outs of my position I began to question whether or not I would have the time to run around doing interviews for Inside Couture AND make sure that everything is in order and running smoothly during Dayton Fashion Week. A question that was answered this past Saturday at our Pre Launch Soirée which was a HUGE SUCCESS, everyone really enjoyed themselves and we reached capacity—but at the same time, I found myself running around like a chicken with its head cut off and that was just a one day event that lasted a couple of hours. So with that being said I made the decision to give up my spot as a host and to focus on making sure DFW is a success. To see more photo’s from the Pre Launch please “Like” our page.

Dayton Fashion Week's Pre Launch Soiree

Junda (The Founder of DFW) first introduced me to McKinley Pierre, the owner and Executive Producer of Inside Couture a couple of months ago and he has been a strong supporter of DFW and the go to person for both Junda and I for advice on how to handle the stress and pressure that comes along with planning an event of this magnitude. We find ourselves calling him almost on a weekly basis and the conversations normally last a couple of hours. So when I called McKinley this week, he was out on his boat fishing but he made the time for a quick interview to introduce himself and his show to the people of Dayton, OH and we talked about a little surprise for a couple of the host selected from our casting call this Saturday.

Dayton Fashion Week: Can you introduce yourself and your show to the people from Dayton, OH?

McKinley Pierre: Hello, my name is McKinley Pierre and I’m one of the owners for Inside Couture, and I’m the Executive Producer, and basically our show Inside Couture is about fashion– started on the concept of me and my friends who are in the business but you never hear about the people behind the scenes. The stylist, hair and makeup artist, designers the models, the PR– So we are bringing the people from the back to the front!

DFW: What are you looking for in a host for Inside Couture?

MP: What I wanted to do with the show is give people the opportunities who ordinarily wouldn’t have the chance and introduce them to the fashion world, so that they can learn the behind the scenes happenings. I want them to learn how to act, how to present themselves, and better themselves because it might introduce them to other things, they might become an assistant, or get into production and etc–it’s all about having fun with it.

Basically, I want somebody excited to be there, somebody who likes to have fun, and somebody who commands attention—yet knows how to talk to people. You don’t have to have experience but I want you to know how to bring it!

DFW: Had you ever heard of Dayton, Ohio before we had Dayton Fashion Week?

MP: Oh I definitely have heard of Dayton, OH–everyone has heard of Dayton, OH but not in the Fashion World. When Junda called me and said that she was thinking about putting together a Fashion Week in Dayton, honestly I started to laugh because when you think fashion it’s in Europe, Miami, New York, and L.A. and I didn’t think there was fashion in Dayton, OH!! So, I told her if you’re serious about it I will help you do whatever it is you’re wanting to do in Dayton—you can use our show to promote DFW because we have the big names from Roberto Cavali, Custo Barcelona, Nicole Miller, photographer Mike Ruiz who shot the Beckhams and the Kardashians, and anyone that you can think of in the Industry, we have the stylist James Santiago from Sex and The City and Burn Notice, we have access to all of the behind the scenes happenings in the fashion industry.

Editor and Chief of Elle Magazine - Robbie Myers talks to Inside Couture about the first Elle Spa in the world. Photo by Inside Couture

DFW: So what are you looking forward to the most with Dayton Fashion week?

MP: Aside from the great fishing I hear Dayton has, I want to bring a couple of the hosts that you selected down to Miami and let them do some interviews here in South Beach, so we are going to work some things out for that too! I want to bring you guys down here to have some fun, get some experience and you never know where this could go and what other opportunities that this might lead to, you never know who’s going to see you, and you never know who’s watching!

We had Miami Fashion Week here a couple of weeks ago and I actually had the chance to meet a couple of hair stylist and makeup artist from Dayton and they were so excited that they were finally having something right there in their own back yard! So I look forward to seeing the people in Dayton having fun if you can’t have fun don’t even show up!

DFW: What makes a great Fashion Week?

MP: Fashion Weeks are only as good as your models! if you have a good model they’ll make a trash bag look good! It’s the model, it’s the hair, it’s the makeup, a lot of people don’t realize that it takes a whole team to make somebody up, it’s not just one person. It’s the people behind the scenes that determine the success of a show–they’re the ones that are running everything.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=u2yaslZUMqY’]

DFW: You have been getting bombarded with emails from people in Dayton who have questions about how to prepare for Saturday, what advice to do you have for the people coming out to the audition?

MP: Oh yeah, we’ve had a lot of people contact us via our Inside Couture website, they’ve been sending their reels, they’re trying to get a head start on the competition. In any type of business you have to hustle and have a step up on people. So show up, act like you want to do something and dress the part. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE SKINNY TO BE A HOST FOR INSIDE COUTURE!!! We want to see diversity, we want somebody who knows how to talk and have fun. A lot of people want to exclude people for certain things and people sit at home wanting to do this but they don’t think that they’ll be chosen, how will you know if you don’t get off of the couch and try?

Don’t come in sounding like a Newscaster, we don’t want that, we don’t like that. Don’t come in acting like you know everything, if you know everything, I’m not going to be able to work with you because if you know everything, you can’t grow.

I look at it like this—you either got it or you don’t! Don’t be fake people can see right through that talk to them like you’re talking to your cousin or your friends, if you get star struck and start asking to take pictures with them they aren’t going to want to do other interviews with, they’re not going to invite you their parties.

I want to show people the lives of celebrities and let people know that you don’t have to sell your souls or lay down on the casting couch to make it in the industry. These young models need to learn that everyone is not their friend, people lie, there’s always that person outside of the club telling you to do something that won’t get you into the club.

DFW: What else do you want to share with Dayton about what you have going on?

MP: We also have a music show that we are going to be casting for and I plan on doing some stuff there it’s called IA Live, it’s music, fashion, and art. We’ve had interviews with Akon, Lady Gaga, to David Getta, and Justin Beiber. One of the alst interviews I had was with Flo Rida and Lil Wayne who is my neighbor

DFW: When we spoke a couple of weeks ago, you talked about knowing your Host weakness and you mentioned that you were friends with Lenny Kravitz and I freaked out because I love Lenny Kravitz and you said ok you are going to keep me away from Lenny, why is it important to know your Host weakness?

MP: Yeah, I live down the street from Lenny, one of my host Lechelle won’t do any interviews with Trey Songz, she melts if you talk about him. So I like to know who their weakness is, so when you said Lenny Kravitz is your weakness, when I bring you down here for some interviews, I’m keeping you away from Lenny(me and my big mouth Insert sad face and tear drops here). I like to know the weakness and the genre of music people listen to. Some people prefer to only interview the celebs that they aren’t fans of to make things easier—it’s all about having fun!

For more information check out the Inside Couture website.

Dayton Fashion Week Lands Major Endorsements

March 22, 2012 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

The Gucci Fiat will be arriving in Dayton just in time for Dayton Fashion Week

Things just keep getting bigger AND better for Dayton Fashion Week so much so that I don’t even know where to start!! Wait–Scratch that– I do know where to start! I am VERY EXCITED to announce that luxury car brand Bob Ross Fiat has come on board as the Presenting Sponsor! “We welcome the Fiat Brand into the Dayton fashion world. As an elegant, sophisticated brand, it is the perfect fit with Dayton Fashion Week in terms of leveraging the profile of Dayton designer’s internationally.” says Junda Morris-Kennedy the founder of Dayton Fashion Week. The Fiat brand is regarded as the pre-eminent brand associated with international fashion events – including New York and Milan Fashion Weeks and the attendees of Dayton Fashion Week will have the opportunity to preview the most fashionable style of the Fiat Brand the 500C by Italian Fashion Label Gucci which is currently being endorsed by Jennifer Lopez! Special thanks to Janelle Ross of Bob Ross Fiat of Centerville for all of her hard work and dedication to the Miami Valley area and her support of Dayton Fashion Week.

Though Dayton Fashion Week isn’t taking place until July, we are officially kicking off our celebration on March 31 with a Pre-Launch Party and Soiree taking place at the Twin Base Golf Club at Wright Patterson Air Force Base located at Bldg 893 Area A Wright Patterson Afb, OH 45433. This event will be hosted by journalist, 2011 CW Star Contestant, business woman, and Queen of Dayton’s Social Scene Maha Kashani and 2011 CW Star Contestant, singer/song writer, and celebrity party host Donald Stamper. The Pre-Launch Party will also feature DJ Adam Spangler and performances by Spoken Word Artist Miss Purity and singer Erin Manderchied. Those in attendance will have the exclusive opportunity to meet the models of Dayton Fashion Week! Along with some great door prizes from our sponsors Milani Cosmetics and Coins 4 Me, there will be light hors d’oeuvres served, and a cash prize for the person wearing the most Fashionable outfit! Buy your tickets today.

Of course we already know that Inside Couture Television based out of Miami, FL is looking for 4 Host to Cover DFW, the Casting Call for this is April 7 from 10a-1p at SunWatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park located at 2301 West River Rd, Dayton, OH 45418. But did you know that Dayton Fashion Week also made international headlines a couple of weeks ago when London based Fashion Magazine Fashion Politique named us one of the must see fashion events of the year and listed us as a partner! We also have the national media all a buzz and we welcome Atlanta, New York, and Miami based radio station 106.5 FM COLLABO who will be broadcasting live from Dayton Fashion Week. Last but certainly not least New York City based fashion magazine Just Off 7th Ave. will also be in town to cover DFW!
We’re 2 weeks into our Cover Model Contest and the competition has been stiff since day one! There have been over 5,000 votes cast so far and daily changes in the Top 5! If you haven’t voted yet you can do so by visiting our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/daytonfashion click on “photos” then go to the album labeled 2012 Cover Model Competition, “Like” your favorite photo(s) and it counts as a vote! The winner of this contest will grace the cover of the first Dayton Fashion Week Magazine. Now of course with all of this going on with DFW we are growing our staff as well! We are looking for photographers, makeup artist, and wardrobe stylist to add to our team! If you would like to join our team please contact us at info@daytonfashionweek.com.

Dayton Fashion Week Introduces Makeup Artist ShaTerra Mills!

March 15, 2012 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

Makeup Artist ShaTerra Mills of Priceless Beauty Makeup Photographer: CocoJane

My interest in modeling is wavering but a couple of months ago my interest once again peaked and I decided to test the waters and submitted my photos online to a couple of agencies in larger markets. Mind you, I’m 32 years old and let’s face it in this industry I’m no spring chicken, so I knew my chances of getting signed were slim especially since the majority of the agencies that I applied to made it very clear of their age restrictions and let’s just say I’m about 9 years past that age but I’ve always been a bit rebellious and submitted my photos anyway—and to my surprise a couple of weeks later I was contacted by one of the top modeling agencies in the world Factor Women which was formerly Elite out of Chicago—reminder in 2001 I was a Regional Semi-Finalist in the International Elite Model Look Competition so not only was this a little boost to my ego but I also felt the pressure to prove to people that you can teach an “old” dog new tricks!

The Before Shot...Don't Judge Me! lol

The most recent photo’s I had were almost 2 years old so I started looking for the perfect photographer and long story short I found ARC Light Photography who provided the hair stylist Chelsea Berry and the makeup artist and I just happened to be familiar with his makeup artist ShaTerra Mills of Priceless Beauty Makeup because she is on Dayton Fashion Weeks makeup team! Though I have yet to make that trip to Chicago to visit Factor Women I decided to make this photo shoot kind of an introductory to the DFW Team and set up a Q and A session with ShaTerra who is a former member of the U.S. Army, who recently received her first publication in Ellements Magazine based out of New York, and will be doing makeup for Project Runway’s Althea Harper’s fashion show this weekend.

The Transformation Begins

DFW – When did you know that you wanted to be a makeup artist?

ShaTerra – I knew I wanted to be a makeup artist after I seemed to have exhausted all ends of the spectrum of modeling that I could take. My passion had moved elsewhere. I knew I still wanted to be in the industry and I started off as an artist at an early age by freehand drawing so it only made sense to go back to what I truly knew which was showing my artistic abilities.

DFW – What work goes into planning a photo shoot?

ShaTerra – Planning for a shoot is a process. It means taking the time to clean my kit to make sure I have all of the proper tools needed for that particular project. Whether it’s restocking on disposables, new lip colors, hand sanitizer, etc. I always double, triple, and quadruple check my makeup kit the week before, the day before, and sometimes even a few hours before. I am very anal about making sure I am prepared.

Also, I love to know what’s going on so there is no confusion whatsoever. I am all for knowing the concept weeks in advance and keeping in constant contact with the involved team so that everyone is on the same page.

DFW – Describe what you did for my makeup during this photo shoot.

I'm ready for my close up Mr. Seville! Model: Caressa Brown Hair Chelsea Berry Photographer: ARC Light Makeup Artist ShaTerra Mills

ShaTerra – I viewed your outfit changes beforehand to visualize a look that went with the concept and vision you were trying to portray. From there, I added a slight touch of golden metallic to your eyes to give off a light sparkle and made sure your lips popped since the style spoke of fierce elegance to me.

Lights, Cameras...Action! Model: Caressa Brown Hair Chelsea Berry Photographer: ARC Light Makeup Artist: ShaTerra Mills

DFW – What are some myths and mistakes regarding makeup application?

ShaTerra – People tend to believe that caking on eyeliner makes your eyes bigger and that the more expensive makeup is, the better the quality. Caking on eyeliner to the point of raccoon eyes can cause your eyes to appear smaller or even as though you have a black eye instead.

Expensive makeup brands are not always the best for you or your skin type. People not knowing their skin types and how to color match foundations is another key problem–it’s all about experimenting with what looks great on you and what works best for each individual person! The biggest mistakes people make when it comes to makeup is thinking they know it all or that YouTube has all of the answers.

It’s important to cleanse and moisturize daily and let your skin breathe. Too much makeup can be harsh on the skin especially those with sensitivities. Proper cleansing techniques will allow you to keep your skin hydrated and remaining flawless.

DFW – What are the hottest looks for Spring?

ShaTerra – I am VERY excited about the upcoming Spring looks. Pastels and mattes are definitely going to be in for shadows for daytime looks. Peach and rose flushed cheeks will never seem to die. Different hues of reds for the lips are also popular as well as light metallic and shimmers for evening wear. The bare faced look and flesh toned lip color is becoming a very popular look on the runways.

DFW – What are your future goals?

ShaTerra – I have very extensive goals for the future but I am taking things one step at a time. I am surely gearing up to travel more with my craft and networking! I do have several projects underway right now that I’m very excited about and I’m hoping to get a few more publications under my belt by summer. Maybe even get picked up by an agency or two. The sky’s the limit!

DFW – What is the best part about being on the Dayton Fashion Week Team?

ShaTerra – The best part of Dayton Fashion Week–that’s a hard one! So far, I’ve loved everything about being a part of the Dayton Fashion Week team. Dayton has so much potential and seeing the talent first hand is amazing! We have so much in store and it is blooming by the minute! I cannot wait for July to get here. Everyone is so supportive of each other and they’re hard workers. It’s just great to be a part of history in the making!

For more information on ShaTerra Mills and Priceless Beauty Makeup please check out PricelessBeautyMakeup.com.

It’s Super Tuesday…Are You Ready To Vote?

March 5, 2012 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

Super Tuesday is finally here and Dayton Fashion Week WANTS YOU to exercise your right to vote! That’s right–our candidates stand firm in their beliefs on job creation (after all there’s only 1 position open and they each want it), environmental issues(they would love to walk for our eco-friendly designer), and they support small business(each of them are rallying up support for DFW!). They have diverse backgrounds from a Broadway Actress, to a professional Ballroom Dancer, and yes we even have a career politician on the our ballot–but I’m not talking about the Republican Candidates or the Ohio Primaries–I’m talking about the 12 candidates that Dayton Fashion Week has selected to participate in the Cover Model Competition! There’s no need to register to vote all you have to do is log onto Facebook starting March 6, 2012, go to the Dayton Fashion Week FB fan page, click on our photo album “2012 Cover Model Competition” and “Like” your favorite photo and that will count as your vote. Unlike the Ohio Primaries you can vote for more than one candidate and on Tuesday April 24, 2012 the model with the most “Likes” of their photo will become the first model ever to grace the cover of Dayton Fashion Week Magazine along with other great prizes. So without further ado, it is my pleasure to introduce to you the 2012 Candidates for Dayton Fashion Week’s Cover Model Competition–I’m Caressa Brown, and I approve this message!