EDITOR'S LETTER: March 2015

Phew! It's been a while since I last posted to #IMFBlog! While there has been a shortage of content here on my blog, I have no doubt been busy providing content on my social media outlets (I told you I would get better with social media #NewYearsResolution)!!! You can find me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and Pinterest. Most exclusively, I have found that Instagram is my primary mode of communication in which I am able to post my daily happenings, and connect my other social media to those IG posts, but my commitment to providing fashion/style inspiration has not faltered!

Dress for Success Central Virginia Boutique

Looking back on the last two spéciale de la mode posts of 2014, you will see that I am working with the non-profit organization Dress for Success Central Virginia, and I am pleased to announce that they have charged me the responsibility of Boutique Manager!! It is my duty to ensure that old donations get filtered out of the boutique and new donations are selected to refill the boutique on a monthly basis. We get a large amount donations from the community, and in my fashion, we get some pretty good quality items! I am most proud to be able to serve the women in my community in this way in that its always great to put fashion to work for its finest purpose which is providing confidence, and self-assurance. I have had the pleasure of corresponding with a Board Member on the Worldwide Board for Dress for Success, Alex Garfield, and a phrase that he said to me always stands out in my mind: "Cause related marketing ought to be a part of every business." He will be being honored a the 2015 Something to Share Gala in NYC on April 16, 2015 for his service in the community by Dress for Success (see below). I wish I could attend, but our Fundraiser Fashion Show will be occurring the next day!!! I hope you plan on attending!!! 

In college, I wrote my graduating Independent Study paper on the Fashion Industry and it's social responsibility. I postulated that fashion has a unique responsibility in that even though the general perspective of the industry is that it is a frivolous business with superficial pursuits, when one approaches one's work with a heart for service, those "superficial pursuits" can mean much more! The efforts of Dress for Success is an example of what I had written about in 2010. I am so proud to be able to apply my creativity and business acumen to serving my community in a unique way that helps to improve employment rates, forward our economy, and foster positivity and confidence within those I help, USING FASHION! 

I have so many projects in the works because of Dress for Success and I am most passionate about using fashion as a vehicle for growth, not just for myself as I work towards my own career goals, but growth for the world at large. I figure there is plenty negativity being promoted in the world through our media, but it comforts me to know that all the while there is plenty positivity that I can contribute to. I have come in contact with amazing people as of late, and it's because I feel the Lord has built me for service. 

"Built For Service" is my new theme for 2015! Service means understanding people and what their needs are. It's about understanding what resonates with people, and what do they want. It's not about me me, it's about what other people are interested in. I think THAT is central theme about the The Secret of Stylists I came to realize in 2014! It's a new season for me going forward. I have under gone many changes in my life and I think they have all been for the better. As I focused on "The Secret of Stylists" all last year I think the key point I came to realize is that styling is all about how well you can understand other people's lifestyles and how they live and how you can help them make their time in life easier! In my fashion, the energy you put out in the universe is the energy you get back, and I can testify to that notion. I have been committed to exuding positivity, and empathy for others. As Audrey Hepburn says about empathy in the movie, Funny Face, "Put yourself in someone else's place!" I have been reaping some amazing blessings because of that notion, and I have new sense of clarity of how I see my life, and I think its mostly in part to having a passion for helping others.  I may not be at Vogue (just yet), but I feel the energy I am putting into the atmosphere is sufficient enough to make me feel whole and complete in my efforts to rise to the top ranks of the fashion industry, because at the end of the day, its all about service.    

EDITOR'S LETTER: June 2013

Finally! Consistently WARM weather, at last! In my fashion, after this past Memorial Day, I would say summer has arrived. This past month, there were still days of which I felt it was still a little chilly for one to enjoy the outdoors, but if this past week was any indication, from here on out I think its safe to say that we will soon be lamenting the scorching waves of the sun, itching for cooler weather again to relieve us of suffering from visible sweat stains; but, I digress.

In my fashion, life is a play with no rehearsal. 

I for one will be one person who will make an effort not to complain about the pending hot weather, because in my fashion, I was thoroughly over having to wear more than one layer of clothing before I left the house. Now that summer is a coming, this is the time of year we can literally wake up, throw on a light shirt, some shorts, and your most striking shoes and look fabulous everyday. I personally love going outdoors, and winter makes it so hard for one to do so. I love the green from the trees that offset the beautiful baby blue sky, and pillowy clouds. I adore seeing people enjoying life, and expressing it through their clothes. People are much more bright and inventive with their clothes, and the feel of summer invites all sort of activities where we can play with fashion. 

Four different attitudes, One look: 1) Optimistic 2) Smooth 3) Menacing 4) Haughty 

Keeping with last month's theme, Fashion is Theater, we will continue to explore how to project that innate character that we are to play in life. In my fashion, as Janelle Monae said in her new single, Q.U.E.E.N., "Life is a play with no rehearsal." Today, with social media, we are all documenting our lives, and putting on a show for the internet community. Summer is the perfect time to get outside, take photos, and show off how one enjoys life through your clothes! My love, Dwight (@KenDutchess), always harps on my low social media interaction, and that I can do better to beef up my Instagram interactions and photos, so this month I am going to take his advise, and increase my presence on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. Get ready to see more innovative outfits from myself, and voyeristically experience fashion through #IMFblog, a vision for the future of fashion! Anything that I can do to bring attention to the world of fashion, and change perspectives on what we classify as beauty is the my goal for my social media platforms, so this month I will be itching to hear more from my friends, family, and audience as I present fashion's most singular pieces, looks, historical facts, and sartorial experiences. Just like Vogue's International Editor-at-large, Hamish Bowels says in his series, 'Vintage Bowles', one must be most inventive in their strategy of how to find things, and the 'fashion hunt' is what #IMFblog is all about!

In my fashion, style determines the  character one plays in life. Playing your role well, starts with the look. 

As you know, from my previous Style Maven post, Diana Vreeland is the focus of the theme, Fashion is Theater. A few days ago, I introduced Ms. Vreeland, and all this month I intend on elaborating on her individual Met Gala exhibitions when she served as the Costume Institute's Special Consultant. I was actually shocked when I was doing my research on her to find that there is very little information on the internet regarding specifics about Vreeland's exhibitions, so hopefully the following Style Maven series this month, will educate one about the fantastic vision that Vreeland brought to fashion, and how she emphasized drama is fashion, for drama is entertainment and is what makes fashion most fun and intriguing for all of us.