Congrats to Alyssa & Tiffiany

Congrats to our own Alyssa Benner and Tiffiany Gilstrap-Scott of Clique Da Cour for their participation in this weekend's Indy Fashion Time.

 

Tiffiany Gilstrap-Scott of Clique Da Cour with her hairstylist and models.

 Tiffiany's pieces reflected the romantic side of Clique Da Cour infusing lace, ruffles and fabric that showed movement with every step.

Alyssa and her models.

 Alyssa's pieces had a circus theme. The splash of bold color, print and texture could be seen throughout her garments.

 Even though our girls didn't win the main prize, a $1000 scholarship and sewing machines and accessories from sewing machine manufacturer, Baby Lock, they're still winners in our family. Congratulations ladies, we hope to see great things from you in the future. 

 

Special thanks to Sarah, Amber, Mallory, Julia, Janelle and all the models who helped Tiffiany and Alyssa on their special day with hair and makeup!

The Interns Take Over ADSH!

This week begins our Intern Takeover of our blog!  Enjoy the next few weeks with a fresh perspective on all things fashion from the inside out.  Without further ado MEET AMBER!

I am so excited to have this opportunity to be working with Julia and her team. I just know that I am going to be learning so much from this experience, and my hope is to use all of it to help better my career in the fashion industry.

My name is Amber and I am a junior about to be a senior at the Art Institute of Indianapolis. My interest in fashion didn’t come about until I took a sewing class my sophomore year of high school.  I really loved creating pieces and learning new stitches to put garments together. It fascinated me. Fashion is all about expressing yourself and telling a story, just like any other art form. I originally wanted to go into costume designing for theatre and film, because I have a love of history as well. Now, I’m not so sure that is what I want to do forever. I still have a huge interest in costuming and if the opportunity presented itself I would still love to dabble in it, but there are so many other aspects of fashion I enjoy now to.

A little about my background: I’ve grown up in Indianapolis all my life. I’ve lived in Carmel since I was 7 and before that the Pike area. I have a big family with 3 sisters and 3 brothers that I try to spend as much time with as I can. I went to Carmel High School and graduated in ’09. Other than sewing I enjoy yoga, Pilates, church, cooking, reading, and writing. I am also a music lover of all types of music. I am big into supporting the Indianapolis music scene and try to go to as my shows in the area that I can.  I take every opportunity I can to travel. I’ve only been to a few of the states like California, Florida, Arizona, and Tennessee. Out of the country I’ve been to Aruba, which is beautiful, and in a few short weeks I’ll be traveling to England. I’ll be sure to share all about my experience there.

This is just a little bit about me. Again I can’t express how excited I am to be interning for Aesthetic Design Style House and all the experiences I will be learning from them.

Until Then:  "I must admit that I personally measure success in terms of the contributions an individual makes to her or his fellow human beings."  - Margaret Mead

Welcome our Interns!

We want to take a moment to welcome our fabulous Interns we are lucky to have for the summer - Mallory and Amber!!

Over the next few weeks they will be learning all there is to know about the "other" side of fashion and how things run.  Public Relations and Marketing along with the Designer/Boutique and wholesale side should make them well rounded as they journey back to their schools this fall. 

One of their assignments is to write for our blog.  They will be taking turns throughout their tenure here writing for and tending to our blog.  This will, in turn, help them build confidence in themselves and their fashion writing abilities.  We look forward to what they come up with and their fresh perspectives - be sure to tune in.

Also, along the way they will be sharing about their experiences about being an Intern and about working in the fashion industry in general. 

Next week we will start with Amber's first post so wish her well and we look forward to your comments :)

Until then:  "Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you." - Oprah Winfrey

The Green Dress That Made The Day!



When Julia first told me about helping out with the Pike Prom Closet, I was excited. We had just finished with a job that took a lot of time and effort. I was looking for a small break, but I was ready to jump at the bit to help these young girls go to prom.

I never went to prom. The cost and boyfriend drama prevented me from attending the most special day in a woman's life; well besides marriage. I know you've heard the urban legends, you miss prom and you miss a piece of your life. I know how these girls feel, so I felt it was my duty to make sure our dress drive was a success. I pulled out my bag of tricks and stayed on my knees praying for the last two months.

All the praying and worrying was well worth it, especially in our third hour. A young lady named Allysa came to visit us with her mother and sister. They had been walking the Broad Ripple strip for some time and finally found us. Allysa was decked out in her soccer clothes. Her mom said she had been playing all day, but wanted to take the time out to look for a dress for prom. The six of us dug in all of our donations both at the shop and in Julia's car, and picked out some perfect picks for Allysa. Allysa tried every dress, but when she stepped out in this green rhinestone encrusted ombre dress, the tears just flowed. Six women standing in the middle of the street crying; watching a mother see her baby as a grown woman. This green dress made all the phone calls and emails, all the mean people, and all the headaches worth it! We made a new friend that day and we are waiting for prom pictures from Allysa next week.

I would like to thank all of our sponsors. First, I want to thank Max at Radio NOW 100.9, who switched their schedule around just to be apart of this great event. I want to thank Rain Boutique's Brittney, for allowing us to set up at her shop. Even though she was going through a rough morning, she stayed and allowed us to hang out with her all day. I want to thank Ms. Lizz of HairaPalooza, not only because she's the best stylist in the world, (I'm partial because she tends to my healthy locks) but because she donated $60 in hair services. I want to thank Joanne of Blessed Haven Ministries, who donated a $25 Visa Gift card. To the PR people at HotBox Pizza and Bazbeaux, who donated more than enough door prizes and lunch for our guests. We were worried at first, because no one stepped up to say they would donate any services to help these ladies but it ended up better than we expected. All of our sponsors are special people who strive to help our community, and for this we want to say...Thank You! We wouldn't have been able to do what we do without you.

This is the reason why I love working for Aesthetic Design Style House. I love my co-workers and I love that we all care about the same things...we all want to see those tears of joy on a mother's face. It makes it all worth it.

Tough Time Blues

I don't know if it's the weather or just the time of year, but EVERYONE is chatting about how they're in a slump, both creatively and financially. Sometimes you need to just sit back and re-evaluate the goals of your company and brand. Here are a few topics that can help you start that process.

Who are you making you pieces for?
Most people make their pieces for themselves. People that do this don't sell their pieces. You have to design from inner creativity, but you need to keep in mind your target audience.

Who is sitting in the audience at your fashion shows?
It's great that you are participating in fashion shows. But if your line is ready to wear and no one is buying your pieces after your showcase, what was the point? Make sure you are targeting people that are going to buy your pieces. It's great to do a showcase for the public, friends and family, but your grandmother already purchased her couture X dress. Make sure you're filling the seats with potential clients and customers. Make your pieces available for purchase after the show.

The economy is crazy. Price your pieces accordingly.
Last night, we had a meeting with a designer. It was such a somber meeting because we had to reduce some of the prices of her pieces. THAT SUCKS!! We have to be mindful of the economy.With gas prices soaring, people are going to start locking their money up again to pay for extra expenses. Make your pieces economically friendly.

PUSH PUSH PUSH
Shake off that negative energy around you. Push through this hard time. It's only for a season.

For more help or to see what we can do to help you push through your brand's tough time blues, visit our website.