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

Indiana Fashionista Meetup Luncheon

On Saturday, January 8, Aesthetic Design Style was happy to be in the company of some key players in the Indiana fashion industry. The Indiana Fashionista Meetup Luncheon brought fashion bloggers, designers and photographers together to network and share tips of the business.

The luncheon, planned by Leah Barr of Circle City Style, included attendees from Indianapolis and Bloomington; bloggers and photographers. Others in attendance were Michael Trace from Michael Trace Photography, Crystal Hammon and Emily Lytle-Painter from Dresses Her Days Vintage, Jessica Quirk from What I Wore, freelance fashion writer Erica Sagon, Truen James creative director of  the House of 5th clothing label and treasurer of Indianapolis Fashion Collective, Christy Pastore founder of the online magazine Fashion Wrap Up, Chelsea Kouns model and the 2011 face of Fashion Wrap Up, Kaitlyn Elyse Fashion Wrap Up stylist, owner and creator of T. Party Clothing, photographer David Van Deman and Janelle Cissell from Ruby Leonne.

Held at Cafe Django, owned by Barr's uncle, we laughed and talked shop. Aesthetic Design Style hopes to work with all attendees in the near future.  We are very thankful to Barr for setting the luncheon up and can't wait for more activities and networking opportunites in the near future.

Kaitlyn Elise of Fashion Wrap Up & T. Party Clothing and Truen James of House of 5th & Indianapolis Fashion Collective

Leah Barr of Circle City Style, Christy Pastore and Chelsea Kouns of Fashion Wrap Up

Crystal Hammons and Emily Lytle-Painter of Dressed Her Days Vintage

Truen James

Julia of Aesthetic Design Style, Jessica Quirk of What I Wore and freelance fashionista Erica Sagon

The ladies of Fashion Wrap Up

Julia and Jessica

The Online Lookbook

It's FINALLY complete!  I feel as if the world stopped while our lookbook was being put together.  But it was worth the wait because I love the way it turned out.  Thanks to THE best photographer on the planet, Polina Osherov, the beautiful Michelle Pemberton modeling, and last but definitely NEVER least the incomparable Fashion Stylist Nikki Sutton for the front and back covers of the lookbook. These pictures were taken from the Sweet Revenge Lingerie show called Cabaret Lingerie back in March of this year and the corsets shown in the beginning and the end are available for sale.  They are hand done with impeccable precision and workmanship - they are simply a work of art for the body.

CLICK HERE for a peek!

Creating a lookbook these days is of the utmost importance!  If you are going to talk to anyone intelligently about your business you have to have something to back it up - a lookbook is a good place to start.  I decided to start with an online lookbook simply for convenience.  I am able to reach important out of town contacts instantly and they are able to see what we have to offer on the spot upon the arrival of an introduction email.  There are some appointments (face to face) when I do use our printed lookbook and my clients are given a copy of that to keep.  They will also have access to the online lookbook as well for their reference or if they need to send it on to one of their affiliates. 

The process was relatively easy to do but it did take a lot of time and effort.  Remember when you are putting together anything that has to do with marketing or branding that YOUR name is on the line and it is important that you make a very good first impression.  I know your mother always told you to "never judge a book by its cover" and for most situations that does hold true - except for this one.  Lookbooks are your clients very first introduction to who you are and what you are about and you need to get it right the first time.  Whomever your client may be please know that they are inundated with people trying to sell them things every single day.  You have to find a way to set yourself apart and make your brand stand out.  Customer service is a HUGE way to set yourself apart but you won't get a chance to offer that part of your business if you don't get a first meeting.  The way to a first meeting is a good lookbook. 

I'm not only referring to fashion lookbooks here.  Photographers, models, artists, designers, interior designers, Marketing/PR businesses, there are many different sects of business that can benefit from a lookbook and an online lookbook is a good place to start for the novice.  I count myself in the novice category and I plan to learn and grow every day as well.  For now I need to make sure my designers have a presentation that represents them and their brands well and professionally because I am making a first impression for them and that's why I take so much pride in what I do. 

There was a wonderful blog post written in one of our very favorite blogs Style Sample Magazine regarding how to set up your own online portfolio.  Take a look at their view on lookbooks and hopefully you'll get a feel for if an online lookbook is best for you or if you will invest in a printed version - or there's always the combination of both which can only increase your chances of gaining that GREAT first impression!

Until Then:  "Writing has laws of perspective, of light and shade just as painting does, or music. If you are born knowing them, fine. If not, learn them. Then rearrange the rules to suit yourself." - Truman Capote