Fashion & Freaks

It's THAT time of year!!

FALL. FASHION. FREAKS. Fall fashion freaks.

But that's not all, folks. Nope. Hold on to your seats, September is so full, it's spilling over into October.  Check out these awesome events, worth amping up the wardrobe for the evening (need some wardrobe assistance??? shameless plug…call me!! www.andreabonawitzstyling.com):

Sept 12th 
FROM THE GROUND (Greentopia Fashion Show)
Time for fashion freaks to make there way out of hibernation and the perfect way to start out the season is at this year's eery, "Alice-in-Wonderland meets Pans Labyrinth" style From the Ground fashion show. For newbies on the Rochester scene, From the Ground is the fashion element at the Greentopia Festival in downtown Rochester.

(NOTE: To read more about the show, check out my FIRST EVER print article in the (585)Magazine September/October Issue!! In it, I feature the unique partnership between the show's founders, Shawn and Athi, just plain good people intent on pushing the boundaries of creativity and community building.) Look for me in the front row!!

ROCPROM (Also, Sept 12th...you can make an appearance after the Fashion Show.)
A new event, an excuse to dress up, a place to be seen with other cool people willing to spend 50/ticket to dance the night away at a not-so-exclusive, "exclusive" Strathallan event.
Why the dry wit?? Because the invitation says "invite only," but has a credit card/paypal option for anyone to purchase tickets. Oh, marketing.
Why is it really worth checking out?? the sponsors are the new kids in town and seem to be pretty likable hosts-  (585) Magazine, Pour Coffee Parlor, and Candidly.

Sept 12th and 13th
GREENTOPIA ECOFEST

Sept 27th 
DADO 5 YR ANNIVERSARY FASHION SHOW
DRESS UP for this one- it's a taste of the NYC runway vibe hosted for and by Rochester socialites galore. (Thank God Dalida is so down-to earth!) Dado has done a KNOCKOUT job putting together her fashion show fundraisers, proceeds of which go to the Wilmot Cancer Center. Read more about her story in my latest blog.
So bummed! I be away for this milestone show. Thankfully it is bc I am hosting a special hair (hair fashion & education) show in Poughkeepsie with my co-workers. I will be a guest artist for THE FIRST TIME, educating for Goldwell Hair Color!! Wish me luck.)

October 14th-18th
FASHION WEEK OF ROCHESTER
For all my criticism, here is the bottom line: there is still only one group coordinating "Fashion Week" in Rochester…and I can't help but attend in a city with an Fashion and Beauty Industry that is so damn limited! 6 Nights, 6 Events…you have to at least go to ONE. I'm looking forward to the Saturday night show, hosted in the recently renovated Midtown Tunnel. (Message me if you want to join!)

I will be sure to update this post, as more events get added. This is just scratching the surface! 

Let me know what you think of the show(s)!

WHICH ONES are your favorite THIS YEAR?

Spot Light: The Woman Behind Dado

A couple weeks ago I was commissioned to write a Fashion Preview on Dado Boutique's Spring 2014 Fashion Show for a local publication. Incidentally, I learned that the woman behind this $209,000 (and growing) fundraiser fashion show is the dynamic force that keeps her clients coming back for more. Meet, Dalida "Dado" Atallah, owner and operator of local, high-end women's boutique, Dado.

A view from the back of Dado's latest location.
Originally opened on Park Ave, Dado moved to Brighton in 2011.

Atallah self proclaims to hate personal feature stories, but I could not help bragging about her a bit. Let me tell it to you simply.

The facts:

• Attalah opened Dado in 2007, backed by a small $25,000 loan and no former experience in Fashion or Merchandising. 
• Atallah hosted her first free fashion show fundraiser for clients in 2009.  
• In total, the Dado Spring and Fall fashion shows have raised over $209,000 in proceeds for the Wilmot Cancer Center. 
• The Fall 2014 Dado Fashion Show had unprecedented attendance of 700 people and raised $36,000, catapulting Dado into a "legit" fashion show scene status. 
• The primary marketing strategy for Dado is word of mouth. 

Talk about a grass roots effort. What drives this 40-some-odd-year-old dynamo? She acknowledges her customer when she states, "It has always been the number one objective of the whole show for the customer to have a good time." 

She admits that people come to the show for all kinds of reasons with merely twenty percent or so of those attending being actual customers,  but ultimately it is the customer that drives her business and her ideas. "It's all about building a relationship," says Attalah of customer service. 

Dado model poses at the Spring 2014 Fashion Show, displaying hair byThe Spa at Del Monte . 

Known for providing trendy clothes, targeted to the over thirty, fashionably chic and affluent population, Atallah resists the industry standard of using uber young, shapeless, tall models. Rather, with a grateful nod to her shoppers, Atallah sends actual customers down the runway. Of this decision, she comments, "Since when was fashion only for twenty-year-olds? Twenty-year-olds don't even have the money to afford this fashion."

Atallah directs models backstage, between runway walk and photo-ops  at the Spring 2014 Fashion Show.

Hipster Bridal Wear?

Tanvi Asher has outdone herself again. Owner and designer of Peppermint, known as the go-to dress boutique on Park Avenue, Asher has no time to bask in the glow of last year’s successes. 

Moving on to her second annual fashion show, Asher will not only be displaying Peppermint’s her ready-to-wear clothing line; she will also be debuting a line of custom made bridal designs called Asher Bridal. 

Peppermint’s Spring 2014 fashion show Sewn Seeds will showcase Asher’s latest work, local designer Josean Vargas’ new evening wear collection, exclusive prom and formal wear available at Treasure Trove Vintage,  as well as appearances from One Dance Co. of Rochester. 

Last year the Sewn Seeds was funky and educational with intermittent videos introducing Rochester to each designer and their behind-the-scenes design process. Shop Peppermint followed fashion show tradition, showcasing spring/summer ready-to-wear designs that were not yet available for purchase. Rochester retail customers, unaccustomed to fashion industry protocol, were eager to purchase and disappointed with the wait time. Rising to the occasion, Asher revamped her process for this year. She says, 

“Last year people wanted to buy everything that they saw immediately. So, this year, it’s all here already. Everything you see on the runway [in the Peppermint ready-to-wear line] is in the store, ready for customers.” 

Shop Peppermint boutique boasts of its own vintage-inspired private label and carries jewelry by local various designers.

This year’s Sewn Seeds show will be hosted Sunday March 30 from 2-6pm at the urbanite, hipster hot spot, Good Luck restaurant. (Yet, again, Asher keeping her young, trendy shoppers in mind.) The show will also feature a silent auction with a sample dress from each participant (three total). Proceeds from the auction will benefit Girls Rock! Rochester and Verona Street Animal Shelter. Tickets are available at http://inspiredtable.restaurantgoodluck.com and Peppermint. More information available http://www.shop-peppermint.com