JT at Fashion Conference in front of Steinberg Hall
Bubblingwitheleganceandgrace.com attended the Midwest Fashion Conference on Saturday. This informative conference gave fresh perspectives on how Saint Louis can become a fashion destination. My hubby and I work near Washington University, where the conference was going on. So, we decided to walk from our job’s parking lot to the University. When we arrived, we were trying to get in — literally looking in the door — and could not get in the glass doors. No one got up and opened the doors to let us in. We had to walk back to ask the greeter how to get in. She said that we would have to knock for them to let us in.
When we all walked up the steps, someone opened the door for us to let get in. It turns out that we were trying to get in the back doors of the hall. The entrance was actually on the other side of the building; but still when we stood at the doors with everyone looking at us; but no one got up to open the doors for us.
It is ironic this happened because Fern Mallis, creator of NYC Fashion Week, spoke to people who want to break into the fashion industry. Her number one suggestion was “Be nice!” because you will encounter and have to work with various different people from all walks of life.
The first session of the day was Saint Louis Fashion Fund Presents: Fashion as a Civic Agenda
The panelists included Fern Mallis (Creator of NYFW), Stan Herman (Renowned Fashion Designer and Former President of CFDA), Gary Wassener (CEO, Hilldun Corporation), Derek Blasberg (Editor-at-Large, Harper’s Bazaar), and Timo Weiland (Designer).
Fern Mallis
Fern Mallis, Founder of NYC Fashion Week, introduced the panel.
Panelists (Left to Right): Stan Herman, Gary Wassner, Derek Blasberg, Timo Weiland, Fern Mallis
It was so interesting to hear in person from Stan Herman and Fern Mallis how NYC Fashion Week started and what it took to raise the funds for this event. I have seen videos with Stan Herman talk about how NYC Fashion Week started, so it really means a lot to hear him in this forum. To hear Fern Mallis talk about how she had to get on the phone and call Anna Wintour and other corporations to get NYC Fashion Week started. Reaping the knowledge of Gary Wassner who has worked with Betsy Johnson for years discuss how he helps designers regarding financing.
Can St. Louis have a better focus on Fashion?
The focus for St. Louis is to keep the local talent here where they will not want to get their break in NYC they want to stay here. One of the key factors was to engage the local financial community such as the banks.
Bring Production Back to The US!
Fashion Designer, Timo Weiland, discussed how he has been able to bring his production back to NYC from Asia.You can have a tighter handle on quality control in NYC. Gary Wassner discussed how by having your production in the US it gives designers an upper handle on having their designs to be first on the floor of a store and not last.
On a side note I have seen Stan Herman on QVC selling his designs of lounge sleepwear, I have a leopard robe of his, and he’s working in collaboration with Carol Hoffman amongst the major provider for uniforms. It was such a treat to see him. I was this close.
TAO Designer with Fern Mallis and Stan Herman
BUTIK Vendors were showing a wide array of designs.
Fern Mallis’s main point was to BE NICE! Make friends and be sincere, have passion – and work hard. Talk about fashion in St. Louis locally and get noticed nationally. The profile will raise as the industry raises. St. Louis had been a fashion destination with the Garment District downtown, but if everyone gets involved and puts a plan in place, it can make steps to grow fashion in the area.
Ideas of creating tag-lines and posting images downtown to start branding are all great ideas but we have to start somewhere.
Is St. Louis Ready to be the next Fashion Destination?
Fashion a Community In St. Louis
A town-hall discussion featuring above local civic and cultural leaders, moderated by Jill McGuire (Executive Director, Regional Arts Commission). Panelists include Jerry Schlicheter, president of Arch Grants; Kitty Ratcliffe, president of the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission (CVC) and Mobin Kahn, director of economic development and research at the Downtown St. Louis Partnership.
The beginning got pretty hot because Ms. Ratcliffe said that not everyone in New York is not fashionable; but it’s still considered a fashion city. Why did she say that? Fern Mallis corrected her and said that NYC is the Fashion Capital of the World. Ms. Ratcliffe than said she didn’t mean that and that she meant more like Brooklyn (paraphrasing). Stop now. Fern Mallis said Brooklyn has become one of the most expensive places to live now. Kitty said okay I will give you that one and the session started moving on.
The focus of this session discussed the creation of a Fashion Incubator in Saint Louis that helps designers get their start, have a business mentor, show them how to create a business plan and get their business off of the ground.
The key is to keep the momentum growing and create that marketing PR campaign and create a steering committee.
The audience was heavily involved in both discussions and are very pro-active that Fashion is St. Louis.
After lunch, three sessions were geared to Professional Development.
— The Art of Storytelling in Fashion: A look at impactful styling, photography and narration for brands and blogs.
— Brand Smart: Brainy Solutions for Creating Your Marketing Plan
— The Business of Fashion: A Look at Entrepreneurship in the Fashion & Lifestyle Space.
The panelists in these sessions discussed a wide range of topics, including blogging tips, how to create your niche, how stick with it, how to take quality photographs and how to be true to being you because your followers/readers can tell.
The Art of Storytelling in Fashion
The sessions in the afternoon made me think about my blog and how to focus more on social media presence.
Saint Louis Fashion Week started in full force with The Well Dressed Midwest VIP Blogger Lounge event.
This exclusive opportunity for bloggers to meet with local businesses was a wonderful experience. From gourmet chocolate, to all-natural skin care, to footwear and haircare. I was honored to be invited and given the chance to learn more about these companies and even purchase their products.
Here are some of the companies that were at the event.
Blissoma is an all-natural, plant-based skin care line that produces its products in downtown St. Louis. The prices are very affordable. I purchased a spray deodorant and two moisturizers. I will be writing a review of those products in the near future.
Blissoma
Vogue Footwear shoes are designed in St. Louis. The styles are on trend, affordable and stylish. It was cool to see that they also have a young girls line. Their shoe lines can be purchased at ZAPPOS, DSW, online retailers and at department stores throughout the country.
These ladies from KINK salon were so nice. I asked if they style natural hair and I heard a resounding yes. They shared a leave-in moisturizer spray that smelled great and adds a little sparkle to my hair. It was not being sold at the event; but if I wanted purchase it I could get it at one of the salon.
JT with the Stylists of KINKS Salon
All sorts of vendors that night.
Vendors and bloggers photo by JTwisdom
The Foundrie offers a wide range of handmade products, including jewelry in brass and leather with stamped lettering.
The Foundrie
The event was held at the Scape Restaurant in the Central West End, which provided food for the evening. The gourmet pizzas were delicious.
Gourmet Pizza: Photograph Alive Magazine
To end the night off with a smile, Bubblingwitheleganceandgrace.com won the Zettie’s gift basket of delicious cashew white chocolate and dark chocolate toffee, a Zettie T-shirt and coffee mug. The chocolate is oh-so good and yummy. Can’t wait to get a chance to write about it more.
Zettie’s Gift Basket
The swag bag included a copy of Alive Magazine, brochures, coupons, swimwear chlorine cleaner in a green drawstring bag and a beverage container.
Swag bag
It was a great night but we couldn’t stay late because we had to go to work in the morning.
The Well Dressed Midwest VIP Blogger lounge was a step up and I know that it will continue to be better each time this event is held.
Thank you for all who took the time to vote for my team and I. We appreciate you and thank you so much! Whether you follow the blog or just happen to catch us on Google because you saw us in the search thank you for stopping by.
JT at the Midwest Fashion Conference
Winning this award makes us feel so good because we work hard to put out a quality product. This is what we do and we enjoy it. Before starting this blog, I asked the Lord to give me direction and He has taken this blog further than I ever imagined.
My team and I have said that if one person gets something out of the blog, then it’s all worth it.
People’s Choice: Blogger To Watch Award
The award came with a slfba (St. Louis Fashion Blogger Award) necklace. This was unexpected so that was a nice touch.
#stfba necklace
So what did this award mean to Bubbling With Elegance And Grace? Continue to write quality articles and continue to think outside the box.
The late nights, pushing to the limits, not accepting mediocre content, learning, growing and never settling.
The Bubbling with Elegance and Grace team was contacted and asked to try a Leather Honey cleaner and conditioner kit. We wanted to try this product because it has been around for awhile and is known for quality and integrity. And, because we had a few leather items in our closet that needed to be cleaned before being able to wear them.
“Since 1968, master leather craftsmen and individuals alike have been relying on Leather Honey, the premium leather conditioner, to condition used leather and protect new leather. Uniquely formulated to penetrate deep into the pores of the leather, Leather Honey Leather Conditioner is designed to bring out the best in your favorite leather – from classic equestrian items to furniture, automobiles, shoes, apparel, wallets and more. And we do it without the use of any animal products, silicone, toxins, solvents, or other harmful chemicals.” Leather Honey website
Leather Honey Cleaner and Conditioner, with two cloths
My hubby had these pair of shoes that looked like they were ready to be recycled. However, he wanted to see if Leather Honey products would bring them back to their original luster.
Below is a picture of the shoes. The shoes look dusty and worn from wear.
Hubby’s shoes in need of a makeover
The kit came with a bottle of cleaner, a bottle of conditioner, and two cleaning clothes. The cleaner is super-concentrated. It must be diluted in water before using. The directions on the bottle say to use two tablespoons of the cleaner for every eight ounces of water. My hubby found an empty spray bottle that we had in the closet and he created the cleaning solution.
Leather Honey Cleaning Solution, diluted one tablespoon and eight ounces of water.
My hubby sprayed the diluted solution on the each of the shoes and used one of the clothes to clean the shoes. The directions tell you not to spray to much of the solution on the item that you are cleaning. You do not need to over-saturate the item because the solution is pretty powerful. My hubby sprayed only a couple of sprays on each of the shoes and this was more than enough to get the dust, grime and dirt off of the shows.
After the shoe has had a chance to dry, the next step is to apply the conditioner. Using the second cloth that was included in the kit, my hubby applied the conditioner to the cloth and then used the cloth to buff the shoes. My hubby recommends that you apply the conditioner to the cloth instead of directly to the item you are working with. This allows the conditioner to be applied more evenly and smoothly to the item.
My hubby applying the conditioner.
After cleaning the shoes take a look at the dirt that came off in the cloth.
Cleaning Cloth results
Allowing the the shoes to dry and applying the conditioner, the transformation is marvelous. Take a look!
These shoes look new and revitalized.
Check out the Leather Honey website because the company gives detailed information, videos and testimonials about the natural leather cleaner and conditioner.
*This is my honest opinion. Bubbling With Elegance and Grace team was gifted the
natural cleaner and conditioner and two cloths from Leather Honey .
My hubby and I celebrated 15 years of marriage on September 11th! We are celebrating the whole month.
Wow, 15 years makes me reflect to my wedding day filled with joy and happiness.
JT and Hubby Wedding The rings
This is my daddy and I on my wedding day, he was putting a penny in my shoe for good blessings.
JT and Daddy
My hubby and I celebrated this past week with an awesome road trip. We just got back and I’m getting back to blogging again. We will be writing about the trip to the Southwest, so check back soon for those posts.
I wanted to see what my wedding dress looked like and how it fit after all these years. I pulled it out of the closet and I tried it on. My dress did not cost thousands of dollars; but to me it looked like it did.
My dress was designed by Alfred Angelo, exclusively for JC Penney’s. I was dealing with some physical and medical challenges at the time, causing me to gain weight that I was not able to control.
I know gaining about fifty pounds is not what I wanted when I got married; however I dealt with it and conquered it.
On the day of the wedding, the dress fit me exact. It did not need to be taken in or hemmed.
However, 15 years later, the sleeves are baggy and the wedding dress is loose on me now and hangs.
Side view Wedding Dress
This is a back view of the dress and it’s beautiful, but it looks so different on me now. I decided to wear a cream-colored dress.
When you looked at it up close, you can tell that it is cream. But in all of the photographs, it looks white.
My daddy stepped on my dress after the ceremony was finished. I thought at the time that he had ripped the fabric where I couldn’t reattach the bustle to the back of the dress.
When I tried it on, I found out that the dress wasn’t ripped at all. But, my maid of honor did not attach the train correctly after I walked down the church steps.
I attached the train correctly in the photo.
I thought this wedding dress was haute couture with all the bead work and detailing from the sleeves to the hem.
Back view JT wedding dress
Here’s an up close look of the detail in the bead work; exquisite I must say.
Closeup of detail
My hubby and I planned our wedding and we were on a budget. However, I still wanted it to be a wonderful day of celebration. I still look at the dress and marvel at how beautiful it is with all the beadwork and lace.
Pray you are having an awesome Labor Day holiday weekend. I have been battling a summer cold, however I am feeling better, thank the Lord. Plenty of tea and cough syrup!
I am super excited to tell you about the Lotus Seed Mala that I was gifted by Romell, founder and designer of Karma Mantra.
I was contacted by Romell, who asked me if I would like to try a piece of jewelry from his website, Karma Mantra. I had not heard of Karma Mantra before, so I was intrigued and went exploring on the website.
The design variations and styles of jewelry styles are available for both women and men.
I always enjoy reading the about page to know the story behind the designs.
Here’s an excerpt from the Karma Mantra About Page:
“Karma Mantra’s entire line is a collection of hand-selected gems acquired from designer Romell Bhaala’s global journeys. Additionally, Romell uses the experiences of his travels to inspire new one-of-a-kind creations. Each item is the culmination of a powerful past shaping a transcendent future.”
It was extremely hard to select a piece that I liked, so I suggested a few of my favorites and was ready to be surprised.
My package came in the mail and when I opened the envelope, this is what was inside.
A beautiful Lotus Seed Mala and a sweet card inside that said, “JT, hope this was everything you expected and more! Peace & Love, Alexa”
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Karma Mantra package
The Lotus Seed Necklace Mala retails for $24.99 on Karma Mantra’s website.
Product Description
“This beautiful Lotus Seed mala is one of the most beautiful and powerful looking malas carried by Karma Mantra. Wear the beautiful Lotus Seed Japa Mala around your neck or hold it in your hand during your meditation practice to us the Lotus seeds as healing. Like the Lotus flower which takes its roots in muddy depths and blossom into a beautiful flower, let the Lotus Seed Mala remind you of your inner beauty. Let your soul root itself within difficulties and grow above them with beauty and compassion. With each bead over 12mm, this mala tends to be a mala used for meditation, kirtan or for someone wanting to take their Japa practice to the next level. Please Note: This Mala is very long, and can be worn long or wrapped around as a necklace/multiple stack bracelet. ” Karma Mantra
Lotus Seed Mala Styled by JTwisdom
I respect that some use the Lotus Seed Mala for meditation, kirtan or Japa, however I am wearing the Mala as a necklace styled with fashion apparel.
In the picture the necklace is styled with a very bright and bold dress that I constantly get compliments on. In the photo below, the Mala is wrapped twice around the neck in a short and long style.
Lotus Seed Mala Karma Mantra
I wanted to show that the necklace is very long and can be worn many different ways, the style is up to you. I layered the Mala with my jasper heart leather cord necklace for dimensional effect.
Karma Mantra Lotus Seed Mala
The beads are soft and really accentuated my embroidered blouse.
Lotus Seed Mala Karma Mantra
The beads flow so well and feel very secure. When I wore this blouse, the Lotus Seed Mala did not feel weighty at all. It was great.
Lotus Seed Mala Karma Mantra
Another way I styled the necklace was with a casual blue striped blouse. The look was so relaxing and cool. The shape of the beads remind me of large freshwater pearls. I keep talking about the shape because the beads are so comfortable.
Lotus Seed Mala with Blue Striped Blouse
This is four-season jewelry that can be worn no matter what the temperature is outside. The necklace can work with a blouse, dress, or turtleneck.
Post coming soon showing how to style the Mala for fall and winter.
Thank you Romell and everyone at Karma Mantra for giving me the opportunity to style the Lotus Seed Mala.
Learn More About JT Bubbling with Elegance and Grace is a place for life long learners. The Bubbling With Elegance And Grace team was created 14 years ago. A passion for fashion sparked a lifestyle blog for our Elegant Community to enjoy. We are thankful and in gratitude to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for those who have been with us from the beginning and those who have just started riding with us on this lovely journey.
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