MMOE Spotlight: Sonya Vajifdar

 I love to find designers who offer a refreshing look to an everyday item.  Sonya Vajifdar has taken the average raincoat and made it glamorous.

What is your product that you offer?
I am a designer specializing in high end luxury garments. website-www.sonyavajifdar.com

What was your inspiration for your product?
I have always been interested in fashion, and design has inspired me even more. I loved going to ramp shows, working backstage and even modeling as a teenager, but soon realized that fashion design was my true calling. After I studied at IED (Istituto Europeo de Design)  in Milano for three years I knew that was it and I was on my way. I worked under a designer as well as a fashion house and my brand was soon to follow.

What are 2 ways your product can help make someone over?
My products are very high end and stylish. They can give someone an edge if they are able to carry them off well. People do need confidence to wear some of my pieces as they are high end and always have a twist to them.  Apart from helping up their style quotient my pieces can over make someone look very elegant.

I am the only designer in India who designs high fashion rain wear.  Here in Mumbai we have a heavy monsoon which goes on for almost three whole months. So instead of having dowdy raincoats I have come up with the concept of looking stylish in the rains well with bright colors, sequence pieces , etc

When was your first makeover?
I give myself a makeover almost everyday. Its great fun to try different looks and experiment with clothes and makeup!  Of course personal style also makes a huge difference!

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2nd Annual A Glam Affair Fashion Show - Saturday, July 24

2nd Annual A GLAM AFFAIR Fashion Show
Location: 201 Columbia Mall Blvd, Columbia SC 29223, STE101 (Behind Columbia Mall off Two Notch Road in the Capitol Center)

Time: Seating Begins at : 6:30pm Show starts at 7:00pm
 
Admission: $20 (purchase online at WWW.FFSAGA2.EVENTBRITE.COM or www.fortressfashionshows.com )

Reasons to attend:  
FREE SWAG BAG full of Goodies from Local Retailers!
A portion of all proceeds will go to Safe Harbor, Shelter for Battered and Abused Women in Greenville , SC

SPONSORED BY:
Wella Professionals Schools
FFS Model and Talent Agency
Jooelre.com
Avon by Doris Walker


For more information:
CALL 803-728-7997 FOR DETAILS! 
www.ffsaga2.eventbrite.com
www.fortressfashionshows.com
Vendor table information - Visit www.FFSAGA2.EVENTBRITE.com to reserve your table.
Market your business in our Swag Bag (200 minimum - coupons, gift certificates, samples, or promotional items) - Email: ALICIA@FORTRESSFASHIONSHOWS.COM today! 

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CHARLESTON FASHION WEEK® EXPANDS DESIGNER COMPETITION BEYOND JUST THE SOUTHEAST

Charleston Fashion Week Now Accepting Online Applications For The 2011 Emerging Designer Competition

(July 21, 2010) Charleston, SC - Accredited with launching the careers of regional fashion designers and models, Charleston Fashion Week® is proud to announce it will be expanding the 2011 Emerging Designer Competition to include applicants from beyond the Southeast. The five-night celebration of the region’s fashion and design communities scheduled for March 22-26, 2011 is now welcoming online submissions from residents of Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia for the highly successful designer competition.

Organizers of the fifth annual Charleston Fashion Week® have expanded the criteria for submissions to further advance the successful competition and double the number of semifinalists accepted to debut their fall collections. Pioneering this change, CFW Creative Director Ayoka Lucas adds, “This was an organic decision that will inevitability enhance the quality of collections shown and increase media attention for the 2011 semifinalists.”

The 2011 Emerging Designer Competition: East will showcase Fall collections from 16 aspiring designers throughout the five-night event. A panel of fashion experts will pick a nightly winner to move on to Saturday's finals, and the chance to walk away with a prize package to include: a free runway show during CFW 2012, a $20,000 website from F22 Designs, and a cash prize. Further details regarding the 2011 prize package will be announced later this summer. Past judges of the CFW Emerging Designer Competition include Elle magazine’s Anne Slowey; designers Cynthia Rowley, Mychael Knight, Carol Hannah Whitfield, and Logan Neitzel; and former Lacoste CEO Bob Siegel.

Former Charleston Fashion Week® Emerging Designer Competition contestants include 2009 winner and swimwear/resort designer Marysia Reeves; 2008 finalist and Project Runway participant Carol Hannah Whitfield; and 2010 winner Larika Page. For aspiring fashion designers, it is time to dust off the sketch pads, start up the sewing machines, and apply online by visiting www.charlestonfashionweek.com. Deadline for submission is 11:00pm EST on Friday, October 1, 2010.

About Charleston Fashion Week®
Showcasing fashion designers, retailers, and models, Charleston Fashion Week has fast become one of the premier fashion weeks in North America. Held March 22-26, 2011 under the tents in Marion Square in Charleston, SC, this five-night celebration will feature more than 35 runway shows, the Spring Bridal Show, Emerging Designer Competition: East, and Rock the Runway Model Competition. Named a Top 20 Event for March by the Southeast Tourism Society, this true multimedia event presents high-end runway shows, interactive entertainment, chic after-parties, and press events. Charitable partners for 2011 include MUSC Children's Hospital, The Center For Women, and Lowcountry AIDS Services. For more information on the fifth annual Charleston Fashion Week, or to download a copy of the 2011 Press Kit visit www.charlestonfashionweek.com.

For more information, contact:
Media Contact: Vail Duggan
Public Relations, Charleston Fashion Week
Mobile: (843) 437-5975, vail@louluagency.com

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Diva Swap Event Promotes Community Service and Fabulous Clothes

I just love finding ways to clean out my closet, shop and save money at the same time.  Thanks to the Shoestring Diva for sharing.

Live life to the fullest, but on a budget at Columbia’s first cocktail swap event. Diva Swap 2010 is a fun, charitable way to swap your gently used items for new-to-you items. Join Columbia’s most fashionable women on August 6, 2010 at the Embassy Suites as they swap the night way. Enjoy live music, delicious food and free swag bag gifts.

Diva Swap is not your ordinary swap event. It’s a fabulous way to network and give back to the community. Diva Swap is the perfect reason to de-clutter those closets for charity. Swap attendees are encouraged to bring more than one item to swap so that additional items will be available for donation to local charities and shelters. Items to be swapped include clothing, accessories and shoes.

Diva Swap swag bag partners include Yogen Fruz SC in Sandhill Mall and Aloette. Both companies have signed on to provide free coupons and products for all swap attendees. Tickets are available online via http://divaswap.eventbrite.com/. For more information, visit www.shoestringchronicles.com or email divaswap@shoestringchronicles.com

About The Shoestring Diva
Shennice Cleckley aka “The Shoestring Diva” is your go-to-person for frugal living tips and advice. After years of budgeting, coupon clipping and sales finding, The Shoestring Diva shares her expertise on how to live life to the fullest but on a budget. Through the Shoestring Media Group, Shennice Cleckley hosts frugal themed events designed to embrace the concept of The Shoestring Diva. Diva Swap is the biannual signature event.

Contact:
Shennice Cleckley
Shoestring Diva Media Group
701 Gervais Street Suite 150-306
Columbia, SC 29201
803-331-8460
Email: thediva@shoestringchronicles.com

www.shoestringchronicles.com
www.facebook.com/shoestringdiva
www.twitter.com/shoestringdiva

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MMOE Spotlight: The Gift Shop by OSA

On occasion I have the fun of stumbling onto something new and fresh! This is it! Today's MMOE Spotlight is on The Gift Shop by OSA.

What is your product /service that you offer?
The Gift Shop by O S A. Vintage-Mod inspired Clothing & Accessories, with an Afrocentric Flair.

Visit the Website: www.thegiftshopbyosa.bigcartel.com
Follow on Tumblr: www.thegiftshop.tumblr.com
Follow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TGSbyOSA

What was your inspiration for your business/product?
My parents (Mom from Dominican Republic and Dad from Nigeria) owned a business for over 15 years, catered to people interested in the culture, music & fashion of Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America. I also lived in Nigeria for a few years, and loved the various fashion styles, fabrics and designs. I started a marketing & promotions company in 2004 (The Gift Agency, LLC), representing image consultants and producing fashion events. I always had a plan to start a clothing line that would blend my love for vintage style, with the various fabrics of the African Diaspora. I felt that this was the right time to do it.

What are 2 ways your product/service can help make someone over?
The theme for my clothing line is Modern + Vintage. UNITED. 2 different styles, in one. If a potential consumer likes classic pieces, they can find it at The Gift Shop. If they like modern pieces, they can find it there as well.

What specials do you have currently?
Right now, we have the Short n Regal Cuffed Batik shorts on sale for $39. You may view the piece here:

When was your first makeover?
My first makeover was right after college. I had never really worn makeup before, but wanted to learn the essentials. So I attended free makeup classes at Shiseido Studios in Greenwich Village, NYC. I also discovered this love for classic, yet modern styles, many of which I found with brands like BCBG, Tracy Reese & Maiko. That was my first make-over.

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