Hello hello, my loves, and Happy Snowy Studded Collar Saturday (boy, is that a mouthful…) Yes, I have been absent from the blogosphere for much longer than I would ever have liked, but being a full time student and having such a demanding schedule really takes a toll! But I promise to be a bit more consistent from now on. (:
What better way to get back into the groove of things than to share with you my experience at my very first award show?
I had the pleasure of being invited to and attending the Fashion Group International Rising Stars Award Show in Dallas this past Thursday, and what a show it was! For those who do not know, the Rising Stars Awards are granted to those in the art and fashion industry who have truly made their mark in their area of expertise. These fields include art, photography, jewelry, beauty, interior design, and, of course, fashion. It was so humbling to be in the presence of such hard workers who have really made a name for themselves, and I was honored to be among them that evening.
Along with the award shows, the night also included a series of fashion shows from big-name brands like Macy’s, BCBGeneration, Karen Millen, Nordstrom, Belk, and Aftershock London. Here are some shots from the first show by Macy’s.
I loved the vibrancy of the collection. In every piece color was incorporated and each caught everyone’s eye. In all honesty, there were some looks that were a little too busy in color for my liking. However, each piece within those ensembles was gorgeous and we must remember that not every outfit is ready to wear off of the runway- some are merely meant to inspire!
Congratulations to Dr. Nalia Malik, the Rising Star in Beauty…
Allison and Esé showed at NYFW together, pairing Esé’s clothes with Allison’s purses, and they put on quite a show! Check out both of their websites for more details regarding their work and products.
What better way to get back into the groove of things than to share with you my experience at my very first award show?
I had the pleasure of being invited to and attending the Fashion Group International Rising Stars Award Show in Dallas this past Thursday, and what a show it was! For those who do not know, the Rising Stars Awards are granted to those in the art and fashion industry who have truly made their mark in their area of expertise. These fields include art, photography, jewelry, beauty, interior design, and, of course, fashion. It was so humbling to be in the presence of such hard workers who have really made a name for themselves, and I was honored to be among them that evening.Along with the award shows, the night also included a series of fashion shows from big-name brands like Macy’s, BCBGeneration, Karen Millen, Nordstrom, Belk, and Aftershock London. Here are some shots from the first show by Macy’s.
I loved the vibrancy of the collection. In every piece color was incorporated and each caught everyone’s eye. In all honesty, there were some looks that were a little too busy in color for my liking. However, each piece within those ensembles was gorgeous and we must remember that not every outfit is ready to wear off of the runway- some are merely meant to inspire!
This is my favorite look from the Macy’s show because it displays a cute way to dress up a tee-shirt dress that can also easily be dressed down. The pop of color in the shoes was a great choice by the stylist- not too overwhelming, but easily makes a statement.
Next came the BCBGeneration show. This collection was a stark contrast to the previous of Macy’s- here we were shown a gorgeous compilation of spring pieces in neutral tones with some sparse, light additions of color every so often. The color scheme was made of black, blue and white and the outfits themselves were not at all structured. I think that BCBG did a wonderful job of capturing the carefree and loose aesthetic of spring while maintaining a chic and put together collection. Bravo!
The romper on the left is so cute. I love the balance of the full-length sleeves with the shorts. A great piece to own for Spring and an even better addition to purchase for Spring Break! *heart eyes*
More runway shows ensued from brands like Karen Millen…
and BCBG
Can we take a moment to appreciate how flawlessly BCBG combined two of the top trends right now- Leather AND Fringe??? Way to make it to my heart, darlings. *swoon*
The awards were given in a staggered manner, so after every few runway shows, a few awards were given. The lovely Mrs. Shay Geyer, IBB Designer and Good Morning Texas Design Expert was the emcee of the evening and did a fantastic job hosting the night. The first awards were for the Rising Stars in Beauty, Jewelry Design, and Art.
Congratulations to Dr. Nalia Malik, the Rising Star in Beauty…
Megan Thorne, Rising Star in Jewelry Design…
And Shayeme Rahim, the Rising Star in Art!
I would love to also extend my congratulations to the Rising Star in Photography, Brandon Lyon, and the Rising Star in Interior Design, Brant McFarlain.
Besides seeing the awards and watching the shows, I did have my fair share of fun and met/ reunited with some wonderful people!
It was such an honor to meet the lovely designer Lucy Dang who was also in the running for a Rising Star award in Fashion. I am in love with her designs and beautiful execution, and she was just as sweet in person as I thought her to be. (:
I also had the honor of meeing co-founder and Editor of DFW Style Daily, Leah Frazier. She was so fun to chat with and it was so great to speak to someone as accomplished as her- I gained quite a few key lessons from her. Go check out her online publication, DFW Style Daily, if you haven’t already!
Fellow bloggers Cydni of It’s Her Strut, Ty Jones of Words and Wardrobes, and I hit it off and had some fun with the photo booth. (: They’re funny, sweet, and incredibly smart. Go feast your eyes upon their blog goodness!
OK STORY TIME~~
While chatting it up with others in the biz like Alex Young of Eat Style Dallas, photographer extraordinaire Stephanie Drenka of Geek Glam, and Velma O’Reilly of VP Cosmetics, I would see men in police uniforms walking around the venue. My first thought was, “Wow, security is pretty tight around here if they’re mingling among the guests!” Then, later in the evening I saw the two officers looking at me from behind their cop glasses (BTW: the technical term for “cop glasses” is Aviators. Please remember this…) and they stopped me in my tracks. They asked if I was having a good time and I responded saying of course I was! Then they said that after inspecting me for a little bit they were going to have to give me a citation- my first citation!!! “Oh gosh, a citation for what, officers?” I responded with a light laugh and a smile.
“A citation… for being Fashionably Fierce!!!”
No, these were not your every day police officers.
These were the Fashion Police.
The Fashion Police prowled the venue throughout the evening and gave out “citations” to some of the best dressed of the evening. Needless to say I was quite flattered and was more than excited to receive my first positive citation from the (Fashion) Police.
I even got to take my first “mugshot”!
The last award of the evening was the most exciting one- Rising Star in Fashion! The nominees were Lucy Dang, the designer I had the pleasure of meeting earlier that evening; Esé Azénabor, a friend of mine and newly showcased designer at Spring/ Summer New York Fashion Week 2015; and Binzario Couture, who shared a gorgeous bridal collection.
Here are a few shots of the amazing talent. First up- Lucy Dang.
Next we saw Binzario Couture.
And last, but by no means least, Esé Azénabor
After watching all three shows, I think everyone can agree that it was anyone’s game. All three designers were equally deserving of the award as they and their designs were absolutely phenomenal- out of this world!
In the end, Lucy Dang took home the award and now holds the title of Rising Star in Fashion. Congratulations!
After the show’s finale, I met up with dear friend and designer, Allison Mitchell, who looked fabulous as usual. I also got to chat with Esé for a bit afterwards and she, too, looked flawless and was just as warm and bubbly as ever.
Allison and Esé showed at NYFW together, pairing Esé’s clothes with Allison’s purses, and they put on quite a show! Check out both of their websites for more details regarding their work and products.
It was a dream of a night and I still feel humbled to say I laughed and danced among the stars, rising and risen. Thank you, FGI, for such a memorable night!
That’s a wrap! Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this article as much as I did writing it. Don’t forget to follow me on my Instagram and Twitter, and like my Facebook page to keep up with me when I’m not blogging! If you have any thoughts, feel free to comment below, or, if you have any questions, shoot me an email at thestuddedcollar@gmail.com (:
Stay Fab, darlings,
Kay B xx.
