As part of NYC Fashion Week, tomorrow Feb 14th 2012, Fashion 4 Development (F4D) Campaign Awareness is presenting 6 designers from Africa to raise awareness and help grow the economy thru fashion. Goodwill ambassador Franca Sozzani (Editor in Chief for Vogue Italia) recently returned from a trip to Africa to find talented designers from different parts of Africa and feature in Vogue Italia.

This was last year’s event:

http://www.hauteliving.com/2011/09/haute-event-fashion-4-development-hosts-inaugural-first-ladies-luncheon-honoring-vogue-italia%E2%80%99s-franca-sozzani/

Best answer:

Answer by Missy Saffron
It depends on what you want. Many of the “top designers” have no fashion design skill. Many can’t sew or draft a pattern. They lucked out and found a team of people willing to listen to their ideas. I think it’s a myth to think that in order to be a top fashion designer you must go to design school. Look at the links I posted.

http://www.fiberarts.com/back_issues/01_08/sampling.asp

http://www.rebeccawendlandt.com/

There’s a market for clothing obviously. There are many ways to participate in the industry. If you live in New York your chances of hitting it big are greater than if you live in the mid west. If you desire to have your clothes distributed world wide that’s something else entirely. A few weeks ago I saw this show and this guy was talking about millionaire’s & pants. Some girl made her own pants & by chance someone else saw her wearing them & ordered them. From there she’s made millions. This girl didn’t go to design school or have a business plan. Thing just happened. It’s all in how you look at it. Of course by going to school you’re trying to advance your chances of being a “success.” It all depends on what your idea of success is.

What do you think? Answer below!

Here’s the link: http://anyacole.rexcheck.com/

Here’s snapshots of P³ Catherine Francis Scott selling it!

On June 5th, P³ Model David Teitelbaum had a busy day. David had a summer wear styled shoot with P³ Photographer Tarik Carroll, and wardrobe/style by Jermaine Daley. We shot along the Westside Highway Park. It was a perfect sunny, cool breezy kind of day. Made it really easy for David to get into the moment. We got some killer shots out there! Here is a on-set picture (taken with my camera phone):

David chillaxing between looks

David walking to Tarik’s instruction.

Tarik is out in L.A. shooting but when he gets back I can’t wait to see how these pictures turn out!

But… David’s day was not over!
He and another P³ Model Dimitry had to model for designer: Crying Tears. Crying Tears was participating in an event held by the Billionaire Girls Club.

Heads up: I’ll be doing a TFP group shoot with Crying Tears clothes so just know I might be contacting some of you P³ Models and photographers for this shoot to build your portfolios. I’m purposely going to have one shirt in the group shot to be that one shirt of me on it! I want to know if you can work ME!

Work It Out (literally):

On Monday afternoon P³ Model David and Raquelita showed up and proved that “they are not plus sized models”, and we ran around the entirety of Central Park. In between we did different types of push ups and tae kwon do. On Wednesday night it was planned for the westside highway but God steered us to the gyms with rain so Models Dimitry, Raquelita, and I pumped iron at Crunch in FiDi. We did stretches, and aerobics first along with ab workouts, then we ran for 2 miles and finshed off with a little boxing and weight lifting. “These models had gucci not poochie”.

I’ll be setting up a workout for Saturday June 19th after my New York City casting around sunset for another workout themed: “…You know… Only Queen Latifah can pull it off… and you ain’t no Queen Latifah.”

Stay Creative and Beautiful ,

East Grace Lee

Creative Director & Co-Founder

The Megabus crossed 8^th Avenue and after it went half a block, pulled over the left and stopped.  The engine went off, and P³ TM NY stylist, Linda Lao and I both look at each other like “WTF?”  The driver comes on the speaker and says:  “Sorry ladies and gentlemen but the bus will rest for 10 minutes to recharge.”  On the other side of this what was supposed to be a 4 hour trip was P³TM’s kick-off to fashion week networking event at Splash Bar sponsored by Stuff Magazine (www.stuffboston.com), Stewart Smith Photography (www.stewartsmithphotography), and Brian Doherty.  The ride actually took 5 ½ hours because the 9:30 Megabus that we were on completely died around 44^th Street and 10^th Avenue, and we had to transfer to the 10:30 bus that was passing by.  Despite the rough start, Linda and I made new friends on the new bus, and had in-bus entertainment!  Some man who wore tight black jeans that were two sizes too small, you know- where the stomach is pushed to spill over just enough to cover only half of the belt button- yea, well he looked like that, and I guess he was feeling restless, or maybe he didn’t like the chairs, but anyway he had his headphones in and was listening to I guess “Dirty” by Christina Aguilera or “Don’t Cha” by the Pussycat Dolls, and just periodically do a stripper dance on the poles that led up to the upper deck on the Megabus.  There were hip thrusts and booty shakes, I mean I myself was impressed.  Linda was cracking up, along with our new bus mates.   Okay, just saying this now, but don’t be surprised if he’s the new P³TM Dance Coach.

We arrived in Boston at around 3:00PM, and before we called Mercy, CEO of P³TM, to pick us up, Linda, new bus friend, and I secretly bee-lined to the nearest bar and had a drink to congratulate ourselves in surviving the trip.

We convened with Mercy and got ready for the event, and at 6 o’clock we were in front of Splash Bar.  Splash Bar, being the chicest bar in Boston nightlife, with its multi 3 floor layout, private rooms, and an outdoor cabana style, roof patio dining area with a small lit fountain pool in center, was the perfect place for P³TM to hold the networking event and showcase three talented up-and-coming designers of the Boston Fashion Scene.  Our first designer that we presented was Expressions by Jennifer Chen (www.expressionsbyjenniferchen.com) The line features women and menswear structured meticulously for the confident, sexy individual that’s not afraid to show a little spunk and pull off the class of mixed fabrics and subtle flirty details, which also pretty much describes the designer herself.

The second designer featured was the explosive, positive energy diva herself, Donna Marie Carbone creator of Belladonna apparels.  Her line Shades of Love featured bright, eye-catching sportswear, which would grab anyone with hormone’s attention with its booty shorts and biker girl style, skin-tight shirts.  P³ Talent Management looks forward to seeing how Belladonna evolves to fill the wardrobes of the world’s most badass chicks.

With both designer’s runway walks, P³ models were working it out with D’nalel’s fabulous, intricate, ornate and colorful clutches, and handbags.  Check out her website and rock out a one-of-a-kind D’nalel bag.  (www.dnalel.com)

So no fashion show fails to have its share of drama.  The original runway was supposed to loop around the outside patio pool, while the event attendees eyed out fashion future under Splash Bar’s lux cabanas, but The Big Designer Upstairs decided to pee on us, and it started raining.  For safety reasons we had to move the runway and all the guests, last minute, to the downstairs DJ area.  We also couldn’t have the fabulous hair by the only rock and roll glam salon in Boston, Shag Salon (www.shagboston.com) go frizzy or the make-up by Kristen Landers drip and run and make our models look like prom night tragedies.  I must say though koodos to you P³TM models and staff for adapting last minute and making our night a success.

After the show, and networking it all goes blank for me.  There are pictures of me dancing that I don’t think are real.  Our talented, brilliant, but mischievous photographer Antonino Sambataro has captured the event from backstage, to the designers runway show, and the party afterwards.  Check out these pictures!

http://pf.kizoa.com/sflite.swf?did=1187405&k=7969548