Fashion week!

It’s fashion week and I’ve just returned from two days at the IFB Conference.   What an amazing event!

It was so exciting to trade ideas, strategic plans and goals with fresh new faces. All attendees seemed to be going down similar paths, and we all share the same passion for fashion in some way or another.  Aside from making new and interesting friends, the panels were packed with influential and inspiring  speakers.  Brands gave great tips on collaborating, and offered new interesting ways to connect with affiliate programs.

So many creative people.  I couldn’t get enough!  I was acting like a sponge absorbing all of this information.  Being in a room with 400 people who are just like me, fashion-passionate and fashion-driven, was just amazing. Creative energy packed into the Altman Building for two whole days!  Brilliant!

Did I mention the outfits???

My eye for detail mimics a superpower.  Whereas a normal person would walk into a room and say, “Oh, I like your shirt. Where did you get it?” Or, “I love those shoes. Where did you find them?”  For me at a fashion event, the chatter in my head sounds like this… “That necklace is Chanel, her boots are Stuart Weitzman, those earrings are last year’s showcase. The hat she is wearing also comes in red and canary, her vest would look great with BCBG’s new slim pant and a pair of Alice and Olivia heels.”  Blahh blah blah noise to some, but for me it’s the fire that makes me who I am.

Everyone looked great! So many different fashion personalities.  I saw things from sequence dresses to polkadot jeans, and from Christian Louboutin to Chanel flats to the new craze in wedge sneakers.  A venue packed with people who truly understand style and know how to make it work.  Honestly, I think that’s what I’m hoping heaven will be like.  Only it’s not in the Altman Building and I’m a little thinner.  A feast for the eyes!  The colors, textures, prints and combinations were extraordinary.  Confidence soared and fun was had by all.

Jewelry designer Lisa Salzer attended the event and told her very inspirational success story.  Lisa Salzer’s company, Lulu Frost, blends antique, vintage and modern elements to reinvent timeless classics.  I was extremely inspired by her story.  Some of you may know the name Lulu Frost by her recent collaborations with J.Crew.  So pretty!

It was great learning about new technology and where it will take us in the future.  PAD SQUAD, MailChimp, Monster, Glossi, Rakuten, Beso, W Hotel, and so many more were all part of this very knowledgeable group. Each speaker gave me incentive to run home, dive into my computer and plug away.

What could be better than all of this great knowledge?  You guessed it, FREE STUFF!

I had the opportunity to have my hair braided at the Fekkai booth, and had my makeup done by the talented associates running the Bare Minerals booth.  There were giveaways, and gift bags galore.  What is it about free stuff that gets us so excited?  It could be a granola bar or a free gum sample and it would make me happy.  How about a free bottle of water?  If you are like me walking in NYC and someone gives you a free bottle of water, it’s as if you just received the holy grail.  Hey, wasn’t water free on this planet just a few years back?   Anyway, I’m trying to stay focused just long enough to tell you about all of the really great items I did receive.

• MailChimp – Supplied everyone with t-shirts to decorate and these super cute hand knitted chimp hats.
• Boostcase Hybrid – Was generous enough to supply us with fantastic iPhone cases.  Mine is this great turquoise color.
• GiGi – Not only gave us beautiful leather planners and calendars, but I also won a cute purple bag when my name was called.
• Twistband – Gave us their new revolutionary hairbands that don’t dent your hair.  These made me laugh because in all of my years designing in sample rooms,  my hair would always fall in my face, so I would pick up scraps of elastic and tie them in a knot to pull my hair back.  Floor was covered with them.  Good for Twistband for being smart enough to bring them to the masses.
• fibi & clo – You have to check out their sandals!  I received a pair of the black cascade sandals. They are so cute, I can’t stop wearing them around the house.  They have a way of making your feet look sexy.  https://fibiandclo.com/default.aspx
• BareMinerals – Great eye shadows, blush and mascara for spring.
• Diana Vreeland video

Gift bags and giveaways are always fun to receive.  All and all it was an informative and fun event.  A shout-out to my new friends, April and Lisa. Below I posted a few pics.  Tune in next week for “Confessions of hanger rage.”