Athena

     Just Off 7th Ave! is proud to bring this AMAZING opportunity to our designers!

    Rihanna and The Style Network are creating an amazing competition series, for Independent Designers!!! 12 very talented designers will be cast in this series, to compete against eachother and create one of a kind amazing looks for celebrities!! The winner will be America’s Trendsetter! All of our JustOff7thAve! Designers will have the opportunity to audition and compete for the top 12 spots in this show!

Please contact Athena@justoff7thave.com for more info.

Direct Link to Site

Below is the Press Release

STYLE MEDIA JOINS FORCES WITH MULTI-GRAMMY WINNER RIHANNA TO
SEARCH FOR THE NEXT FASHION DESIGN SUPERSTAR ON “STYLED TO ROCK”
SET TO PREMIERE IN 2013 ON STYLE

Music Meets Fashion in Style’s First-Ever Competition Series from Executive Producer
Robyn Rihanna Fenty, Providing Up-and-Coming Designers a National Platform to
Showcase Their Talent in Creating Trendsetting Designs
The Fashion Designer Search Kicks Off with a Nationwide Casting Call on
StyleNetwork.com, Beginning December 5.
LOS ANGELES—December 5, 2012—Style Media today announced the search for America’s
next groundbreaking designer with its first competition series, “Styled to Rock,” executive
produced by and starring multi-Grammy Award winner and fashion icon Rihanna. Slated to
premiere in 2013, the hour-long 10-episode series will give 12 up-and-coming designers, handpicked
by Rihanna, the opportunity of a lifetime – to create unique fashion pieces for A-list
celebrity talent. The stakes will be high as these budding designers vie for the title of America’s
next trendsetting designer.
“Rihanna is a trailblazer, a trendsetter and the epitome of style. She has a powerful and unique
point-of-view that transcends every aspect of pop culture, including fashion. She is a smart,
savvy businesswoman and a leading creative force,” said Salaam Coleman Smith, President,
Style Media. “Styled to Rock’ and Style’s new partnership with Rihanna will reinvent the
fashion competition genre, fueling our viewers insatiable appetite for all things style.”
Rihanna is inviting innovative designers who believe that they represent the future of fashion to
sign up to be considered for the new competition series at Style’s website,
StyleNetwork.com/StyledtoRock.
“Fashion has always played an integral part in my life and career,” said Rihanna. “I am so
excited to partner with Style Network and share my creative insight with these 12 designers and
give them this opportunity to showcase their work.’
The series launches with a nationwide search on StyleNetwork.com for cutting-edge designers
looking to take their craft to the next level. Rihanna will personally select the 12 designers who
will compete for the coveted opportunity to dress some of the biggest names in entertainment. To
help the designers reach their ultimate artistic potential, Rihanna will enlist the guidance of top
experts from the fashion industry to serve as mentors. Each week, challenges will push the
designers to their creative limits when they are tasked with styling an A-list star. Each week’s
celebrity guest will determine which designer best achieves their vision – and advances to the
next week of competition. Faced with the threat of elimination, the remaining designers must
meet with the mentors to discuss where they fell short and ultimately who will be sent home. In
the end, one designer will be named the winner of “Styled to Rock.”
Rihanna has taken the music, entertainment and fashion industry by storm. An accomplished
performer, she has sold 41 million albums worldwide and 150 million digital tracks worldwide
making her the top-selling digital artist of all time.
Her seventh album, “Unapologetic” gave the
singer her first number one album on the Billboard 200 album chart. In addition, she has
achieved 12 number-one singles and won six Grammy Awards. In 2012 she took her talents to
the silver screen with her big screen debut in “Battleship.” Rihanna was recently crowned the
most-likeable star on Facebook.com with 63 million ‘friends’ on the site, more than any other
celebrity. In addition, she has created a fashion empire with the successful launches of her
fragrances Reb’l Fleur, Rebelle and Nude as well as two capsule collections under the Armani
umbrella and a collection with River Island for their spring/summer 2013 collection.
“Styled to Rock” is executive produced by Robyn Rihanna Fenty and is produced by Shed Media
US, Overbrook Entertainment and Marcy Media Films. Nick Emmerson and Dan Peirson of
Shed Media US, James Lassiter of Overbook Entertainment and Jay Brown of Marcy Media
Films also serve as executive producers. Sarah Weidman and Merah Chung executive produce
the series for Style.
For updates on “Styled to Rock” visit StyleNetwork.com, follow @StyleNetwork on Twitter and
like Style on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/StyleNetwork.
Potential contestants can apply through the casting website: http://www.styledtorockcasting.com/
About Style Media
Style Media, a global multimedia company that includes Style and StyleNetwork.com, is the
destination for women 18-49 seeking to fuel their insatiable appetite for looking great and living
stylishly. Style currently counts nearly 77 million cable and satellite subscribers and is the fastest
growing women’s network in the U.S. StyleNetwork.com keeps women up-to-date on all of the
latest fashion and beauty news on the web. Style’s popular series include “Tia & Tamera,”
“Jerseylicious,” “Giuliana & Bill,” “Big Rich Texas,” “Glam Fairy” and “Chicagolicious.” Style
is a network of NBCUniversal Entertainment & Digital Networks and Integrated Media, a
division of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the
development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global
audience. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/StyleNetPR.
About Shed Media US
Noted for its strong characters, memorable casting and its broad range of programming, Shed
Media US productions include such hit programs as Supernanny, The Real Housewives of New
York City, Who Do You Think You Are?, Bethenny Ever After, It’s Me or the Dog, All
American Muslim, and Basketball Wives. Based in Los Angeles with more than 200 employees,
Shed Media US is a significant supplier of TV programming to many networks. In 2011, the
company produced more than 150 hours of television in the United States.

    House of Antoinette 1950 is a creative costume jewelry and accessories brand, founded and designed by Antoinette Karma. Her designs are extremely unique! She was one of the goody bag sponsors at our Cine et La Mode fashion event, she provided everyone with amazing earrings. I wear them everyday! – Antoinette is not only an amazing designer, but a huge advocate and supporter for Jo7a! Please show your support by visiting her online boutique/website at www.houseofantoinette1950.com. We will be featuring Antoinette in an upcoming blog!!

    Now, here’s the blog she posted!! Click here to ready about last week’s designer tuesdays at Fashion 40 Lounge, in NYC

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

xoxo

Athena

    On June 8th 2012, Just Off 7th Ave!, along with Dark Kidney Film Effort and Shooting Stars, made their mark on New York City! We did it! Our first EVENT! “Cine et La Mode: A night of Film and Fashion”. This collaboration just established a foundation that we proudly hope others will follow. We took the grassroots movement of independent Artists and exposed it to New York City at LARGE!

   Ayeshah and I are extremely proud of our efforts and the end result! We are very excited to share all the wonderful photographs our amazing photographers have taken… but first… let me give you guys a rundown of what went on, planning, preparing and executing this event!

    In January of this year, about 2 weeks after the launching of our website. Ayeshah and I joined forces with Dark Kidney (via meetup.com) and Shooting Stars (which Ayeshah founded.. also via meetup.com).. We sat down in a conference room in Bellevue Hospital (yes… completely irrelevant..don’t ask..) and threw Ideas back and forth until we came up with a gameplan. Find a venue, make it happen… Simple enough…

    We scouted tons of venues, and annoyed the event coordinators of each one, until we reached Amnesia. We fell in love! It had everything we needed! We could build a runway, there was plenty of space, and of course it was one of the HOTTEST night clubs in New York City. We signed contracts, scouted sponsors, designers, and made it happen. It sounds easy, but it wasn’t. Shishi (my petname for Ayeshah), Jackie Howard (Dark Kidney), and Jim Sewastynowicz (Shooting Stars) spent every free minute we had to ensure the event would come alive. From photo shoots to advertising, from lookbooks to goody bags.. we did the best we could, and learned a lot of lessons along the way.

   The designers featured in the show included Me, with my BELETI footwear brand, Mitali Doshi with AnMidO- All that’s Beautiful, Daniel Hernandez with DH Studios EXTRINSIC (he came all the way from BOSTON), Bertha Alicia Astor with Obradoiro De Moda, Vivien Chen with Vivien VC handbags (she came alllll the way from FLORIDA!!), and Michele Walden McPhee with MichiKnitWear.

  The Models

Alexa Sasha  - Megan Monoghan -  Maame-Mensima Horne - Beatriz Urena – Evelyn Leong - Annette Chu  -  Naomi Bellaflores – Angelica Berry – Mely Ginger - Danielle Knight – Francine M - Natasha Noshirwani - Janelle Dey – among many more.

 The Goody Bags, yes there two, were provided by Hpnotiq Liquor, stuffed with AMAZING products and more… Antoinetta Karma House Of Antoinette 1950‘s added beautiful earrings and we added an awesome look book displaying pieces from the fabulous designers and introducing the members and projects of Dark Kidney, one of the featured designers, Bertha Alicia Astor provided the additional, gorgeous pink goody bag chock full goodies and if you were one of the first 65 to arrive you got to take home that special treat too.

MUSIC was provided by our phenomenal Jo7A DJ, DJ BIG JEFF.

Maribeth Mooney and Alfonsina Romero did an amazing  job hosting the event!

Below Are the Photographers Pictures

Kenneth JD Starz Graham :

To View pictures from June 8 2012 Click:  Photography Cine et La Mode Link

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Michaelle Chapoteau Photography:

To View pictures from June 8 2012 Click: Photography Cine et La Mode Link 2

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Kenneth Velazquez :

To View pictures from June 8 2012 Click:  Photography Cine et La Mode Link 3

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Tim McDonough Photography :

To View pictures from June 8 2012 Click:  Photography Cine et La Mode Link 4 

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Rahim Baskett Photography:

To View pictures from June 8 2012 Click:  Photography Cine et La Mode Link 5

More Photos To Come.. We’ll keep you updated!!!!

— Again, thank you to everyone and anyone who was part of, or supported, attended, shared news about, etc.. in any way!!!

xoxo Athena

Cine et La Mode is wrought with all the trimmings of a fabulous NYC night out on the town!

Enjoy an entertaining night of Film and Fashion with Dark Kidney Films and Just Off 7th Ave! The best of both worlds! Hosted by sensational comedian Maribeth Mooney. Dark Kidney Films will premier an original film and select Just Off 7th Ave Fashion Designers will be unveiling their latest collections! Spend time with film industry pros and the fabulously stylish crowd of JO7A. That’s not all! Enjoy a 3 hour open bar, hor’dourves and take home a fab gift bag of goodies!

Dark Kidney Films

The Dark Kidney Filmmaking Effort was started in March 2011 by film buff Scott Danzig. The name Dark Kidney spawned from an inside joke. Scott was reassuring his girlfriend that a seemingly “evil” friend was really warm inside, like a kidney. The random nickname, Dark Kidney, has an artistic, rebellious element to it, so the name stuck. Filmmaking is a collaborative effort and Dark Kidney is no exception. The group consists of seasoned professionals and novices working together to bring their projects to fruition. While on a shoot, all hands are on deck, with pros helping the newbies learn the intricacies of the production process. In its relatively short existence, the Dark Kidneys have produced 3 movies and a PSA for the Human Trafficking Awareness Council. They have also started a writer’s circle to create content.  They will to continue to grow and expand in 2012, so look forward to them producing more movies!

Just Off 7th Ave!

Just Off 7th Ave! is a multi-faceted fashion public relations effort, led by Ayeshah Lockwood and Athena Mennis. It was born of the ideology that “Everyone wears clothes, but Fashion is a Passion“ Jo7a supports independent designers at all stages of their development. It facilitates the introduction of independent designers to resources, entities and industries engaged in related efforts, supporting them in the full breadth of the establishment, development, marketing, and promotion of their businesses. Jo7a partners with professionals and businesses to support member designers. Jo7a offers a range of services, service providers and myriad opportunities ensuring indie designers the ability to define and distinguish themselves and broaden their reach.

BLUET was created in Argentina, as an accessories line, in 1993. Martha was a designer and producer of fashion accessories for 15 years for more than 35 companies in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.

  BLUET New York has special one of a kind pieces that will blow your mind away!

 Here’s a brief interview with BLUET designer herself!

Athena: What inspired you to begin designing?

Bluet: I grew up surrounded by 4 French grandaunts and a French grandmother who were very chic and elegant and my mother was very coquette and a big fan of fashion so I definitely feel they were a very strong influence to me.
One of them was the main embroider of the Gerlene House of Paris so by the age of 7 I was already embroidering, kintting and sewing. By the age of 9 I had a huge collection of vintage clothes, hats and shoes from the 20′s 30′s and 40′s and I spent more time playing with that than with my dolls.

Athena: I absolutely love your weeding bouquets,what was the inspiration behind that ?
Bluet: The flowers are a creation of my daughter who learned the tecnic from my 

grandmother. The main idea was to create a flower that last forever, and we all know that weeding bouquets last fresh for only a few hours,at last a few days, and 
after that they are gone forever. Our weeding bouquets are pieces that will last intact trought many years to come, becoming an alive memory of that precious moment.

Athena: What is unique about your collection?
Bluet: My collections are base in 2 main factors: elegance and practicality.
I don’t make the sophisticated intrincate design that you probably wear only 
ones,but the kind of clothes that you will wear -as my customers say - 
“until they tear appart” And that’s difficult to find nowadays in a good 
quality at an affordable price.
Another 2 facts that make my collections pretty unique is first,that 100% of 
my pieces are handmade by me and all the details are finished by hand piece 
by piece, the real “couturier” way used in the past by the great designers.
Even the printing that I make in many of them is hand made by me and the 
designs are my own art work ,I dont’ copy my images from books or any other 
sources. And the second is that specially for my Spring Summer collections I use only 
organic materials,the ecological factor is really important to me.

Athena: If you could pick your favorite item from your collection,what would it be?
Bluet:I always say that I am selfish when I design,because I make the clothes that I would wear. It’s difficult for me to pick one only item. If I had to, I would say that my Vionnet blouses, for the Summer are a basic must-have!You can dress them up or down and you will always look feminine and fresh!! My Paris dress for the Winter because it’s the dress that will go with you to any occassion, from the office to a cocktail party just by changing your shoes and accesories.

Athena: What do you hope to achieve in the long run with your design company?
Bluet: I am not really interest on becoming a huge brand. I love what I do and I want always to keep that happiness alive without 
loosing space to have a life outside my work. I do a lot of art and craft shows around the country and I enjoy a lot to be 
in direct contact with the costumer itself as well as I realize that people love the fact of knowing who is behind the piece that they will wear,so that’s something I want to keep doing. I have now the chance to have my pieces in a couple of stores in Soho New 
York and that’s something that I am very interested on but only with stores that carry high quality lines in small quantities. I make limited edition collections and I want to keep it that way,because I can make different lines in a same season and it’s for me more creative and therefore more fun. 

     To visit BLUET go to www.bluetnewyork.com

     To like their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/m.bluet

 

   Questions? Comments? Visit BLUETs pages and let us know what your favorite piece is!

   I see it everyday. Brilliant designers that work so hard, only to have their designs replicated, stolen, bootlegged. As a designer, I comply to a code of Ethics, that I know helps differentiate my shoes from others.

   This is an issue that every independent designer faces. When we grab all our sketches, and try to let the world know what we’re creating, and the talent we have, we are all terrified that someone might come along and steal it up from under us. We are all afraid that our ideas and hard work will be tossed away, and that someone else will reap from our benefits. There is a fine line between inspiration and replication

   In the fashion industry, we look to forecasters and style experts for the latest trends, styles and colors of the season. This makes it very easy for designers to create similar looks, because they’re all based on the same outline.  What differentiates these designers? Their creativity, vision and pattern.

Foundation:

  In garment design, your foundation is your aesthetic. It’s tough for garment designers to have their work completely copyrighted because their designs change drastically every season, based on what is “in”. The smartest thing that I’ve seen done by fashion designers is “Classic Collections”. The classic collection is the initial designer collection that will live through every season, and

 introduce the main aesthetic of their design. It is so unique, that every time they create a seasonal collection, the designer will use significant patterns from their classic collection and recreate them, to develop an ongoing trend that will differentiate them from others.

   An example of this is one of our designers Dareyna Swan, with Swarey Designs. Her initial collection was somewhat her classic collection, the launch of her line. She used similar patterns in her newer collection, but recreated them, keeping her aesthetic and letting people know what her creative mind consists of. Sharp lines and edge in all her pieces. Whether it’s a feminine floral pattern, or a bold black in your face sharp look, the aesthetic simply says “SWAREY”.

Blueprint and Pattern:

  Taking it over to shoe designing which I know a lot about. In footwear design, your blue print is your last. A last is a form that approximates the shape of the human foot. It is also the foundation in which footwear designs are built on. Then comes the pattern. Patterns, in footwear can be broken up in the shape of a sandal, peep toe, d’orsay, bootie, boot, etc. The designer has their specific last and pretty much alters the heel, outer design and material that is being used on the shoe.

    Shoes are among the most replicated fashion designs in the world. The reason being, is that footwear designers look to the Premiere companies for inspiration, and then try and replicate their product, leaving out the “designer trend” so they wont violate any copyright laws. A prime example is the new shoe collection from Steve Madden.  Steve Madden replicates the shape (last) and design of the Christian Louboutin collection, but leave out the signature red soles, that are an obvious trademark and idiosyncrasy of Christian Louboutin shoes. This enables him to sell the product and market it as Steve Madden. All his collections are inspirations of the top designer brands.

Bespoke

  Bespoke garment design is the art of creating a custom made garment specifically made to order for an individual. The garment can and most likely will consist of a similar aesthetic of the designer, but will have significant changes, as requested by the individual who the garment is being made for. A standard outfit that is produced as ready-to-wear, but outfitted with applicays and studding  (i.e. feathers, beads, crystals, etc..) is NOT considered bespoke.

  Bespoke Shoemaking is the art of creating a shoe by hand for a specific individual. In the footwear industry, It is ONLY considered bespoke when a shoe maker personally applies the leather/fabrics, heel and sole onto the last, and sews the pattern together by hand. It is a 100% handmade item. It is fraudulent for a shoe designer to claim they are bespoke if any part of the shoe is created in a factory, or otherwise purchased. Applying studs to a shoe by hand will in no way give anyone the right to call themselves a bespoke designer.

Fraudulent Claims and Counterfeiting Designs

A counterfeit item is any good, service, or material that is presented with intent of passing off as an authentic article.

  Counterfeiters abuse the trust between producers and consumers in an economy. Counterfeiters sell their merchandise without the right to use copyrighted names or paying business and sales taxes. Counterfeiters traffic their merchandise devoid of any service to the public welfare. They only serve their own interests.

The most popular industry in which counterfeiting occurs is clothing, shoes and textile. Manufacturing exact copies of items in the clothing industry is easier than in any other. Slapping labels on other designer products, and misrepresenting brands is a unlawful, yet popular practice. Many times it is done by amateur designers, who don’t fully understand the dynamics of the industry.

  I see this all the time. Everyone is creative, everyone has an idea, and if they can turn their idea into a product, good for them! There are rules, regulations and laws that everyone must obey. For instance, as I previously discussed, claiming that you are a bespoke  designer, when you are only altering patterns to ready-made shoes or adding applicays to ready made garments,  is illegal, and immoral.

    Accessories designers. Yes, accessories are replicated all the time. It’s a bit different in your case. There is no law claiming that you can not put your logo on an accessory you created, no matter how much it resembles something that is already on the market. The only time you need to be extremely careful is when ordering product. Accessories designers need to ensure that the product they are ordering does not consist of any other designer labels. Also, when ordering bags that you propose to put your label on, please ensure you contact your manufacturer and make sure they are not exact replicas of designer handbags/watches/belts. That can get you in a serious amount of legal trouble.

   Now lets go a little bit deeper. Ever since Ayeshah and I have gone full throttle into helping designers create their brands, Just Off 7th Ave! has seen so much talent everywhere. What matters to me the most is the protection of the creative designs our designers work hard to protect, promote and sell. It concerns me when I see designer products being mis-used and misrepresented.

   There is a huge difference between altering a ready-made product from another designer, and creating a similar product based on inspiration. If I have a Calvin Klien T-Shirt and I apply beads and studs to it, it is still a Tshirt designed, and created by Calvin Klein. It is still his product, re-invented by me. Proper credit LEGALLY needs to be given to the designer.

   Now, if I contacted a manufacturer and told him to create basic white tees per my specifications, and handed him my label and had that label manufactured on to those tees, and then I applied my studding and beads to it, I can legally call that my design.

 It is illegal to stick your label on to another designer’s item and claim it as yours, its is especially illegal, and punishable by law to resell that product under false representation as one of your designs.

   Same thing goes for shoes. If you are a wholesale buyer of shoes, and purchase pairs with the intent to alter them and sell them as your design, then you are breaking hundreds of laws, and could be sued, and face jail time. This is what private label is for. There are plenty of companies that have “Private Label” options, where they provide you with a list of generic shoe designs without a label, that can be fitted and specifically labeled with your company logo. You can then take these shoes, apply all your creative embroidery and claim them as yours. This ofcourse is obviously more expensive, but is rightfully pricier since the designer of the shoe is not recieving credit for their product. Slapping your label onto someone else’s design, without legal documentation, credit and approval of specific designer or company will result in a major lawsuit.

   Here at Just Off 7th Ave! we take pride in protecting our designers and will blacklist and report anyone we feel is partaking in illegal activities that can affect our designers brand and business.

   As a shoe designer, I started off outfitting shoes with applicays, crystals, studs, and embroidery. Never did I once claim they were my design. Everytime I used anyone’s shoe brand, I gave proper credit to them. When I wanted to sell my product, I looked into all legal matters and made sure I was not breaking any laws. I then decided that I wanted to be a “Footwear Designer”, and went about creating sketches, and educating myself on how to take my product from paper to the real thing. I studied hard, and worked hard and created prototypes in bespoke (yes, hand and hammer, leather and sewing machine and all that jazz.) once my product was somewhat ready, I found a manufacturer and sat down with them, my sketches and prototypes in hand, and recreated new prototypes as well. From there, I went through the long process of approving, remaking and recreating my designs, legally copyrighting and protecting my company, until 2 years later, when my product was 100% ready for show. All my own. This is a tough, long process, that Ayeshah and I have been trying to simplify, and help designers get through, whether its accessories, garments or footwear.

  I’m sure every designer can appreciate this post, and I just want all of you to understand that we will protect you and fight off frauds. We respect you all and all your hard work and will work very hard in keeping the integrity of your product intact.

  Independent Designers On a Mission!

Here is a link to a designer scam, a prime example of what I’m talking about.

xoxo Athena

Imagine growing up in a rural area removed from and oblivious to “Fashion”…  Antoinette Karma ‘s story of how she came to create HouseOfAntoinette is just one more demonstration that Fashion is a Passion.

Being a native NYer, I was surprised when Antoinette told me she had never seen a “Fashion” magazine until she was eighteen. Growing up in rural Pennsylvania she had only seen what she described as contemporary clothes in catalogs like Spiegel, Eddie Bauer, Sears and Lands End, but she says she was always stirred by fashion.

 “I always enjoyed fashion from a young age. As a child I created jewelry and experimented with design techniques.”

Antoinette worked her way up in retail to buy for a local boutique and that’s where her interest for fashion amplified. As she reminisced I could still hear the excitement in her voice

“I was able to see all the markets and develop a great appreciation for brands and designers.”

 She explained it was that experience that showed her the value and potential of her passion and that’s when her evolution started. She enrolled in school and studied design and merchandising.

“I knew that I wanted to design and I took my time to get a formal fashion education.”

Even though Antoinette’s strategy for success was education, it was still really brave of her to start a new business in the economic climate of 2010, but confidently Antoinette combined her experience, education and creativity to bring her dream to life.

“I always knew I wanted to have my own brand. I took my time in developing it and launched in early 2010.”

 This is a new day and age in fashion… fashion and technology are merging and she embraces it. She creates a modern brand for the modern woman. The secret to her success?

 “The process has been organic. I add new elements in every collection.”

“HouseofAntoinette1950 is a lifestyle fashion brand.”

Antoinette describes her line as a “lifestyle brand”. She told me she handcrafts all styles to preserve authenticity. HouseofAntoinette1950 carries a range of styles from traditional minimalist pieces to bold statement accessories.

My collections are inspired by nature, pop culture, architecture and fantasy. Each collection has its own flare and personality.

Antoinette designs HouseofAntoinette1950 pieces to be versatile, ideal for day or evening. She holds a strong belief that women connect through fashion so she makes an effort to ensure her pieces have a unique appeal for the modern woman.

Antoinette is creative, smart and pragmatic so I asked her… what’s next?

Pleased with the growth of her brand awareness she confidently confided “An apparel collection is under construction.” So JO7A fans, you can say you heard it hear 1^st … look for Part II of JO7A’s HouseofAntoinette1950 interview coming soon!!

You can see more of Antoinette’s collection on her website HouseOfAntoinette1950.

She also has a coulple of fun blogs  HOA1950 Tumbler  &  HOA1950 BlogSpot

and be sure to LIKE her on Facebook and follow her on twitter @Enigmaticforce

Acting on her passion to inspire, in August of 2011 Bjae created BRAZENWEAR, a clothing line dedicated to encouraging the world to be “Bold. Smart. Fearless.” This Urban Wear Collection includes athletic apparel, signature graphic tees, jackets, bags, footwear and so much more!

BRAZENWEAR’s Runway Collection made its debut at New York’s 2012 February Fashion Week!

Bjae, a native New Yorker, was born in Hempstead, LI, but raised in the South Bronx. I could hear her pride as she credited its influential culture as the source of her inspiration.

“The South Bronx has long been recognized as the Arts MECCA within the grassroots community. It featured the best of legendary Old Skool veterans of Hip Hop and the artistic expressions from the Masters of Graffiti Arts” 

 – these two illustrative components were the pivotal forces that inspired her vision for what has become a Signature Brand Masterpiece: BRAZENWEAR – My STATEMENT. Your STYLE™.

As we we’re talking I was just so impressed , Brazenwear, less than a year old? I was curious, why now?

What I came to realize is Bjae, a savvy entrepreneur, is a proverbial testimony!

“Motivated, and with the Courage to Succeed” As she put it, she’s always been an artist… ”I embraced my inner fears, and took advantage of complementary experience.”

Bjae’s portfolio is broad, and it’s the fundamental skills she gained through her varied experiences that her knowledge base is drawn from: Financial Analyst, Medical Underwriter, Claims Specialist, Graphic Artist, Project Manager, Database Specialist – and now Designer, President & Founder of BRAZENWEAR, LLC,

Being active in her community, artistic and creative, and having developed a strong business acumen, she decided to formally engage in fashion design, for her it was just the natural “next step”…

Bjae is known for her charismatic and dynamic spirit. She takes pride in displaying her passion for “Bettering the Community”.

In 2003, she made her mark through her artistic designs for “The Martin Luther King Jr – Build a Dream Memorial Foundation”.

In 2011, she developed a collaborative logo for a non-profit organization that worked under Michelle Obama’s workout campaign for children, “Let’s Move”.

And already in 2012, she has extended her talents, contributed her resources and donated 50 custom-made inspirational Tshirts to support the students in Togo, West Africa (an international initiative sponsored by the MESH ARTS “Education & Dance” Project).

In talking with her I was inspired by her journey and her compassion. Throughout her career, she’s donated time as a volunteer mentoring and supporting our youth, custom designed apparel, and created artwork/publications, encouraging the community and supporting organizations with uplifting missions.

I’m busy as a beaver lately with trying to put together our 1st Fashion Show so we didn’t get to talk long, but we had a great conversation.  Bjae is using BRAZENWEAR to inspire the world to move past their inner fears, embrace their talents, and to continue on their journey – Bold, Smart, and Fearless. Well Just off 7th Ave is new as well, having only launched New Years 2012 and she’s inspired us!

is a design professional poised to contribute to the fashion industry. She was born in San Diego, California, and is studying Fashion Design at The Art Institute of San Diego.

We actually met on line… I posted the call for our upcoming NY Film & Fashion Show and she was one of the 1st designers to respond. I confirmed it was all the way in NY, so we just started chatting …

She told me why she became a Fashion Designer…

“Because design has been an important part of my life since I was a little girl. When I was younger you could always find me painting, drawing, sewing, and helping my mom with decorations.”

Her passion for design has followed her till this day…  She’s now drawing fashion collections, sewing dresses, doing photo shoots, and using decor for those special finishing touches. All while lending a helping hand to her peers.

I checked out her sites and I could see the little girl in her… of course she’s more sophisticated now, and Ohhh how beautiful, flirty and feminine! I felt pretty just looking at her collection!

Curious about her inspiration, she explained…

“My motivation to create new designs is my love for painting, fashion, and manual details.”

The inspiration for her Spring 2012 Collection actually comes from the name Fair Allure which can mean being elegant, beautiful, and attractive. This Spring she’s layering light fabrics like chiffon, lace, silk and fabrics with a metallic aesthetic, as well using lots of detail. Just saying it, it makes me feel pretty…

So just who is the woman that wears Carolina Cecena?

Carolina describes her as “Very feminine, classy, and carries herself with elegance…”

She stated, “One of my main focuses is feminine design which emphasizes the natural curve. This is partially due to my admiration of Art Nouveau and Romanticism art movements. Another emphasis is simplicity and elegance, which is carried through with a fine balance of detail and texture. Not too much where it calls too much attention to itself and not too little that it doesn’t stimulate curiosity”

I can only imagine the time, effort and dedication that she puts in to her collection, so what keeps her going?

“I feel very happy when I see my designs on a runway, or when it’s part of a shoot. I feel that all the hard work dedicated to creating my designs is paying off. That gives me a sense of fulfillment and drive to continue along this path.”

Fair Allure… Carolina Cecena Haute Couture Spring 2012 Collection will be shown this May in San Diego’s iT Fashion

Carolina Cecena latest Haute Couture Spring 2012 clothing line Fair Allure is a reflection of her gathered experience. She’s very happy to show it to everyone, and so are we!

Like! Carolina Designs

Visit her websites

Carolina Cecena Collection

Carolina Cenena Portfolio