Hannah Goes To Market
With my iced white mocha latte in hand, new, chic wedges in tact and my Kate Spade tote, swaying in perfect rhythm with my steps, I was ready to take on my favorite week of the year, Market Week. Buyers and showroom vendors fill the Dallas World Trade Center with their presence and meetings are set to take place all day. A rad DJ is spinning the sickest beats right in the lobby, the vibes feel good. So, exactly what goes on in the mysterious large building off of Stemmons Freeway? Shopping. Lots of shopping. But, the shopping isn't how regular customers shop. The process is ten times more stressful and expensive. Boutique owners and big retailers come to Dallas Market Center to buy wholesale fashions for their stores. You didn't think beautiful clothes just magically appeared on the racks when you visit your favorite store did you? Let's hope not, yikes. Anyways, it takes a lot of work. If you ever think that running a boutique or store for that matter is all rainbows and butterflies, go back to bed where your dreams are only in your sleep. Not to crush anyone's dreams of owning a store, but you have to know what you are doing. I get to see first hand how the process works. In the showroom where I work during market week, Drysdale Showroom, buyers come in by appointments only. There are several lines within the showroom including Free People, MissMe Jeans, PPLA, Beautiful Stories, Somedays Lovin and MinkPink (my brand). We show buyers the collections, or they flip through the rack and pull what they want for their store. Even though I've worked market many times, I still find it fascinating how they know exactly who their customer is, and what they will and won't wear. Location is key as well. In some cities, the "girl" (referring to their general customer) wants rompers and high-waisted shorts. In smaller towns, "the girl" wouldn't dare bare her tummy in a crop top or suede bell bottoms. It all comes down to the customer. As a showroom sales associate, I have to gauge who their customer is within the first few minutes of the appointment. This allows me to not waste the buyer's time, pulling options that won't work for them. I love the boutiques who come in. They are always super friendly and trust our opinion. It is not my job to sell them the entire collection. It is my job to inform the buyers of the best sellers, and let them know what is going to sell. Every time I get to work at Dallas Market Center for the apparel market, it never feels like work. That is how much I love it. The hours are long and you are constantly on your feet, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I am so glad I get to participate in opportunities like this, while I am still in college. It gives me satisfaction knowing I am learning all the routes of the fashion industry, and gaining the experience I need. If you have any questions or are interested in gaining more fashion experience, shoot me an email using my contact form on the home page, I would love to help you out.
Stay Glam,
Hannah Beth
J.Hilburn Conference Showcases Polished Menswear on Dallas Runway
It is a no brainer that women rule the retail industry, but with cultural shifts, men are beginning to pay more attention to their appearance. In the past, menswear used to be a tricky market to tap in to, but not anymore. Men however, shop in a different way than their female oppressors. Men want custom, hassle free and convenient. This past week, Dallas hosted the Annual J.Hilburn Conference at the Sheraton Hotel. The ballroom was filled with stylists, designers, media personnel and company employees. I did not attend the conference, but I had the opportunity of dressing the models backstage for the fashion show. As a merchandising major, opportunities like this are constantly knocking at my door. My good friend Rhonda Sargent Chambers, Owner of RSC Productions, put together the fashion show for the conference. Every show I have dressed for is chaotic, fast and intense. My job is to dress the models in their next outfits as fast as possible. Sometimes, a model may require two or three dressers to get her on the runway in her next look, in under 30 seconds. Sounds crazy fun, right? I love it. The adrenaline rush is intoxicating and I always learn new tricks of the trade backstage. I never get nervous to dress models for a show, even if the client is mega high-end. This time, I wasn't dressing female models, but male ones who look as if they were photo shopped in person. That was the most nerve-wracking aspect of this particular show. I had to be even more professional now than ever, making sure to focus on the job. I kept my cool, but inside I was dying like a 13-year-old girl at a One Direction meet and greet. My biggest struggle was trying not to make things awkward, or make the models feel uncomfortable. During my model's quick changes, I zoned in on the task at hand, while picturing my boyfriend in my head. That sounds bizarre, but it helped. Even though the models were quite attractive, my eyes were gawking at the stunning layers of clothes on the racks. Perfectly tailored pants, crisp button-ups, vintage patterns and beautiful blazers were all so captivating. From that moment on, I wanted my boyfriend to get his clothes custom made and ditch the cheap H&M crap. There is a major difference in fabrication, construction and look. People may complain about garments costing an arm and a leg, but you're paying for top quality, folks. Until my boyfriend and I finish school and can actually afford custom closets, I will just have to keep daydreaming for now.
Stay Glam,
Hannah Beth
The Style Story Reviews Hot New Fashion App: Fashimite
As a social media freak, I was ecstatic when I discovered this lovely new fashion app, Fashimite. Never heard of it? That's because it's fresh on the market, literally a newborn that just came out of the womb. The U.K. based style app, was designed with the daily struggle of picking an outfit in mind. The concept is that users will post an outfit and other users can like, dislike or comment on the post. Instead of a normal picture caption, the user should ask their followers a question such as, "How should I style this leather mini skirt?" Users would comment making suggestions to the in-decisive fashionista. Like most women, picking out the perfect outfit can be a hassle. This app makes things so much easier. The app is simple to navigate with a feed, search page, notifications and profile tab. My only issue with the app is the limited amount of characters it allows per caption. You are only allowed 50 characters per post, which is less than a tweet. How am I supposed to boast about my chic new sleeveless, turtleneck, cropped sweater? Anyways, I think this app will do a great amount of self-esteem boosting. This is an opportunity for women to empower each others' style, so haters, stay away. Now, I'm not saying to go and falsify your comments, but there's a right way to leave constructive criticism. I am always giving style advice to my customers and friends, and they want honesty. My version of helping a home-girl out would be something along the lines of, "Girl, your hair is on fleek, but I think that chunky sweater should be paired with leather skinnies instead of printed leggings. You're welcome." I don't think that's too harsh. Another cool aspect of the style app is that there is a giveaway, holler. Fashimite is offering a $100 voucher to TopShop from now until August. To enter, follow the steps below.
1. Download the app in the ITunes store, and sign up.
2. Follow me: HBethStyle
3. Post an outfit and use the hashtag "#topshop"
4. Done!
2. Follow me: HBethStyle
3. Post an outfit and use the hashtag "#topshop"
4. Done!
Stay Glam,
Hannah Beth
Trina Turk Celebrates Twenty Years of Fashion Excellence
(Image features Trina Turk on left, me on the right.)
In the most chic, delightful space located in Highland Park Village, houses the most ever glam Trina Turk collections. I trekked out to Dallas this past Tuesday to meet one of my favorite American designers, and review her Limited Edition Summer 2015 Collection. The room was filled with beautiful people, delicious brunch bites, sweet mimosas and gorgeous garments. As I approached the white racks filled with beautiful dresses, I was greeted by an even more beautiful person. What I mean is that Trina Turk introduced herself to everyone who walked in the door and made sure she engaged with everyone in the room. Trina Turk is the sweetest woman and I realized how important that is to me. In the Industry, some designers do not care about their customer, as long as their pieces sell. This is so bizarre to me, so I was ecstatic in the way Trina interacted with her customers. She is so successful because she gets it. Trina Turk goes right to her target audience and is well aware of who her customer is, and what they want in their clothing. She knows how to make women feel confident and feminine. The collection features beautifully constructed shift dresses, printed shorts and frilly blouses. Every single piece drew me in. As far as price point goes, I couldn't believe how affordable the collection was, especially for designer pieces. Now, as a college gal, I can't necessarily drop $500 on a few designer items, but I can accumulate some pieces over time. Since meeting a designer who truly cares about her audience, I have the utmost respect for her and cannot wait to see her upcoming collections.
{I've listed my favorite pieces from the collection below}
- Ashby Floral Skirt (Click Here To Purchase!)
- Corbin 2 Short (Click Here To Purchase!)
- Marcel Romper (Click Here To Purchase!)
- Kon Tiki Tunic Swim Cover Up (Click Here To Purchase!)
- Flirtatious Top (Click Here To Purchase!)
Stay Glam
Hannah Beth
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