Fashion & Freaks

It's THAT time of year!!

FALL. FASHION. FREAKS. Fall fashion freaks.

But that's not all, folks. Nope. Hold on to your seats, September is so full, it's spilling over into October.  Check out these awesome events, worth amping up the wardrobe for the evening (need some wardrobe assistance??? shameless plug…call me!! www.andreabonawitzstyling.com):

Sept 12th 
FROM THE GROUND (Greentopia Fashion Show)
Time for fashion freaks to make there way out of hibernation and the perfect way to start out the season is at this year's eery, "Alice-in-Wonderland meets Pans Labyrinth" style From the Ground fashion show. For newbies on the Rochester scene, From the Ground is the fashion element at the Greentopia Festival in downtown Rochester.

(NOTE: To read more about the show, check out my FIRST EVER print article in the (585)Magazine September/October Issue!! In it, I feature the unique partnership between the show's founders, Shawn and Athi, just plain good people intent on pushing the boundaries of creativity and community building.) Look for me in the front row!!

ROCPROM (Also, Sept 12th...you can make an appearance after the Fashion Show.)
A new event, an excuse to dress up, a place to be seen with other cool people willing to spend 50/ticket to dance the night away at a not-so-exclusive, "exclusive" Strathallan event.
Why the dry wit?? Because the invitation says "invite only," but has a credit card/paypal option for anyone to purchase tickets. Oh, marketing.
Why is it really worth checking out?? the sponsors are the new kids in town and seem to be pretty likable hosts-  (585) Magazine, Pour Coffee Parlor, and Candidly.

Sept 12th and 13th
GREENTOPIA ECOFEST

Sept 27th 
DADO 5 YR ANNIVERSARY FASHION SHOW
DRESS UP for this one- it's a taste of the NYC runway vibe hosted for and by Rochester socialites galore. (Thank God Dalida is so down-to earth!) Dado has done a KNOCKOUT job putting together her fashion show fundraisers, proceeds of which go to the Wilmot Cancer Center. Read more about her story in my latest blog.
So bummed! I be away for this milestone show. Thankfully it is bc I am hosting a special hair (hair fashion & education) show in Poughkeepsie with my co-workers. I will be a guest artist for THE FIRST TIME, educating for Goldwell Hair Color!! Wish me luck.)

October 14th-18th
FASHION WEEK OF ROCHESTER
For all my criticism, here is the bottom line: there is still only one group coordinating "Fashion Week" in Rochester…and I can't help but attend in a city with an Fashion and Beauty Industry that is so damn limited! 6 Nights, 6 Events…you have to at least go to ONE. I'm looking forward to the Saturday night show, hosted in the recently renovated Midtown Tunnel. (Message me if you want to join!)

I will be sure to update this post, as more events get added. This is just scratching the surface! 

Let me know what you think of the show(s)!

WHICH ONES are your favorite THIS YEAR?

Things My Mother Never Told Me: CURLS to the Rescue

YES, it is time to have another curly hair chat! Last year, the Curly Hair post had more action than I have ever seen before- why???

Because over 90% of the poplation has curly or wavy hair ... and most of our moms dis not know how to guide us to make it look AMAZING. We were taught to brush our hair, shampoo regularly, and pull it out of the way. 

The KEYS to amazing curls

at home: 

DO NOT over cleanse (cleanse as needed!) = prevention

DO HYDRATE, hydrate, hydrate! = treatment

DO NOT touch constantly. (Decide on the style when the hair is wet, SET, & forget. 

STOP TOUCHING it when it is drying!!!) = daily maintenance

Learn more about at home maintenance with the Purchase of Curly Girl, a guide to all you need to know about hair, by Lorraine Massey (co-owner & stylist at Devachan Salons in NYC). 

This is a GIANT sized CURLY GIRL hand book...in the entrance way to Devachan Salon, Soho.

at the salon: 

find a stylist that works with a lot of curly hair = experience

find a stylist that cuts curls DRY= knowledge

find a stylist that doesn't ASSUME you expect your curls to be blown out = can educate you 

This wavy hair looked straight and frizzy when she came in...

Camera shy, yet beautiful sleek waves...at any age! Never too late to learn!

added bonus: FIND A STYLIST that is a curl specialist. This means trained by CURL professionals like the DEVACHAN salon training in NYC. = next level excellence 
Requesting a "Curly Hair Styling Lesson" is one the best uses of your time and money...most curl specialists will include a mini lesson with your hair cut, but don't be afraid to ask (or pay for) extra time to take a lesson. This is information you will use for the rest of your life. 

Recently, I finished intense training with Devachan Master Stylist, Denis DiSalva (co-owner and inventor) and Master Colorist Shari Harbinger. As a DEVA inspired stylist, it is my goal to share with you little known truths behind beautiful natural hair care...and SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS for all those lost curly girls out there who have been going at this thing trial-and-error since childhood. 

Annalise & Denis showing off their eager pupil.

Denis explains the dry cut, the similarities and differences to cutting straight hair.

Hard at work practicing on freshly highlighted curls, PINTURA style.

My beautiful cut & color model- a joy!! Her curls were completely gone on her ends (from over chemical processing) before we began her transformation.

To learn more about my exciting trip to Devachan NYC, read my Fusion Salon blog @ fusionsalon.us !

Rochester: Fashion Flash

Dear readers,

First off, my apologies for falling off the face of the earth this summer. I have been focusing energies on a fashion/beauty photographic project about to be wrapped up. (Images coming soon!) I am back and in business.

If it's any consolation, the fashion mood is JUST shifting now, as it always takes AMPLE time for Rochester to AMP up. But, never fear! Fashion is in the sweet smelling air of fall!


~andrea

Two major upcoming events will be defining style this season.

Fashion "Week" of Rochester

Rochester's first ever Fashion Week has been declared for Sept 30-Oct 2. More of a expose week-end, it boasts of a 3 day foray into what Rochester has to offer: a boutique crawl through 14 of the area's locally owned and operated destination stores; The Art of Fashion, a still modeled fashion show at Four Walls Art Gallery; and the weekend culminates with The Height of Fashion, a live runway show hosted by Rochester's own Memorial Art Gallery. This sounds built for success.

One criticism: scheduling for this event was not clearly defined online or in print until a mere 3 weeks before the event. Even the local area stores selling tickets were not updated with details before/at the point when tickets arrived. For the sake if fashion aficionados awaiting in anticipation, get your info out there sooner!
 

Eye Candy hosts during Fashion Week's Boutique Crawl Thurs, Sept 30th.

 

Dado Fall Fashion Show


Dado kicks off it's third bi-annual fashion show October 19 at Good Luck, with a preview of fall/winter samples to salivate over. Don't fix what ain't broke seems to be the theme, as jewelry shown remains to be by Mann's and Futurpointe performs at intermission for the second time consecutively. New to the mix and will be hair (and makeup?) by Rock, Paper, Scissors Salon, an up-and-coming salon in the area salon circuit. One can't help but wonder why Scott Miller pulled out of Dado's fall/winter preview to do Fashion Week of Rochester...makes for a slight sense of competition. But, who are we kidding, here? Rochester's scene is just burgeoning such that the reality is beaucoup room for growth. 

Ok, ladies and gents- get dapper, get set and GO!

Dado Fall Fashion Show- Tues, Oct 19th. The third bi-annual show slated to be a success.

The Heaven's Shine Down: New East Ave Boutique Opens

I get so excited when I see something fresh happen for Rochester fashion! Savvy shoppers out there NEED to check out EYE CANDY on East Ave ( http://www.eye-candyclothing.com/ ).

Opened by graphic designer Nadine Hall of Penfield, Eye Candy has bold, simplistic atmosphere. The walls are bright and colorful, allowing the clothing to take centerstage against them. The music was quirky in that indypop way that make you want to nod your head to the beat while you shop. I must also add, when I went in the heat was ON and I heartily appreciate the warmth when I'm standing in the dressing room in my underwear!

Best of all, Nadine was attentive without imposing that irky obligation that you MUST buy what you opt to try on. Therefore, I purchased!! Yes and I wholeheartedly plan to spend a nice chunk of my next paycheck on the Recession denim that I tried on but could not afford this week.

Oh, you know we are all checking the pricetags, holding our breath, at places like this. FEAR NOT for the little black dress for under $100 is with you. Clothing options included a sundry of pieces for under $100 and a few just over. Men's clothes, naturally ran a little higher, but the basic tops for men and woman alike were $40-$50. The men's section was fitted with some decent outerwear; the woman's was not. (I did find this peculiar. And you know I love my jackets.) Instead, the woman's had a feisty show of holiday dresses and pieces that can be mixed and matched. Is this tactic a sign of inexperienced buying or a smartly targeting the demographic? I'm prone to think the former, but time shall tell. Time shall tell.

Recession denim, currently at Eye Candy (Pics from Jeans.com/RecessionDenim). Penguin shirt, below (pic from http://www.originalpenguin.com/Shirts).