Soft Surroundings opens at The Court in King of Prussia Mall

Beauty was the name of the game at the opening of Soft Surroundings at the Court in the King of Prussia Mall last week.





Luxurious clothes, accessories from handbags to shoes and lots more were there for the taking at this grand opening. Make-up artists were on hand to show you how to make the most of your looks and your skin to be the fabulous person you are.



Soft Surroundings has just opened a home décor line with original designed pieces discovered from antique treasure hunts through France. The Belgique Tapestry Bedding Collection for is exquisite. You can check out these magnificent pieces from cabinets to chairs at www. SoftSurroundings.com. At the store itself, the staff is there to help you with find that perfect bedding solution

So here is a glimpse at what you missed. But don’t fret. Make-up artists will be on hand periodically to help you define your look. Check out Soft Surroundings to find the styles you want and great make-up to accent your best features. For more info go to www.softsurroundings.com





Styling Original Creations

Recently Amber Zaraza of South Philly and Julie Lange of Drexel Hill were at the Lansdowne Arts Festival showing off their awesome original creations.

Julia Lange and Amber Zaraza at the Lansdowne Arts Festival with their original great collections.

Amber Zaraza started sewing around the age of 12 using her creativity finding things around the house. She made a handbag with a crystal clasp. Today after earning her degree in fashion design she still creates handbags but she has added scarves, backpacks, newsboy caps and Nix knit hats, hair accessories, dresses and capes.

It led her to create PHEA jean designs where she uses vintage and up cycled materials to create her original looks. Her collection is awesome. You can catch her at the Clover Market in Chestnut Hill on Oct. 27 and Nov. 3rd in Ardmore. You will love what you see. Check it out her by going to her website at www.pheajean.com or shop at etsy.com/shop/pheajean.

Julie Lange lives in Drexel Hill, a local fashion designer who also teaches sewing has a collection of great clutches, handbags and fashion accessories. She creates hand printed fabric to make her handbags and Her accessories embody her own personal style. Her mantra was influenced by her grandmother. “I wear it because I like it. ”

Check out her blog at http:// www.on3designs.com and her great collection at http://www.etsy.com/shop/3Designs.

Everything is one of a kind. Her looks are great for Christmas gifts or just for you to look fabulous. Check it out.

Never too Young to be a Fashion Designer

Fashion designers as young as eight years-old will be presenting their daywear collections and costumes at Love to Sew Studio’s fifth annual regional fashion show, Once Upon a Time.

From sketch to hem, designers have created and sewn their own looks, with each line consisting of three to six pieces. Talented Amelia Young,only eight years old, (center) of Chadds Ford shows her casual collection of clothes she made for the runway at last years fashion show. This year she decided on a more elegant line and is showing tea-time dresses!

Advanced designers will have their work judged by industry professionals, with awards given at the closing ceremony for excellence in construction, creativity, and design. Models will strut their looks on the catwalk at Wilmington's Hilton Double Tree Inn ballroom on Sunday, Sept. 29.

This year’s extravagant looks will be featured in the following costume categories: Inspired by Tim Burton, Board Games, and Once Upon a Time: Good & Evil, in which designers team up to create two looks influenced by fantasy and comics. Models will be given awards for best walk and best hair and make-up.

Love to Saw’s fashion show is a family event. Audience members will cast their votes for their favorite costumes in each category. Awards will be given for Audience Choice at the show; “Dress Making Sweet Shop” will offer cupcakes, cookies, cake-pops, and chocolate buttons, sewing machines, dress forms, and shoes. Yummy!

The Junior Show (ages 8-12) will take place from 1to 2 p.m. and the Senior Show (ages 13-17) from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Winner of last year’s Designer of the Year award, 13 year-old Sarah Moran from Landenberg, a first-time senior designer, is living up to the title. Currently in development, is her upcoming collection “British Invasion” which will feature more advanced and complex looks inspired by Mod and punk styles. Sarah is challenging herself to learn the sartorial skills necessary to help her execute her advanced creative ideas. Bringing out her inner Anglophile, Sarah’s first look for the fashion show is an exquisite lined faux-leather cropped jacket with a wide lapel and a Union Jack pattern appliquéd to the back. The flag pattern is made from hemmed satin strips that were stitched onto the center back piece before the jacket was sewn together. The cherry red satin lining matches the fabric used in the flag. How posh!

The ballroom is set up runway-style and seating is limited For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Studio director Judi Harris at lovetosew.com@comcast.net or call (610) 563-8633.

Tickets are available to the public for general seating for each show: $10 for preorders and $12 at the door.

Waterproof those great looks

Summertime and the living is easy, right. You have the bathing suit you love but how do you keep on top of those great looks when you are swimming? All those hours in the mirror and one splash and your great looks are gone. Don’t despair mermaids. Here are some products to try. 

Want to keep that bronze look alive and still keep the rays from damaging your skin. Try Stila Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Bronzing Beauty Balm Broad Spectrum with a SPF 30 at 30 dollars. Put some Cargo Water Resistant Blush for 26 dollars. Tarte Amazonin Clay 12 hour Waterproof Concealer will hide away those dark circles at 22 dollars.

 You want eyeliner that won’t smudge whether you are crying over a lost love or swimming in the Atlantic, try Buxom Hold the Line Waterproof Eyeliner in Door’s Unlocked for 17 dollars. If you want a sparkle to your look, Sephora has a Color-Proof Waterproof Eyeliner too for 12 dollars. More water proof looks for the eyes include Cover Girl Flamed Out Water Resistant Mascara at seven dollars and fifty cents and Maybelline New York Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24 HR cream gel shadow for seven dollars.

 As everyone knows though it is not just the eyes that make a statement, it’s the lips so try L’Oreal Paris Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stain in Pink Rebellion for 10 dollars. Most of these items you can purchase at your local drugstore. For the Waterproof eyeliner and the bronzing balm, check out sepora.com. For blush check out cargocosmetics.com and for the concealer check out ultra.com Have fun in the water mermaids you are looking good. Keep Styling in Delco.

Looking good at the pool

Are you ready to make a statement at the pool? You can look good poolside or at the beach . Here are some swimsuits for those of us who aren't going to bare it all in a string bikini. I know the feeling ladies.

But  don't worry, you can still look like a Diving Diva. Check out these looks!

You don't have to bare it all to look good. The idea is to accent your assets and hide your flaws.

You can still wear a two piece.  One that gives you support where you need it. This blue bikini is made for a real woman who isn't starving to get into a teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini .The newest two-piece  swimsuit making waves was designed by Chicago designer and blogger, Gabi Gregg.  

Gregg, 25, wanted to design bikinis that were stylish, young and fresh for plus sizes. So the look has taken off. Check out this suit.

If you want to cover those thighs there are gorgeous suits with skirts giving you a feminine look you can wear at the beach and the pool with no real need to cover up. These suits make you look like you are wearing a sundress.

But there is nothing like a one piece to give you that look of elegance. You find the suit that looks best on you. Try a retro look, giving you the feel of Marilyn Monroe or Ava Gardner. Or find a suit with geometric lines that makes you look great accenting those curves.

Styling with Junk to Funk

Ornella Grant(far right) with her collection.

 

Emilie Barrow with her collection. Barrow
wants to make next year's showeven bigger.

Ashley Thompson wearing 
a dress from Carol Clifton's colletion

Emilie Barrow wanted to make the Junk to Funk fashion show part of Upper Darby School District’s Art show, bigger and better. The eleventh grader had made up her mind that this would be the best show ever. But this Upper Darby student as pleased as she was with the results has even bigger plans for next year

“I took over coordinating the show because I knew we could make it better than last year.” said Barrow.

“I learned a lot. I learned how to manage my time and to step up as a leader. It was a great experience. We grew from three designers to seven designers participating this year. We had a stage designer (Anna Melone) and lighting designers (Julie Heydeman and Dianne Zimmerman),”said Barrow.

Madison Carr wearing
 PeneillaGuerrier's design

Next year she has plans to feature a slide show on stage and to bring the Cosmetology and Photography students into the mix doing hair and make-up for the models and taking photos. Barrow plans to use her new learned skills to work in the fashion world if not designing then coordinating shows. Her creativity shined through with her collection called Angels and Devils dresses made out of newspaper. She is already thinking of designs for next year.

Ingenuity was the name of the game as students used anything tossed aside from plastic to old CDs to create wearable art. The students were part of the Art Club which meets in Art teacher, Ellen Flocco’s room. Loving fashion and art, the students designed original outfits out of recycled trash. They met after school first designing and sketching their outfits. By using recycled items their vision was altered sometimes but they used their innovative spirit to create stunning fashionable outfits. It all came together when the models and designers strutted across the runway.

This is the tenth year for the show explained Flocco.

“It’s a way to make art ecology –friendly. It was very popular when it first started but died out a bit. This year Emilie said she could make it better and I said run with it. She did a great job,“ said Flocco.

Pilar Lugo, a tenth grader won first place and Most Creative Outfit.

"I was trying to think of different ways to use newspaper from our school paper the Acorn. It was interesting and challenging and gave me an idea that I might like have a career in fashion. It was good learning how to make clothing and be recognized by people at school, “said Lugo.

Peniella Guerrier was challenged by the Junk to Funk fashion show. The tenth grader never thought she would win Best Overall Dress and Best Collection Name.

Demi Hart with her collection Slime

“I started sketching things and the ideas came to make a dress from CDs and a tutu. It really opened my eyes to what I could do with other materials,” said Guerrier.

Carol Clifton had three dresses in the show. Clifton, a tenth grader is an art major in the National Honor Society and in Art club. Clifton won second place and the Best Use of Material.

Siatta Komarawearing her vision.

“It was so much fun. I loved putting it all together and having it (outfit) in front of me instead of a sketch, “said Clifton.

Ornella Grant, a twelfth grader always wanted to be in the Junk to Funk fashion show. Grant used saran wrap, newspaper, wrapping paper, trash bags and duct tape taking third place and Best Collection.

“I feel like I accomplished a goal. I have a real love for fashion and I want to major in it. I love the architecture of this and how bright ideas in my head can be made into regular clothes. It was good and fun. I was excited because I was one of the models I was happy with how it all turned out, “said Grant who after graduation will attend Philadelphia University for Fashion Design.

“It challenged me to more creative in my ideas. I was shocked by the award. I took third place and best collection, “said Grant happily.

Keep Styling in Delco!!! 

Fish Leather, Bingo and Designer Bags

A couple of events are coming up that might grab your interest,if you are looking for some accessories to rock that summer look. Here it goes!

Pamela Levin, jewelry designer at Nivell Jewelry will debut her new jewelry collection created in leather, sterling silver, and semi-precious stones at Blue Streak Gallery in Wilmington, Del. The opening reception is on Friday, June 7 from 5 pm – 8pm, during Wilmington’s Art Loop and runs through July 13. Levin has jewelry collections in sterling silver with semi-precious stones and is now including leather in her work.

“Leather is included in many types of clothing; it is not just in New York Fashion Week designer collections. Jewelry complements what we wear so it is a natural extension of my work to produce with leather, “ said Levin

 Her full vision in one piece of jewelry is the combination of sterling silver, semi-precious stones, and multiple colors of leather that are machine sewn together.

In her Blue Streak Exhibition you can expect to find cuffs, neckpieces, and earrings made with kidskin, buffalo, cow, lamb, exotic skins (post manufactured alligator and lizard) and fish leather.

Fish leather used in clothing, handbags and shoes are a new trend and Prada, Gucci, and Manolo Blahnik have items manufactured with this already. According to Levin fish leather is a very eco-friendly product. Instead of throwing the skins away after the fish are skinned for fileting, they are captured and processed in a tannery to make fish leather. Fish leather is very strong compared to the same weight in bovine leather because of the skin fiber patterns. Something to check out for sure.

If fish leather jewelry isn’t your thing than maybe Bingo is. It’s Designer Bar Bingo happening at Temple Lutheran Church in Havertown. Come play bingo and you might just win one of the stylish bags from Kate Spade, Coach, and Michael Kors awarded per round.

Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door. This is a BYOB event and you must be 21 to attend. All proceeds benefit the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Go to info.avonfoundation.org/goto/BustedLion for more information. For questions and more details, please contact Theresa Schanne at tschanne01@verizon.net

Keep styling in Delco! Summer is almost here so look for our swimsuit dos and don't s coming soon.