BLVDS Magazine article mentions the Las Vegas Fashion Council... "The Fashion Council’s founder, Carrie Henderson of BESTAgency, believes that the possibilities are endless for Fashion in Vegas." (read more)... It’s likely you’ve heard someone say, “there’s something about this city” when referring to Las Vegas. As a local you realize it isn’t the flashy lure of The Strip, shows, slot machines, or lights, but an energy within. The buzzing you’ve heard lately is not the sound of neon, but a movement underway — a fashion movement. Stephanie Pierotti is part of the movement and as I sat with her at Mingo’s on First Street in the heart of the 18b Arts District Downtown — the sound of The Clash’s “London Calling” in the background — it was clear that because of our city’s love of fashion, and the collective brain power of designers, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists, something big was happening. While Stephanie can fill a notebook with stats and marketing data, and has a rich background in communications, it is her clothing line, Avondale, that lights a spark in her eye and causes her to recall her family history in New Orleans. Stephanie has created a vintage inspired line of women’s career wear. Samples were just completed and memories of her grandmother’s fashionable days at Shell Oil have been reincarnated. Fabrics, zippers, delicate buttons, and details provide the professional woman “attitude and moxy” in a corporate environment. Stephanie easily towed the line between business and creative as we talked. She explained how designing her own clothing line provides another layer of practical application for her students at The Art Institute of Las Vegas. While theory is available in product development, merchandise management, and brand strategy classes, students have not previously had the opportunity to see it in action. Stephanie is not only able to share her own experience, but she became animated as she talked about the Downtown Project and her relationship with Stitch Factory — a co-work space with industrial equipment for designers that offers memberships to those who need creative inspiration, to want to learn about the business, and like Stephanie, want to turn their sketches into product. Those in the local fashion industry anticipate days when Las Vegas has its own garment district much like L.A. and New York. Through the Downtown Project, and the recently formed Fashion Council, the plan is to make that dream a reality. The Fashion Council’s founder, Carrie Henderson of BESTAgency, believes that the possibilities are endless for Fashion in Vegas. Stephanie agrees and hopes these aligned goals will make Las Vegas a leader in the global fashion community and help grow talent from within our city. “Most design students leave the industry after graduation because there are no opportunities. We can now connect students to internship opportunities and give them access to industry professionals through Stitch Factory’s Downtown Speaker Series.” The series, impressive in its focus, gives the local creative community the opportunity to receive mentorship from professionals and the brochure touts the powerful message, “Collisions. Colearning. Connectedness.” You can feel the energy and vibration of that message when touring the Stitch Factory. As I followed co-owner Jen Taler around the space it was clear that it is a collective effort designed to move ideas forward and foster success. As for Stephanie, she looks forward to the day she can run her hands over fabrics and sift through buttons at a local garment district right here in the Valley as opposed to waiting for samples or vendors’ attention at the MAGIC Convention every six months. It is easy to see that while she’s inspired and creating, she also has the business acumen to mentor another generation of hopeful designers.
Posted on: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 03:00:29 +0000
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