Behind the Fashion Show
Four years ago I created a fashion show at my holiday event known as Frost & Friends. (You know, Frost & Friends is that Holiday Show I produce where I sell my pieces, gather with artists and businesses and raise money to fund Art Scholarships for young people.)
My intern Annabel Carrillo, was just a kid freshly graduated from high school and enrolled in our local community college. A warm, hard-working, painterly artist and skilled in math, she has been a great asset to have in the studio.
Well, as you know...trying to figure out a future at 18 years old is not always an easy task. No different for Annabel, but I listened to her explore the possibilities and it was always apparent that she was interested in fashion. I said, "Annabel, you are special and your name has a bell in it. And whenever you're in doubt ring that bell it's that part of you that will help you remember who you are." She looked at me like I was crazy. LOL!
HUMMMM... Fashion? (You and I both know...fashion is tough, competitive, demanding.) But she plugged along immersed herself in classes.
In the meantime I gathered my thoughts and I knew I wanted to help. After all, I thought her internship with me should show her that no dream is too big and if you can dream it, think it ,
plan it ...you can do it.
That first fashion show we ever created was at the Radison Hotel in Rockford, Illinois during Frost & Friends. (Ha...what did I know about fashion shows I was an artist?) Absolutely nothing. But I wasn't about to let that stop me. Together, we used our imagination and freedom of creativity to come up with a plan that was like Dr. Seuss meets Alice in Wonderland. I gave Annabel an important role of organizing the models line up, hair, make up and dress. I know she felt nervous about it, but I felt truly it was the only way to really LEARN. We collaborated with Peg Gianngeli who did all the sewing, Lexi Charms (another line), a lighting and sound guy, we had a stage, we made Dior inspired hats, another intern painted beautiful make up on our beautiful models... and we designed "frosty" fashions. It was chaotic! It was full of energy! We invested tons of time, blood, sweat and tears...and when it was all over, we smiled and basked in the glory of having created this small but amazing feat.
But our Frost & Friends audience didn't really "get it". Don't get me wrong, they liked it. They simply asked, why did you do this? You didn't make a cent of money.
I answered, "If we can show a young person how to create something REAL it may inspire her future career and a lifetime of happiness, that is a far greater reward than money. And with patience the money will come, no doubt. Patience."
And Annabel moved on and pursued a degree in Fashion Business at Columbia College in Chicago. She graduated this past spring. As a part of her senior project she developed a creative line of childrenswear. You can't imagine my face when I saw her logo and the tiny bell motif at the bottom of the design.
Her children's wear line inspires children to use their imagination to liberate their inner creativity and give them a sense of freedom through fashion. Her collection allows children to release this energy by deconstruction and recreating their own look.
And once again Peg and I worked together to bring it to life for Frost & Friends. Annabel designed, I created fabric and Peg did all the sewing. Peg worked hard to get the pieces to engineer properly.
WE ARE SO EXCITED to show you her designs at the Frosty Brunch and Show coming up this November 16th. Additionally we feel, this will give Annabel a portfolio of actual pieces that she can use as she continues to work towards her career in fashion. This is the essence of what Frost & Friends is all about.
My mission statement:
My goal is to help honor and promote the artistic talents of young artistic students of my community,
to help build future careers and a creative workforce by sharing with them an experience of higher level education,
and cultivate a lifelong passion for the arts.” Lisa Frost
Help us ring that bell and salute Annabel!!!
Well, as you know...trying to figure out a future at 18 years old is not always an easy task. No different for Annabel, but I listened to her explore the possibilities and it was always apparent that she was interested in fashion. I said, "Annabel, you are special and your name has a bell in it. And whenever you're in doubt ring that bell it's that part of you that will help you remember who you are." She looked at me like I was crazy. LOL!
HUMMMM... Fashion? (You and I both know...fashion is tough, competitive, demanding.) But she plugged along immersed herself in classes.
In the meantime I gathered my thoughts and I knew I wanted to help. After all, I thought her internship with me should show her that no dream is too big and if you can dream it, think it ,
plan it ...you can do it.
That first fashion show we ever created was at the Radison Hotel in Rockford, Illinois during Frost & Friends. (Ha...what did I know about fashion shows I was an artist?) Absolutely nothing. But I wasn't about to let that stop me. Together, we used our imagination and freedom of creativity to come up with a plan that was like Dr. Seuss meets Alice in Wonderland. I gave Annabel an important role of organizing the models line up, hair, make up and dress. I know she felt nervous about it, but I felt truly it was the only way to really LEARN. We collaborated with Peg Gianngeli who did all the sewing, Lexi Charms (another line), a lighting and sound guy, we had a stage, we made Dior inspired hats, another intern painted beautiful make up on our beautiful models... and we designed "frosty" fashions. It was chaotic! It was full of energy! We invested tons of time, blood, sweat and tears...and when it was all over, we smiled and basked in the glory of having created this small but amazing feat.
But our Frost & Friends audience didn't really "get it". Don't get me wrong, they liked it. They simply asked, why did you do this? You didn't make a cent of money.
I answered, "If we can show a young person how to create something REAL it may inspire her future career and a lifetime of happiness, that is a far greater reward than money. And with patience the money will come, no doubt. Patience."
And Annabel moved on and pursued a degree in Fashion Business at Columbia College in Chicago. She graduated this past spring. As a part of her senior project she developed a creative line of childrenswear. You can't imagine my face when I saw her logo and the tiny bell motif at the bottom of the design.
Her children's wear line inspires children to use their imagination to liberate their inner creativity and give them a sense of freedom through fashion. Her collection allows children to release this energy by deconstruction and recreating their own look.
And once again Peg and I worked together to bring it to life for Frost & Friends. Annabel designed, I created fabric and Peg did all the sewing. Peg worked hard to get the pieces to engineer properly.
WE ARE SO EXCITED to show you her designs at the Frosty Brunch and Show coming up this November 16th. Additionally we feel, this will give Annabel a portfolio of actual pieces that she can use as she continues to work towards her career in fashion. This is the essence of what Frost & Friends is all about.
My mission statement:
My goal is to help honor and promote the artistic talents of young artistic students of my community,
to help build future careers and a creative workforce by sharing with them an experience of higher level education,
and cultivate a lifelong passion for the arts.” Lisa Frost
Help us ring that bell and salute Annabel!!!
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