fashion group international

Frosty Fashion At Sprinkles Cupcake Wars

By Maxine Trowbridge in Just Because 1 Comment Tags: , , ,

If I see another cupcake it will be too soon, well, only if I have to frost and decorate it—eating one is another matter entirely. This past Saturday, I had the amusing task of frosting and decorating one hundred Sprinkles cupcakes, but all in the name of charity—for the Sprinkles Cupcakes Big D’s “Big News” Cupcake Wars.

My chosen charity was Fashion Group International of Dallas, my goal to raise funds for Career Day, 2012. This annual event provides educational outreach programs to students seeking careers in the fashion and lifestyle industries, and awards local talent with over $35,000 in scholarships funds.  Since Dallas lists such fashionable business as Neiman Marcus, J.C. Penny, and Fossil, to name only a few—it seems a worthy cause indeed to support local education.

 The Cupcake War prize $5,000, but if you didn’t win, you still received $1,000—totally worth it!  The challenge—to decorate the cupcakes in the theme of your charity, hmmm, well, how was I going to do that!

I was allowed one team member to support this frosty fashion challenge, so I asked fellow FGI Dallas Board Member Chuck Steelman, PR Manager at Neiman Marcus Willowbend—surely his nifty style knowledge would sparkle over these cupcakes.

I worked on my cupcake designs for two weeks, no, I am not kidding, one word—competitive. I planned in great detail the spring and summer 2012 fashion attack that these poor cupcakes were about to endure.

 

I chose runway styles that would interpret best into a cupcake—sheer organza, pleats, polka dot, geometric and floral prints, monochromatic and bold colors—bring it all on little cupcake! The presentation? I was left with no choice other than the most obvious, a cupcake runway show, wearing the best of spring summer trends. Perfect!

 

The outcome—Christopher Kane, Alice + Olivia, Ashish, Cynthia Rowley, Altuzarra, Blumarine, Zero + Maria Cornejo, Alberta Ferritti—strutted their chic cupcake styles down the runway.

So who was sitting front row on this mini-masterpiece? My fellow Cupcake War competitors, and Cupcake War winner Clarice Tinsley, with Amy Vanderoef, Roni Proter, Meredith Land, Brittany Cobb, along with the judges, Sprinkles founder Candace Nelson, Jackson, Kimberly Schlegel Whitman and Toni Rivard, in little mini-me edible rice faces. What a frosty delight!  More details to come on PinkMemo.

Aminaka Wilmont a Serendipitous Selection

By Maxine Trowbridge in Covet No Comments Tags: , ,

I am always on a quest to find a new designer, some unknown brand or emerging talent—these calculated points insure you’re not wearing the same dress as someone else at a party.  My most recent search for a stylish ensemble revealed a most serendipitous moment.

As co-chair for the Fashion Group International of Dallas’ annual event, a ‘Night of Stars’ this past month—I really needed a dress that wasn’t formal, (this was not a black tie gala), yet not cocktail, but a gown that carried it’s own understated persona.

Lanvin.

After much deliberation, and drooling—it was a question of print over matter, and specifically the desire for black and white only. I loved the Lanvin prints from the heavily publicized advertising campaign, regal in a very girly way, Phillip Lim fit my narrow profile, but after many clicks I found my perfect dress.

3.1 Phillip Lim.

The final selection—enter, Aminaka Wilmont! AKA – Maki Aminaka Löfvander from Japan and Sweden, and Marcus Wilmont from Denmark – quite the unique combination. This London-based design duo has definitely piqued my interest—pedigree designers, that graduated from The Royal College of Art and Central St. Martins. And here comes the serendipitous moment—noted in their bio’s, they met while working for Brit-eccentric designer Robert Cary Williams, or, as I knew him in my past life—Rob Williams, LOL.

Aminaka Wilmont.

Rob doesn’t know this, and it’s probably time to tell him, but for anyone who has ever visited my very small office – I have a masterful fashion illustration on my wall, courtesy of Rob, that he left in the rubbish bin. During our time at college together—for him it was a design project gone awry, Men’s swimwear I recall—for me his junk sketch looked like a piece of art, which now sits framed on my office wall.

Brian Bolke and Moi wearing my new dress.

So I gave a little chuckle, when I order the dress online and fondly reflected my recent discovery—guess I will now be watching Aminaka Wilmont during London Fashion Week this February.