Last Thursday we hosted our first fashion event, ‘Fashion on the Go’ in partnership with the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center. It was a fabulous night filled with mingling and a wealth of information shared by fashion industry insiders.
From the start of the evening, the chic Design Plus Consignment Gallery was booming with positive energy and excitement with over 100 San Francisco Bay Area fashionistas, eager to share their experiences and take in as much as possible.
At this sold-out event, the guests chatted over wine and champagne provided by Barefoot Wine and Bubbly, we heard from an amazing panel of fashion experts including Eloisa Serrano from Bay Thread, Christina Ruiz from TopShelf Boutique, Courtney Cummins from Rilla Store, and Joy Fan from Storefront, owner of Vintage Joy and leader of the San Francisco chapter of Business Incorporated. The panel was moderated by fashion designer Petra Ostermuenchner, who is originally from Austria and the owner of Petra O.
Fashion panelists with moderator Petra O
After our informative panel, Jeanne Allen, Executive Director of the Fashion Incubator San Francisco, shared her very personal journey in the fashion industry along with invaluable information for entrepreneurs trying to make a name for themselves.
Here are some of the inspirational messages our panelists shared for those starting out in the fashion industry:
- “Don’t be afraid of the no’s. You have to keep going” – Eloisa Serrano
- “You’re not going to know everything always, so finding a mentor is important” – Courtney Cummins
- “Internships are a good way to learn what not to do for your business. They help you save money down the road and the experience is important” – Christina Ruiz
- “What sells is your story [it] gives power back to sellers who create [a personalized] experience” – Joy Fan.
Models from Ivy Frozen Productions rocked the event
One of the highlights of the evening was the fashion show by Ivy Frozen Productions. We also had fashion, beauty, and beverage businesses host vendor tables at the event to display and sell their creations. They so generously provided us with cool giveaways for our guests, like an ethnic Indian wallet from Akriti Fashions, a bottle of night cream from Clara Bellino, Independent Brand Partner, Nerium International, a special package of tea from Flourishing Oasis, a scarf and dress from Inspirare , a tank top from LiveLoveModa and a 60 minute mobile spa facial from SpArty and FACES by Liliana.
We were so honored to have hosted this glamorous event and grateful to everyone who joined us! It was a pleasure to see women from all over the world such as Spain, Puerto Rico, Russia, Turkey, India and of course San Francisco, come together for an uplifting night celebrating the fashion industry!
CONTRIBUTORS
Written by Martina Trejo
Photos by Zahra Talieh
Video by Gonzo Cinema
