EK Style: An International Interview

One of my favorite things in life is the chance to get to meet new people and connect on something we both love. Such is the case with Esther Kwanga, founder and owner of EK Style. I had the pleasure of getting to know her lovely sisters Becky and Sharon in college where we lived in the same dorm. When I saw that they had started modeling for their sister's company (thank you Facebook) I had to get the scoop! They were so sweet as to connect me with Esther via email; so here you go a fabulous and truly inspirational and international interview all the way from Nairobi, Kenya:

Esther Kwanga

FR-  Tell me a little bit about why you decided to start EK Style

Ever since I moved back to Kenya I have been aggravated by the fashion scene here. I can't tell you how many times I shake my head in utter disappointment when I walk the streets of Nairobi. I believe this aggravation has partly contributed to the drive I have developed for this industry. I have also shopped for my friends in the past as a hobby. I love it because I know how to find nice clothes at a great bargain. I get annoyed when I see people spending lots of money on ugly clothing. I truly want to help such people. My sister, Debbie Hockley, told me that I should become a stylist as I complained to her about the fashion scene in Kenya (she lives in Oxford, England). In addition, my sister Sharon Kwanga really challenged me to step out and put my thoughts into action. Becky Kwanga, my other sister and my mother also supported the idea. And so, EK STYLE begun.     

FR-  What is EK Style? 

EK STYLE is a styling service and is in the process of starting it's own clothing line.

FR- Have you always been interested in the fashion industry? 

Ever since I was in high school, Ive always liked fashion. I never liked looking like everyone else. I always liked to dress like my own person. During my teen years I remember adding a little bit of my own style to certain clothes. For example, I re-vamped a jacket by adding lots of buttons to it. The Jacket still exists and we still wear it. In fact, it is one of the jackets being modeled by Rebecca Kwanga on the EK STYLE page. 

FR- What inspires your designs?

a) God, some of my ideas have unfolded as I spend time with God. I know for sure they did not come from my own head. I know this because a) My mind was no where near thinking about fashion b) my own mind was shocked/awed by the design and c) my mind did not understand how the design would function. However, after I asked God to show me how the design/s would function, He showed me and my mind understood the concept behind the design/s).  International fashion shows and my in built creativity 

FR- Do you sew all of your designs?

I do not sew my designs. I have employed workers who do that.

The Sisters! Beautiful aren't they?

FR- Who does EK Style serve? 

Although the EK STLYE profile currently focuses on serving young women, EK STYLE is gradually expanding to serve both men and women of all ages.

FR- Your sisters model for many of your photos... how is it being able to work with family?

I love working with my sisters. They make the photo sessions FUN! They have been very supportive to me and I appreciate them from the bottom of my heart. I also appreciate the advice they give me now and again. It is very helpful to my business.

FR- What are your future goals for EK Style?

The future goals for EK STYLE are:
a) To have an entire collection for each season, every year
b) To own an EK STYLE store
c) To ship EK STYLE clothing internationally
d) To style Kenyan public figures
e) To be in international fashion runaways
f) Sponsor unfortunate children in Kenya in the area of education. EK STYLE donates a certain percentage of its profit towards educating children who cannot afford to go to school.

FR- Where can people purchase your products?

At the moment, people can order any of my products by sending a message on the EK STYLE page on Facebook. 

FR- Where online can people find you? (Facebook, Twitter, email, website ? etc.)

At the moment, Facebook and Twitter and at ekstyle-ekstyle@hotmail.com

Blogger Questions

1. Favorite Designer?
I can't pick just one. I have a few: Ralph Lauren, Paul Smith and Chanel. There are many more but I'll keep it short.

2. Favorite clothing stores/brands?
Stores: Primark (in the UK), Dorothy Perkins (UK), Name Brand Clothing (U.S). Every time I went to NBC, I always got something that no one else was wearing and how I love looking different. Forever21 (U.S.), H&M (UK) etc.
Brands: Ralph Lauren

3. Do you use Pinterest?

I've signed up but I am not yet active. 

4. How would you define your personal style?

Retro, Preppy and classic

R.O.I. Designer Eyewear - Karen Kane

A few weeks ago I was invited to the Eyewear by R.O.I. headquarters to meet with John Alofs, founder and C.E.O.,  to talk about the Karen Kane eyewear collection. As you know from a recent post, I wear glasses, and as a fashion blogger and consumer it is important for me that my eyewear is as equally fashionable as my wardrobe. So when I was offered the opportunity to find out more about the eyewear collection of one of my favorite clothing brands, I could not help but be excited about discovering just how these two seemingly incongruous worlds come together.

Yes it says "Eyewear by R.O.I. Welcomes Kristianne Young" ... I was excited LOL!

John Alofs founded R.O.I., which designs, manufacturs, and distributes eyeglass frames and sunglasses, 26 years ago because according to him, "I couldn't play shortstop for the Yankees." Athletic dreams aside, Mr. Alofs moved to Arizona after completing optical school in Buffalo and started building the company in 1985--a company that went from selling 15,000 frames in its first year of business to selling well over a million frames last year.

You may be thinking that selling a million frames just means that a lot of people can't see, but I'm sure you'll be as surprised as I was to find out just how much those million frames have to do with fashion. For starters R.O.I. has a creative director whose sole job is to design all of the collections. To accomplish this the creative director works with the creative director of each of the R.O.I. brands {Bulova, Karen Kane, Richard Taylor, B.U.M., Colours by Alexander Julian, and Wittnauer}. In the case of the Karen Kane collection the creative director works directly with Karen herself {lucky lady}. Mr. Alofs explains how the process works, "We work off  of their seasonal releases--they say here is the color palette we're going for, here's the patterns we're working with.  They work  with my creative director and the whole process takes 8 or 9 months from the time we start to the time we actually release the product to the market."

As if you aren't already impressed by the fact that the creative director gets to work one on one with the likes of Karen Kane, she also happened to be in attendance at New York Fashion Week--sending back emails about color, accessory, and material trends as seen on the runways. Mr. Alofs understands the importance of fashion, "Eyewear is a fashion statement. We [the creative director] are at Fashion Week in New York right now, we have to be very involved with fashion. We know exactly what’s happening; how its happening. We spend a lot of time going to trade shows in Milan. We're in Hong Kong, China three to four times a year . We have to monitor, because you can’t be behind… Eyewear is a fashion accessory, not just sunwear, eyewear itself is very much a fashion accessory."

When Fashion Meets Eyewear - Karen Kane

I could attempt to paraphrase the story of how the Karen Kane eyewear collection came to be, but I think that Mr. Alofs does a much better job:

"We were looking for a women's brand, a specific women’s brand…We wanted something that Americans--knew it was a U.S. American brand. And so a licensing company that we've used before out of New York gave us a list of people … I passed it around to our sales people and some of our customers, our big customers, and the one that everyone seemed to have the most interest in was Karen Kane. Then the licensing company approached Karen and Lonnie, because we were the first licensed brand, eyewear--first category. So it was unique, we actually had to go talk to them and say what we do and how we do it, and they couldn’t have been nicer. It was a new process for them because everything they sell they make, everything that has their name, they produce."

**Side Note- Prior to our "official" interview Mr. Alofs and I shared a mutual appreciation for how kind and down to earth the Kane family is.**

The R.O.I. design team works with Karen by mirroring what she is currently doing in her clothing collections, "We try to incorporate some of her fabric onto a temple, onto a sunglass design." He then tells me I must visit their operation in L.A. {an experience I would no doubt love to have} where they do the producing, designing, and shipping because it's amazing and because, "Karen, you start talking to her and the next thing you know she's drawing on a piece of paper and tacks it up on the wall--she's had an inspiration. She's extraordinary!" 


Karen Kane eyewear is currently in 2,000 stores, and I had the opportunity to check out the collection {plus those that have yet to be released...sorry no pics of those you'll just have to wait and see} first hand at the R.O.I. headquarters.

These were among my favorites, love the details on the temples. 

Seeing that I am also an avid sunglasses collector, I was beyond excited when Mr. Alofs handed me this beautiful case with my very own pair of Karen Kane Glorious Lilly sunnies! 

Thank you again John Alofs and Marcela Johnson for this great opportunity!


To view more of the Karen Kane eyewear collection visit: Eyewear by R.O.I.

For fabulous Karen Kane fashions click here

Childhelp Wings- Up, Up and Away Fashion Show

This past Sunday I had the honor to attend the Childhelp Wings Up, Up and Away Luncheon and Fashion Show and let me tell you, Childhelp founders, Sara O' Meara and Yvonne Fedderson along with their team put together a fabulous event!

First things first, a bit about Childhelp Wings:

Childhelp Wings is a program designed to inspire, empower, engage and equip youth and young adults to join Childhelp in the prevention and treatment of child abuse. Childhelp Wings members strengthen their schools and communities by raising awareness about the issues and types of abuse that affect kids, as well as organize fundraisers that support the lifesaving programs and services that Childhelp provides to those in need.

Childhelp Wings members and supporters attend the luncheon and fashion show annually to raise funds to continue toward their goal of stopping the cycle of abuse and creating a safe and loving world.

photo courtesy of Forward Fashion Diary

Guests who attended the event were given a Microsoft swag bag full of fun stuff, we are talking O.P.I. nail polishes (three to be exact), Vera Wang Love Struck rollerball perfume (I can't tell you how excited I am about this), movie passes, even a gift certificate to Molina Fine Jewelers (and it didn't stop there). I must thank the organizers for making this fashion blogger's day with her very own swag bag.

Before the show started I also had the great pleasure to meet the the Childhelp founders, fondly called "Sara & Yvonne" by all as if they were one person. Having spoken to them briefly, the fondness that Childhelp members and nonmembers alike express toward these ladies is completely understandable--they are kind, welcoming, and I dare not forget adorable! What these two ladies have done for children who have been victims of abuse is truly outstanding.

As if the morning had not already been beyond what I had expected, I was introduced to the mistress of ceremonies, actress Bailee madison. Fellow fashion blogger Angela, of Fashion Forward Diary, and I spent a few minutes chatting with Bailee about Childhelp, fashion, and of course her upcoming film.

Bailee was wearing an adorable tiered dress from Un Deux Trois 

At 12, Bailee is well spoken and has an obvious love for helping others expressing that one of her favorite parts of  the Childhelp program is that kids who are victims of abuse can be placed into new homes. And of course after meeting Sara & Yvonne she couldn't wait to get involved with the organization. Excited to be one of the MCs (Tara Hitchcock was also an MC for the event), Bailee gushed about how beautiful all of the models looked and that she was looking forward to seeing the clothes on the runway. When asked about her favorite clothing she exclaimed, "I love anything vintage!"

Her infectious personality and a maturity beyond her years are just a couple of the reasons this young lady has already made a name for herself in the industry, having starred in Don't Be Afraid of the Dark with Katie Holmes, playing a young Snow White in the TV show Once Upon A Time, and her role as Harper Simmons in the upcoming film Parental Guidance, with Billy Crystal and Bette Midler. This will be Bailee's first time playing a tween character and the only thing she was really worried about was learning how to be flirtatious, which according to her was "very interesting." 

Bailee and Tara did a great job as co-MCs as the models sported clothing from Urban Kidz, Savvy Boutique, Etcetera, and jewelry from Stella & Dot. 

If you would like more information about getting involved with Childhelp please visit their website:

www.childhelp.org

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)

My Teen Vogue Story

If you've read my 'about me' page you know that there was a time when I landed an interview with Teen Vogue. I will admit, stated in such a way it leaves you begging the question, "just an interview?" So here is the story.

After doing all the leg work, making sure I had the perfect cover letter, a proper one page resume, and emailing everyone on the Teen Vogue Masthead, I finally got in touch with the right person. I wanted to apply for a summer internship, but was about 6 months too early. However, my work had payed off--she wanted to interview me for an intern position in the fashion department {at the L.A. office}. I was beyond excited, I mean I was going to interview at Teen Vogue and I didn't have to worry that my application would get lost with the thousands of other perfect cover letters and resumes. We scheduled an interview for that December. 

Photo: Nytimes.com

So it sounds perfect right, I mean what could go wrong? Well it was partially my circumstances and partially fear that stopped this dream from coming true. After I got over the excitement, I started freaking out about how I was going to survive alone in L.A. for 3 months and even more, how was I going to afford living in L.A. for 3 months? {I was attending college in Oklahoma at the time} Unfortunately I let fear get the best of me and a week later I emailed her and regretfully told her "thank you, but at this time it is not financially plausible for me." 

This particular story doesn't necessarily have a happy ending, but I did learn a few things. 

1) Before giving up because you don't have the funds explore your financial options... there are a lot of scholarships, grants, and student loans that you can use for internship expenses. Ask friends and family to help. I know it is not always the favorite or most comfortable option, but you would be surprised how many people want to not only see you succeed, but want to help you succeed. Help doesn't always have to be financial maybe a family friend lives in the city where the internship is located and can offer you a place to stay.

2) Don't give up if it doesn't work out. Although I was extremely disappointed I didn't stop chasing my dream and I've had some very fun and equally worthy experiences since then. 

3) Don't let fear stop you. We all get nervous, doubt ourselves, and think others are more qualified, but the fact is that if you have gotten this far it is for a reason. So be confident and show them how great you are!

5 Perfect Interview Looks

So you’ve done all the legwork and landed yourself an interview for the fashion job of your dreams {or at least the job leading to the job of your dreams}. You're jumping up and down, doing your “oh yeah” dance, updating Twitter and Facebook respectively, and texting your friends and family—when suddenly it hits you, "What do I wear to a fashion interview?"

Unless you have a wardrobe comparable to the fashion closet at Vogue or your mom is Anna Wintour the prospect of dressing to impress your future fashion boss may be overwhelming.  {Step 1 is having the confidence that you already have the job, of course this doesn't mean act like a snob}


So the question remains...what to wear? Well, call me old fashion but no matter how commonplace jeans become they just aren’t appropriate for an interview—anywhere—let alone in fashion. All right, maybe it is okay in a few rare situations in which case make sure the jeans are of a dark wash, straight-legged, with no holes, and ironed.

Here are 5 looks that are sure to land you the job... I even threw in a denim look.

Professional Chic

Zara

Lady-Like Business

Nordstrom

Color Blocked Classics

Forever 21

New York, New York

H&M

Dressy Denim

Nordstrom