FASHION IS FOR YOU.

Well, now I don't think I'm going to do the Detroit fashion week show. I've been talking to friends of mine who live in Michigan and everyone seems to have neither heard of/nor attended the show, and those who have say it's an unorganized mess and not really worth the $$. SO, I have this great idea, to have my own show! I'm going to try and work on putting together a min 15-20 piece collection to have finished by the beginning of September. Then I'll do an open model casting, and try and find a venue somewhere in Detroit. Maybe a bar or something? I'd love to get like, the Magic Stick or something. The Garden Bowl would be pretty sweet. Or maybe I'm just thinking that bowling lanes kind of look like short runways. fashion brain, fashion brain, who wants to have my fashion brain..... anyway. So I really REALLY want to do this.

Maybe you're wondering what the point is to spend all the time and money on making 30 garments/20 looks, and then paying to have a show, when you're not even SURE who may or may not show up? WELL... the point is this:
If I can pull it off, I'm going to tell everyone I know, and promote the hell out of it. I'm going to make flyers and take them to every single independent clothing boutique in the Detroit Metro/Ann Arbor areas. Maybe some of my friends can DJ or something as an incentive to bring people in. I'm going to make people pay attention. And photographers are very important. So if some people can't make it, then can see the photos, Then they say ..hey...kelly... I liked dress #5, Coat #2 and those three skirts... can I get 10 of each for my store? Then I hire a little chinese woman to help me sew and VOILA, I'm a few steps closer to my dream. Just kidding. Only about the chinese woman. ;)

Anyway, I haven't really come out and said HEY i'm moving back to Michigan, because it's not 100%....but it's looking about 80% right now. The only way I can stay in New York is if I find an amazing job here like, before I graduate... which, is in 3 months. I'm going to try, just to see. But the truth is, as much as I love New York, it's a PLACE. And really, what makes life worth living are the PEOPLE in your life, not the location of your life. And all my people are still in Michigan. Also, in many ways I compare New York to Vegas. In the way that, Vegas is amazing, but after 2 days you've kind of had enough of it. New York is kind of like that, only the time stamp is more like 2 years, maybe 3. For me anyway. It just gets so exhausting here. People don't realize, it's not like the movies unless you are rich. It can be rough if you are a normal person having to ride the subway all the time, late at night, surrounded by creepsters and the like. Getting beaten down by weather, blister covered feet...never being able to buy more than one bag of groceries at a time... eating raman for week... it's SO expensive here!! There are mice and roaches. I miss having a backyard, space. But then there are free art gallery openings with open bars, interesting people on every corner...a million museums... the best shopping, even if you are only looking... the best food... ahhhhhh New York. There are a lot more plus's than minus's, for sure. And as far as fashion goes...well... there isn't anything like this anywhere. I know I'm going to be DYING when my two options are Jo Annes and Habermanns. When I can walk down 4 blocks full of fabric stores and 4 more blocks of trim stores, and I can't buy giant rolls of pattern paper or tracing paper or other crazy gadgets I might need. (I'll have to stock up before I leave.)

But even aside from resources related to design.. there are ALOT of people designing here. Which is fabulous, and I have to say networking here is really lovely for the most part. Because there are so many people, yeah, there are a lot of people who are way too full of themselves, but there are also a lot of really great supportive people. In Michigan, I think I can count the number of designers I know on one hand. For some reason its' been hard to collaborate too. I have tried to contact and make things happen with every single michigan "fashion person" i know, and it's just not working out. Am I too motivated? Are they burnt out? Do they just not have any interest in collaboration? I dont know. All I know is that they should. We can make thing happen in Detroit, but not alone. Collaboration and networking are really good things. I hope people start to realize this. And it's not just fellow designers, it's ANYONE in the fashion business. You can't afford to be a snob about it, not in Michigan. And I have learned a lot and met a lot of people while I've been here!

So that's my soapbox rant for now.

We'll see where it goes.