Newswise — Babson College's Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership presents Women Redefining Fashion, a fashion show on March 6, which will spotlight women who are innovating and revolutionizing the fashion industry, both on and off the runway.
The runway show is being produced by Sophia Chang, fashion industry insider and producer on the TV show “Project Runway All Stars.” Women Redefining Fashion will feature looks from eight leading-edge designers from New York and Boston, worn by a diverse group of runway models who represent the natural variations of appearance embodied by all women.
"One of the things that struck me about working in fashion is the shocking lack of diversity across all categories: race, age, and size," says Chang. "Looking at the images of beauty presented to us, it's a wonder that any women have the courage to consider ourselves pretty or sexy."
Chang will be joined by Jay Calderin, founder and executive director of Boston Fashion Week, as well as these participating designers for an intimate, post-show discussion about fashion, passion, entrepreneurism and beauty:
• ShallabhRadhika – ShallabhRadhika is a womanswear line created by Shallabh Mittal and Radhika Choudhary. Their elegant garments are hand-sewn in their artisan studio in New York. Radhika has worked with Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood and Burberry.
• Avni Fashion – Born and raised in India, Avni Trivedi's accessories are created with traditional artisan practices
• Achk Kombana – Born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kombana’s African origins and European experiences combine traditional African cloth with structured Victorian silhouettes.
• ELSA AND ME – Swedish born, Brooklyn-based designer Maja Svensson created the ELSA dress—a signature dress for work and the cocktail party that fits and flatters most right off the rack—to empower women to feel feminine and fulfilled in their everyday lives.
• Marimacho – Marimacho is the vision and creation of Brooklyn-based duo Crystal González-Alé and Ivette González-Alé. They transform timeless masculine motifs into modern style geared toward the unconventionally masculine, focusing on fit, style, and the highest-quality fabrics from domestic and European mills.
• My Crowning Jewel – Under the leadership of President Veronica Chapman, the founders of My Crowning Jewel design exquisite head wraps to protect one's hair from breakage while sleeping, as well as to accessorize daytime outfits.
• Rei Hyunjoo Lee - Rei Hyunjoo Lee uses organic lines, and natural colors to explore avant-garde combinations of oriental themes and western influences. Rei was born in Seoul, Korea and graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
• Archangel Boutique - Located in Boston, Archangel is a small boutique comprising the innovative styles of various designers, and specializing in whimsical dresses, jackets, handbags and accessories.
• Fashion Project - Founded by two Harvard Law School graduates, the Fashion Project website sells donated designer clothing and accessories and passes along nearly 60% of the proceeds to a select group of charities, including Autism Speaks, Dress for Success, and March of Dimes.
Presented in celebration of Women’s History Month, and in conjunction with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Babson, Women Redefining Fashion is slated to be the first-of-its-kind annual event.
"At Babson we are all about inventing the new," says Susan Duffy, executive director of CWEL. "Women Redefining Fashion celebrates diversity, showcases the next generation of fashion entrepreneurs and offers new definitions of beauty."
Program manager Heatherjean MacNeil adds, “The Women Redefining Fashion runway show will challenge the status quo perception of beauty, as our diverse models reclaim it for themselves. Additionally, the panel event will include an intimate discussion with the designers featured in the show, exposing how they’re forging their unique entrepreneurial paths and transforming their passion for fashion into businesses."
Event Details Women Redefining Fashion Date: Wednesday, March 6, 2013 Time: 7 to 9 p.m. Place: Babson College More information and to register » http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5430585026 Official Twitter Hashtag: #babsonfashion About CWEL Founded in 2000, the Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership at Babson College (CWEL) fulfills and extends Babson’s mission by providing educational programs for students that help both women and men develop leadership skills and an entrepreneurial mindset. To ensure a world of opportunity and advancement for all, CWEL also supports and widely disseminates research into the unique skills and experiences of women entrepreneurial leaders, and advances gender equality as a growth strategy for individuals and for organizations of all sizes, everywhere in the world. For more information, visit www.babson.edu/cwel.
About Sophia Chang Sophia Chang is an event producer and personal manager. She has produced several fashion shows for designer Vivienne Tam as well as the finale fashion shows for TV show “Project Runway All Stars.” Sophia started her tenure in the music business working with Paul Simon, Atlantic Records, Jive Records, and managing Ol’ Dirty Bastard. She took a departure from the music business to manage her then partner’s USA Shaolin Temple. Upon her return to entertainment she managed RZA, Raphael Saadiq, and most recently, GZA. She has also held the position of account executive at digital advertising agency, Sarkissian Mason.
About Babson College Babson College is the educator, convener, and thought leader for Entrepreneurship of All Kinds™. The College is a dynamic living and learning laboratory, where students, faculty, and staff work together to address the real-world problems of business and society -- while at the same time evolving our methods and advancing our programs. We shape the leaders our world needs most: those with strong functional knowledge and the skills and vision to navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in a common purpose to create economic and social value. As we have for nearly a half-century, Babson continues to advance Entrepreneurial Thought and Action® as the most positive force on the planet for generating sustainable economic and social value. www.babson.edu
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