Do It: This Weekend’s Fashion, Beauty and Style Events that Are Not To Be Missed

This weekend is chock-full of fun and fashionable things to do, so if you’re itching to hit the town, these events will keep you busy!

Photo by Olga Gamburg

How To Become a Marketing Rockstar! | Wednesday, October 14
Build Institute has partnered with marketing and branding expert, Chris Grindem, for an insider’s advice workshop all about branding, communications, and marketing from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Build Institute. If you're a small business owner or you aspire to be, this workshop is absolutely perfect for you. You will learn how to innovate, update, and stay ahead of the competition by engaging customers and building strong brand awareness. With topics such as increasing market share, targeting new customers, converting customers into loyal users, and increasing sales, this lecture will be very helpful to any entrepreneurs who wish to learn ways to grow their business. Tickets can be purchased at Build for $35.

Build Institute is located at 2701 Bagley Ave., in Detroit.


FashionSpeak 2015 | Thursday, October 15
It’s FINALLY time for FashionSpeak! We could not be more excited for this event or everything you’re going to learn while attending the conference. Join us for Michigan’s only fashion industry conference to be a part of five 70-minute workshops about career discovery, how to make more money, learning what it really takes to open a store, and how to get from idea to I did it. If that’s not enough, we are lucky enough to be able to have Kevan Hall as this years keynote speaker! FashionSpeak is from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. with a continental breakfast, lunch, after party, and a gift bag. Tickets are $40 and are still available for purchase on Eventbrite. FashionSpeak is the highlight of the year and with all the planning and preparation it takes, this wouldn’t be possible without the help of our sponsors Taubman, Opportunity Detroit, Meijer, TDIC, Kenwal Steel, HOUR Detroit, AFB Hospitality Group, Bistro 82, Sabrage, Buddy’s Pizzeria, Zim’s Vodka, On the Dunes, US. Foods, Emerald City Designs, FYT, Reel Clever Films, M1 Gear, Brew Detroit, b2 Consulting, First Merit Bank, Wrapped in Love, and Ke Event Designs. Come see what all the talk is about!

FashionSpeak will be held at One Woodward Ave., in Detroit.


Gena Conti Trunk Show and Mixer | Thursday, October 15
Hair Lab Detroit welcomes Gena Conti Millinery for a one-of-a-kind trunk show experience at 5 p.m. Gena Conti has been creating custom millinery hats since 1992. Her passion and creativity has sparked a match with her hats and she has found a loyal following that has led her to hold trunk shows at Nordstrom, and have celebrities around the country wearing her hats. Stop by for cocktails, light bites, and professional advise on “hat how-tos” from both Gena Conti as well as from award winning stylists from Hair Lab Detroit. Pick up your new favorite accessory, and learn the art of hats while networking with other professionals in the Detroit area.

Hair Lab Detroit is located at 1274 Library St. Suite 1C, in Detroit.


Key to the Cure Charity Shopping Weekend | Thursday, October 15
Saks Fifth Avenue is teaming up with Game on Cancer- Henry Rod Health for an awesome weekend event to raise money and cancer awareness. Featuring tasty bites from local restaurants, live music, custom cocktails, makeup, and fashion galore, the event kicks off with general admission at 6:30, so put on that black dress and get ready for a girl’s night out. Jason Wu has designed this year’s limited edition t-shirt benefiting Game on Cancer and will be for sale at the event. Tickets for this event are $75 and available for purchase if you call 313.874.4039. Get all the girls together to support a great cause and have a night of fashion that you’ll surely remember.

Saks Fifth Avenue in Somerset Collection is located at 2901 W Big Beaver Rd., in Troy.


WBA 3rd Friday - Fall Festival & Chili Trail | Friday, October 16
Fall is officially upon us, and what screams fall more than a festival to appreciate the colors and warming up with a bowl of chili? Bring the whole family for an evening of hayrides, pony rides, the Wyandotte Farmers Market, live entertainment by Pete “Big Dog” Fetters, tasty fall treats, beer, and face painting. For only $15 you can take part in the 1st Annual Chili Trail, and the $15 ticket includes a commemorative bowl and 10 sampling tokens so you can taste all the different chilies from your favorite local restaurants. The festival beings at 5 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m., so don’t miss out!

This festival is held at 3200 Biddle Ave., in Wyandotte.

Open City - 10 Years: 10 Years of Change with Model D | Monday, October 19
Open City prides itself on being a forum for all of the aspiring and established small business owners in Detroit. This is where you can learn, network, and exchange information to grow and develop your business. This event, from 6 to 8 p.m., has partnered with Model D’s 10 years of change and will cover how Detroit’s small business community has grown and changed over the past few years. The panel includes Dave Mancini of Supino’s Pizzeria, Jackie Victor of Avalon Breads, and Nefertiti Harris of Textures by Nefertiti and Tarot and Tea. The event is free, and open to the public.

Cliff Bell's is located at 2030 Park Ave., in Detroit.

FashionSpeak 2015: Introducing the FashionSpeakers

Itching for a FashionSpeak fix (it’s about three months away, OMG!)? We’ve got a little preview for you about how some of conference will pan out. If you haven’t been following closely on social media, we’ve already announced three FashionSpeak speakers and we want to tell you all about them.

First up – and not necessarily the first speaker of the day – is Roslyn Karamoko best known for her iconic Detroit line Détroit is the New Black. Roslyn is our buying expert who will be the lead on our “Career Discovery: Buyer” workshop. She’s originally from Seattle, WA., and went to school at Howard University in Washington D.C., graduating with a degree in Fashion Merchandising. After graduation, she moved to New York City, started in the Buyers Training Program at Saks Fifth Avenue and worked her way up into various positions in the buying and planning divisions at the luxury retailer. After putting in her time and getting great experience in the industry, she made a bold move and took her knowledge and expertise abroad working as a retail consultant in Singapore. In about 2013, Roslyn came to Detroit to call it her home, and has been making moves in the city ever since. Not only has she started her line, Détroit is the New Black, she has also opened up a brick-and-mortar store in Midtown.

The second workshop is all about opening a store, something a few of you fash-preneurs may look to do in the future. FashionSpeak’s presenting sponsor, Taubman, is delivering a tag-team of experts to speak on “What Does it Really Take To Open a Store?” This crash course to retail will feature speakers Maria Mainville, Lori McGhee, James Gravante and Emily Taucher who will paint a good picture on what it's like to open a store, and share their knowledge so you can take your business to the next level.

This one is for everyone in the fashion industry, whether you need it now or in the next couple of years. The workshop “Money: How To Get It, What To Do With It, How To Make More Of It” will be given by Kim Banat, Vice President of the Commercial Banking division at FirstMerit Bank. Kim has been with FirstMerit since December 2001, and has experience in various positions within the company, but her primary focus has been in commercial banking and portfolio management. That's what makes her the perfect person to speak about how you can get money for your business, and use it the right way.

Stay tuned for the final two speakers of FashionSpeak, and in the meantime, buy your tickets! Tickets can be found on Eventbrite, and are $40 for the day with lunch included. FashionSpeak 2015 is back at One Woodward in Detroit.