Ladies in Dark
The all black ensemble no longer needs to be feared; Versatility can come with this look and we believe it should be worn by everyone and not just on Halloween or to a funeral. Yes, color always adds to a look but there isn’t anything as sleek and fine lined as an ensemble in a rich black silk, satin, or cotton material. The key to this look is with finding what style works best for you and wearing it with confidence! Why let all the rock stars have all the fun on stage? We too can rock out, be BOLD and edgy with our wardrobe. There is a rock star in you just dying to hit that high note, so it high time you let it out. There are tons of ways to carry out this look- You could go rocker chic by pairing a leather jacket with studded accessories, which always works great for a night out on the town; or opt for something more romantic by pairing your ensemble with black lace or organza detailing- As the seasons roll along be sure to wear fabrics that reflect the climate change..

Trend Watch
We’ve always been cheerleaders of statement jewelry. These are the pieces that add the finishing touch to your wardrobe, OR the timeless gems that you just can’t live without. For the past few years we’ve all seen heavy 80’s retro chains and chunky statement necklaces adorned on the necks of our favorite fashionistas and not to mention making frequent appearances on the must have lists of every fashion magazine. Well in 2009 a new wave is coming, It’s the year of the Statement EARRINGS – Think Big, BOLD, chunky, colorful, and creative when choosing your eccentric pair. It’s imperative to remember that these pieces stand strong on their own so avoid making an accessory clutter by wearing too much at once. Every fashionista should master the fundamental mathematics to style; knowing where and when to add or subtract from any look.

While we are on the subject of mathematics; one of the oldest sciences familiar to man is the part of math concerned with questions of size, shape, and relative position of figures and with properties of space, known as Geometry. The focus placed on dimension, symmetry, pattern, lines and shapes is what makes the visual nature of geometry appealing, and allows for an easy transition between the Math and fashion world. We can now see today’s top fashion designers showcasing their understanding of Geometry and artistic expression of patterns with their latest 09’ collections and ad campaigns seen in Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Elle and the likes. For Poodle Pusher this fad should have come sooner, because as you may now know we are junkies addicted to the idea of mixing different clothing patterns and textures. The geometric print trend is a really great way to be adventurous with your look this year. Here are a few geometric designer looks that we loved this season!

IT-Designer
Every once in a while the Fashion scene gets graced with a new riveting designer with raw talent. Top pick on our Designer watch list this year certainly has to be Aschobi Designs by Adama Kai. Coming back from our trip to Africa last December 2008, we really got acquainted with a lot of amazing designers whose inspiration and influence lie deep-rooted within the African culture. This strong association is evident in the collections by Aschobi Designs; here is our introduction…..

Collections:

Unfortunately, we have to bid adieu to you all, for now but we would still love to answer any questions you have or read your comments, and feedback. Till next time….

Keep Pushing~
Poodle Pusher

For more information on Poodle Pusher please visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Poodle-Pusher/26725222510 and email them at poodlepusher@gmail.com.

After receiving a formal education at the historic Clark Atlanta University, Glamo ventured to New York City, determined to make a name for himself in the industry. Still very young, yet extremely focused, he has been able to gain access to some of fashion’s heavy hitters. He’s worked with top design houses, modeling agencies, hair stylists, make-up artists, and celebrities. Most recently, Glamo appeared on MTV’s “Made: Model House” and coached three inexperienced modeling hopefuls, one of whom ended up receiving a one-year contract. His witty, no-nonsense attitude pushed the girls to their limits. But they all left the competition with new looks, revamped wardrobes, and extraordinary self-confidence that had been more than lacking before.

As the founder and creative force behind The Glamore Deluxe Company, Glamo continues to extend his unique style, vision, and voice to top clients in fashion and entertainment. The firm offers such services as wardrobe styling, image consulting, runway coaching, and event production, just to name a few. Recently, we sat down with the fashion extraordinaire, who gave us more insight into his work.

Clutch: You have been called a fashion industry prodigy by colleagues, mentors and peers. How did you get your start in the industry?
Glamo: I got my start in the industry producing and directing fashion shows in college and from there things just kind of snow balled. I realized if I was coming up with the concept of the show then I wanted a certain type of walk. If I had control over the walk then I wanted to style the show as well. So that was the making of Glamo.

Clutch: Who are your major influences and what inspires you to create?
Glamo: Influences that inspire me to create are found heavily in the arts. Movies, paintings, music, and people. I am a big people watcher. It’s funny the many things, looks, and characters that you can create for people just by watching them when they are not suspecting.

Clutch: Fashion is constantly changing and evolving. How do you stay ahead of the game?
Glamo: I would like to think that I stay ahead of the game by being a busy body. I am always at some designers’ preview showing or looking for the next and the best; never afraid to see what’s new and hot or what one thinks will be. All while keeping abreast with the established brands/designers to see how they are reinventing themselves. Fashion may always be at a constant change but when something is a staple or classic honey it ain’t going anywhere, lol!

Clutch: Through your company The Glamore Deluxe you are able to service not only the fashion industry but the entertainment industry as well. What are some of the biggest challenges you face in both industries?
Glamo: The biggest challenge that I face from both industries is that people cannot see how it is possible for one person to be multi talented. You can only be known for this or that or boundaries are set on your potential. It takes for me to really get out here and show people on a daily basis that I cannot and will not be placed into just one box. There is enough of me to go around.

Clutch: Who do you think will stand out from our generation as a style icon?
Glamo: Its no shade behind this but one young lady that I think will stand out and is well on her way is Ms.Rhianna. I was not a fan of her look for the first 3 singles or so. But now…that woman wears me out with her fashion! She wears the clothes not vice versa — I get life from her!

Clutch: You wear many hats as a stylist, creative director, and the owner of a company. How do you balance it all?
Glamo: Yes indeed I do wear several hats with The Glamore Deluxe Company. I believe that the balance comes from the relationship that I build with my clients and my creativity. Creative people will never run out of ideas and when I take on the responsibility of creating for each client they and their major possibilities become my inspiration, therefore its no need to balance. I am juiced up for them!

Clutch: With every new project there are always new sets of obstacles to face. How do you prepare yourself for these challenges when taking on something new?
Glamo: I prepare my self for challenges when taking on something new the old fashion way…prayer! Prayer is the one thing that has always worked for me. Sometimes I need a little more patience to deal with a particular client. Other times I may need more energy to deal with others. Either way I am never afraid to take a moment and send one up.

Clutch: Style and beauty is often in the eye of the beholder. How would you define style?
Glamo: Style is one’s personal understanding of self. Its about knowing what you are going for when you are getting dressed, what works best for you. Just because they are making it does not mean that they are making it for you. And I am not just talking size. I am talking about color, shapes, and the full monte honey. People who grasp this to me are “stylish.”

Clutch: What trends do you predict to be big for the upcoming season?
Glamo: I predict that the one-sie will be big in the spring. I feel like just about every major designer gave their variation. And the high waisted short shorts are another trend that I am sure we will see a lot of in the spring.

Intro by: Chelsea Smith

Like many professional movers and shakers, Zielinski always knew she had an innate love for fashion. The Connecticut born, Germany raised stylist knew her admiration for sketching, drawing and painting would lead her to creating whimsical illusions that perfectly connected her obvious love for fashion and art. After revamping her friends and co-worker’s style, Beagy took the idea of styling very seriously and headed to New York. Upon completing her studies at FIT, she pursued her passion and garnered numerous opportunities that led the stylist with enough contacts and references to help build her portfolio and relationship with those who took note of work. Working her way up from a Fashion Merchandiser to personal shopper, Zielinski’s incredible work ethic harvested clients such as German Vogue, Inked Magazine, Complex, Harper’s Bazaar, Tommy Hilfiger and a long list of others. With a keen eye for inquisitive and eclectic visuals, Zielinski is bound to become a household name; not only for her gift of styling but for pushing the bar for freshness in a carbon-copied industry. As she scurried through the city from shoots, boutiques and networking galas, Zielinski took some time out to chit-chat with us Clutch on the highs and lows of this beautiful but complex fashion industry.

Clutch: Most pioneering minds start out in their field without really even knowing how great they are. What was your first introduction into realizing fashion was going to be apart of your daily regimen?

Zielinski: I always knew that I would be in this industry. There was never another option in my mind. It was fashion or die! It sounds dramatic but that’s really how I felt, and is how I still feel. I never cared about how much money I was making, or how long my commute was, I just knew that I loved what I was doing and would continue doing it for the rest of my career.

Clutch: Almost every stylist creates off of inspiration ranging from either the craftsmanship of designers or art that they admire, music they love or cultures that inspire them. What influences you to create your whimsical illusions when styling?

Zielinski: I am inspired by life, the good, the bad & the ugly. Sometimes if it is nice out and our schedules allow it, a few friends and I like to sit outside at a restaurant or in Bryant Park and just people watch. People always ask me if I spend my days criticizing how others dress and some even try to get me to make fun of someone who may walk by in a less than flattering outfit. But I try to look past what they did wrong and see what they were trying to achieve. This helps me with commercial styling a lot believe it or not. I love to watch real people and how they dress; of course I love to flip through magazines as well. For inspiration for high-end editorials I actually like to browse other stylists work. I’ll go to their agency’s site and check out their work for inspiration and ask myself, “Would I have done it that way? What would I do differently? How can I step it up a notch?” As a stylist, it’s nearly impossible to look at any type of media without thinking about the styling that went into it. I can’t watch a commercial, movie, billboard, red carpet image, magazine cover…anything without thinking about the styling process that must have gone into it and what I would do the same or different, call it occupational hazard.

Clutch: I’m sure that you are aware of the multicultural barriers within fashion especially for models of color, do you feel like things are progressing and have you ever seen the backlash full front in center expressed to you, colleagues or the models?

Zielinski: Those barriers are there everyday and I don’t see them going anywhere soon. I have worked with photographers who have 5 ethnic girls and 25 Caucasian girls in their books and are asked by agents “why do you have so many black girls in your book?” I have been repeatedly asked if I style “rappers and urban music videos”(which I do not). When I walk into high-end boutiques shopping for my celebrity clients 1 of 2 things usually happens, 1. I am not asked if I can be helped at all and then when I ask to set up a fitting room the surprise on their faces is priceless (I usually try things on a model and take pictures to show the client before making their purchases), or 2. Follow me around like I’m going to steal something. Both are unfortunate for the store because I avoid those places when shopping for myself and for my clients who often spend upwards of $20,000 in one shopping trip.

Clutch: How difficult is it to break into an industry where they are so many other stylists? What is it that you need to bring to the table to stand apart and make your mark?

Zielinski: It is extremely difficult to become a stylist. Everybody thinks that they can become a stylist because they can dress themselves, but that is not the case. You have to really be able to put yourself in the client’s position and see things the way that they see them. If you are doing a commercial shoot for a conservative client, don’t pull the gorgeous Versace top with the deep V. You have to imagine what the customers’ day-to-day is going to be and what their lifestyle, area they live in and body type calls for. Sometimes you may not like that look at all, but it is not for you to like for yourself, it’s for the customer. That is a huge talent to bring to the table because not many can remove their fashion taste from their work. Also being able to step outside of the box, when appropriate, is important. You want to showcase that you are multidimensional and can style different styles. And last but not least, having an army of “contacts” always sets you apart from the rest. You want to be very well connected with others in the industry, like showrooms, hair, make-up artists, editors…etc.

Clutch: What are your top dos and don’ts of being a stylist?

Zielinski:

*Don’t over style; too many accessories or too many focal points can ruin a look.

*Do try things on before just saying no, you would be surprised what doesn’t have hanger appeal but looks amazing once on a model.

*Don’t be arrogant or unpleasant to work with, this is an industry you choose to work in, not one you work in to makes ends meet. No one wants to work with a Diva.

*Do smooze as much as possible, but don’t be fake.

* It’s fashion, have fun with it!

For more information on Beagy Zielinski please visit www.beagystyle.com

Q: Kim, what made you decide to write this book?
The publisher that I approached had a different series of career diary books and I noticed that they didn’t have anything regarding careers as a fashion stylist. So, I approached them with the idea and they really liked it. Another reason that I decided to write the book was that when I first started I really didn’t have a mentor or anyone that really gave me a chance to learn the business. Everything I learned was from trial and error and just researching. I had so many people that would find me via MySpace or people would call me wanting to know more about the fashion industry. I wanted to help people understand the reality of what it’s like to work in the industry and this book serves as more of a reference guide.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself and how you got involved in the industry.
I started at this when I was 19. I’ve been studying fashion since high school when I was taking visual and fashion merchandising classes. I always wanted to be involved in fashion. I started out doing window displays and I wanted to put my fashion ideas on people for the world to see. I knew fashion would be a good outlet for me. I went on to college and got a degree in fashion merchandising and marketing, and through research I realized that I wanted to get involved in fashion styling. I ended up obtaining an internship at a modeling agency by talking to the owner. That’s how everything really got started. I worked with various photographers in Nashville and was supposed to end up moving to L.A., but every time I got ready to move it didn’t work out for me and something crazy would happen. So my mom suggested that I move to Atlanta and I said no, but it turns out that I’ve been able to build a base for myself here. So I ended up moving to Atlanta, building a name for myself, getting my name out there working with different photographers and artists.

Q: In Career Diary of a Fashion Stylist, you give a very detailed account of your daily activities and there seems to be a lot of variation in what your work entails. So what would you say a typical day is like for you or is there any such thing as a “typical” day?
A typical day for me starts around 9 a.m.; checking emails, returning calls, or doing research on-line at Style.com or Women’s Wear Daily to see the latest fashion trends. I’m usually getting my portfolio and marketing materials together to show people for freelance work. I also network and meet with designers and clients throughout the day.

Q: What characteristics do you feel are necessary to succeed as a stylist?
You have to have and eye for detail, a good fashion sense, and a very thick skin because you have to learn how to be able to hear people tell you “no” and learn how to accept rejection. It’s a very competitive and political field. Also, you need ambition, the ability to be optimistic and focused with your eye on the prize. You also need to be very organized in order to stay on top of things, be up on fashion trends and be aware of how fashion is changing by reading magazines and other fashion publications.

Q: What’s one thing you wish you had known before you got involved in the industry?
That it was going to take so long (we both laugh), and that it takes a lot of money; well it’s not like you need a large amount to start a company, but you definitely need to have your finances in order to run a business. Whether it’s for your portfolio, mailing things out, or getting business cards; that all takes money. I wish I would have known how political and competitive the field was. I didn’t know how it was going to be. It’s going on ten years for me, and I’ve been in Atlanta for five of those years and I’m finally starting to get my clientèle together the way that I want it to be. I’m finally getting my name out. I just didn’t think that it would take THAT long to get my name out there and for people to start respecting what I’m doing.

Q: In the book you maintain such a positive attitude as you chronicle your journey. Was there ever a time where you felt like giving up? If so, how did you get through it?
I feel like giving up everyday. Well, at least once a week. It gets really frustrating. I just rely on my personal strength, God and my family and friends to support me. What keeps me going is that I have so much time invested in this and I have come too far to give it all up now. If I was going to give up it should have been a long time ago, but this is my dream so I have to keep going. There are days though where I do feel like, I just don’t want to do this anymore.

Q: What do you think people will walk away with after they read your book?
I think they’ll have a better understanding of the reality of what goes on behind the scenes of being a fashion stylist. It’s a thirty day diary so it’s very realistic. I’m very detailed in describing what I do on a daily basis; you get to see the problems I deal with and the lessons I learn each day, which will be helpful to others that run into the same situation. People who aren’t familiar with certain industry aspects will walk away with knowledge. I’ve included a glossary in the book explaining key fashion terms. Also, I think people will be motivated and inspired.

Q: We always hear about stylists and their magic tool kit. Do you have one stylist trick-of-the-trade that all women should know or could benefit from?
I would suggest that women look into Spanx. They give such a slimming effect. Also, you don’t have to worry about panty lines showing in your nice fitted jeans or sweater dresses. It just makes you look toned and slim. Great accessories are another thing every woman should have. If you have some really hot accessories, like a nice necklace or bracelet, it can totally take something simple like a tank top and jeans and make it look really amazing.

Q: What are a few of your fashion must-haves for spring/summer?
Definitely color! Bright and vibrant colors like orange, pink and even blue. A great summer dress is a must, along with a nice pair of peep toe shoes or sandals.

Q: So Kim, If we were to look in your clutch right now, what would we find?
My leather planner, sunglasses, and my makeup bag.

Q: So what’s up next for you? Can you share any future plans with us?
I’m working on getting more A-list clients, which is very important to me right now. I’m also in the process of looking for an agent as well. I’m working with Nina’s couture. She’s really hot so be on the look out for that. I’m just working on taking my career to the next level. I think that this book is a great start for me, it puts me into a different category with other stylists who are also published authors.

For more info on Kim Maxwell, please visit www.dripbook.com/stylesbymaxx or www.myspace.com/stylesbymaxx

Photo Credits: Kim’s photo by Hannibal Matthews. Book cover by Drexina Nelson