Upcoming Fashion Apparel Trade Shows

Hi Everyone, the new year is upon us. Do you already have your fashion/trade show schedule already planned? You can use this widget to go to biztrade.com and get more details for shows that you are interested in. This site is very detailed. You can filter trade shows by country or industry and it seems to be pretty up to date.

To use this widget, click on any link that you are interested in or go to the bottom of the widget where it says "View All" you will be taken to their site to view the list of upcoming shows!

Good Luck and Best Wishes in Promoting and Selling Your Designs!

Want to check out what I'm doing in my biz, newyorkaccents.com? Come and check out my facebook page where you'll be in the loop about free product give-aways, fashion accessories cool news and tidbits, my new product updates and more!

Join me on facebook for cool fashion accessories with a twist!

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The Beauty of Resting, Know when to Rest

What do you mean rest in this day of being virtually plugged-in 24/7? Some days our bodies and spirit need a day off from the routine of workaholism. I know this routine all too well. I used to work all day and many nights at jobs that I was not happy in. This only lead to stress and the idea of feeling guilty of taking time off was insane. What a horrible position to be in? This situation also robbed me of my creativity. How can you flow and share your creative talents if you're overworked?

Wherever you are in your life, I hope that you are taking advantage of your personal days and use them when you need to not only use sick days when you are physically sick. Life is way to beautiful to miss out on the simplicity of resting and being re-energized. Besides as designers, artists and entreprenuers, we definitely need some down time to re-charge our creative batteries.

Try this for one day:
*Go for a walk, jog or do your favorite exercise
*Eat the very best food you can afford
*Don't use the computer, cell phone or any electronic gadget, instead read a book, sketch some new ideas or write in your journal. Oh and no, tv well maybe you can watch tv if you choose but, why not go all the way and enjoy some free time away from the tube.

Enjoy the beauty of resting!

The next day, resume your life as normal and see how you feel. I am actually going to try this this coming weekend so I will let you know how it goes!

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Freelance Fashion vs Full-Time Jobs

It's so good to know that we have options in the work world. Depending on our desires at a specific time in our work life we can choose to either work full-time or freelance. Both has it's pros and cons. I'd like to share some of the benefits from my experiences.

Freelance Pros:
-Flexibility: Great to do when you need the flexibility to work on your own projects, meet clients and exhibit or attend shows.
-Focused: Most freelance jobs are very specific so, you don't have to juggle too many tasks that you are not assigned to do.
-Exposure: Working at different jobs builds your experience of working in various computer systems and, job cultures more quickly than at a full-time permanent job.
-Insurance: Health insurance may be available through your freelance agency.

Freelance Cons:
-Pay: Income may not be steady depending on how aggressive one is in finding work (includes working outside of the freelance agencies)


Full-Time Pros:
-Pay: Great for "continuous" pay (as long as your position is needed). You may earn enough to have the money you need to continuously fund your projects if necessary.
-Growth: Career growth and build relationships based on your interest in moving forward with your company.
-Insurance: Most likely to have health insurance options.

Full-Time Cons:
-Time Consuming: Definitely time consuming which includes, time dedicated to the full work day plus any over-time and, commuting back and forth to a job. This may or may not become a challenge in working on your own projects depending on how organized and determined one is.

Share your own pros and cons of working freelance and full-time by posting a comment here.

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Fashion Week is Here Again! Manuel De La Cruz, The Sky's the Limit

It's so exciting to be a part of this creative industry. Every season, you have the chance to view your favorite designer's collection. In this case, I will be attending the Manuel De La Cruz show this Saturday. I love seeing friends in a position to show their work to a wide audience such as Manuel.

So who is Manuel De La Cruz? Manuel is originally from Guatemala. He has studied at some of the finest schools in Milan, Florence and even at the famed Parsons the New School for Design in New York City to prepare for his career in design. He's worked behind the scenes as a designer for top notch, well known designers that we all love, Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Calvin Klein, Givenchy and more! My goodness, with a background this extensive it's obvious that Manuel would break out and design his own collection. Wouldn't you?

Manuel will present his Spring/Summer 2011 collection this Saturday September 11th at the Metropolitan Pavilion in NYC. As noted in the press release, this collection is inspired by Semana Santa (Holy Week) from his native traditions in Guatemala.




Visit Manuel's site to view his previous collections and to read more about his bio.
manuel-delacruz.com

Fashion is so much fun! With dedication, creative talents and an audience, the sky's the limit.


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Start a Fashion Line & Get Noticed - 3 Quick Tips!

Ok, so what’s the deal with breaking into the fashion design business? My good friend Minna Kao is definitely getting the press to notice her designs. She’s been reviewed in so many fashion articles as someone to lookout for in the bridal scene. She’s a designer in NYC who is super talented. Her label is MinnaK. She designs the most beautiful evening gowns and she does this all while working a full-time job in fashion as a Production Associate for a major corporation.

Minna shares a few tips with you that you can use to start your own fashion line and propel your career!

1) Finding Your Target Audience

Go to the stores that you think your customers go to and research price points, style, what's in (not the sales rack), and the color scheme.

2) Cutting Costs

Start by silk-screening t-shirts or making things from your home. If it looks professional, no one would know it came from the garage, and you can possibly find backers to help support your love of design. The internet is an economical way to spread the word, and the most popular. It is extremely saturated, but research all the social networks, and put yourself out there.

3) Designing and Promoting Your Biz while Working Full-Time

It is extremely difficult to work full time AND come home and work. When I have an idea, I need the mental space to conceptualize it so, I've created a schedule for myself in order to stay disciplined. I love designing. I won't ever stop, so for me, it's worth those extra hours to do what I love until I can do it full time.

In addition, I find inspiration in the strength of women and children, so I want my love of design to generate money so that I can return it to my favorite organization - Foundation For International Medical Relief of
Children.


*Minna Kao pictured in the center with two models wearing her gowns.


Check out MinnaK’s collection at:http://www.minnak.com/collection

Visit MinnaK's blog at: http://minnak.com/blog





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Fashion and Health- 15th Day Master Cleanse

What a journey! Fashion and health really does go hand in hand. Now I'm ready to eat again. 15 days of the Master Cleanse is such a wonderful detox. I got rid of a lot of toxins. Now it's time to re-build with super nutrition and enjoy eating again. Wow, I wonder how my first complete whole meal will taste?

Staying focused and determined was key and not giving into cravings. This type of discipline is great for improvement in other areas of life such as running your own business. There's a feeling of confidence and clarity that shined through towards my last week of this detox.

This short video shows you how easy it is to have the Master Cleanse ingredients on the go! There's no excuse for not detoxing periodically. You might just love the experience.

"Fashion and Health go hand in hand. Make sure that your outside fabulous self matches your inside fabulous self. Try the Master Cleanse or any method of detoxing that suites your lifestlye."-Kali

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Disclaimer: I am a fashion designer. Any health suggestions that I share come from my personal experiences. If you follow any health related suggestions on this blog, fully consider the pros and cons. Also do your own research and if necessary consult with your doctor.

Fashion and Health-10th Day Master Cleanse

Check out inspiration for a 10 day Master Cleanse. Congrats!!! I've completed the minimum time period for the Master Cleanse. Ten days of no solid food, only the lemonade drink. If I can do it, you can too!

I've decided to extend my cleansing for a few more days longer though, to improve upon what I've started, a deep cleansing. I am on a journey to make sure that my outside fabulous self really does match my inside fabulous self!





"Fashion and Health go hand in hand. Make sure that your outside fabulous self matches your inside fabulous self. Try the Master Cleanse or any method of detoxing that suites your lifestlye."-Kali

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Disclaimer: I am a fashion designer. Any health suggestions that I share come from my personal experiences. If you follow any health related suggestions on this blog, fully consider the pros and cons. Also do your own research and if necessary consult with your doctor.

Throughout Your Day

I have a question for you. Does anyone repeat affirmations or declarations as you go about your normal day or even on weekends? I find it fun to keep reminding myself of a few key affirmations while I'm working or even while commuting to work. It reminds me that I'm really in charge of my life. Even when hit with a challenge while working, repeating affirmations helps me get through them. How about you?

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Fashion and Health-The Master Cleanse!

Hi Everyone,

Hope that you are having a wonderful summer! Here's a quick video that I'd like to share about looking good and feeling good.





"Fashion and Health go hand in hand. Make sure that your outside fabulous self matches your inside fabulous self. Try the Master Cleanse or any method of detoxing that suites your lifestlye."-Kali

Subscribe to NYAccents: Fashion Design Career Blog by Email







Disclaimer: I am a fashion designer. Any health suggestions that I share come from my personal experiences. If you follow any health related suggestions on this blog, fully consider the pros and cons. Also do your own research and if necessary consult with your doctor.

Enjoy Your Night's Sleep and Get Good Energy

Getting lots of sleep at night has proven to be really beneficial for me and is one of the ways that I have good energy the next day. Juggling a full-time job and a business, it's easy and enticing to stay up all night to work on your own entreprenurial endeavors. I must say that I've learned the hard way. If I consistently do late nighters, I feel worn out. I can do one late night a week but more than one late night per week is asking for big trouble down the road!

So what's the solution?

When I go to bed before 11:00PM I wake up earlier with good energy in the morning and I have the time to devote an hour or so to the business. It's much better than staying up late and feeling tired the next day.

Having dinner before 8:00PM and not going to bed with a full stomach and also going to bed before 11:00PM are two main things that I struggled with last year but, I am definitely making them a priority this year. I've learned to eat a lighter meal at night and have lunch as the main meal since this is when our digestive systems are at the highest. It's all about adjusting our schedules. When we make something a routine for a few days it becomes a habit. These are two habits that I'm looking forward to keeping.

Are you an entreprenuer and work full-time? How do you spend your evenings after work?

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