Interview with the Host Committee: Part 7

Hello, again!

First of all, let me quickly say that this past Saturday was our Fall into Fashion Fundraiser! With nearly 200 people in attendance, we had a fabulous time with music, dancing and raffles galore! Be sure to stay tuned for a post about the event!

Anyway, this week, I'd like to introduce you all to Alexis! A member of our host committee and the chief of selling tickets, Alexis draws on her fashion education and experience to help the Foundation achieve its every goal! Please keep reading to learn more about Alexis.

Can you please provide a brief description of yourself? (Hobbies, college(s) attended: major, minor, year graduated; what you’d like to do for your career). I graduated in 2014 from the Fashion Institute of Technology, where I majored in Fashion Merchandising Management with a specialization in buying and planning. I currently work at Calvin Klein as the Men's Apparel Merchandise Coordinator. 

 Do you volunteer with any other organizations? What are you passionate about? Currently I only volunteer with The Fashion Foundation. I have always been passionate about volunteering. All throughout high school I belonged to different clubs that revolved around helping others and benefiting the community.  I was even the president of the Red Cross Club.  One of my favorite quotes is "Helping people will not necessarily change the world, but it will change the world for them" 

 What is your daytime job and what is your position/title at The Fashion Foundation? I currently work at Calvin Klein as the Men's Apparel Merchandise Coordinator and I am on the Host Committee for the fashion foundation. 

 Can you give us a brief description of your job responsibilities at The Foundation? How long have you been volunteering with the Fashion Foundation? I have been volunteering with The Fashion Foundation for over a year now. My responsibilities include working with the host committee to plan events and raise awareness through social media and networking events to attract potential donors. 

 How did you become involved with The Foundation? How did you hear about the organization? I first learned about The Fashion Foundation through Facebook. I attended FIT with Amanda and I would see her post about the foundation. Once I saw her post that she needed members for the host committee I knew immediately I wanted to be involved. 

 Why did you choose The Foundation? In your opinion, what separates The Foundation from any other charitable nonprofit organization? I love the idea of using fashion as a means to create awareness and give back to students in need. 

 What’s your favorite part about being a volunteer? I love working with the host committee. They are all amazing people and truly make planning this event so much fun! 

 Do you have any plans for the upcoming Fall season (both for the Foundation and otherwise)? I celebrated my 23rd Birthday 2 days before our event. 

 Looking forward, what are some of the things you wish to do to help The Foundation achieve its goal of helping children in need? I hope to help our events grow and evolve into an amazing fundraiser that creates awareness and raises donations for students. 

 Lastly, can you give our readers a reason why participating and/or donating to The Foundation is worth their while? Supporting the education of our youth is so significant because they are the future. They will be our future leaders and I don't know about you, but I personally would like our future leaders to have the best education opportunities. 

 Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about yourself? I'm obsessed with Starbucks coffee and my favorite color is pink. I also have a twin sister and I love fashion! 

I'd personally like to extend a huge THANK YOU to Alexis and the entire crew for helping the Fashion Foundation be where it is today! Amanda, your passion and dedication is truly unmatched and admirable! Thank you for all that you guys do for children in need.

To view our team page and learn a little bit about all of us here at the Fashion Foundation,click here! 

Don’t forget to follow The Fashion Foundation on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and of course, be sure to visit our website to shop and donate www.thefashionfoundation.org. Till next time!

If you'd like to make a donation, click here!

Holly Anne Silva is one of the Fashion Foundation's passionate bloggers and chief of writing. Fervent about giving back, Holly volunteers for a number of local nonprofit organizations; she is a kennel attendant at the Heart and Soul Animal Rescue of Long Island and the creatures division editor for the Ian Somerhalder Foundation. She is a senior newsletter editor for a major branding and publishing company, and holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Hofstra University. In her spare time, she freelances as a makeup artist. Holly is also working on establishing her own nonprofit organization dedicated to animal welfare, called the Sammy and Milo Foundation.

An interview with the host committee: Part 5

Hi, friends!

Welcome back to Part 5 of our host committee interview series!

Now, before I continue any further, I want to quickly remind you all that the Fall into Fashion Fundraiser is THIS SATURDAY! We are all so excited about it!

If you haven't purchased your ticket yet, don't fret! There's still time left! The event will take place at the TAJ Lounge in New York City from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on September 26. There will be music, dancing, food, tons of raffles and an open bar! It doesn't really get much better than that. If you want to purchase your ticket, you can click here!

Anyway, tonight's interview features Thomas, our director of special events and chief of negotiating. A passionate person, Tommy lives and breathes the Fashion Foundation events. To learn more about him, be sure to read his exclusive interview below!

1. Can you please provide a brief description of yourself? (Hobbies, college(s) attended: major, minor, year graduated; what you’d like to do for your career). I am a St. John's alumnus that majored in hospitality and event planning. I am currently in sales for a tech startup.
2. Do you volunteer with any other organizations? What are you passionate about? I am passionate about my family and helping anyone who could use a hand. School-related organizations hold a special place because everyone in my family is in education.
3. What is your daytime job and what is your position/title at The Fashion Foundation? I am a business analyst at SinglePlatform and I am a board member (maybe)/committee member. 
4. Can you give us a brief description of your job responsibilities at The Foundation? How long have you been volunteering with the Fashion Foundation? This is my second year volunteering and I use my hospitality connections to get great raffles, and my professional network to secure donations.
5. How did you become involved with The Foundation? How did you hear about the organization? Amanda [the founder] is a close personal friend of my long-time girlfriend, Alyssa.
6. Why did you choose The Foundation? In your opinion, what separates The Foundation from any other charitable nonprofit organization? Amanda has drive and passion. I love the feel of a startup of any kind and Amanda's passion for this--both her love of clothing and love of giving back--is what keeps it special.
7. What’s your favorite part about being a volunteer? Seeing what all of the hard work looks like at a fundraiser and seeing its benefits afterward.
8. What are some of the things you wish to accomplish personally through your involvement with The Foundation? Bigger and better events yearly until they are the epitome of cool!
9. Will you be attending the Fall into Fashion Fundraiser on September 26th at 7 p.m.? Why do you believe others should attend this event? I planned it, I breathe it, I love it. This is a perfect event to get your toes wet with nonprofit events.
10. Do you have any plans for the upcoming fall season (both for the Foundation and otherwise)? Apple picking with the bae and family activities.
11. Lastly, can you give our readers a reason why participating and/or donating to The Foundation is worth their while? Donating and giving back is something everyone should do, whether it be the smallest act or something as grand as could be. The Fashion Foundation takes clothes--something we all take for granted--and puts them to work for kids in need.
12. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about yourself? I'm a blast in a glass and literally love making these events come to life.

Tommy presenting raffle prizes at last year's Fashion Foundation event in New York City!

Thank you, Tommy, for all of your hard work and dedication to the Foundation! This organization wouldn't be where it is today without you! 

To view our team page and learn a little bit about all of us here at the Fashion Foundation,click here! 

And remember, it's not too late to purchase your ticket for the 2015 Fall into Fashion Fundraiser on Sep. 26 in NYC! But hurry, tickets are selling quickly! Click here to purchase your ticket today!

Be sure to stay tuned for our next installment of our Behind the Lines series! Thanks for stopping by!

If you'd like to make a donation, click here!

Holly Anne Silva is one of the Fashion Foundation's passionate bloggers and chief of writing. Fervent about giving back, Holly volunteers for a number of local nonprofit organizations; she is a kennel attendant at the Heart and Soul Animal Rescue of Long Island and the creatures division editor for the Ian Somerhalder Foundation. She is a senior newsletter editor for a major branding and publishing company, and holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Hofstra University. In her spare time, she freelances as a makeup artist. Holly is also working on establishing her own nonprofit organization dedicated to animal welfare, called the Sammy and Milo Foundation.

Fall into Fashion at our Next Fundraiser!

This may perhaps be one of the most exciting blog posts yet.

We're hosting our annual fundraiser and we're extending an invite to YOU (well, if you're 21 or older)!

On Saturday, September 26, 2015, from 7 to 10 p.m., we will be having a blast while raising funds to satisfy our mission, which is to give school supplies to students in need! It'll be at the TAJ Lounge in New York City, and will feature an open bar, food, hors d'oeuvres, shopping and raffles, along with an awesome DJ who will be playing the best music that we can all dance the night away to!

The TAJ Lounge

If you purchase your ticket(s) now, you can snag them for $75. If you wait until after September 1st, tickets will be sold for $85 a pop. But why wait? At our last event, we completely sold out of tickets! The event, which took place in November 2014, raised $6,000 with more than 130 people in attendance!

Click here to read more about last year's kick-off event!

So, really, what are you waiting for?! Buy your ticket today, and join us for a night of fun, fashion and philanthropy.

What: Fall into Fashion Fundraiser
Who: Strictly people 21 and older
Where: TAJ Lounge | 48 W. 21st Street, New York, NY 10010
When: Saturday, September 26, 2015 at 7 p.m.
Why: Open bar, food, raffles, DJ ... need we say more?

Find some photos from last year's event below.

Click here to purchase your ticket today!

More than 100 gorgeous Nine West bags have been donated to us!

Hey, guys! Your friendly neighborhood blogger Holly here! I am so, so excited to write this blog post and tell you all that (I'm just going to jump right into it) more than 100 bags have been donated to us by Nine West in New York City.

On April 10, Nine West reached out to the Fashion Foundation to let them know that they had boxes of handbags ready to be donated. So, Amanda hopped in the car with one of her buds and took a little road trip to the big ole' city. Nine West generously donated more than 100 sample handbags of all kinds, including cross-body bags, totes, satchels and wallets.

Founder Amanda Munz with a trunk full of Nine West bags

And so, after two weeks of torture anticipation, the public was finally able to shop the bags on the foundation's website.  On April 23 at 8 p.m., 70 handbags were listed on the site and were suddenly selling quickly! The better part? There's still so many available for sale! See some of my favorites below:

Nine West Light Pink Wallet - $12

Nine West Cobalt Blue Cross-Body Bag - $20

Nine West White and Silver Bucket Bag - $25

Nine West Black Patent Shoulder Bag - $25

Nine West Stone Stud Tote - $30

Nine West Cognac Tote - $50

I couldn't resist, so I bought a couple of them, too!

And I bought a scarf, too ...

So, in case you don't know, the Fashion Foundation accepts clothing, bag, accessory and shoe donations from both individuals and companies, and sells them on the organization's website for a fraction of the price! Proceeds buy school supplies for students in need.

And the best part about all of this? Only 70 bags have been listed. Amanda will be listing 70 MORE! (My poor wallet...)

So what are you waiting for? SHOP TODAY! 

If you'd like to make a donation, click here!

Holly Anne Silva is one of the Fashion Foundation's passionate bloggers and chief of writing. Fervent about giving back, Holly volunteers for a number of local nonprofit organizations; she is a kennel attendant at the Heart and Soul Animal Rescue of Long Island and the creatures division editor for the Ian Somerhalder Foundation. She is a senior newsletter editor for a major branding and publishing company, and holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Hofstra University. In her spare time, she freelances as a makeup artist. Holly is also working on establishing her own nonprofit organization dedicated to animal welfare, called the Sammy and Milo Foundation.

The Foundation's Supporters Are Cleaning Out Their Closets

No, the title of this week’s entry does not imply that we are going to launch into an Eminem-styled rap performance (sorry to disappoint). However, we will inform you that last weekend, one of our generous supporters hosted a get together with friends, where the people attending were asked to clean out their closets and donate their clothing and accessories to The Fashion Foundation. What was expected to be a small boost in inventory, resulted in bags and bags of items for The Foundation to sell on the website.

Our Founder Amanda’s cousin, Annette, invited her friends to her home this past Saturday for a girls’ night out. Annette asked all to clean out their closets and select any clothing, shoes or accessories that were no longer being used. Even the friends that could not make it to Annette’s house that night, still participated and donated any items that they could. Annette also had a table by Stella & Dot, a well-established jewelry company, so that women cleaning out their closets to donate to The Foundation would also be able to restock their supply with brand new Stella & Dot accessories!

It’s no question that the support around the Foundation is strong, but with a month like March—the success of the Bloomingdale’s event, specifically—this type of small-scale event demonstrates the growing influence of the people who support our mission.

This brings me to my next order of business; we want to encourage everyone to take a page out of Annette’s book and make the effort to contribute to our cause. The Foundation’s voice is only as strong as the people outside the business itself, so that’s why it is important for us to encourage everyone—not just employees and volunteers—to get involved, donate, and spread the word.

You may be asking yourself, “how will I know what you guys are looking for?” Have no fear! I have devised a nifty (yes “nifty”) little guide that explains the best ways to keep up with The Foundation and how you can help us continue our growth:

1). The Power of Social Networks

• Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, this blog spot, all are ways in which you can keep up to date with what’s going on with The Fashion Foundation. Educate yourself, email us with questions, and reach out so that you can see what exactly it is that makes us a worthy cause. Also, don’t hesitate to share our posts with your friends and followers. A simple click of the mouse and you can retweet our entries on Twitter or share our posts on Facebook. Consider your friends your audience, and you have the power to determine what useful content they can see.

2). Follow our Blog

• There’s no better way to stay up to date with us then by visiting our blog page. Our posts are generally shorter than this one, so you can inform yourself quickly and efficiently about any new events we have coming up. You can check on our blog @ www.thefashionfoundationblo.blogspot.com. Save it to your list of websites. We post updates and event information once a week, usually on Friday’s, with an occasional Saturday, Sunday, or mid-week post.

3). Be Proactive

   

• We all have that vintage 1990’s sweater with the elaborate trim and geometrical pattern. You know, the one you wore on your first date with that girl (what was her name again? Becky, Brittany?). But let’s not kid yourself, you’ve buried that thing so far into your closet for no good reason at all besides the fact that your new girlfriend bought you pairs of pants that just don’t seem to go with it. So be proactive! Grab a couple of contractor bags and get your hands dirty! All of those exceptional clothing items, shoes and accessories that you don’t use anymore will suit our online inventory just nicely. Trust me, you’ll feel much better knowing that you have even more closet space and that you donated to a worthy cause.

4). Share Your Ideas With Us!

• We at The Foundation are always welcoming new ideas the same way we are always looking for new people to help us with our mission. DO NOT BE SHY! You can always email The Fashion Foundation @ info@thefashionfoundation.org and share with us what’s cooking in that big brain of yours. If you see an opportunity that may suit us, let us know, and we’ll be sure to thank you for your kind awareness.

I’ll save key point number 5 for this closing paragraph and state that no matter who you are, or where you come from, you always have the power to help. We are very receptive to people like Annette because her actions spoke louder than her words when it came to helping The Foundation’s cause. We understand that the people who believe in us also have that same ability to make a difference. So speak loud, act even louder, and strive to be the best that you can for yourself and for what you believe in; we look forward to hearing from you.

Joseph A. Jungermann is a freelance copy editor and blogger for The Fashion Foundation. He also authors his own personal blog, titled: “A Tuesday Afternoon.” He is the founder of the copy editing company: Elemental Edit, which provides content editing services for students, professionals, and small businesses. Joe obtained his Bachelors of Arts in English at Stony Brook University through their honor’s college in December of 2013. As a passionate reader, writer, and aspiring entrepreneur, he also enjoys playing guitar, reading poetry, and spending time with family and friends. 

We're spreading the word ... and we're growing!

We at the Fashion Foundation are feeling all kinds of excitement as we sit back and realize that, after less than a year of operation, we are significantly growing. As amazing as our accomplishments are, however, we are always striving for more. And, ultimately, we are counting on all of you to help us spread the word!

First, we'd very much like to highlight some of the great things that have happened in the past few weeks regarding our networking efforts. As you all probably know, we maintain a number of partnerships. These include Longisland.com, Jacqueline Rose, Little Gems USA, Tiny Tastes, The NYC Business Networking Group, Butterfield Catering, Candles at the Beach, Butterfly Bakeshop and Elemental Edit. We are extremely thankful for having such a strong support group of partners who have helped us in more ways than one!

But, as any business owner would know, having partners is simply not enough. We knew that we needed to continue to reach out and spread the word about our mission to help students by providing school supplies. So, on Feb. 24, we attended a networking event and hung out with some of our partners, including Jacqueline Rose and Style Lend! On Feb. 25, we attended the NYC Business Networking Group's event. Both of these allowed us to meet with other fellow nonprofits, startups and individuals and spread the word about us and our case. 

Amanda Munz, the Fashion Foundation's founder, hanging out with Jacqueline Rose and Style Lend at the networking event on Feb. 24, 2015

The Fashion Foundation's table at the NYC Business Networking Group event on Feb. 25, 2015

On March 3, She is Lovely featured us on its blog. We collaborated with the blog to host a giveaway for one of our awesome Fashion Foundation t-shirts! Although the contest is now closed, you can view the post and the other amazing posts here.

The Fashion Foundation tee. Buy it from our online store and support us today! Click here to shop.

Our efforts to relay our message have not gone unnoticed. Amanda Munz, the founder of the Fashion Foundation, was interviewed by CBS Radio, in January. We also partnered up with a third school in January to provide school supplies. We are able to finalize our collaboration with Bloomingdales (donate your denim for a chance to win a beautiful diamond bauble) (click here to read our post about it), which will take place on March 14 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Good things are happening, but we won't stop here! 

We need YOUR help. If you're wondering how you can advocate for us, simply give us a like on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Share our posts and pages, Tell your friends about us. Shop on our online store! We sell new and gently used clothing and accessories for a fraction of their retail prices. Plus, we're always having amazing sales!

So, that all of this being said, we at the Fashion Foundation want to thank YOU for supporting us. Without all of you, we wouldn't be where we are today. We look forward to continuing to grow! And if you're reading about us for the first time, we thank you for your interest. Click here to learn more about what we do!

Want to make a contribution to the Fashion Foundation? Click here to donate!

Holly Anne Silva is one of the Fashion Foundation's passionate bloggers. Fervent about giving back, Holly volunteers for a number of local nonprofit organizations, including Heart and Soul Animal Rescue as a kennel attendant. She currently serves as a full-time editorial writer for a major branding and publishing company in Uniondale, and holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism from Hofstra University. When she's not writing or volunteering, she's usually freelancing as a makeup artist or working on her Etsy shop, Sammy and Milo. 

New York Fashion Week, you may be gone, but your inspiration remains ..

It's that solemn time yet again ... the end of Fashion Week here in New York. Over the course of the last two weeks, designers, models, celebrities, fashionistas and reporters have gathered 'round the Big Apple to attend various shows during which we learn about the newest and hottest fashion and beauty trends. We got to enjoy and relish in new looks by designers including Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Tory Burch, Thomas Wylde and so many more.

Even though New York Fall Fashion Week 2015 is now behind us, the inspiration drawn from these talented designers still remains. In fact, they remain on the Fashion Foundation's online store.

There were quite a few trends that really resonated during the shows. Here's a couple that we really love:

The 70's are back!

One of the most common looks was 70's looks-colorful flared pants, high-waisted bottoms and printed tops. So why not check out our peach flared pants and pay homage to what is known as one of the greatest decades?

The Great Gatsby era: It's all about fringes!

Designers like Rebecca Minkoff, J.Crew and Edun embrace their inner 1920's and showed off some fringe. And guess what? We've got that on our website, too.

Pink is the new black.

Alright, alright, to be fair, the color really is more like a lavender, but we're not just trying to copy these people; only draw inspiration. So, I chose a pink outfit. Because, well, I love the color pink. But don't worry, we've got some lavender, too.

Red is also the new black (obviously)

I could be wrong, but I feel like red has always been the new black. So, I don't really feel a need to explain this trend. It was common on the runway this year, and it's common everywhere else! So treat yourself to a Michael Kors little sexy red dress for only $24.

And .. olive green, too!

Yay for green! Military greens and army fatigues made appearances from quite a few designers. Our favorite olive green item on our shop is this gorgeous Forever 21 one-shoulder top!

We are sad to see Fashion Week come to a close, but we are happy to celebrate its perfection by selling items that coincide with the most popular trends. Remember, all proceeds from purchases on the Fashion Foundation website fund school supplies for students in need! So, shop today!

Want to make a contribution to the Fashion Foundation? Click here to donate!

Holly Anne Silva is one of the Fashion Foundation's passionate bloggers. Fervent about giving back, Holly volunteers for a number of local nonprofit organizations, including Heart and Soul Animal Rescue as a kennel attendant. She currently serves as a full-time editorial writer for a major branding and publishing company in Uniondale, and holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism from Hofstra University. When she's not writing or volunteering, she's usually freelancing as a makeup artist or working on her Etsy shop, Sammy and Milo. 

A Note From the Co-Author

With the first month of the New Year wrapping up, we here at The Fashion Foundation leave January with the same feelings we had upon entering: we are still ambitious, still highly motivated, and still extraordinarily grateful of our accomplished feats with hopes of greater things to come. We reach our arms towards new goals sitting out on the horizon, and with the help of our supporters, family, friends, and partners, we keep our backs braced upright, our feet planted firmly in the ground, ready to embrace upcoming challenges. Our mission is simple:

To provide school supplies to students in need.

If you are a longtime supporter of The Foundation, or you are just stumbling upon us for the first time, you’ll notice that we repeat this mission statement in mostly everything we do. It is rewritten and tag-lined into almost every blog post, mentioned in interviews, and proudly spoken by each volunteer. We repeat it because we believe in the integrity of the statement. We have seen first-hand the positive consequences that results from giving back to the ones who need it the most. The visual below exemplifies our impact thus far--we are nowhere near done:

This is just the beginning of a long journey. To kick off this year, The Foundation has been featured on 102.7’s CBS Radio morning show with host Deb Gordon. On January 5th 2015, The Foundation set up a pop-up shop at the lovely “Pranna” in NYC, and just eleven days later, hosted a school supply donation for IS-73 middle school in Queens, NY, donating more than $1,000 in school supplies!

We are only in our first month of the New Year and already it’s been eventful and rewarding for The Foundation. There will be new site updates, new school partnerships, and many more posts to this new blog spot, so be sure to stay tuned! Oh, and don’t forget—donate, donate, donate! The Foundation is growing and we want to thank the people who contribute to its evolution day in and day out. To the supporters, volunteers, family members, friends, and partners who continue to believe in our mission, we thank you. And now, it's on to February... 

Joseph A. Jungermann is a freelance copy editor and blogger for The Fashion Foundation. He also authors his own personal blog titled: “A Tuesday Afternoon” (www.tuesafternoon.tumblr.com). He is the founder of the copy editing company: Elemental Edit (www.elementaledit.org), which provides content editing services for students, professionals, and small businesses. Joe obtained his Bachelors of Arts in English at Stony Brook University through their honor’s college in December of 2013. To learn more about Joe, you can visit his LinkedIn page @ www.linkedin.com/in/josephjungermann