LA Event connects professionals
Dress for success · Simply Stylist, a Los Angeles event presented by Citi and The Grove, provides people who aspire to enter the fashion industry with informative lectures, guest speakers and an “in” with experts. – Photo courtesy of Simply Stylist
For anyone looking to find a career in the fashion industry, or for anyone who just loves knowing exactly what’s next in the fashion, beauty and style worlds, the Simply Stylist Los Angeles event on March 15 is the perfect place to rub shoulders with some big names in fashion.
The event, which will be presented by Citi and The Grove and will be held at The Grove, is a daylong experience created by fashion public relations expert and founder of the Simply Stylist brand Sarah Boyd, who knows firsthand the importance of connections for making it in the fashion industry.
“I always have tons of people coming to me asking to be connected to a stylist or to an editor, or to get their product on a celebrity, and I thought, ‘Why not create a community that can connect people and build organic networking’?” Boyd said.
With that inspiration in mind, Boyd set out to create the Simply Stylist brand, which hosts events in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York annually to inspire and connect the next generation of fashion industry hopefuls with current experts.
“The people that I get to speak to at these events can really relate to the audience and talk to them about when they had just seven cents in their pocket, or when they were starving college students before they made their way and became these huge success stories,” Boyd said.
The day will be hosted by E! News correspondent Catt Sadler and will kick off with a networking brunch sponsored by Barneys New York at the Fat Cow restaurant. The brunch is part of the VIP package for the event and will accommodate 100 guests, including the speakers for the fashion, beauty and entrepreneurship panels that will follow later in the day.
“It’s a great opportunity, especially for younger people who don’t have a lot of connections in the industry yet, to have a cocktail and say cheers with some big players and to shake some hands,” Boyd said.
Right after brunch, attendees will head over to Pacific Movie Theatres, where the different keynote speeches and panel discussions will be led by stylists, beauty experts, bloggers and fashion entrepreneurs and innovators.
On the list as keynote speakers is Miley Cyrus’ older sister, Brandi Cyrus. In addition, Popsugar’s Allison McNamara will interview Sadler. Panelists and moderators will include Raissa Gerona, co-owner and designer for fashion line Lovers + Friends, Erin Weinger from the Hollywood Reporter, editor of Racked LA Natalie Alcala, Popsugar reporter and producer Allison McNamara and celebrity stylists including Tara Swennen and Anita Patrickson, who have dressed celebrities including Miley Cyrus, Emma Watson, Kristen Stewart and Lauren Conrad.
“All our speakers are so inspirational and have such amazing careers, but they’re also going to talk about the hurdles they’ve had to overcome along the way. Everyone will be really honest and go a little deeper than just the nice fluffy success stories,” Boyd said.
Following the panel discussions will be breakout sessions and how-to demonstrations in the Park at The Grove, led by experts including Sazan Barzani from Spaz Magazine and celebrity makeup artist Jamie Greenberg on topics including “DIY Red Carpet Beauty” and “Blogging Basics.”
“That part of the day will be a great opportunity for our guests to learn skills that they really want to know, like how to make money on a blog or how to do a great smoky eye,” Boyd said.
Simultaneously, attendees can shop some of the latest fashion and accessory trends with personal shopper and celebrity stylist Jacqueline Rezak, or be pampered with beauty treatments including manicures from Luxe Nail and Spa or eyelash extensions from Blink Bar.
“All the experts and professionals that I have at the event are really looking to engage with attendees and talk about fashion and beauty, build relationships and indulge them in the complementary treatments, like makeup by Blushington and so many other great things,” Boyd said.
There will also be a DJ spinning tunes and a photobooth, where attendees can take pictures and upload them to Instagram with the hashtag “#SSCITILA” to get prints of the photos.
With all this fashion and beauty inspiration in store for attendees, Boyd also wanted to find a way to give back. A portion of proceeds from the day will go to The Farley Project, an anti-bullying charity and campaign that promotes love, acceptance and respect.
“Just like with the event, The Farley Project is all about kindness, and giving people compliments and just, you know, starting with positivity and beauty from within because when you do it will show,” Boyd said.
Ultimately, the Simply Stylist Los Angeles event will provide attendees not only with a day of shopping, pampering and meeting successful, noteworthy professionals, but also with the opportunity to nurture the connections made at the event for the future.
“What’s so great about this day is that college students and young people just starting out can get that handshake or that business card that can lead to an internship or a job. All you need is that one connection and it could change your life,” Boyd said.
Tickets to the event are available on the Simply Stylist website. VIP Tickets are $250, Fashion & Beauty Lover tickets, which buy access to everything but the VIP brunch, are $150 and Social Butterfly tickets, which buy access to the shopping and pampering sessions, are $20. USC students can use the discount code “USC25” for 25 percent off the ticket prices at checkout.