Casual Chats with Fashion Phenom Cynthia Rowley

Belk had its Girls Night Out at its new Galleria Dallas location on April 17, 2014 and fashion designer Cynthia Rowley was there for a personal appearance and fashion show.  Belk and Lucky Magazine did an incredible job with cocktails flowing all night, appetizers being passed around and an endless amount of dessert trays...OMG! Add the fact that there was a nail bar for guests to get their nails done AND swag bags...and I was completely sold.

Cynthia Rowley Fashion Show at Belk Galleria Dallas 4/17/2014 / Photo Credit: Leah Frazier

I was so pumped that I was granted the opportunity to interview Cynthia Rowley.  As always before an interview, I was completely nervous like...will she be personable? Will she get "me"? I've done a million interviews but every time I get the jitters.  So I walk in and Cynthia was so nice and so down to earth!  Like literally, she was probably one of my more favorite interviews. (Read the full interview here on DFW Style Daily.)

Me Interviewing Cynthia Rowley / Photo Credit: Shana Anderson Photography

If you don't know about Cynthia, you should.  Her work has literally been in Vogue, Glamour and all of the major fashion publications.  But if you met her, you wouldn't even be intimidated by that.  She just wanted to chit chat with me and talk about how great the food in Dallas is.  (Yeah, that's my girl Cynthia...total foodie!)

Cynthia Rowley (left) and Me / Photo Credit: Shana Anderson Photography

Anyways, I always feel as though God can use people to speak to you, and there was a moment when Cynthia turned to me during the interview...looked me dead in the eye and told me to not put any limits on myself.  If I dream of something and want to do it, then just do it! It was really weird but exciting at the same time. God can work in mysterious ways and can speak through people...but your heart has to be open and your ears ready to receive it.

Cynthia Rowley collection available at Belk / Photo Credit: Leah Frazier

Cynthia Rowley collection available at Belk / Photo Credit: Leah Frazier

I'm excited for this journey in my life right now.  From Sarah Jessica Parker speaking positive affirmations to Cynthia Rowley...maybe I'm onto something here in my fashion career.  Who knows? All I know is that I'm happy in this moment...I'm meeting some incredible people and I'm ready to take charge of my life.  What about you???

Stay plugged to my blog because in the next couple of weeks, I'm getting to interview (are you ready for this?) THE Steve Madden AND I'll be having breakfast with THE Sam Edelman!!!! FUNNERS!

Sarah Jessica Parker is Now My Homegirl and Other Shenanigans

Sarah Jessica Parker, or "SJP" as I would call her, came to Dallas on Sunday March 9th and this was something that was on my calendar for months.  I was doing the write-up for DFW Style Daily and just thought that I would show up, get my pics of SJP, interview a couple of SJP groupies and then bounce.  I was sadly mistaken.

See...what had happened was....(when you hear that, you know it's all going downhill)...I had a date the night before...and not just any date, a date with a hot guy and to see comedian Katt Williams.  And Katt didn't take the stage until SUPER late and I didn't get home until about 1:00 AMish but only because I had to stop by In and Out Burger to get a late night snack.  Anyways, I digress.

So the last thing on my mind was waking up at the crack of dawn to see SJP.  I honestly thought that I could just stroll into Nordstrom, get my info for my article in about an hour and bounce. WRONG!

SJP was scheduled to be in Nordstrom's from 12:30 to 1:30PM.  Something in my gut told me to climb out of bed at 9:30AM to get to Nordstrom's early and thank God I did. I literally rolled out of bed, put some jeans on, fluffed my fro and threw on some lip gloss.  I arrived to Nordstrom at 10:30AM to a line of fashionably clad gals waiting in line.

Met these three ladies in line.  The woman on the right was from CBS in Tyler and her mother is on her left and in her late 70's.  GTFOH!  Loved these women!

Again, stupid me...I'm thinking that I'm just gonna...stroll into Nordstrom's, get my pics of SJP, interview the groupies and leave. *Sigh*  So I get in line, only to have Nordstrom sales associates come by at  11:00AM saying..."If you don't have shoes or something purchased from SJP's collection, then you can't meet her."  (Insert a few expletive words here)

I just HAVE to get the scoop.  I HAVE to report on this.  There are no if, ands or buts about it.  So the Nordstrom sales associate comes back...and then I end up being the "groupie" that I was thinking that I was going to interview. LOL  I ordered a random pair of shoes off of the sales associate's iPAD, gave him my credit card...all so that I could have a "purchased item" in order to meet SJP and keep my spot in line.  There were a TON of people in line to meet Sarah...so I can only imagine the amount of $$$ that Nordstrom made at their impromptu sidewalk sale. However, I doubt that they were as smart as me...because I later took the shoes back ($270 pair of shoes) but yet I got both the scoop AND an autograph by SJP!

The impromptu sidewalk sale.  Everyone was desperate to get shoes in order to be able to meet SJP.  This is Dallas fashion blogger, My Fashion Juice, trying on shoes from the SJP collection. Noone wanted to lose their spot in line!

Fast forward to once we get inside at 11:30AM, I stay in line for an hour and finally get to meet the woman who inspired many of my fashion dreams. I tell Sarah of how I want to be the "Carrie Bradshaw of Dallas" which is in my by-line for DFW Style Daily and she goes on to tell me that I shouldn't wait to be "the Carrie Bradshaw of Dallas" but to anoint myself in the present tense that I AM what or who I want to be and just go for it!  She was so inspiring...so sweet and I will never forget this experience.  Watching Sex and the City will NEVER be the same again!

Click here for my post-event scoop published on DFW Style Daily!

And there I stood once inside..for 3 hours waiting to meet SJP and to get "the scoop." Noone said being a fashion journalist allows the red carpet to get rolled out for me EVERY single time. *sigh* So I waited....

The crowd

Sarah Jessica Parker doing an autograph for a fan

SJP!  Hey Giiiirrrllllll!!!!!!!!! lol

My moment with SJP...I wasn't nervous or anything.  Moreso surprised that she actually cared enough to speak positive affirmations to a complete stranger who she didn't even know.  How inspiring!

ALL PHOTO CREDITS: Leah Frazier