Detroiters Style - On and Off the Screen

I tried on seven different outfits before I headed downtown to FashionSpeak on October 11 and ended up wearing the first thing I had put on. I should have trusted my instincts. I was never going to be the most fashionable person in that room anyway.

If you're not familiar, FashionSpeak is Michigan's largest conference for the fashion industry and presents tools, education, and resources to professionals and students who want to be better business owners. This years keynote speaker was Phoenix Mellow, the Costume Designer of Detroiters. 

Phoenix has lived in downtown Detroit for the last two summers while Detroiters filmed (no, she doesn't know if it has been renewed for a third season) and has a huge passion for the city. Since she has lived all over (check out her IMDB page) I asked her how Detroiters (the people, not the show) stack up to other cities fashion-wise.

She says we have a lot to be proud of. She says Detroit fashion is bold with a strong sense of youth culture and a lot of pride in where we come from. In fact, she says that Detroit is the only city she knows of where if you are wearing a Detroit shirt you are probably from the city and not a tourist. She noticed that Detroiters like to make trends. She praised our vintage and second-hand stores. She says she has never worked in a place as cool as the Masonic Temple with all of its secret rooms and tunnels. (Did you know there were secret rooms and tunnels in the Masonic? I didn't, and I'll be looking for them next time I'm there.)

If you've seen Detroiters (the show) then you know that Phoenix has managed to accurately present Detroiters (the people) on the small screen - very unique, not quite sure what decade it's from, and looking fabulous. 

And if you are a small business owner, even if you don't work in fashion per se, you need to get yourself to FashionSpeak next year. Created by the Detroit Garment Group, its conference mission is "Keep Michigan Talent In Michigan." 

 Me with Karen Buscemi, Creator of Detroit Garment Group and FashionSpeak