My Personal Stylist

My friend Sophia entered a fashion competition called Project Style at our local outdoor mall on Thursday. She was given one hour and $200 to put an outfit together. She asked me to be her model because she just gave birth two weeks ago although she already looks great. I accepted the challenge of being on stage in front of a lot of strangers, celebrity judges and hosts like Ellen K from KIIS FM, and walking a short runway. The prize was $1,000.

Mi estilista y yo

Hair- me
Make-up- MAC, but Sophia was the director
Earrings- $9 from Macy's
Collar- $11 from Macy's
Blouse- $29 from Macy's
Bracelet- $9 from Macy's
Purse- $20 from Macy's
Skirt- $80 from Guess
Shoes- $22 from Macy's

There were five competitors. When Ellen K asked an audience member for her favorite style, the lady pointed to us. She called the skirt I was wearing "a classic." When Ellen K asked one of the judges for her pick, the girl also complimented my attire. So when Ellen K was given the results and said there was a unanimous decision, I almost started jumping up and down for Sophia. But Sophia's name was not projected through the speakers.  The d-list celebrity judges voted for a girl whose style I later compared to Kim Kardashian: striped pencil skirt, white racer-back blouse, waist-high belt, faux leather jacket, and sky-rise high pumps. Her attire was typical of what you see on female A-listers on late night interviews. Nothing new. Nothing unique. Nothing that would set her apart from the rest. Sophia might not have won the money, but the endless amount of compliments we received inside and outside the VIP lounge were as good one-thousand dollars. A little girl approached me before the competition to tell me that I was very pretty and another asked me if it was okay to take a picture with me after the event. That is how a real stylist gets paid.

 

My look from behind (Victoria Gardens Facebook)

I'm sure this was the judge looking straight at me, admiring Sophia's styling techniques (Victoria Gardens Facebook)

Contestants, Ellen K, and the winner second to last (Victoria Gardens Facebook)

My friend Esmeralda came to show support

Candid moment

Leo: "I thought this was a style competition." He couldn't come to terms as to why Sophia didn't win.

There were two perks to helping Sophia out. One, we were told by the guy working at Guess that we looked like "out of towners." We giggled like middle school girls when he said that. His words were the ultimate compliment because that meant that we are different, not a production of the mall "conveyor belt," as it was once put in Gilmore Girls. Sophia and I create our own fashion rules, whether it be make-up, hair, or clothing, and we appreciate knowing that our efforts are admired. Two, I got to keep all of the clothes! I guess I had to keep the attire because they fit my body but Sophia didn't even want to take the jewelry for herself. Thank you very much, friend.

If anyone is having difficulties putting an outfit together for any occasion, you can borrow my stylist Sophia at a charge. She will also most likely have what you need hanging in her closet, but rentals are extra.

Read about the master herself at http://lasophialasophia.blogspot.com/2012/09/project-style-fno.html.