Tag archive: runway

Fashion a Better World

WHAT WHAT? HOLY COW!!! The reviewer was talking about the dress I was modeling!! Whoo hoo – I wore a showstopper!!  Let me tell you, hitting the catwalk to sounds of cheers and cameras flashing is a pretty heady feeling and but to see the accolades in print is out of this world. Not bad for an old lady who JUST started this modeling thing! OK, not old, but middle aged.  Just goes to prove that you’re never too old to try something new! I’m so excited to be part of a world that traditionally doesn’t recognize women if they aren’t 17 years old,  skyscraper height and rail thin. I do believe that there’s room for REAL women in the modeling world after all and I’m living proof!!

Last weekend I was so very blessed to be asked to walk a runway show for the “Fashion a Better World” event at Top of the Hill Distillery in Chapel Hill, NC.  It featured women entrepreneurs in North Carolina focused on sustainable fashion whose aim is to encourage artistic minds to bloom where they are planted, creating an ecosystem of creativity within North Carolina.  Brooks Bell, entrepreneur and champion of women-led businesses, was the keynote speaker. They also featured a surprise celebrity guest which you can read about here. The event was sponsored by UNC as part of Global Entrepreneurship week, along with Triangle organizations, to give designers a platform to talk about the significance of their work and promote the growth of the fashion industry in NC.

I modeled for the fabulous Kim Kirchstein of Leopold Designs who is not only an amazing artist but she is one of the sweetest, most down to earth people I’ve had the pleasure of working with.  I’m proud to call her my friend! Check out the UNREAL dress I got to wear. It’s actually  108″ x 45″ of hand-batik silk, with wet-into-wet dye and brushed-on wax strokes which create the soft textures in this design. Kim tied it around me in what she called “the pantsuit” tie. The feeling of silk enveloping my body was heavenly and then to wear it down the runway was just icing on the cake! Read this awesome review from Scope Magazine and the wonderful blog from Pretty Little Snipets to find out more more about all the brilliant designers and how incredible the night was. BRAVO to everyone and a special thanks to Symbology for hosting the event!

Colleen Ann Guest wearing a Leopold Design by Kim Kirchstein for Fashion a Better World

Colleen Ann Guest wearing a Leopold Design by Kim Kirchstein for Fashion a Better World

On the Runway – Colleen Ann Guest wearing a Leopold Design by Kim Kirchstein for Fashion a Better World. Photo by Josh Kongmany

On the Runway with Kim – Colleen Ann Guest wearing a Leopold Design by Kim Kirchstein for Fashion a Better World photo by Josh Kornegay

Redress Raleigh 2012 Eco-Fashion Show – cast announcement

Colleen Ann Guest is so very pleased to announce that she’s been selected to walk the runway for an AMAZING designer, Rocket Betty, at the 2012 Redress Raleigh event on Friday night April 20, 2012 at 8pm at the Contemporary Art Museum CAM Raleigh (CAM) in downtown Raleigh. Click  here to get your tickets!!

From the Redress website:

Redress Raleigh aims to reorient mainstream fashion to be socially and environmentally aware, becoming a catalyst for major change in the retail industry. We question the status quo of retail – both the mainstream consumption of fast fashion and the unattainable high-fashion of eco-couture.

We plan to be the resource for eco-fashion in the Triangle – creating a network for economic opportunities, eco-fashion lovers, and empowered customers. Redress Raleigh enhances people’s understanding of eco-fashion and empowers them with relevant skills that will revolutionize the fashion industry. Redress Raleigh also believes that giving back to the community creates goodwill and plans to grow mutually beneficial relationships with organizations that help people in need.

The clothing selected for the show has a strong emphasis on eco-friendly design. Eco-friendly can be in the form of recycled or remanufactured garments, as well as using eco-friendly fabrics and production processes. The focus of Redress Raleigh is to promote wearable eco-fashion, meaning fabrics and textiles that would be commonly found in clothing articles, rather than non-clothing items such as cardboard, paper, plastic, etc.

Redress Raleigh is proud to announce the following designers have been accepted into the April 20, 2012 Friday night 8pm show at the Contemporary Art Museum CAM Raleigh:

Belinda Blakley of Belindabilly
Jana Saur of JBelle
Johanna Ely of Good Girls Studio
Julianne Applegate of JulieApple
Katy Deckard of Revolver Denim
Kendal Leonard
Kim Kirchstein of Leopold
Margo Scott of Rocket Betty Designs
Melissa Lowery of SSD Jewelry
Oami Powers of Judah Ross
Stephanie and Zulay Smith of Zass Design & Pilar Ramirez and Alejandra Dunn of PamOr Designs

There will also be a local fashion showcase as part of downtown Raleigh’s Planet Earth Celebration on Saturday, April 21st featuring Redress Raleigh along with other area fashion organizations.