Magazine
Four styles
Fashion - Beauty - Health - Entertainment
Four dimensions
Photo - Text - Audio - Video
Four traits
Eclectic - Unique - Independent - Modern
For designers.
Staff Editor-In-Chief Sam Silver Fashion Director Kate Bell
Entertainment Editor Mikah Wright Editorial Director Karena Steir
Table of Contents Silhouette Embellish
1 6
Composed
8
Broke & Original
14
Zeitgeist
16
Condition
24
Merchant
27
Swatch Credits
33 35
Silhouette
by Kate Bell
Statuesque: With your height, you do not need a lot of heel to dress up. Focus more on an interesting shape or color to add interest instead. Look for something that gives you two and a half to three inches to give you an effortless look without overpowering the people around you.
Silhouette Delicate: As a petite woman, you could wear towering heels, but why not play with something a little more unexpected? Try out a strappy pair with a physicsdefying heel. Keep the rest of your outfit subdued to let your shoe stand out. The unique shape will be overwhelming with a lot going on in your clothing.
Silhouette Bodacious: Slouchy, high-heeled boots have long been established as a fashion staple. They provide more comfort than pumps and still look great. Use them to your advantage by pairing them with skinny jeans and a variety of tops, from simple to complex.
Silhouette Lanky: Flat boots have recently taken over as a fashionable, comfortable alternative to sneakers. Stay on trend and ground your long limbs at the same time with lowheeled boots. Try a pair in dark suede for a cozy, down-to-earth look.
Silhouette Powerhouse: You do not have to stick to sneakers with your physique. For those occasions that call for variety, try something fun. If you want to venture out of the box, take the first step with patterned, multicolored booties. Lace-ups reference sneakers while the heel adds height and playfulness.
Embellish
by Sam Silver
Sick of hairstyles with too much volume? Stay on trend by ditching the volumizer and opting for this sleeked-back pony. 1. Smooth hair out with a smoothing
brush. Spray with hairspray to lay down flyaways. Be careful to smooth, not tease, in order to achieve this look. Tie hair back into a high ponytail.
2. Next, spray with hairspray again
and re-smooth hair. Make sure the ponytail holder is pulled tight.
3. Now, take a section of the hair
from the ponytail and separate it from the rest of the hair. Spray with hairspray and smooth.
Hair by Christina White
Embellish
4. Wrap off the sectioned hair around the ponytail, in a counterclockwise manner. Continue this process until you run out of hair.
5. Bobby pin the wrapped hair underneath the ponytail. Make sure the bobby pin is not visible by hiding it under the ponytail. Smooth out any remaining flyaways.
Pair this look with a tailored outfit and prepare for summer!
Composed
Hair & Make-Up by Christina White
Broke
by Sam Silver & Kate Bell
Need to brighten up your wardrobe? Try using this fun and easy blueberry dye to add that pop of color. 1. Start by gathering up your materials. You’ll need a plain 100%
cotton shirt, a pot large enough to hold the shirt, and 12 ounces of blueberries.
2. Begin by boiling enough water to submerge your t-shirt. Add in
half a cup of salt for every 8 cups of water used. When the water boils, add the shirt and leave it for one hour, occasionally stirring.
3. In another pot, boil
enough water to submerge the t-shirt. Squish the blueberries and add them to the water. Let the water boil for about one hour or until it reaches your desired color.
& Original 4. Next, take the t-shirt out of the
salt water and rinse out. Be sure to get all of the salt off the shirt to avoid uneven color.
5. Unfold the t-shirt and dip the
bottom fourth of the shirt in the pot. Hold in pot for ten minutes, swirling the shirt around to let the dye reach all parts of the shirt. Then, hold the bottom half of the shirt in the bottom for five minutes, finishing with holding the bottom three-fourths for two minutes.
6. Take the shirt out and rinse with
cool water until no dye washes out of the shirt. Finish by drying the shirt on low heat. The dyed sections will fade after this step, but it makes the ombre authentic.
If you like this look, try using other natural dyes like tea or onions, and experiment with other dyeing methods.
Zeitgeist
Designs by Tiffany Johnson
Condition
by Karena Steir
Spring is here! Time to get outside and take advantage of the beautiful weather. Being outdoors gives us so many more exciting options for workouts. This month we will explore a few of those options. The first, and most obvious, is simply moving your exercise outside. After we have hidden indoors all winter on treadmills and Elliptical machines, spring is the perfect time to start hitting the trails. Whether you are walking, jogging, running or climbing stairs, being outside can be the inspiration your workout needs. Try different paths to see what appeals to you most. Some people love going thru the city before dawn, some people prefer a trail in the forest, and some people prefer to be surrounded by busyness and other people. Spring is a great time to enjoy any one of these options! The second option that comes with spring is water! The best full body workout you can get is swimming, but that isn’t the only exercise this element has to offer. Spring time offers a lot of recreational options that trick you into working out. A few examples would be canoeing or paddle boating. These may seem like fun, passive events, but they are actually a great opportunity to work out new sets of muscle groups. Be prepared to be sore the next day!
Condition
A third option to take advantage of is outdoor sports. Once the weather starts cooperating, you can find pickup games of basketball at most parks, school grounds or apartment complexes. You can also find outdoor courts to try tennis, volleyball and more. These are great, inexpensive ways to get a workout with friends in an informal way. The last option we will point out this month is manual labor. Although it may not sound appealing, there are many rewarding workouts that come with getting your hands dirty. Pushing a lawn mower, weeding a garden and waxing a car will leave you feeling more exhausted that your craziest day at the gym. The best part is that you end the day with a beautiful yard and shining ride.
Not only has the weather given us a great reason to boost our workout, daylight savings has given us an extra hour of daylight each evening to be outside. Take this chance to start working for the body you want to show off this summer!
Merchant with Sara McConnell
Merchant
by Mikah Wright
Sara McConnell’s local boutique offers a one-stop shopping experience for customers and opportunities for area designers. In today’s market, it can be argued that quantity has replaced quality and customer service is a thing of the past. It seems as though the objective of companies is to get the most amount of money in the fastest way possible. No longer do store owners strive to create a one-of-a-kind shopping experience for their customers. Sara McConnell, on the other hand, decided to do the opposite. McConnell, owner of Fusion Boutique, grew up in Des Moines, Iowa. Even as a young girl, she always knew she wanted to open a business. After high school, her desire for new experiences and interactions led her to the International Academy of Design and Technology in Chicago, IL. She received a bachelor’s degree in Merchandising Management with an emphasis in apparel and design. Returning to her roots, McConnell decided to pursue her dream to open a business, and in 2011, she did just that. On July 14, 2011, McConnell opened Fusion Boutique in Clive, Iowa. She seeks to offer the finest in fashion at an affordable price. Fusion has an array of tops, denim, dresses, outerwear, and accessories for sale. Many different denim lines can be found, including Anoname, Makers, Antique Rivet and Rock Revival. Top and dress lines include that of KLD Signature, NicoLA, Ya Los Angeles, Papillon, Angie, John Fashion and RYU. “Our target market is anywhere between the ages of 18 and 40,” McConnell commented. “But there are styles to fit everyone.” In addition to these national brands, Fusion features local designers. Keelia Paulsen is in charge of the KHENRI footwear collection. From casual to bridal shoes, Paulsen hand-paints and embellishes to match any style. Shelleena McConnell creates hand-knit items including scarves, mittens and head wraps. These items can be made in any color and length. This month’s featured designer is Julie Luedke, creator of JKLART. Luedke specializes in creating
Merchant handmade jewelry. All of the local designers’ merchandise can be custom ordered and purchased through Fusion. Clothing and designs from Fusion can also be found at The Funky Zebras store in Ankeny, Iowa. McConnell’s mission is to create a “one-stop shop” for her customers. Along with clothing, shoes and accessories, Fusion offers professional hair and make-up services done by licensed cosmetologists. These amenities are offered by appointment and are done right inside the store. Women looking for a girl’s night out can schedule parties at the store. In addition to a private shopping experience, free makeovers are provided. “To me, it’s not about the sale,” McConnell explained. “It’s about the relationship I have with my customers.” During her grand opening celebration, McConnell held a benefit in support of 100 + Chicks for Charity. 100 + Chicks for Charity is a charity in Des Moines that gives financial gifts to other charities, such as Children’s Cancer Connection. The event was held at Fusion and a representative from Jasper Winery was there passing out beverages. As a result of the night’s festivities, McConnell raised about $100 to give to100 + Chicks for Charity. She hopes to contribute annually to help other organizations in the area.
“Our target market is anywhere between the ages of eighteen and forty. But there are styles to fit everyone.”
Merchant
A One-On-One With Sara 4D: Why did you decide to start a business? SM: I’ve always wanted to start my own business. I want women to be able to find something that’s comfortable to wear, yet different from other stores. 4D: How do you choose what kind of clothes you sell in your store? SM: I look for fun and funky clothes that are unique and different! I like to find clothes that you can wear everyday but are still fun and unique from what other people are wearing. 4D: You mentioned only having a few sizes of each style available in your store. Why is that? SM: When buying pieces for the store, we only get six of a style so there are two of each size. This kind of ordering allows for not only diversity and wider product selection for our customers, but also ensures that not everyone around town is wearing the same piece of clothing!
Merchant 4D: How do you find local designers to feature? SM: When choosing designers to feature, we look for people that are local and offer a unique product or service. We are always on the lookout and have also had people approach us. We welcome either way! 4D: What are some of your future goals for Fusion? SM: I’m hoping to expand my product assortment to offer more options for customers. I would also like to expand to more locations. I would like to be able to hold more events in the store and contribute positively to the community. 4D: Why should I shop at Fusion as opposed to another clothing store? SM: You are not going to beat the exceptional customer service that we offer. Fusion is a friendly environment and I strive to know my customers on a name-to-name basis. I have developed s ome great relationships, both personal and professional.
“I look for fun and funky clothes that are unique and different! I like to find clothes that you can wear everyday but are still fun and unique from what other people are wearing.”
Merchant
Want to explore Sara’s store more? Check her out on Twitter, Facebook, and in our video interview
Fusion’s Facebook Fusion’s Twitter
Swatch We selected some colors from this issue to help inspire you to create your own looks! Use these for clothing, make-up, or other design projects to kick-start your own creativity.
Swatch
Credits Hair:
Shaneel Napier Christina White
Make-Up:
Karissa Andrews Christina White
Fashion Designs: Tiffany Johnson
Photography: Karena Steir
Photo & Layout Editing: Sam Silver Kate Bell
Fashion Illustration: Melissa Dillon
Credits Merchant Clothing: Sara McConnell
Videographer: Nathian Steir
Models:
Jane Anne Seagren Kelsey Pedersen Mia Pierson Gianna DeMarco Amanda McBirnie Marissa Jarnagin Dawn Broer Viktoria Carra Katherina Thai Gaebrielle Mommsen