Slay the Fashion Game with Diane Carlton

“Today you have not come to play; you have come to slay.” This seemed to be a catchphrase during Waking Up Married’s official launch and celebration of its fierce group of wives. June 1^st reunited the Waking Up Married community through a fashion show that showcased its wives who sported the designs of Stacey Weekes-Benjamin.

Stacey is an image management consultant based in Trinidad and owner of boutique line, Diane Carlton. From youth beauty and fashion camp to hair styling, she thrives in all things fashion. Stacey says the partnership with Waking Up Married in the launch of her new line of clothing at the gala was destiny. The Waking Up Married wives brought their unique styles to the stage to debut Stacey’s new designs on the catwalk. Stacey says these are exclusive pieces, with no more than five duplicates of each piece. “If we are serving an international audience, people are getting exclusive pieces,” she says

Stacey loved the energy of the models, most of whom were new to the fashion scene. She said, “The women were so willing to do this. They brought such good energy.” Sporting everything from shorts to headdresses, the models brought their own flair to the show, and Stacey watched them give 100 percent. “I would never come to Minnesota and not use these models. They are mine for life as long as they’ll have me.” She hopes to duplicate this passion in future fashion shows, saying, “We’ve had such a good experience working with Zandolee brides, and they left such an awesome feeling in all our hearts.”

This was the first catwalk for many of the models. Stacey notes the soaring confidence of women who participated. “A lot of women who were not professional models spoke of how wonderful it was to be on the runway, to be their beautiful selves, to be so glamorous, to have someone do their hair and makeup.” Some models purchased their outfits to have a tangible memory of their experience.

When looking for telltale signs of a successful show, Stacy turns to social media.After the fashion show, the models posted pictures of themselves sharing their fashion flair on the catwalk. “That alone speaks volumes, because when you put a picture on your profile, it is to you the best version of yourself. It really blew my mind and warmed my heart to see.”

Stacey offers some tips for women who want to step up their fashion game:

• Invest time and money. Style isn’t a one-time decision or cost. It requires effort and funds. Take time to understand your lifestyle and budget and the place fashion will have in your life.
• Know yourself inside. Stacey begins her needs analysis with clients by asking the question, ‘Have you met you?’ You can’t dress somebody that you don’t know…I need to understand in totality this person’s lifestyle, their budget limitations, their career. Be confident about who you are. Once you accept that, you will be able to express that externally.
• Know your body. Many women make the mistake of dressing for the bodies they used to have. Love and acknowledge your body shape and type so you can dress to make yourself feel beautiful.

 

 

Want to know more about Stacey’s designs? Follow her on Instagram: @dianecarltonstyle and keep an eye out for her website, coming soon!