As part of a two-part blog post, I will be sharing with you my experience of co-owning a high-end leather footwear and handbag boutique with my mother in 2008. I was happy to be in charge of the marketing activities. I loved and still love fashion, and I am passionate about introducing new ideas to people. One of these ideas which came to life was a spectacular fashion event that raised much-needed funds for charity.This fashion event, held at Audi Centre, was called Cor da Moda. Cor da Moda in Portuguese means ‘the colour of fashion.’ We used this name because it was important to bring some Latin flavour to the event. Mainly because we were showcasing, leather shoes and handbags handcrafted from Brazil.During this fantastic time in my life, I lived in Canberra. Canberra at that point lacked fashion events, and there was a gap in the market for a show like this. So with the help of a small team, we put together the first Cor da Moda show in September 2009. The team at the Audi Centre were helpful and incredible to work with. They had no issues with us taking over their entire showroom. It was awesome to see the event come together on the night. Audi cars sadly had to be removed from the show room to make room for our models, chairs, cat walk, etc.
My vision for Cor da Moda was to include elements of fashion, music, and dance. However, most importantly, the event had to have a purpose other than bringing together people and fashion. It had to raise money for the charity we supported.
The first Cor da Moda was attended by 250 guests. Guests were treated to live DJ, a fashion show with models showcasing some of Angela Menz fashion and millinery designs and of course featured three sexy dancers from Kokoloco performing Brazilian samba. It was hilarious to see some of the faces of the men in the front row blush as these tiny string bikini like bottoms passed them.
