Do you love supporting local, independent businesses?  Are you in desperate need of some fun with your girlfriends?  If so, head on over to Frances and the shops at  Union at the Biltmore Thursday, the 28th from 6-8 p.m., for a great night of shopping, treats, and supporting local, indpendent businesses!

Credit: Biltmore Fashion Park

I’ve lived in the valley for 12 years now and have often lamented the lack of fashion sensibilities or unique shopping destinations in the city.  Happily, however, the fashion landscape in Phoenix has evolved in the last few years and is earnestly carving out a space on the fashion map for itself.  Friday, November 9th, our beloved city takes another step towards establishing its place amongst more well-known fashion districts with the opening of Union at Biltmore Fashion Park.

We were so excited to accept Biltmore Fashion Park’s Marketing Manager, Devon Hoffman’s, gracious invitation to not only attend tonight’s grand opening celebration, but to also get a sneak peek of Union in the last few days leading up to Friday.  I stopped by Union Monday after work and found it bustling with opening week preparations and excitement over seeing a year’s (that’s right, from concept to reality was a mere 12 months) worth of planning and work come to fruition in a unique 7,200 square foot shopping center within a shopping center. What a cool concept, right?

Get excited, Phoenicians, because Union’s concept and modern design, a blend of industrial and softer design elements like reclaimed wood, chandeliers, and natural light, is unbelievably cool in person.  From 18 independent retailers, amongst them Citrine Natural Beauty Bar, Frances, Oils and Olives by Queen Creek Olive Mill, and Paris Envy, to local eateries, such as Royal Coffee, Trattoria del Peiro, and Whoopie Baking Company (all of which can be enjoyed on Union’s outdoor patio), there is truly something for everyone!

A little bit of loveliness at Paris Envy.

Bold, graphic design and some reclaimed wood help strike a balance with the vintage, feminine feel of Paris Envy! (Always love the mix of masculine and feminine.)

An olive lovers dream come true at Oils and Olives!

Oils for all your cooking needs at Oils and Olives.

The lovely Melissa Lenberg, owner of Citrine Natural Beauty Bar, showcases Citrine’s perfumery bar where patrons can blend their own signature scent.

Union opens Friday, November 9th at 10 a.m. The celebration continues throughout the weekend with promotions and special events at the boutiques, great coffee, treats, food, and wine at the eateries to keep you going, and a Farmer’s Market (a bi-monthly event) on Sunday.  The weather is supposed to be perfect this weekend, so don your favorite autumn wares, head over to the Union at Biltmore Fashion Park and shop local!

Jennifer shows off our fall/winter picks at our LOFT private shopping event.

Jennifer and I had a great time hosting our private shopping event at LOFT at Arrowhead Towne Center in Glendale on Sunday night. Although the event was open to anyone, LOFT was particularly interested in celebrating teachers, which is something they already do every day and, of course, something we are so in favor of! It was great to be able to honor some of our co-workers (or in my case, former co-workers) by giving them run of the whole store after hours. LOFT generously offered shoppers a 30% discount and provided treats to keep the evening shopping energy up.

Most everyone who attended left with at least one lovely new item for their closet. We were especially excited about the number of LOFT’s fabulously flattering and comfortable Modern Skinny jeans and cords purchased. And it wouldn’t be an event if Jennifer and I didn’t come away with some fun pieces for fall and winter, including a festive “shimmery fringe” top we both took home. Stay tuned for an upcoming post in which we show off some of those new purchases!

We want to send a huge thanks to all our friends who attended and especially to the ladies at LOFT who helped us put on a fun and fashionable event. We look forward to doing it again soon!

Kristy and I are excited to bring you a great opportunity to shop the Loft (after hours) this Sunday, November 4th!  We are hosting the event at the Arrowhead Towne Center Loft location from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Attendees will enjoy 30% off all purchases, light refreshments, and an opportunity to shop without the fuss of the pre-holiday crowds!  Kristy and I will be on hand to show you some of our favorite Loft pieces and offer styling tips!  If you are interested, please RSVP in the comments or email us at styletutors@gmail.com.  Hope to see you Sunday evening!

In honor of this event, we selected some great Loft pieces that are stylish, quirky, and an easy way to infuse a little color, print and all around fun into your fall wardrobe!

Style Notes: Goldtone Bow Belt $29.50 / Petra Color Pop Pointy Toe Pumps $79.50  / Double Flower Stretch Belt $34.50 / Oversized Feather Pin $34.50 / Animal Dot Print Back Zip Tee $49.50 / Rose Bouquet Print Pencil Skirt $69.50 /  Kitten Print 3/4 Sleeve Cardigan $54.50

To say Sunday’s Fall Clothing Swap, sponsored by CO-OPhx, was a big success would be an understatement. Jennifer and I have been so impressed with the way the Swap team has worked so hard since the first swap a mere three seasons ago to put on an event that combines community, conscientious consumerism and clothing. But the team is really hitting their stride, as evidenced with the turnout on Sunday. Through their vision and ambition, Kelsey, Karla and the team have transformed an event that started in Kelsey’s backyard to a true community event combining the creative talents of several local food truck vendors, small business owners and entrepreneurs.

More than 250 swappers shared their wares at Frances on the warm October day. Several collaborators offered DIY tables for added entertainment, including t-shirt making with Carbon Magazine and necklace and hard scarf designing with Hearts.com. The ladies at Hearts. com, an environmentally friendly clothing label were excited to talk about their new site, which is launching this week. Violet from Revera was also on hand with her heavenly smelling all-natural aromatherapy and bath salts. We were on hand to provide style advice to the swappers, which was a lot of fun.

Kelsey reported that 1600 pounds of items were donated and that $250 was raised for the Fresh Start Women’s Foundation. Fresh Start will also receive all unswapped items.

Although I didn’t pick up any new items at the swap, I was very excited to learn that one of my favorite former students Kendra Worsnup, a fashion blogger for the Downtown Devil’s A Tailored Place, picked up two of my donated items. I’m happy they have a new life on such a fashionable young woman! She will wear them well. She also wrote a great recap of the event.

We were once again proud to be part of this event, and really amazed to see how much its grown in less than a year. It’s a testament not only to the team’s hard work, but also to the growing sense of community spirit that is taking over Phoenix. We are optimistic that this local pride will only continue to flourish.

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Style Tutor has been a big fan of the Clothing Swap hosted by the CO-OPhx ever since we first met its brainchild, Kelsey Wong, at WordCamp Phx earlier this year. We love participating in this event, where people bring their lovingly used clothing to swap with others, because it combines all of our favorite things: fashion (obviously!), community, a social and festive atmosphere and philanthropy. The CO-OPhx Swap team has been working overtime with the fall swap, which will be held this Sunday, October 28, from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. at Frances Vintage (10 W. Camelback), to make this event bigger and better than ever. A variety of local collaborators — including us! — will be on hand with giveaways and fun DIYs, and several food truck vendors like Short Leash Hot Dogs, Mamma Toledo’s Pies and Shine Coffee will be there to keep all the swappers well nourished. And the best part is that all unswapped items will go to the Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, a comprehensive self-help center whose mission is to empower women and help them improve their lives.

Not sure what a clothing swap is? Check out this video put together by Alonso Parra of Lamp Left Media:

Clothing Swap CO-OPhx from CO-OPhx on Vimeo.

Style Tutor is proud to be a part of this fantastic event; we will be on hand to offer style advice and are excited be giving away a free closet visit to one lucky swapper. We hope you can stop by on Sunday with your swappable items — you can even make a day out of it: do some shopping, make some new friends and grab lunch, all while supporting your community and a great cause! See you then!