FIRST LADIES of Phoenix Fashion week - Meet Abbei & Brenna.

Posted: Oct 14 2015

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Happy Hump Day my lovely Fashionable Folks.  We are so honored and humbled to put these fierce women high up on the pedestals like they deserve to be.  Read about the beautiful, hard-working, fashionistas that are behind the scenes making it all happen. These fashion leaders along with Brian Hill and many others are why there is a Phoenix Fashion Week.

             

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ABBEI MARQUIS.

Head of the Buyers and Designers team! Catch her perspective on success, her deepest inspirations and what drives this successful woman!

               

Define “Fashion"

Fashion is an enigma. We all see, breathe and feel fashion differently. It's a perfect ball of creativity that is shaped by our own tastes & experiences. My fashion is defined as the art we live our lives in.

What one thing do you LOVE most about your role with Phoenix Fashion week?

 I LOVE our Emerging Designers. Every year they get better and better! I am with the designers from the very beginning - from meeting them at Meet & Greets around the country through their challenging boot camp and all the way through their finale walk. I love getting to know the designers and their brands and watching them grow and expand. Their success is our success and I love watching them succeed.                                                                                                                                                         
What ONE thing in your role is your least favorite and something you could do without?
My least favorite part of my position at PHXFW is saying no to talented designers. On the Meet & Greet tour Brian and I meet a lot of incredible designers. Sometimes designers have incredible designs but just aren't ready to focus on the business side of their brand. It's incredibly difficult to say no to designers that have so much potential. I always stay in touch with these designers and watch their brands closely over the course of the year and make sure to invite them back fro the next round of Meet & Greets. 

 

What would you like to see added to Phoenix Fashion week?

I would love to see an added element of live entertainment. Having an incredible concert pre-runway shows or during intermission would keep energy high!                                                                                                                                         
What motivates you to continue your work with Phoenix Fashion week and Fashion in Arizona?
Arizona is a unique fashion community. I am motivated to stay connected to the fashion community in Arizona because it's so up and coming. There is a lot of growth to happen and I want to be a part of it! PHXFW is the biggest fashion event in the southwest, so staying with PHXFW is the biggest & best way to stay engrained in the fashion community in the Southwest. 

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BRENNA MOSES.

Operations Director of Phoenix Fashion Week. Alongside her strong work ethic, vision, and discipline, delve a little into how she views fashion, how she started and what motivates her!

                                                                                               

Everyone has to start somewhere. What was your first job within the Phoenix Fashion week organization?

​I joined the team back in 2008 when I first moved to Arizona! I have been on the Operations Team since Day 1 so I can pretty much say I have done it all!  I will never forget my 1st fashion week because I had just graduated college and moved across the country & thought I was the coolest girl ever getting to work my first fashion job​! We were just minutes from doors opening and I was asked to vacuum the red carpet. Unfortunately, the vacuum broke, so I was on my hands and knees picking up leaves when guests started to arrive.

 

What one thing do you LOVE most about your role with Phoenix Fashion week?

What I love about my role as the ​Operation​s​ Director with Phoenix Fashion Week is ​that I basically am able to work on every team that we have and really have an impact on all of the different platforms that fashion week as to offer. ​ I get to have my hand in everything which is not only fun, but it allows me to know exactly what is going on and needs to be done to move something forward... this is especially important when it comes to event days! 

 

Define SUCCESS in reference to this Year’s Fashion Week?  What made it successful and what can you measure to gauge that?

​At PHXFW ​we base our success on our designers success. We have to ask ourselves....Has our team given each brand our best? Are we building sustainable brands that after going through our bootcamp they are continuing to grow & gain sales? Are they leaving us with a better business model​ than when they met us? If the answer is yes... then we were successful. ​The events we throw all year round are simply opportunities for each brand to better themselves.  It's really not about the glitz and the glamour.... who sat in the front row... what blogger said what.... or how many people filled the seats. Our team behind the scenes is doing so much more on a daily basis that most attendees never really even know about. Our class of 2015 designers without a doubt are leaving a better brand than when they arrived and without a doubt will continue on to do fantastic things! So to answer this question... yes.... we are chalking 2015 up as a win:) 

 

What motivates you to continue your work with Phoenix Fashion week and Fashion in Arizona?

What motivates me to continue my work with fashion week would  have to be our Executive Director, Brian Hill's​ vision. ​Since Day 1 Brian has been our fearless leader who does everything he can for the growth & betterment of PHXFW! His vision is unstoppable!  In my opinion, he single hand-idly wrapped his arms around every fashion lover in this state and created an industry that never existed. He works harder & longer than anyone I know and has pulled our team along for the ride! He is passionate about making every teammate, brand, and ambassador a better person both professionally and personally.  If you can't find his work ethic inspiring,  you will not fit in on our team.

 

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
​Oh geez!  Well, I just hit the big 3-0 this year so I am certainly looking forward to making the next 5 years my best yet! I am excited to see where fashion week takes the team & me! I have seen this company grow tremendously in the past 8 years and the goals that are on the table for our team to accomplish are HUGE!  ​I am without a doubt confident that we will see them through and if not, I hope that in 5 years brands like Dolcessa, Misha Mendicino, & Hues of Ego are all million dollar brands and looking to hire a new Operations Director:)                                                                                                                                                   
                                                                              
There it is lovely birds, the first two cool First ladies of Phoenix Fashion week.  These Divas are Smart, Strong, dedicated and making a difference in the Phoenix Fashion Community.  Abbei and Brenna, I salute you. So Stay tuned as we continue to interview and honor 4 other FIRST LADIES of Phoenix Fashion week. 
BE BOLD..
BE BRAVE..
BE YOU...

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