The Limited - Fashion Show & Gift Certificate Winners.

The fashion show celebrating The Limited’s grand opening at The Streets of Southpoint in Durham was fantastic, and I was thrilled to be a part of it all. When I tell you there were crowds of people, it would be an understatement. The fashion show was held in center court with over 100 chairs for VIP seating, and standing room only behind the chairs for the crowds gathered and above on the second floor looking down.

Linda Loveland, morning DJ for MIX 101.5, came out in her red sheath dress and made the introductions. I giggled when she announced that the sheath dress she was wearing was her first ever owned. Truth be told, Linda could put on a paper bag and it would still look great. She has the longest, loveliest legs I’ve seen in a long time and she ain't 29 no more, but looks amazing!

Elliot Staples, the Senior Vice President of Design at The Limited, soon came out to get the show going. He started with 8 items on a rolling rack ranging from pants, skirts, tops, a sweater and a fabulous sage green, pleather bomber jacket. The first series of models strutted the runway in the various combinations from the eight garments shown on the rack earlier. The models were all employees from the store, which to my delight proved the versatility of clothing for women of all shapes and sizes.

As the next several segments followed, we were introduced to camel as the key color with a touch of tartan plaid in a fabulous cape, skirt and coat. All the camel garments shown were paired with combinations of navy (Elliot's favorite combination), blacks, browns, greys, and reds! Personally, I think the accessories - belts, scarves, handbags and shoes - made all the outfits winners!

We also witnessed another trend of color block clothing. On a side note, I found color block items this past spring to be a little too challenging for the average consumer to wear, but The Limited carries color block pieces my grandmother could have pulled off. As the crowds cheered, Elliot introduced one last group of models. The group was comprised of local college student volunteers and employees from the local Ronald MacDonald House, who The Limited had partnered with for the event. A percentage of the store sales profits throughout the weekend were donated to Ronald MacDonald House. So, fashion meets fundraising!

It really was a wonderful fashion event and the people that registered for the show and were given a wristband, they were about to experience truly getting the most bang for your buck! At the private VIP party, not only did the wine and desserts flow, but all clothes in the store where 50% off. Check out the black and red pleather jacket that had my name on it!

For my two luck winners, Beth Palmer and Chris Jones, they were armed with their $50 gift card in hand as they attempted to shop along with the maze of crowds in the store. As the DJ provided shopping music, I searched for Beth Palmer, looking forward to helping her choose items to wear back with a black pair of pants that she was wearing. Beth is a breast cancer survivor, first diagnosed in 2003 and she is a talented artist - worth checking out her website at www.bethpalmerstudio.com, too.

By the time I found Beth she was in the register line holding a color block cardigan of red and camel, a muted stripe black and navy sweater, and a grey jacket. She had done quite well (clearly she’s listened to me over the years), but I quickly mentioned that the cardigan would really pop with a white shirt or blouse worn underneath and anything in a brighter color with her grey jacket. She is so talented that we actually chatted about color ranges she could paint on scarves to accessorize her new garments with. She left exhausted and happy with her purchases!

Then I began my second hunt for Chris Jones. Have I mentioned it was really a zoo, and by then I was looking for the bar and a glass of wine. I had done my interviews and quite honestly, could have dressed Chris with one eye open. Chris is a local jewelry artist that I have been working with as a client and custom jeweler for my own clients for several years. I have watched her jewelry evolve beautifully and have enjoyed collaborating on many custom works. Her work is definitely worth checking out at www.christinejonesjewelry.com.

It was only by coincidence that both women are artist and both entered my contest and won. Now that is what I call using Facebook to your advantage!

I finally found Chris and promised to be back to find her again once I had been through the store pulling items for her. I came up with a great sage green bomber jacket, a drape neck black, grey and muted red sleeveless top to pair with a wonderful red jacket we just bought her from another store. I also found The Limited's signature Cassidy pant that fits most women in a beautiful camel color. Lastly, knowing that Chris wanted to buy something for her teenage daughter, I pulled a silver sequin sleeveless top to pair with a with a long sleeve fitted tee under it or a cardigan sweater over it for versatile look for school. Chris moved behind a rack, not wanting to wait for a fitting room, and proceeded to do what I see often with the elderly when not wanting to bother to go to a fitting room. Layer and try on, and then look for a mirror somehow. Mission accomplished. For Chris's wardrobe it is all about a few great jackets, basic bottoms and shirts, enabling her to highlight her own jewelry designs. The sage green bomber jacket will is a wonderful addition as a wardrobe builder for Chris. I suggested that Chris have the knit cuff cut off to fit her arm length. Simple tailoring of any garment is your best investment. So it was a win-win for everyone.

Special thanks to those who entered my Facebook contest, McKeeman Public Relations Company, and The Limited for inviting me to participate in this fun event. It was so much fun!