| BY RAQUEL RINGGOLD |

Marist Fashion #30SNR


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The best event in fashion to grace the Hudson Valley is currently in full swing. Dynamic energy is flowing at final photoshoots and sewing machines are being put hard to work. Marist College Fashion Program is known for their elite coursework, and of course the one and only, Silver Needle Fashion Show. The trendiest fashionistas, press, and local spectators will gather to see the thirtieth annual show hit the runway on May 6th and I've been counting down!

Thirteen super-talented senior design students will each present the collection they have been dreaming about their entire collegiate experience. The whole program is composed of three close-knit teams: communications, creative, and production. Together they have been piecing the event and gearing up for the ultimate showdown. This will be my third year attending and I already know that it's going to exceed my expectations once again. The designers always come with fresh new fashion concepts that are a breath of fresh air and have a unique story to go along with it.


During my visit to Marist Fashion, I not only got to see what's coming up, but spoke with one of the senior designers about her line. Renee Pedigo told me all about her collection that she creatively inspired after the quote, "I always wonder why birds stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on the Earth?" Her vision is all about making statements while maintaining ready-to-wear practicality and Marist Fashion opened her to viewing the industry from new perspectives and expanding her career opportunities. Just from the tidbits I saw, I already can tell Renee's line is going to be something special!


BTW...you're invited! Tickets for both show times are selling out, so grab them soon and get ready for a fabulous night on the runway...Marist style. In the meantime, you know that I always have the inside scoop so here is a little bit of action from around Marist Fashion.

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The Rachael Ray Show: Glam Makeover




First of all, I want to say thank you so much for all of the sweet messages I have been getting about my appearance on The Rachael Ray Show. You are all so supportive and I'm so glad you loved learning my style tips and tricks, as well as the amazing outfit I styled my mom in. I had such a fantastic time filming the episode and getting to talk all things fashion with Rachael.

*For those who asked, my mom is wearing a Rachel Roy top and skirt, and the floral print heels are BCBG.*

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Operation PROM



I find my glory on stage at pageants wearing gorgeous gowns, so I know what it means when they say "a dress can transform a girl". This weekend I was invited to make an appearance and model at an event in support of a super cool organization called Operation PROM. A pageant gown can reach upward of a thousand dollars and prom gowns trail close at a couple hundred. With that being said many low-income students can't afford designer prom gowns, but that is where Operation PROM has decided to step in by giving away free gowns to make sure anyone can feel confident and beautiful on their special night.

The show coincidentally happened to take place on International Pageant Day and many other titleholders were also modeling, so we had a blast getting show ready and shopping afterwards. We modeled a bunch of the gowns that were going to be donated and promoted the giveaway days for 2016. I literally can't wait to see pictures of all of the beautiful ladies who will rock the dresses at prom. 

Thanks to Chereese and Patrick from Events to Remember for treating us like queens! Also, shoutout to Blane Charles for being an amazing stylist and making me look fab on the runway.

On a side note, I'm sure you remember a few weeks ago I shared behind-the-scenes scoop from The Rachael Ray Show and my episode will be airing on TV TOMORROW, April 13. A ton of you have been asking me about it and I'm so excited for you to tune in to see the full segment!
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Spring Essentials with Makespace



Spring cleaning. A phrase that gives me mixed feelings because I love organizing, but as a total OCD freak everything needs to be perfect. Once I head to the basement to get last years spring clothing together it's usually wrinkled or musty therefore I have to clean everything that was once clean when I packed it away. Sigh. But fear no more fellow fashionistas! If you feel my pain I discovered a cool alternative called MakeSpace that may just fix your problem. It's a storage service that comes to your house, picks up your clothes, and holds it for as long as you like. Whenever you want something back you can let them know on the app and it can be delivered back to you same-day. They currently have a ton of locations listed if you ever need their handy assistance. Pretty cool, huh.

As usual in the beginning of the month I can be found picking outfits for upcoming events. I keep reusing certain items which I just decided to label as Raquel's Sassy Spring Essentials. They include:

1) White Jeans ~ Chic, white jeans are a total pick-me-up to any outfit. Anyone can rock skinny jeans and it is always nice to wear white as the center of an outfit.
2) A Denim Dress ~ Wrap dresses and button-downs are so easy to pull-on no matter what the outing is. Denim is such a flattering material and it is easy to accessorize around. Bring out all of your favorite belts and boho jewelry for this one!
3) Trendy Sneakers ~ It annoys me when people say they refuse to wear sneakers outside the gym because I adore them for anytime. Obviously sneakers are an essential year-round, but recently they have been sported down the runway for top designers more frequently. That means there is no excuse to find the perfect pair no matter if you are Team Nike or Team Chanel (or you can have the best of both worlds!)
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