Dedicated to improving the economic viability of women and girls through focused philanthropic efforts in areas of education.
Designer Marketplace
Guests at Designing Women also have the opportunity to meet Arkansas women designers of all kinds and purchase their wares in a marketplace area located in the event.
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Lakhiva Blann
LcB Nail Lacquer
Nail Lacquer Design
Price: $8
LcB Nail Lacquer is an enterprise that has created a marquee concept consisting of a line of nail lacquer shades. LaKhiva Blann, Founder, CEO & Artistic Director, grew up being called different names in reference to her dark skin tone. Whether the comments tended to be flattering or insulting, LaKhiva was motivated and persuaded to create a line for women that would help individuals “strive to feel alive.”
"I use chemistry to develop shades that are designed for creative interpretation and assess economic trends to determine what's "in" fashion and has long term appeal."
Brandy Thomason McNair
Bella Vita Handmade Jewelry
One of a Kind Handmade Jewelry
Price Range: $15 - $250
Brandy’s passion for jewelry design was encouraged at an early age by her grandmothers. Beginning with friendship bracelets, seed beads and floral wire at age 12, she moved into macramé, bead crimping and more while working at an independently owned bead store during her teen years. After college and a brief stint as an Interior Designer at an architecture firm, Brandy returned to her true calling - jewelry design.
Brandy uses a variety of materials, including vintage brooches and crystals, natural stones, glass, bone, seeds, wood, and metal. Her first love was beads, though, and she’s never lost her fascination with them. Brandy strives to create the kind of beauty and craftswomanship that you just cannot find in a big department store - as well as custom-designing the jewelry you have always wanted but have never been able to find.
"Precious metal, clay and Metal-smithing are just a few of the sciences I am working to master in order to expand the designs I can offer my clients. Technology is an everyday necessity to promote my business through utilizing my website, email, and social networking. Mathematics is very important to calculate my pricing and track my inventory."
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"Congratulations on a beautiful and well-planned, well-attended event last night. From my perspective, [Designing Women] was the most valuable exposure I have had to date for my business. It was definitely what I would call empowering."
Sarah Catherine Gutierrez, SC Financial Care on WFA's 2012 Designing Women event
Watch for Applications to participate in WFA's 2013 Designing Women's Designer Marketplace.
2012 Designers
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Jamileh Kamran
Jamileh Kamran Designs
Jamileh Kamran School of Fashion
Couture Fashion & Design Education
Price Range: $50 - $7,000
For over 40 years Jamileh Kamran, owner of Jamileh Kamran Designs and Jamileh Kamran School of Fashion, has dedicated her career to fashion and along the way has not only made a name for herself locally, but also nationwide. Jamileh’s philosophy “you cannot find two persons alike” is evident in her approach to each design.
Jamileh Kamran School of Fashion offers 8 courses including sewing, flat pattern drafting, body draping, and fashion sketching.
"Designing my own fabric for the Arkansas Aids Foundation (The Face of Aids) enabled me to create designs from the heart. Through the long process of engineering and hand-drawing the design on paper and utilizing technology to screen onto two different types of fabric (silk chiffon for ladies’ scarves and silk charmeuse for men’s neck ties), I created beautiful one-of-a-kind items which were sold throughout Arkansas to help raise money for the benefit of AIDS patients of Arkansas. I have continued to design and produce my own fabrics, which are used in my couture shop to create custom designs for my client’s."
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Nicola Gagliardo
ZIKY
Fashion & Accessory Design
Price Range: $25 - 250
ZIKY aka Nicola Gagliardo grew up in Saarlouis in Southwest Germany. Traveling with her family, as well as participating in sports—especially horse back riding—led ZIKY to start her own line of accessories. Her goal is to combine elevated style and function with design and high quality craftsmanship. All handbags are hand made one at a time and limited in quantity. Small variations may occur especially in the leather products as it is a natural material.
"By using Economics I can keep the production and distribution of my handbags within market pricing ranges. Science plays a part in determining what combination of fabrics and embellishments I use in my designs. Technology is utilized to communicate with fabric sources and vendors and to advertise my unique designs through my website. Engineering allows me to conceptualize and create patterns for each individual product. And of course, Math is important in every function of my work in order to maintain cost of production, inventory and pricing."
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Sarah Catherine Gutierrez
SC Financial Care
Personal Finance & Financial Planning Design
Price: $75 per hour
After working in the financial industry for four years, Sarah Catherine started SC Financial Care, a company dedicated to helping people manage their personal finances. Her interest in financial planning was sparked by a curious exercise of building out the same analytical models for her own finances that she used for analyzing publicly traded companies. The awareness that emerged from actively managing her cash flows was an effective tool for aggressively saving and led to an active interest in learning and applying personal financial strategies. With the encouragement and support of Linda Bessette, financial planner and author of Mindful Money, Sarah Catherine offers clients advice on how to apply similar strategies to save more and pay off debt and to vet financial products for quality and suitability.
"I use a combination of economics, technology and math in my career. The economics is to have a grasp of the state of the economy for clients and the math & technology are instrumental to my cash flow statement creator & analytics & debt judgement planning."
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Sister Maria Liebeck, DC
Woman Tree Art for Helping Hand of Greater Little Rock
Arts Design
Price Range: $5 - $1,000
The underlying theme of much of Sister Maria’s art is the Sacred Feminine. One of her strong influences comes from women at Helping Hand of Greater Little Rock, whose stories she has been privileged to share in the painting which she named "Woman Tree". Sister Maria creates paintings that become notecards and greeting cards - all inspired by prayer and contact with people of deep faith, clients of Helping Hand and volunteers. Her work spans mediums (watercolor, pastel, amate) and subjects (figurative pieces as well as floral subjects and landscapes).
"I used economics and math to calculate the proceeds of my work, which benefits Helping Hand of Greater Little Rock, a program that helps people in crisis with food and other needs. Technology is required through the use of computers and Internet. I am also knowledgeable in the science behind amate, the handmade bark paper invented by the Aztecs that I use in some of my work."
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Debbie Strobel
Strobel Design
Pastel Arts Design
Price Range: $5 - $400
Debbie Strobel graduated from Auburn University with a BFA degree, specializing in graphic design. She worked for over 13 years as an Art Director/Graphic Designer for several advertising agencies in the southwest. For the past 18 years she has worked out of her home as a freelance Graphic Designer. She began taking pastel classes at the Arkansas Arts Center in 2002 and participating in the student sales. She has created a unique expressive line style for her pastel work, utilizing many layers of color over different hues of paper. Her work has been exhibited at the Decorative Arts Museum, Garvan Woodland Gardens, the Arkansas Studies Institute, The Ketz Gallery, and the Thea Foundation. Her pastels have won awards at both local and statewide shows, and she has had work accepted at national pastel competitions. Debbie has been a board member of both the Arkansas League of Artists and the Arkansas Pastel Society.
"Technology is even used in the art field! All graphic design work is done on the computer and I must be knowledgeable in several programs. Even for my pastel work I take my own digital photography, download it to the computer, and retouch some photos through Photoshop."
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Erin Lorenzen
ELL, LLC
Mixed Media Design
Price Range: $10 - $52
Erin Lorenzen creates objects with reclaimed materials. Her works are equal parts diary, scrapbook, and travel log. Family hand-me-downs, objects and images collected while traveling (in Europe, South America, India, and the U.S.), food labels, and production scraps chronicle her life in an ongoing collection of paintings, sculpture, clothing, and jewelry. By using the old to create the new, Erin hopes to encourage saving and mending in a culture that is often wasteful and excessive. Her recent works explore every part of daily life. They are a constant investigation of what people devote themselves to and why. With these pieces, she questions absolutes and contemplates the search for the true meaning of concepts like purity, love, justice, and peace.
"Technology helps me keep up to date on the most eco-friendly design practices. The shirts I choose to put my designs on are all made from a mix of organic cotton, recycled polyester, and naturally occurring rayon."
Peggy Roberson
New York to Arkansas
Oil, Acrylic, Watercolr & Pastel Design
Price Range: $100 - 400
Originally from Rochester, New York, Peggy’s life has taken her to several states, but none more beautiful or more inspiring for an artist than her current home in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Mostly self taught, Peggy’s art has evolved over the years. Because she enjoys working in several mediums, she is always trying something new. Peggy’s art is sometimes impressionistic, but she also loves creating whimsical art - children’s furniture, vintage window paintings, as well as private commissions.
"I have embraced technology! Just the internet alone helps me create and obtain ideas for my art. My time to create is limited, so I am continually learning from others by researching art programs and other artists who share ideas. Math is also very important in allowing me to keep my inventory and costs consistent"
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