Fashion show celebrates empowerment, self-love

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It was a night of fashion, fun and empowerment at the Grace & Joy Clothing Co. fashion show. Wednesday.

The goal is to bring women into the community to give them the opportunity to feel happy and beautiful, said Jennie Jett, organizer of the fashion show.

Each woman wore an outfit specially designed by Grace & Joy owner Susan Wentz.

The business offers small batches of made-to-order clothing for stores, Wentz said. This is something she has been doing for about 10 years after starting a fashion company while on a trip to Vietnam, and starting her business with just $1,000.

While Wentz’s designs on exhibitors stand out for their colorful and bold designs, fashion show attendees are judged on their word, said Terry Jett, one of the judges at the event.

I tried to blind my eyes with all the beauty and beauty, he said. But my judgment is about how you present yourself, the positives you portray on the trail, the genuine attitude.

Angela Moore, one of the participants, said she first connected with Jennie Jett through a Facebook Marketplace ad for a blanket set for her 3-year-old granddaughter.

Two hours later at his house, we were really in each other’s lives, he said. There is no one who is not friends with him. So and then he invited me to this, [to] I said, Absolutely not. I’m soft, and 52. And he’s like, No, no, no, you don’t understand. We are all of all ages and sizes and everything, to encourage women. And as soon as he said that, I immediately went up.

Moore, who works as a firefighter, says one of the greatest pieces of advice she can give when it comes to empowerment is to reach out to people’s lives.

I see patients in the worst condition they can possibly experience on their first day. And I have the distinct privilege of having a job that reaches into the dark, he said. But it applies to neighbors, it applies to friends. This applies to people who are afraid to leave the house because of COVID. Reach their life.

Beverly Smith, who has worked in fashion for most of her life, says one of her greatest pieces of advice is to work on finding inner strength and self-worth rather than waiting for someone else’s validation.

Smith, who is a widow, has been through a lot, she said. Through that struggle, he didn’t wait for others to tell him what it was worth.

It had to come from within, he said. [When] You wake up in the morning, you have to believe in yourself.

Kristina, who asked to use only her first name, said that learning to love herself has also helped her become a better person to others.

I literally go around loving myself all day, she says. It makes it easier for me to love other people, because I am always full.