Fashion Forward at Francesca’s!

On Saturday, our volunteers woke up bright and early to pick up the awesome refugee artisans from The Community Cloth at their respective homes. When we arrived at Francesca’s on Woodway, everybody was eager to shop around and learn all about the new styles and trends popular for the new season. We all learned a little something about hot colors for the fall like purple and hunter green, beautiful fabrics like crochet and lace, and even how to dress up a casual outfit with a tailored blazer. The staff members (D'Naya, Thuy and Tatiana) were also very informative when it came to questions about jewelry and knit accessories, which are what the refugee artisans can effectively produce and sell. We had a ton of fun browsing the store and getting to know such amazing women.

A special thanks to Francesca’s, the Community Cloth, and Vox Culture volunteers for a successful event! Thanks to Wind Photography for the beautiful photos from Style Scope!

Also, Design Workshop is right around the corner, so if you missed this event, make sure you come out on October 20^th to support these beautiful refugee artisans! RSVP here.

 

"Style Scope" Visit to Francesca's Collections THIS Saturday 9/15!

COLOR BLOCKING, ARM CANDY, TRIBAL VIBE...find out what is fashion forward this upcoming season! Join us for the first "Common Threads" event, STYLE SCOPE, this Sat Sept 15 from 8-10AM. We will be taking the Refugee Artisans out on a field trip to Francesca's Collections (6514 Woodway, Houston, TX). Image is a sneak peek from Francesca's website of stylish offerings at the boutique!

The goal of the outing is for the refugee artisans to see and learn about the latest trends in fashion and accessories. By volunteering your time, you will give the artisans the opportunity to gain inspiration for their creations and businesses. Volunteers are encouraged to collaborate with the refugee artisans in pairing accessories, colors and textures for a fun and engaging shopping experience!

We are looking for volunteers who would be willing to provide transportation for the artisans from their apartments in Harwin to and from Francesca's Collections. If you are interested in driving and engaging with the refugee artisans, please sign-up HERE.

ADDED BONUS: Purchases made at this private event will be 20% off!

"Common Threads" Events

Around the globe, over fifteen million people are considered refugees, persons who are unable or unwilling to return to their home countries due to violence or well-founded fear of persecution. The United States receives the largest number of refugees yearly for resettlement, and Houston is one of the top resettlement cities. Refugees have made significant contributions to our city, yet they are a struggling community.

Vox Culture is excited to partner with The Community Cloth for a three event series themed “Common Threads” that will highlight the artisans from Houston’s refugee community. These events aim to showcase the empowerment, creativity, and independence of some of the most talented women in our city.

The first event on September 15th will be “Style Scope”, an educational field trip for the refugee artisans to Francesca's Collections. Our volunteers will be taking the women to a boutique to learn about the latest trends and styles in fashion and accessories. These ideas aim to inspire creations to help expand the refugees’ businesses.

The second event on October 20^th will be “Design Workshop”, a jewelry making collaborative between the artisans and participants, which will be interactive and beneficial in teaching the women how to create accessories that can be sold year round. This will be held in a fun and relaxing atmosphere that enables the community to learn about the artisans and build deeper relationships.

Lastly on November 3^rd, Vox will be hosting the “Interwoven Mixer” at 55 Restaurant/Bar. It will be a bazaar woven with music, dance, ethnic cuisines, colorful textiles from the refugees’ represented countries and a fashion show! We aim to provide a stage where these women can present and sell their traditional wares and have the opportunity to make a living by doing what they love and share about their culture and heritage. The potential and power that stands behind these events is that the audience may realize that each and every one of the products created has a story to be told. These moving narratives are not written with a pen or on a sheet of paper, but are woven into tapestry by lives that have seen the pain, love and opportunity this world holds.

Join us in learning about, engaging with, and celebrating the contributions of our refugee community.

{For questions or volunteer opportunities, email Linda.Fox@voxculture.org}

August Newsletter: "Common Threads" with The Community Cloth!

a. Common Threads: Celebrating the Contributions of Our Refugee Community
b. Welcome Irena Liang, Creative Marketing Coordinator
c. Welcome Linda Fox, Volunteer Coordinator
d. Vox Network: Professionals by Day, Creatives by Night
e. Core Team Field Trip 8/25 - The Last Organic Outpost
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Vox Culture looks forward to partnering with our friends at Community Cloth for our "Refugees at Home" trimester extending from September thru November!

About: The Community Cloth is a refugee-led, refugee-owned microenterprise empowering refugee women in Houston, who have fled their homes due to war, political violence, exclusion, and the competition for scarce resources in troubled states. Houston is one of the busiest resettlement cities in the US, and the thousands of refugees welcomed to our city each year face a number of barriers. Many arrive with little to no English proficiency and minimal education. Some lived upwards of 18-20 years in refugee camps, with no legal right to employment, and often faced dismal health and housing options. The Community Cloth's mission is to empower grassroots leaders around the world to improve their communities by providing knowledge, resources and support.

a. "COMMON THREADS" EVENTS: Save the Dates!

The theme for our upcoming trimester is "Common Threads: Celebrating the Contributions of Our Refugee Community" and our Core Team is diligently planning fun and engaging 3-event series to showcase the Refugee artisans at Community Cloth. Vox strives to give our audience the opportunity to learn about and support one cause through varying experiences: Vox Imprint: Arts & Crafts | Vox Conspiracy: Discussion | Vox Culture: Service / Social.  Save the dates below!

1. Style Scope - Artisan Boutique Field Trip @ Francesca's on Woodway | Sat 9/15 @ 8-10AM
2. Design Workshop - Jewelry Making Event @ Vox Warehouse | Sat 10/20 @ 2-4PM
3. Interwoven Mixer - Bazaar Social @ TBD | Sat 11/3 @ 2-5PM

For questions about the events, email Linda.Fox@voxculture.org

b. WELCOME IRENA LIANG, Creative Marketing Coordinator

Scientist by day, Painter by night...Vox is thrilled to on-board Irena Liang as our Creative Marketing Coordinator! Irena started with us earlier this month and will be spearheading initiatives to help spread the Vox brand. Learn more about this food spilling, nail painting, onion avoiding intern, here.

c. WELCOME LINDA FOX, Volunteer Coordinator

Engineer by day, UH Cougars Fan by night...this ball of energy, Linda Fox, is our newest Volunteer Coordinator! She was the mobilizer for the Beach Clean-Up & BBQ and now will be helping to ignite the excitement and care for our volunteers. Learn more about this Skittle eating, swan diving, UH football cheering Vox Core member, here.

d. VOX NETWORK: Professionals by Day, Creatives by Night

We are so fortunate to have a dynamic and energetic group of volunteers that fuels our organization. Our audience can best be described as “Professionals by Day and Creatives by Night”. Examples of the interesting and talented people our organization houses include: 1) Financial Analyst by day, Photographer by night, 2) Politician by day, Music Junkie by night 3) Bank Teller by day, Salsa Instructor by night. Vox exists to provide a platform for people to discover their passions and exercise creative expressions to benefit the community. Contact Linda.Fox@voxculture.org on how you can leverage your skills today!

e. CORE TEAM FIELD TRIP 8/25 - The Last Organic Outpost

Interested in getting a taste of what the Core Team is about? Join us for a field trip to The Last Organic Outpost for a fun tour, hands-on experience, and picnic on Sat 8/25 from 10-1:30PM! RSVP to Alissa.Kit@voxculture.org

About: A continuously expanding urban farm, The Last Organic Outpost started as a simple backyard garden of Joe Nelson Icet. Looking for direction and a sense of community, Joe studied permaculture and with the help of his son, Keldren, he began to create a backyard garden that officially became called The Last Organic Outpost in 2003. As its community of friends and volunteers continued to grow over the years, in 2008, artist Dan Phillips would donate a gazebo he had made of recycled materials, and the traveling art group Transit Antenna climbed atop the old rice warehouse and painted a giant onion mural and the words 'Farm Art'. While this design would later become the group’s logo, what was vital about this moment was that it had led to a new chapter for The Last Organic Outpost; a place that allowed for the fusion of farm and art. Their fun culture is described in the following statement, "We like to gather on weekends to play in the dirt, plant and share meals at the picnic tables by the ponds. We eat live food from the garden and use mustard leaves as dinner plates, so bring your own fork!"
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Lastly, SPECIAL THANKS to the Rice MBA Team: Ryan Allen, Clif Giles, Matt Marquart and Dane Roberts for their time and efforts in designing an Integrated Marketing Communications strategy plan for Vox. We are grateful for their suggestions and look forward to rolling out with the new ad campaigns. Stay tuned :)

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