One word … FABULOUS! Okay guys, I had sooo much fun at the Sofistfunk & Friends event at Closet ForHer 07631 in Englewood. When Arlinda, the designer and owner of Sofistafunk The Skirt Company, asked me to host the event, I didn’t know what to expect. But, I had no need to worry. It was all about gorgeous clothes, beautiful jewelry, pretty palettes of make-up, intriguing hair products, drool-worthy natural hair and the most stunning, sweetest and down-to-earth group of women you ever want to meet! I had a blast!

So first, Arlinda said that she was providing a skirt for me to wear at the event. However, the only thing she told me was to wear a black top, black matte tights and black boots. Therefore, I had no idea what she would be putting me in. And, if you’ve seen the Sofistafunk collection, you know it could be anything from a flirty, color-saturated, short tiered skirt, to a ballroom length, crinolined one, to a demure and subtle pencil skirt! The spectrum is wide! When I arrived, she pointed towards the corner and told me the green skirt was for me. I walked over and saw this green plaid number on a pile of pretty colored fabrics. OMGosh y’all, I LOVE this skirt! It fit like a glove and is soooo me. It’s a motley of textures and accents set on a green and black patterned plaid wool with highlights of pink and aqua, sporting an asymmetrical hem, exposed lining, random aqua stitching on the hem and exposed zipper, a sweatshirt cotton contrast pocket and long satin ribbon trim in aqua at the pocket and back zipper. It’s flirty and whimsical, yet professional and classic. Everyone complimented it and there was one woman who I think would have ripped it off of my body if I didn’t keep any eye on her!! LOL!!

This picture doesn't do it justice!

Next, let’s talk about the shop, which was nestled in an easily accessible and what appeared to be window shopping friendly area of Englewood. I was able to quickly park in a parking garage at the end of the same block and meter parking was also available on the street. The shop is a nice little space with hardwood floors, a high ceiling, clean, white, modern displays and two curtained and large dressing rooms with very slimming mirrors . They had a mannequin with short braids under a red hat that kept tricking me into thinking she was a real woman! In regard to the apparel for sale, the shop hosted an eclectic and pretty array of dresses, tops, skirts and slacks as well as accessories like hats, belts and scarves. The dresses caught my eye in particular and I ended up splurging on a very pretty and super soft jersey knit printed dress by Karina that my sister spotted and pointed out (it looks ten times better on me, if I do say so myself . I’ll model it for you guys later!).

Now onto the eye candy! The jewelry by Z of Z. Charles Creations was displayed in a couple of areas, exhibiting a colorful palette of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings and brooches designed with various stones, glass beads, rhinestones and metals. The models were bedazzled in chunky pieces layered with more subtle and subdued ones. Everything perfectly complimented the Sofistafunk ensembles. I ended up buying the necklace that Arlinda chose for me to wear and my sister Shana was eyeing up the necklace worn by Marlene here (though she didn’t get it).

Speaking of the fierce Marlene, she is one half of the mother and daughter duo behind Doris New York. Seriously, when I walked into the shop, my eyes were immediately drawn to her as she worked on the hair of the model to the right. I mean, she was gorgeous and fierce and, I swear … I was ogling her. She turned to see me enter the store and broke into the bright, welcoming smile you see in this pic … no pretenses, no hesitation. Like, this is a woman you see and say, she has got it going on … and, she’s nice too??!? Oh, and smart and talented. Quadruple threat. We talked hair care and the dearth of quality, well-trained and educated stylist and salons. She is soooo on point with hers!! Like, she and her mother are committed to really taking care of and fostering healthy hair, not just making it look good on the day you leave the salon. So, she specifically recommended the Mineral Mud for me and hooked me up with a bag full of the line!!! I was like, “Are you kidding me??” You know the PJ in me was losing her mind at the haul!!

Anyway, Marlene said that the Mud is a hair and scalp detoxifier and that her clients who use it say that it makes their hair “feel young again.”  I was all in. But, I was also a little disappointed as I’d just washed my hair!! Now, I have to wait until my next wash day to give it a try!! I also asked Marlene about her fierce do and what she uses to give it so much volume and shine (btw, she is relaxer free too). She told me that both she and Etoile use the Doris New York Leave-in Conditioner and Olive Oil cream! They have completely different hair, but it works for both of them. As layering KCKT under JessiCurl Confident Coils is still producing those product residue flakes, I’ll definitely be trying this leave-in on my next WnG! Oh, and the Olive Oil cream? She had sample sizes for free at her display and I grabbed one before knowing that she was going to gift me with a full size jar. So, yeah … I didn’t even make it out of the parking lot without busting it open and applying some to my hair! It’s light and creamy and seemed to instantly absorb into my hair, giving it a sheen, with no tackiness or greasines. I applied some more on Sunday, just because I liked how it made my hair feel so much and I think that I’ve been skimping on the daily moisturizing! Marlene also hooked me up with a Doris New York satin sleeper! You guys, the design is sick! You already know about my bonnet fetish. I ain’t new to this game. But this? This is special. It’s a roomy, lined bonnet, with an elastic back and a satin sash to tie like a scarf. It comes in three different prints and is stylish enough to wear out of the house (just pull out those huge, dark shades and rock it Jackie O. style). Check out Etoile’s recent review of it here. I got the zebra as it matches my shower cap and toiletries travel bag !!

Also present was make-up artist Julez Rafael, who was there doing free mini make-overs. I had all intentions of getting one myself, but I got caught up and never had the chance. She was also responsible for the lovely and subtle make-up on the models and was another sweetie, giving my sister 50 cents to feed the meter! Check her out on Facebook!

Speaking of the models, do you see their fierce hair?!? The one on the floor is LaNora (who said I looked like her cousin in Cali), standing in the middle is Tare’ (who is addicted to the online natural hair community and was teaching me a thing or two about the bloggers out there!) and seated on the right is Jericho (who is a low maintenance type of girl). Of course, we started talking hair and it was like we were old friends!

So yeah, that’s it in a massive, Epcot Center “golf ball” sized nutshell! *LOL* And with that, I’ll leave you with some more fun pictures. And, stay tuned, because I’ll be announcing another event that is coming soon !!

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