F2 President Bri Crum and Designer Shirin Askari

by Rachel Courts

The Fashionistas Foundation may have begun in 2005, but it is in 2010 that they are taking our fair city of Dallas by storm. Heidi Dillon, CEO, began the non-profit organization to ensure that Dallas does its duty, much like New York or Los Angeles, to uphold fashion as an art form. Having partnered in the past with the Dallas Historical Society and the Texas Fashion Collection, the current mission of The Fashionistas is now geared toward supporting talented fashion students. Their mission statement reads: "To be an international champion of the fashion arts through exhibitions, scholarships and educational programs - and to position Dallas in its rightful place as a portal to the global fashion community."

Once playfully termed "the fairy godmothers of fashion," The Fashionistas have become a force to be reckoned with. Through their lecture series FASHION TALK, Dillon has successfully given Dallasites the opportunity to learn from the fashion world's most renowned influencers such as Vogue's Hamish Bowles, Tiffany's Design Director John Loring and Director of NYC's Fashion Institute  of Technology Museum Valerie Steele. And don't think the stiletto stops there. With their student group, the Fashionistas Two (F2), the organization continues their educational support by hosting a lecture series. Entitled F2 TALK, the lectures are aimed at students and recent graduates who are looking to network and gain valuable advice from like-minded professionals. 

With their production of designer Shirin Askari's debut fashion show, who is a former F2 and season six Project Runway alum, The Fashionistas now have the ability to support their students from start to success. Why has Dillon and her team - F2 President Bri Crum, Senior Editor Rachel Courts and Advertising Executive Jillian Prado - made it their mission to tirelessly convey the appeal of fashion? Because fashion created an intangible allure that attracts real money, talent, beauty and enterprise to our city. Now who wouldn't want to become a part of that?

For more information about The Fashionistas, please visit www.thefashionistas.org or contact 972.504.6354