Trendy Notes: Life with Vision Alumns Re-unite for a Stylish Outing

It’s been about a month since media whiz, Bevy Smith generously staged her very first Life with Vision event and the residue from that memorable afternoon is still hanging over all the lucky participants.

I can definitely attest to the fact that I am still benefiting from my encounters with the inspirational women that populated the venue that day. It also doesn’t hurt that they all happen to be highly intelligent and creatively astute.

Karen Francis, contacted me a week ago with the exciting news that she had won the “I am who I am” Style contest thanks to her candid on camera interview that charmed the crew at Diesel, one of the corporate sponsors of the event. Her reward was an expense paid shopping spree, courtesy of the denim infused retail hub. I wasn’t shocked when Karen shared her winning news, merely because she had also impressed me initially.

She was diligently composed and quietly charismatic at the Vision luncheon, which was a reassuring indication of things to come as the day unfolded. I was in the midst of go-getters; spirited women who were accomplished but also driven by their relentless passion. Karen is a Harvard graduate with a law degree and she was able to parlay that into a career preserving and protecting the arts and other intellectual property in its various forms. Her demanding schedule left very little room for her to incorporate her love for writing and entertainment so she recently made a switch that has proven to be a big step in the right direction. It was during this period of transition that destiny intervened and she connected with Bevy Smith.

So as former visionaries, it was only fitting to include a shopping excursion as a way to unwind and catch up. The Diesel flagship store on 5^th Avenue was our destination and once inside, we joyfully rummaged through the offerings – I played the role of fashion stylist and Karen was the seasoned model and once again she emerged the winner. She walked away with a coveted jump suit, a sassy blue and white blouse and a pair of jeans dipped in cobalt blue. The sales team were appropriately attentive and incredibly resourceful, and we ended our field trip with a greater appreciation for vibrantly hued denim and anything with the word stretch stamped on it.

We headed to the West Side for some much needed grub and coincidently made it just in time for happy hour!

It was awesome to enjoy some retail therapy and lite fare with a fellow visionary. Hopefully the seed has been planted for future fellowships to take root.

To keep up with Karen in all her endeavors you can follow her on Twitter at @karebelle.