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Design House of Colour Grand Opening Boosts Hope in Parramore
ORLANDO, FL (FNN News) – American Express OPEN’s 2015 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report revealed that a staggering 55 percent of new women-owned businesses started each day over the past year were led by minority women. Design House of Colour, a clothing design facility and boutique, is the latest addition to that number. The company held its grand opening at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, October 1, 2015 with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, District 5 Commissioner Regina Hill, and District 2 Soil & Water Conservation Supervisor Daisy Morales in attendance.
Location, Location, Location…Parramore
Design House of Colour (DHOC) is located in the heart of downtown Orlando—in Suite M at 595 Church Street, across the street from Amway Center and only a short distance from The Citrus Bowl, in the Parramore District.
Parramore carries the reputation as downtown Orlando’s “depressed” area, which people often avoid, primarily because of the dilapidated building facades and industrial areas, and the high number of transient citizens who have experienced hardship walking its streets each day.
So, why open a brand new business in Parramore? According to DHOC’s website, its mission is “to provide unique opportunities to the underprivileged and under-served in the fashion design and embellishment industry.”
Quite simply, DHOC identified its market and moved into its center.
Miami-born owner and founder Dr. Renee Forbes-Williams identifies with the struggle. Her mother was a fashion designer, so she was “born and raised in fashion,” but things changed when she decided to get into the industry herself.
“I actually enrolled in a fashion design program at Tennessee State University,” Forbes-Williams recalled. “But my mother said, ‘Don’t do it, don’t do it, don’t do it! I mean, honestly, how many black designers can you name?’ And that was her point, and I acknowledged that.”
She eventually found her way back into fashion, and wanted to offer an otherwise scarce opportunity to a new generation.
“What I think is so unique about the Design House of Colour is that it’s not only business, but it gives people an opportunity to follow their dreams and apprenticeship programs,” Commissioner Hill explained. “It’s a business that’s helping to develop other businesses.”
Another Beacon of Hope for Parramore
The City of Orlando’s Downtown Development Board (DDB) and Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) offers the Minority/Women Entrepreneur Business Assistance Program, or MEBA, to existing minority or women-owned businesses in the Parramore area, and to new minority or women-owned businesses that wish to open locations in the Parramore area.
“We are committed in the City to focus on the revitalization of Parramore,” Mayor Dyer said during the grand opening. “It seems like we’re doing [ribbon cuttings for new businesses] every other week in Parramore now.” He also informed the packed audience that through the MEBA program, DHOC was able to get funding “for capital equipment, site improvements, marketing expertise…state of the art machinery and cutting edge design software.”
Together with existing programs such as Parramore Kidz Zone, youth and aspiring designers in the Parramore area have an additional model to aspire to, and increased hope, given this new opportunity to empower themselves. DHOC offers a weeklong course in basic sewing and embellishments (sequins, metallics, etc.). Its boutique layout affords students the chance to sell the very clothing they create there on its shelves and racks.
The DHOC website invites outside designers to showcase their wares for sale in the boutique as well.
“This is such a unique concept,” said Thomas Chatmon, Jr., Executive Director of the Downtown Development Board. “[And] with the influx of students coming in here and then their customers coming in to take advantage of the product that is created here, I think it can be very good for Parramore, very good for West Church Street, and good for City View.”
The Design House of Colour in Action
The grand opening ran from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and everyone gathered at the doors for the ribbon cutting at 11:30 a.m. The day’s offering included a deejay, gourmet hors d’oeuvres courtesy of Elite Catering & Events, LLC., lunch provided by DHOC, and fashion showcases by five different designers. Ms. International World 2014 Jenny Rosario emceed the first half of the day, and Ms. Latina International CEO Angela Posillico emceed the latter half.
The elected officials and the audience got to see custom shirt printing firsthand. The first presentation was Mayor Dyer’s “I Love Downtown Orlando” shirt (below), followed by Commissioner Hill’s “I Am District 5 Orlando” (below) and “Straight Outta District 5” shirts. Also, in partnership with Orlando International Fashion Week, which takes place the first week of November, Dr. Forbes-Williams presented a custom-made Orlando International Fashion Week shirt as well.
Photo: J. Willie David III/Florida National News
Photo: J. Willie David III/Florida National News.
The launch party followed from 12:00 p.m. to 4 p.m., followed by a celebratory toast, and the Orlando International Fashion Week Mixer from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The crowd was excited and happy for Dr. Forbes-Williams on her momentous accomplishment and looks forward to DHOC’s success.
“We at the Downtown Development Board are committed to doing whatever we can to make Design House of Colour a success,” Chatmon said. “We’ll be promoting it through our marketing efforts and social media efforts and coordinating with them on any special events or promotions that they want to convey to the public…We’re very happy that they’re here.”
Mellissa Thomas is a Jamaica-born writer. She’s a decorated U.S. Navy veteran with Entertainment Business Masters and Film Bachelors degrees from Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL.
She is also an author coach, helping advisors, coaches, consultants, entrepreneurs, and experts double their income and clinch the credibility they deserve by walking them step by step through the process of developing, completing, marketing, and publishing their first book via her Inevitable AUTHORity™ Author Mentoring Program.
She has published six books, all available on Amazon.com. Her newly released book, From a Babe 2.0, is .
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WINTER PARK, Fla. (Florida National News) – Mister Rogers’ Week of Kindness, inspired by the children’s TV host and icon, comes to Orlando in March 2023. This week-long series of events was announced today at the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation in Winter Park.
“Fred McFeely Rogers devoted his entire life to reminding us of some of the most important ideas of what it means to be human among humans: love, respect and kindness,” explained Buena Vista Events & Management President & CEO Rich Bradley. “Many of us find that nearly 20 years after Fred’s passing, it is important to focus on his teachings once again, perhaps now more than ever. This is a week to re-engage with his massive body of work with some folks, and to introduce his teachings to others.”
Mister Rogers’ Week of Kindness begins March 20, 2023, the date which would have been Fred’s 95th birthday, and concludes on Saturday, March 26 with the Red Sweater Soiree, a community dinner to recognize ten ordinary members of the community who inspire and exemplify the affinity that Fred Rogers had for showing kindness to our “Neighbors”.
Mister Rogers Week of Kindness coming March 20-26, 2023. Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky (Florida National News)
Activities planned for the week will include early childhood education activities and faculty training, as well as events open to the public.
“The events will be offered free or at low cost,” continued Bradley. “This week-long celebration is not a series of fundraisers, but rather about once again remembering and sharing some of the great work that Fred Rogers created, not only in early childhood education, but in reminding us that we are all part of one big ‘neighborhood’. Fred taught us the importance of accepting our Neighbors just the way they are and engaging in kindness with our interactions. I can’t think of another period in my lifetime where we needed to reflect on those messages again more than today.”
“There are three ways to ultimate success,” Fred Rogers was once quoted as saying. “The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind. Imagine what our neighborhoods would be like if each of us offered, as a matter of course, just one kind word to another person.”
Many of the activities of Mister Rogers’ Week of Kindness will be attended by members of the cast and crew of Mister Rogers Neighborhood, which ran from 1968 – 1975, and again from 1979 – 2001. David Newell, known as “Mr. McFeely,” the “Speedy Delivery” man, appeared at today’s media conference via video, and looks forward to visiting Central Florida next March.
David Newell, “Mr. McFeely.” Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky (Florida National News)
Mister Rogers’ Week of Kindness is supported by the McFeely-Rogers Foundation, the Fred Rogers Institute, and Fred Rogers Productions. Details regarding the specific activities and venues will be released over the next few weeks.
For more information on the events, visit https://www.BuenaVistaEvents.com or https://www.MisterRogersWeekofKindness.com.
