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Fall Fashion with Priya Virmani
Fashion, Jersey Luxe

Fall Fashion with Priya Virmani

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#HipNewJersey’s own Lisa Marie Latino had the pleasure of shopping with Garden State fashion guru, Priya Virmani! Virmani and Lisa took a trip to Bloomingdale’s Short Hills Mall, where Lisa was styled in the latest fall fashion trends! 

Priya Virmani is the founder of Privée by Priya , which is her style studio, created to help you build your ideal wardrobe. They also help with styling for special occasions, like birthdays, holidays, corporate events, photo shoots, etc. 

Virmani is a proud NJ resident who has always had a passion for fashion! When she was younger, she’d save up all of her allowance just to buy new clothes, and when she couldn’t, she’d take her sisters and create different looks mixing the clothes she had.

For most of Priya’s life, fashion was just a hobby. She went to college, got an MBA, got married, and had two daughters. She worked at a large bank for over ten years and then spent a few more years working in NYC. She also spent five years in Paris, the #1 place for great fashion! Today, she has turned her fashion hobby into a business!

As Priya styled Lisa, she focused not only on trends, but comfort and affordability as well. This is what being a “mixmaster” means. Bloomingdale’s is running the Mixmasters Campaign, where you mix high end brands with low end brands, as well as feminine fashion with comfortable fashion, i.e, a dress and sneakers!

Priya had Lisa rocking snake print, the “chunky sneaker” or “dad sneaker“, plaid, the “midi dress” and the “belt bag” which are all “in” right now and perfect for the season. As you can see, Priya really has an eye for fashion! What I love about her is the fact that she feels “anything goes” when it comes to fashion. She says fashion has no rules!

Make sure you contact Privée by Priya for your next big event. You’ll be sure to turn heads!

Fabulous Females, Garden State Living

#HipNJ Interviews Christine Fowler Phillips

#HipNJ recently had the pleasure of interviewing Christine Fowler Phillips about her motivational self-help book.  She details specific suggestions to creating a winning image, along with the importance of having the right attitude and branding yourself.

Christine is a corporate image consultant, public speaker and author.  She is a member of the Association of Image Consultants International, President and Founder of Discover Your Best Self, LLC and was a top sales professional in the pharmaceutical industry for over two decades.

“Branding is simple- it’s who you want to be recognized as or the perception of how others receive you.  It may be a signature, a greeting or something you wear,” Christine said.  “And keep in mind, it’s the good, the bad and the indifferent.  I had a good corporate experience, so it prepared me to be my best self.  You never want to lose yourself within the company, but it’s important to align yourself with them.”

The idea behind the book is to remind executives about the importance of not overlooking corporate etiquette, manners and appropriate business attire.  It’s also a way for college graduates to maximize their potential as they navigate their careers.

“As a business, Discover Your Best Self is a consulting company that hosts workshops, which are based on inward and outward image.  Clients are typically college students through junior executives,” Christine shared.  “We discuss topics including dressing for the job you want, emotional intelligence and bringing your A game every day, inwardly and outwardly.”

The workshops that are offered are beneficial to both men and women.  However, for women, a lot of life becomes consumed with family.  They put themselves on the back burner even though they should be putting themselves first.

“It’s important to take a moment to be self-reflecting because sometimes you need to recalculate so that you can be your best self,” Christine said.  “You have to take time for yourself because it helps build inner confidence, which is not to be confused with arrogance – confidence shines through.”

When going through these discoveries, it’s not always easy to stick with the changes to be your best self.  We asked Christine what her most helpful tip is, and here’s what she had to say:

“If you believe in your brand and that what you’re doing is the best for you, then you have to stick with it.  It’s never too late to change if you believe that’s what you need to do.  You will brand yourself accordingly if you believe in it.”

For more information, please visit Discover Your Best Self.  Christine’s book is available now on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Garden State Living

HipNJ Interviews Inspirational Teacher Christine Agro

#HipNJ had the opportunity to interview Christine Agro, a nationally recognized speaker and Inspirational teacher, to discuss ways people can take do-able action steps to help begin to improve their own lives.  If you’re eager to make big changes but are fearful or unsure of how to get it done, keep reading for tips on how to start seeing changes.

“As a clairvoyant, I see everything as energy.  Whatever we’re working on, I can pick it apart to help see what’s underneath it,” Christine said.  “Any situation can be boiled down in one of these three categories: self-validation, standing in your own power and your own truth.”

Christine’s ultimate goal is to teach women (and men) how to understand what is happening in their life, and why, along with giving the tools to create change.  The idea is to then be able to make big changes, both personally and professionally.  As more women and men become aware of the need to become active participants in their own lives, they will continue to learn that they have the power.

Meditation is something one can do to start seeing change.  There are many different forms, but the ultimate goal is about connecting you to your body and being present, making the connection between mind, body and spirit, and bring that into physical form.

“When we step into present moment, that’s where we create our life and create growth and change.  So often people focus on what they can’t do versus what they want.  Ideally, we’d work to shift the focus on what they want and set steps to get closer to the goal.  By doing this, it makes room for lots of changes,” Christine added.

Many of us experience that moment, or many moments, that makes us see experiences or life differently.  This is what Christine considers to be the “wake-up call.”  It’s like going through life with one understanding, but when you peel it away, there’s more to it.  As you deepen your awareness, you uncover whole other levels, and so much more to life.

“Before we’re any gender, race, religion, culture or community/society, the core of why we’re here is to learn and grow,” Christine shares.  “When we understand that, we move from unconscious living to conscious living.  Adversity starts to melt away because we’re looking at experiences differently.”

Christine defines “conscious living” as being an active participant in your own life.  It’s making the decision to focus on what we want to create versus what we don’t want, what isn’t going right or what we don’t have.  Having an awareness that we’re here to grow happens through relationships and experiences.  Though not intentional, most people don’t recognize it requires us to step up.

For more information, please visit her website, www.awakenandgrow.com.  Find out how you can make changes and make your life flow by taking the Awakening Quiz today.