For Schusterman, it’s Time for Sustainability and Style
Co-founder of Chabad Intown, Dena Schusterman organized an event around color analysis and practical fashion trends.
After 37 years with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and now with the AJT, , Jaffe’s focus is lifestyle, art, dining, fashion, and community events with emphasis on Jewish movers and shakers.
Co-founder of Chabad Intown Dena Schusterman urges women to experience a journey of sustainability and style, where fashion becomes an art of self-expression along with environmental consciousness.
On Sept. 6, at Chabad Intown, Brooklynite and fashion expert Lea Minkowitz will soon share her thoughts at Chabad Intown on wearing things that “are right” and make one happy- having had enough of “fast fashion.”
Schusterman, who has six daughters, has fun with the topic by stating, “Someone is always wearing someone else’s something. It’s hand-me-downs and hand-me-ups. Everyone shares in all directions.”
Minkowitz said, “It’s trendy now not to be on trend…people especially in the top echelons of fashion have had enough of fast fashion. We are seeing more and more stylists turning to the archives, celebrities…re-wearing important pieces and getting photographed in those pieces. Meaning, the idea of sustainability and wearing things that are right and make you happy is gaining a lot more currency.
Sure, the fast fashion companies are still churning it out and want us to believe that we need a new wardrobe every season, but more are turning away from this.”
Her workshop will start with a color analysis explanation and how it aligns with the individual for the long term. Minkowitz is an advocate of sustainable fashion as an expert in seasonal color which she studied at the Kamova Institute of Color Analysis in California, concentrating on prints, styles, color, and cuts that are most flattering in clothing as well as home and furnishing aesthetics.
Minkowitz had her personal colors done by Suzanne Caygill at age four, where her lifelong passion for seasonal color analysis was born. Caygill, back in 1942, was a milliner and fashion designer, who had an epiphany about colors relating to the four seasons. This writer is a “summer,” favoring certain shades of pink and aqua and not much lemon yellow or tomato red.
Schusterman eschews traditional black for her “go-to” navy. Despite what is dominant at most parties, not everyone looks good in basic black. Some tout that turquoise is the universal color and looks pleasing on most everyone.
In thinking about today’s younger generation, Minkowitz refers to a Wall Street Journal article about TikTok mania around which color analysis is seeing a revival among young people where what they wear connects to the authentic self. Amy Klein in the Jewish Journal (“Color Me Spiritual”) wrote that color itself can be therapy. “Chromotherapy uses color to balance a person’s physical, emotional spiritual or mental energies.”
Also serving as the executive director of Intown Jewish Preschool, Schusterman swirls with meaningful contemporary ideas like frock swapping with friends, the road to sustainability, and how we can build timeless wardrobes that reflect both style and decluttering the chaos in closets.
She mused about the query, “Why is my closet feeling like it’s bursting with clothing, yet I often have ‘nothing to wear’? What if instead of closets cluttered with impulse buys, we could create a cohesive collection that suits our individual tastes? Lately, I find myself pondering the consequences of this approach on our environment and the fashion industry’s workforce. I’m on a quest for alternatives, exploring consignment shopping and the intriguing concept of frock swapping with friends – an opportunity to refresh our wardrobes responsibly while fostering connections. Maybe what I no longer wear will be what someone else is looking for, and vice versa.”
Pre-Rosh Hashana is prime time for self reflection and taking action. Schusterman refers to the High Holidays as a time of introspection and renewal when approach to fashion can intertwine with spiritual journeys.
“The September workshop will share Lea’s knowledge and insights, guiding attendees in creating looks that resonate with their unique personalities; our discussion will delve beyond fashion, exploring inspiration for the soul,” she said.
Private color consultations with Minkowitz need to be booked with Shusterman. Minkowitz lives in New York with her husband, Avi, and three young children.
Tickets to the event are $36 and include wine, colorful salads, and dessert. For more information, contact Chabad Intown at 404-898-0434.
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