“Midwest” sounds much fancier when Christelle Dominique says it with her Haitian-French accent.

The 29-year-old Haitian-born fashion designer travels between her home country, Miami and New York, but she calls Fargo the birthplace of her career.

ADVERTISEMENT“As far as I’m concerned, I’m a Midwest designer–that’s where it all started. Without even noticing, when people ask where I’m from, I say the Midwest,” Dominique says. “I’m pretty sure if I had stayed in New York, I wouldn’t have become a designer because I would’ve been discouraged at some point because there are so many other designers.”

Dominique has shown her designs at Atlanta and Miami Fashion Weeks and on pageant stages, creating 42 gowns for the 2014 Miss Haiti competition, in addition to custom dresses for her growing clientele.

But she started here, in Fargo, first showing her sketches at a party.

Dominique moved to Fargo from New York City in 2008 to attend Minnesota State University Moorhead for marketing. She also took apparel design and sewing classes at North Dakota State University, and after encouragement from friends, showed her sketches under the name Mejeanne Couture for the first time.

The viewing party motivated Dominique to pursue fashion design, and six months later, Mejeanne Couture dresses debuted on a runway in Haiti. Back in Fargo, LOT 2029 carried Dominique’s ready-to-wear line and models wore her dresses at multiple Plains Art Museum spring galas.

“Going to college in developing towns like Fargo and Moorhead, it gave me more opportunities to expose my work. People, to some extent, knew me,” she says. “It gave me fuel and drive to pursue and grab other opportunities elsewhere.”

After graduating in 2011, Dominique stayed in Fargo for two years before starting her travel-centric life that keeps her in airplanes from Haiti to Miami and New York.

“If I were to call a place home, I can’t think of any right now because I haven’t been staying anywhere specific in the past years,” she says. “I became a nomad. That’s the perfect explanation.”

Right now, she’s living in New York City, spending hours at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for inspiration, visiting old friends and designing and sewing dresses.

To those who know her well, Dominique’s career is unsurprising. Her business partner, Gerard E. Beaubrun, says her entry into the fashion world was meant to happen. Beaubrun, of Minneapolis, is Mejeanne Couture’s e-commerce strategist and one of Dominique’s closest confidants. The duo met more than 15 years ago in Haiti.

“Christelle is a truly fashionable being,” he says. “Most people wouldn’t and couldn’t imagine how far she is willing to go to satisfy her customers and how much she cares about them. She often labors all the way to dawn in order to perfect a dress.”

Her sewing marathons have been well-known among her friends for years. Kyla Gradin, of Fargo, remembers visiting Dominique only to be told she’d be busy until at least the next day. Gradin, Miss North Dakota United States 2013, modeled for Dominique and wore one of her designs at the Miss North Dakota pageant.

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“I’d go to her house and she’d be hand-stitching every bead on a dress telling me she wouldn’t be sleeping,” Gradin says. “Her work ethic is something I admire. She’s so personable and very driven. You want to wear her designs.”

Although she started with custom special occasion dresses, Dominique added bridal gowns to her lineup two years ago. Each dress takes three to four months to make, and although she hires seamstresses, Dominique likes to do much of the work herself.

“It’s like a baby. You don’t want to leave your baby with just anybody. Sometimes I’m so scared of letting someone else take care of things I take care of,” she says, adding that she hopes to be able to let go and focus on the design.

The bridalwear garnered attention in Haiti, and Dominique was named Haiti’s Bridal Destination Manager for Caribbean Bride magazine, a destination wedding publication and company that serves the Caribbean and Mexico. She says the job satisfies both her marketing mind and love of fashion.

“They’re really trying to penetrate the Haitian market, and that’s where I come in,” Dominique says.

Mejeanne Couture will launch custom men’s suits soon in response to client requests for full bridal party attire. Beaubrun will oversee suit design to ensure it complements the bridal gowns. He admits the addition is a personal gain, too, saying that like Christelle’s dresses, the suits will provide men with an opportunity to own custom clothing.

For custom dresses, clients contact Mejeanne Couture through its website,www.marieprom.co.uk, and share dress desires, body measurements and other information. Dominique then works with each client to design her dream dress. She’s created more than 45 dresses in the past few years.

The process will improve, though, with a smartphone app that will walk clients through the custom design process and make it more accessible.

“I don’t do mass production. I do custom orders. I think people like the idea that nobody else has their dress,” Dominique says. “We’re developing an app around that idea, giving the public the liberty to make their own dress.”

Mejeanne Couture dressed more clients in the first four months of this year than in all of 2014, and Dominique maintains that it wouldn’t be possible if her career had begun anywhere besides Fargo.

“I love Fargo for that. The people believed in me.” she says. “When they see someone really trying and doing, they give them a chance.”

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Today’s growing field of law school graduates and young attorneys seeking jobs is making the legal career field more competitive than ever. In an effort to differentiate themselves from the pack, many graduates have begun seeking further legal education–such as the LL.M–in specialized fields; however, this trend just received a makeover.

On Monday, Fordham University School of Law announced it will be the first to offer degrees in fashion law effective Fall 2015. Students will be able to choose between two degrees: a Master of Laws (LLM) in Fashion Law for those who’ve already completed a J.D. degree, and a Master in the Study of Law (MSL) for business professionals interested in fashion law.

As one of the first law schools in the world and certainly the United States propelling such a distinct institution, the announcement comes at the perfect time. Not only does the LLM offer J.D. graduates interested in fashion an opportunity to further enhance their legal education, but it also provides a niche industry resource to fashion and clothing lines tackling intellectual property, copyright infringement, and counterfeiting lawsuits.

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Like many of its other LLM programs, students who wish to study fashion law have the option to do so as full or part-time students and in the traditional LLM approach of two semesters. Copyright, IP, and counterfeit charges pertaining to fashion law are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the program. Students will further be exposed to and taught how to deal with employee issues when dealing with talent and models, regulating claims related to sustainability and data privacy concerns linked to e-commerce and social media.

Traditionally a the LLM has been a tool utilized by international students wishing to gain global credentials, and for J.D. graduates who desire advanced legal study. Although having an LLM does make an attorney stand out due to their specified area of expertise studied, the degree is not required in the United States since a J.D. is sufficient for both taking the bar exam and employment.

Statistics and trends provided by the American Bar Association, however, show that there are more attorneys today than ever. As of last year there were 1,281,432 practicing attorneys, a staggering 21 percent increase from the year 2000. These statistics clearly indicate the exponential growth of attorneys in the United States. They also make clear why students must seek something to set themselves apart from the competition; and for those interested in fashion, Fordham Law School has just made history.

According to attorney and founder of the Fashion Law Institute at FordhamProfessor Susan Scafidi, “legal savvy, like business expertise, has always been an important component in building a successful fashion house or design career–it just hasn’t yet been recognized to the same degree…Would we have Tom Ford without Domenico De Sole, or at least a significant degree of legal knowledge?”

Scafidi’s statement further justifies the notion that narrowly tailored institutions such as Fordham’s approach to the legal aspects of the fashion world open up new opportunities for job-seeking J.D. graduates with an interest in fashion. With the ever-growing competition of attorneys in the United States, Fordham’s LLM in fashion law will be beneficial for companies seeking to hire legal advisers with this specific expertise amid the growth of lawsuits and disputes pertinent to the market of fashion.

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It’s the chance to watch two people celebrate their love, make a lifelong commitment and be cheered on by their closest family and friends – if you can stomach the £377 bill. According to a survey of 2000 people by the Nationwide building society, the average wedding guest will shell out hundreds of pounds for each invitation they accept this year. The survey has factored in pre- and post-celebration additions including hen nights, stag dos, new outfits, travel and hotels, with men spending £51 more per happy couple. But how has the price of hearing a couple say “I do” crept up so high? I blame the hidden costs.

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All the towels are gone

You’ve clicked on the gift list too late, all the sensibly priced presents have been bought and you are stuck with two options: pay an extra £20 for the only thing left that looks like an actual gift, or swallow your pride and stick to your budget. This will probably be two silver forks that you could have nicked from the posher wedding you went to last weekend.

Unwanted, one-wear-only clothes

When it comes to weddings, your normal clothes suddenly look insufficiently dressy and you start panic buying silky dresses, metallic high heeled sandals or – shudder – nude tights. If you come to your senses and refuse to buy a tiny cardigan you will never wear again, you will freeze through the church service. Whatever you buy, you will have to pay extra for a taxi home because you can’t walk in those stupid heels. Men might think a suit will save them, but post-wedding breakfasts have their own strange dress code: brightly-coloured chinos and blazers don’t come cheap.

Extra food

Yes I know you aren’t paying for the wedding breakfast – but it’s not until 3pm. How can you not sneak off to buy something to plug the gap? And that’s without forking out for any pre-wedding dinners.

Blowing away the competition

Maybe the bride is an ex. Maybe you had a crush on the groom, maybe you are single, haven’t been given a plus one, and will be looked at with pity by family members all night. Consider it a tax on your ego because sometimes you just need to look amazing; this will definitely tip you over budget.

Keeping up with the other guests

If your friends’ friends are richer than you, you’re in trouble. One colleague says the first thing he was asked at the stag do was to pay his share for the stripper – his weekend’s budget gone in two seconds. “I remember having to walk for hours back to the campsite I was staying at. I stopped going to stag dos after that.”

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NEW YORK On a recent Sunday afternoon, Kelsey Lenoch, 21, a student and fashion intern, was walking along in a black velvet scoop-neck crop top from American Apparel beneath fitted woven-cotton, light-blue overalls. On her feet were black ruffled socks and platform wedge sandals by Free People. It was about 27 C.

Her short hair was decorated with a velvet band tied at the top; her face had heavy rouge and liquid liner in a cat-eye style.

Asked what type of clothes make her feel attractive, she said, “I’d rather have a bright colour or an interesting pattern or an interesting cut than wear a short skirt and a low-cut top. I don’t necessarily have assets to show off.” She noted the practicality of overalls: “I would have to shave every other day if I were going to show my legs.”

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Summer has long been equated with flouncy little dresses, but on the Brooklyn streets populated by bohemian 20-somethings, there is nary a spaghetti strap or strappy stiletto to be found.

Instead young women are opting for socks (black ones), suede pants (in June!), turtlenecks, children’s denim jackets, tights, long rayon skirts and chunky flatforms.

Many young women today choose not to dress for a man’s gaze, even when the weather seems to dictate the baring of skin. The reasons are varied: the appeal of thrifting, a ’90s comeback, the end of workplace dress codes, the rising tide of fourth-wave feminism, a new-found combativeness toward street harassment, the current fluidity of gender — or some combination.

At a cafe one weekday, Jessica Tsai, 26, an art assistant, was futuristic in a gold reflective jacket over high-waist light-blue jeans, a black top and a plastic fake Adidas belt. On her feet were black socks with platform sport sandals, and her face was framed by John Lennon glasses and blue baby bangs.

“Sometimes I feel like dressing up like a boy, pretty androgynous, and sometimes I feel like dressing like a girl,” she said. “I don’t follow one particular trend or subculture. I just kind of jumble it all together.”

Amelia Marsh, 19, and Reina Rouzaud, 20, both college students, were dining on Bedford Avenue. Marsh wore denim short shorts from Urban Outfitters, a crop top and baggy black sweater; Rouzaud had on a white chunky sweater and neon orange cheerleader-style mini. Marsh wore round special-edition Warby Parker glasses, one of two pairs she owns.

Marsh said she has no interest in dressing for men and often swaps clothing with her boyfriend. “If the goal of dressing is to be accepted by boys and society,” she said, “that’s kind of ridiculous.”

These women, though, are a world apart from the Man Repeller, a.k.a. Leandra Medine, the blogger from Manhattan who writes about the sometimes perplexing designs on high-end runways. They are neither monitoring the looks from the latest resort season nor shopping at Net-a-Porter.

Haley Hagendorf, 21, a student, and Charlotte Chanler Russell, 25, a jewelry wholesaler, had been shopping at American Apparel. Asked how they select their summer wardrobe, Chanler Russell said: “We usually wear whatever is on the floor. That’s what happened this morning. This was yesterday’s outfit.”

Yesterday’s outfit for Chanler Russell was a scalloped cream silk blouse with a hand-painted ink design, high-waist green suede pants and platform Dr. Martens. She favours silk slips as dresses and shops for vintage clothing.

Both women called themselves feminists. “I think that I dress in a way that makes me feel comfortable,” said Chanler Russell, “and even if I’m wearing a tiny silk nightgown, it’s just because I feel like wearing it. I actually get really mad if dudes are on the street saying anything.” She said that she used to be more quiet about it but now just tells people to hit the road, so to speak. “I don’t think that what I’m wearing is anyone else’s business.”

New York Times News Service

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When wedding photographers get together, we’re known to discuss (or debate) the things that can be a challenge in our line of work. Whether it’s videographers who’ve never met a telephoto lens or an Uncle Bob getting in the way of a shot, rest assured that we’ll be talking about it.

But what about us? Do we ever stop to think what we might be doing to draw the ire of others in the event industry? I wanted to know when we were playing the role of the villain, so I asked a few prominent wedding planners – two in the U.S. and one from the U.K. – to give me the dirt.

For the sake of getting some honest answers, I agreed to grant them anonymity. Here’s what they had to say.

1. Not reading the timeline

This should go without saying, but our planners had this on their lists. You can’t expect to wing it, dictate the plans or ask for changes on the day of the wedding. Having the day mapped out in advance is critical, regardless of whether your client has a planner or not.

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2. Trying to be the expert at everything

Sure, we go to a ton of weddings every year and we might even put in more hours on-site than any other vendor. But try not to correct, redirect or ridicule the other experts. They’re there for a reason too.

3. Messing with dinner

The meal is the biggest production of any wedding day. It has the most moving parts and feeding hundreds of people requires plans to stay in place. Don’t make the bridal party late to the reception if it’s at all within your power. Manipulating events leading up to the dinner (cake cutting, speeches, etc.) is also a big no-no.

4. Giving the video crew a hard time

This is a big one. Yes, it goes both ways, but dictating the pace of day without consulting the videographer is short-sighted and unfair to your clients. You’re both being paid to capture the day, so be sure to respect each other and – for goodness sake – communicate. I know every photographer I’ve ever met has a videographer rant and vice versa. Still, most of the planners I talked to agree we should find a way to always be sharing.

5. Neglecting the details

Forgetting to take detail shots is a huge let-down for all of the planners on my panel. Couples devote endless hours to picking out centerpieces, flowers, candy, favors and more. Don’t let a hectic timeline or a dark room stop you from squeezing these important flourishes into your to-do list. Good detail shots also lead to relationships with other vendors.

6. Being an evil dictator

Planners seem to agree that there’s a fine line between making sure you’re giving your clients a rich collection of portraits and pushing them to exhaustion. It’s a long whirlwind of a day for your bride and groom, and no day ever goes off without some adjustment and improvisation. Try to be in tune with when enough is enough for your couple. Remember, you’re much more acclimated to the grind of a wedding day than anyone in the bridal party.

7. Forcing a first look

One of our planners said some wedding photographers have been pushing couples into a first look before the ceremony when it’s not what the bride and groom really wanted. While it can be convenient, this planner says some clients later express regret about seeing each other before they meet in the aisle.

No doubt, a lot of you are consummate professionals and can justifiably deny being guilty of any of these planners’ pet peeves. Or maybe, you’re shocked by what made my list? What do you think wedding photographers should or shouldn’t be doing? Leave a comment below.

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