THE BOMB LIFE

The Bomb Life

2 In Bomb Life 101/ Claire's Life/ Style

Cocktails with Claire Atlanta Style Diary: A Meow and Barks Boutique ‘Claire’ Black Fringe Dress, Duckie Confetti Fur, and Gianvito Rossi Silver and Plexi Pumps + Reflections on the Evolution of CWC

On Saturday, December 5th, my team and I hit my hometown of Atlanta, Georgia for Cocktails with Claire!

Cocktails with Claire Atlanta Presented by Toyota 1

Cocktails with Claire Atlanta Presented by Toyota 2

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Of course I knew ATL had loads of Southern charm and hospitality, but I was truly blown away by the positive energy and warmth in the room. Everyone showed mad love!!! And, look at this crowd…!
Cocktails with Claire Atlanta Presented by Toyota 4
Every year with Cocktails with Claire, there is a raging fire going on behind the scenes that needs to be put out! This year, my original outfit didn’t come exactly how I wanted it, so I was caught up in a last minute wardrobe emergency. I cried (out of exhaustion, frustration, and disappointment), but thankfully one of the vendors, Meow and Barks Boutique, was able to send me a dress that fit perfectly! I was actually proud to wear an item by someone who chose to vend at the event; I also wore a Duckie Confetti coat (another one of our vendors), and Gianvito Rossi pumps (not a vendor…yet).
Cocktails with Claire Atlanta Presented by Toyota Claire Sulmers Meow and Barks Boutique Duckie Confetti
The first year we did Cocktails with Claire, the hurdles were numerous! First, we didn’t have any money, and couldn’t find any sponsors, so we could only have the event in donated venues. For our Atlanta stop, our venue of choice almost had us cancel the event the day of for fear that the event would be ghetto. They equated ‘black’ with ‘ghetto’ and didn’t want us to diminish their brand. Racism is real, y’all, and ignorance runs rampant.
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Thankfully, we were able to convince the venue that we weren’t going to tear down the place, and they let us move forward. Because it was free, we couldn’t choose our own music (lest it not be too ghetto, lord help us). We had a cash bar. And no food. But we did it, and it was a beautiful event. See the recap here.

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Does that look ghetto to you?!?!?

Anywho, the phrase, “All my Life I Had to Fight” resonates so clearly with me because it seems that I have been fighting for this dream of equal representation and valuation of multicultural, classy fashionistas both offline and online for years.
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But the silver lining , and what I hope that you glean from this is that things get better if you simply persevere and fine tune your vision along the way.
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Cocktails with Claire started as a networking party, then morphed into a shopping party. For this latest stop, we also had a Breaking into Fashion Panel so that guests could leave with information and inspiration (in addition to a few new items to add to their wardrobe).
Cocktails with Claire Atlanta Presented by Toyota Breaking into Fashion Panel Sponsored by PZI 3
Cocktails with Claire Atlanta Presented by Toyota Breaking into Fashion Panel PZI Jeans 1

The panel didn’t go off without a hitch (we had some sound issues), but we now know where we lack so we can improve for next time.
Cocktails with Claire Atlanta Presented by Toyota Breaking into Fashion Panel Talking with Tami, Derek Blanks, Latasha Wright, Daniel Hawkins, Marlo Hampton

Year 1, we had no sponsor, and this year, I was overjoyed to work with Toyota again, who has been a wonderful supporter. Year 1, we had cash bar and no food, this year, we were able to offer our guests drinks and an assortment of hors d’oeuvres including mini shrimp and grits and chicken and waffles.
Cocktails with Claire Atlanta Presented by Toyota Sip Shop See
Cocktails with Claire Atlanta Presented by Toyota Food 1
The point is: Don’t be discouraged. Even if you run out of funding, or you’re experiencing anything from not having anything to wear (!) to racism, don’t quit.
Cocktails with Claire Atlanta Presented by Toyota Your Design My Creation 12
Most importantly, figure out how you can be of service to others. I wanted this event to be about more than just taking selfies (though that’s fun!!). I wanted to give small business owners a chance to shine, and fashion hopefuls hope. Continue to refine your vision to be inclusive of not just what you want, but what others want as well.
Cocktails with Claire Atlanta Presented by Toyota Claire Sulmers 3
Love and Light,
Claire

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