Project Runway finalist, Mila Hermanovski, is being flown in from Los Angeles, CA and will be the featured guest at the Dress for Success SW Florida “A Fashion Night in Black & White.” Dress for Success SW Florida’s annual signature event will be held on Wednesday, April 10, from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Clive Daniel Home in Naples. Mila will be spending time meeting guests, give a brief presentation and is donating a unique silent auction item; a custom ‘Mila’ dress design sketch. In speaking with Mila last evening we discussed the following:
Q: What is your background?
A: I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. I received my Master in Fine Arts (MFA) at the University of Rhode Island. After receiving my MFA, I went to New York and worked as a Design Assistant at Calvin Klein. I had always been interested in fashion and apparel and received some wonderful mentoring at Calvin Klein including visual merchandising, which progressed into a different aspect of fashion, costuming for film and television. I enjoyed it immensely and decided to follow this passion and move to Los Angeles to further pursue this career avenue. I started to miss design so after 15 years of costuming I put it out in the universe and then Project Runway called and asked me to audition. It was an affirmation this was something I was meant to do (designing).
Q: What was it really like on Project Runway?
A: It was truly one of the hardest, if not the hardest thing I have ever done. It was quite humbling and exhilarating. One thing people don’t realize when watching the show is we are completely chaperoned from place to place, heavily monitored and have no true contact with the outside world. We were not allowed to bring any personal affects; comforts of home and even basic routines you take for granted are no longer there, down to having your favorite coffee or food. I am currently blogging for the Lifetime website and I still watch the show.
Q: How did you hear about Dress For Success?
A: I have known about Dress for Success for a number of years and have donated clothing to them over the years. When my publicist approached me about this opportunity I was incredibly excited because I believe in an external presentation can empower women and gives a positive reflection to others. I loved the idea of being able to help women feel better through a empowered sense of self. We all feel better when we are employed and making a mark on the world.
Q: What advice would you offer to those interested/passionate about fashion design?
A: Never give up on your dream! Find new avenues to explore your passions and make the plans to make your dream a reality.
Project Runway finalist, Mila Hermanovski, is available between now and the morning of the event for telephone interviews and is available for live interviews the morning of event from 9 am to 2 pm. For more information or to schedule an interview contact Angeli Chin at angeli@conricholdings.com
About Dress for Success:
The mission of Dress For Success is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support, and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. The vision for the Southwest Florida affiliate is to provide an opportunity for socially and economically disadvantaged women in Lee and Collier counties to improve themselves, receive support in career development and feel more confident and empowered. There are 125 Dress For Success locations in seven countries focused on providing career wardrobes and employment counseling to disadvantaged women. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has helped more than 500,000 women work toward self-sufficiency. Dress for Success SW Florida’s main office is located at 12995 Cleveland Avenue, Suite 153, in the Pinebrook Plaza next to Bell Tower in Fort Myers. For more information, visit www.DressForSuccess.org/swflorida.
