Greetings, friends!
Somehow we basically skipped over January, because it was over before it began. Anyone else feel that way? It was a complete whirlwind, and somehow I made it out with my sanity… I hope you did too!
One of the items that has been very near the top of my to do list is sharing a recap of the final shoot of 2018: the collab between cuteheads, Joy Sewing of the Houston Chronicle, and HYPE Freedom School. This is a cuteheads collab I’ve been dying to share with you!
Joy is well known in Houston for doing wonderful charitable work through her newly-minted foundation Year of Joy, and we actually have a very popular dress called the Joy, so I called her up to see if there was some way for us to partner on a project that would give back but also be fun and different.
She proposed teaming up with the HYPE Freedom School, an organization I hadn’t heard of but one that Joy spoke very highly of. They provide parents and their children with access to educational enrichment activities outside normal school hours. They specifically target children from Houston’s most disadvantaged communities by providing Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools® programs.
This sounded exactly like the type of organization I’d be proud to be associated with. It was exactly in line with the work we’re doing with Brave, Strong Girls, giving girls the opportunity to participate in a photoshoot just for them that makes them feel beautiful, strong and confident.
So we enlisted the help of local creatives and small businesses to create a day that four little girls will never forget.
Each girl was given her own Joy dress and new shoes to match. From there, they were treated to a photoshoot, both individual and group shots, by the talented Layla-Yasmin Hillail. They were gifted gorgeous baskets from Bering’s, full of fun toys and games. They snacked on delicious treats from Violette’s Delights. And who could forget the gorgeous event styling and decor by Crowning Details and the incredible balloons (that tree!) by Festivities TX? HEB provided the floral, and they definitely added the wow factor!
Seeing the smiles on the girls’ (and their parents!) faces made it all worth it. It will go down as one of my favorite days ever as a business owner. I always say that a dress can be so much more than a dress; what we wear is an expression of our individuality and can help us shine. Our clothing can have an actual psychological effect on our mood and attitude, so it gave me a lot of joy to give this gift to these girls.
Many thanks to the wonderful Joy Sewing of the Houston Chronicle, who brought us together with the HYPE Freedom school and actually ran the photos alongside a full page article in the Houston Chronicle! That was definitely the icing on the cake. Thank you to the HYPE Freedom School for introducing us to these four very special girls, and for assisting us in bringing this to life. And thank you to our amazing vendors, who gave their time, resources and creativity to make this happen.
Excited for more community work in 2019. If you have any ideas for a cuteheads collab, or are interested in teaming up with us for a unique and creative project, don’t hesitate to reach out. xo
