We all have dreams. How many of us can say that we actively pursue them with every fiber of our being? That we take leaps and bounds towards our goals on a regular basis?

I have dreamed of my future for as long as I can remember. And I’ve decided that dreaming is no longer enough. It’s time to catapult myself in the direction of my desires. Who is with me?

Tickets have officially gone on sale for Phoenix Fashion Week!!!

Bri’s new collection ‘Escape’ will be featured on Saturday night’s runway. Here’s a preview of what you’ll see there!

Don’t delay – like it says…. the sooner your get your tickets – the better your seats! See you in Phoenix!

Fashion isn’t the only thing on the runway at Phoenix Fashion Week. Fashion lovers will also be able to sample amazing jewelry from some phenomenally talented jewelry designers.

My personal jewelry style is all about the statement pieces. I love all things big and bold when it comes to earrings, rings, and necklaces. Which is how I naturally fell in love with VOSTENAKstudios. Valerie Ostenak is a blacksmith and silversmith that creates sculptural jewelry pieces. Her intention with each creation is to connect her customers with the gracefulness of nature.

Photography by Desert Rose Images

Valerie and I were in contact prior to the Shop Garment District event this past week. I had already coordinated jewelry for my four models, but offered to adorn myself in her art for additional exposure to her brand. Here are the earrings she made for me from her Voile collection.

They are so gorgeous! I received numerous compliments on the beauty of the design and how it complimented my new short hair. I can’t wait to invest in more pieces from VOSTENAKstudios! Make sure to check out the website and facebook to see more of the beautiful creations.

Bri wearing her new earrings while writing this blog

This is a bit of a difficult post for me to write. I tend to be a very open person, yet still hold my cards close and don’t reveal too much. But I have received a ton of comments from a variety of sources lately that I feel need to be addressed, and require me to show my hand.

Bri Seeley is a fashion brand, but it’s only a piece of the bigger picture which is my life. I currently sell my brand wholesale, and via e-commerce. In the next year, you will also see my brand as a retail store. I am also in the process of writing a book The Wearable Man (which has garnered interest from several agents/editors AND I have reason to believe that it would make an excellent film). In the future, I plan to own a ‘Made in U.S.A.’ manufacturing facility. While I am a Fashion Designer, it has been made very clear to me that there is so much more in my future. On Friday, I was likened to a Renaissance Man – or more aptly, a Renaissance Woman.

I was recently told that I “shouldn’t” proceed with my big idea plans for my business, because that’s not “how it’s done.” That I “should” just follow in the footsteps of my fashion fore-fathers and play by the rules of the fashion industry. FYI – I have never been good at playing by the rules. In fact, if you tell me what the rules are I can guarantee you that I am mentally formulating a way that I can bend said rules. It’s my nature to perpetually be outside the box.

For example, when I was in high school the bandana was banned due to “gang affiliations.” I was known for wearing kerchief’s in high school (think Little House on the Prairie), and I decided to continue to wear them despite the bandana-ban. The vice principle pulled me out of Physics class one day to kindly ask me to remove my kerchief (which happened to be a pink gingham). I flatly refused, citing the difference between a bandana and a kerchief, and dared him to suspend me. He never did and I continued to wear my kerchiefs – and look for loopholes bend the rules in any/all situations.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not trying to be disrespectful. I believe that there are good aspects of some rules, and that history can teach us a lot – the fashion industry wouldn’t be where it is today without the hard work and dedication of many that have come before us. I have just found it works best if I evaluate my options, take what works for me, and leave what doesn’t.

A few weeks ago, I met with a literary agent to discuss my book, brand, and life goals. He blessed me with a compliment bigger than I could have ever imagined – I reminded him of Coco Chanel. The first woman designer to break into the male dominated fashion industry. The designer who emancipated women from the constrictions of the corset. A woman who would attend races in tailored suits, a juxtaposition to the overdressed society women of the day. A defiant, determined, ambitious woman – qualities I desperately strive to mirror. So, am I doing things different than the “prescribed” way of emerging designers? I am proud to say, yes, yes I am. I am a Fashion Designer, but I feel like my life calling is to impact the fashion industry in a grander way.

Also, I want to say thank you to everyone that has supported me with my announcement about Phoenix Fashion Week. Unfortunately, not all of the feedback I have received has been encouraging. I have been likened to a traitor and accused of betraying the Pacific Northwest fashion industry by taking my skills and talents out of the area. Here’s the deal – the Pacific Northwest has not offered emerging designers the caliber of fashion events that I have been looking for. Phoenix Fashion Week presented me with very specific and focused goals that would up-level my brand for minimal cost in a short amount of time. I am not the type of person to sit around and wait for an opportunity to present itself – I could be waiting the rest of my life! I am proud to be taking Bri Seeley to a national level with the help of the Phoenix Fashion Week team. They have already given me so much industry knowledge and strengthened my brand – these basic building blocks are necessary for when I take my brand to a global scale! I have a HUGE vision for Bri Seeley….. and this is just the beginning!