Keeping It Local in Phoenix

Organized by the Arizona chapter of Fashion Group International and Local First Arizona, it's a kind of community trunk show at Legend City, designed to bring Valley designers and business owners together and expose them to each other's customer base.

"As a fashion organization, we want to support anything fashion that's happening," said Angela Johnson, a Scottsdale clothing designer and Fashion Group International member. "But it's an international organization and we wanted to do something that focused on local talent as a way to highlight the best of best."

Johnson, who helped organize the expo, is one of the nearly 30 vendors. She'll be giving shoppers 50 percent discounts on her dresses, which are made from recycled t-shirts.

Many of the vendors will be offering deals, she said, to help off-set the $10 admission. And, each will contribute a raffle item, which may include gowns and jewelry made with real gemstones.

Glendale-based Pink House Boutique will be there, along with designers Alina Iovita and Rebecca Turley of Nostalgic Boutique. Tempe-based Rock N Couture will bring a collection of burlap handbags embellished with designer fabrics and Swarovski crystals, and Phoenix-based Mikki's Millinery will sell formal and summer hats.

Johnson said the vendors were selected, in part, for their trendiness, so expect to see a lot of white, clothes and necklaces with varying layers and lengths, and products made from recycled materials.

Two new vendors are Vonanningham Featherwear, headed by Ann Cunningham, a 21-year-old who makes feather earrings in Mesa, and Mystic Pieces, owned by Shelly Brooks, a 48-year-old jeweler who makes steampunk-inspired pieces in Laveen.

Both women sell their products online and in boutiques - Cunningham at MADE Art Boutique in Phoenix, and Brooks at Evermore Nevermore in Mesa, English Rose Tearoom in Cave Creek and a few other stores.

But, they said, the expo gives them the opportunity to attract new customers and network with other Phoenix-area designers and business owners.

"Angela Johnson reached out and gave me an opportunity to apply to be part of Keeping It Local," Cunningham said. "We've ever met, but she liked my work and extended a hand out. I love the sense of community of it."

Johnson said products range from less than $10 to a few hundred. She recommended that shoppers bring cash or checks because not every vendor can accept credit cards.