Fashion Faux Pas and Other Mishaps

It’s been seven years since our Favorite Fashion Attorney turned Activist, Mariessa Terrell drafted legislation to create a DC Commission on Fashion Art and Events.

The original bill, L17-0248 was signed into law in 2009.  Three years later, still NO Commissioners have been appointed.  With absolutely, NO FISCAL IMPACT, we along with DC’s fashion elite are asking, “WHAT THE CUPCAKE?!”

Picture (L to R): Council Chair Kwame Brown; Council Member Jack Evans, Mayor Vincent Gray (at the time of the picture he was Council Chair); Council Member Carol Schwartz and Council Member Marion Barry.

The Fashion Bill was sponsored by Council Member Marion Barry, Council Chair Kwame Brown, Council Member Harry Thomas, Jr and Council Member Tommy Wells.  Other supporters of the Bill include, Council Member Yvette Alexander, Council Member Jack Evans, Mayor Vincent Gray and Council Member Carol Schwartz.

DC FASHION COMMISSION

IN 2006, MARIESSA drafted legislation to create a Commission on Fashion Arts and Events.  

In 2008 Mayor Adrian Fenty passed a Law to establish a Fashion Commission in DC.  The Commission has never been implemented or staffed.

MEET MARIESSA TERRELL 

WHO IS MARIESSA?

• native Washingtonian (reared in Ward 7 and resides in Ward 5)
• intellectual property/fashion attorney, writer, educator, marketer
• received Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law
• received Bachelor of Arts (Magna Cum Laude) from Pace University, NYC
• graduated from Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School for Girls (NW, WDC)

FASHION ACTIVIST

• researched best practices for creation of Fashion Commissions in Chicago, Detroit, Toronto
• drafted Fashion Commission legislation (Bill 17-173 which became Law 17-0248)
• co-hosted focus groups & roundtable discussions to seek support for Fashion Law
• testified before DC City Council Committee on Econ Development in support of bill
• organized round table discussion at Washington Gas Rotunda to discuss Bill

FASHION ATTORNEY

• 2000-2002 worked at US Patent and Trademark Office as Trademark Attorney specializing in protecting brand names for leaders in fashion/beauty industries (Estee Lauder, Balenciaga, Dove, Johnson and Johnson, etc)
• 2003 founded SBC Law Group, DC intellectual property law firm (www.sbclawgroup.com)
• 2004 created www.fashiontrademarks.biz to provide discounted IP law services to fashion designers

FASHION POLICY ANALYST

• founded Fashion Law and Policy Center whose mission is to educate creatives, students and attorneys on new developments in Fashion Law, strengthen IP laws to protect fashion designers, foster economic opportunity of American designers and encourage innovation in the field of fashion http://www.fashionlawpolicycenter.com
• currently hosts and coordinates DeBrief Fashionably, fashion law roundtable discussions at law schools in WDC

FASHION WRITER

• 2002 to present provide freelance fashion writing services to a variety of publications, including Washington Life, the Afro American Newspaper, Washington Informer, Washington’s Finest, The Washington Observer, Social Sigtings, WTTG Fox 5 (www.myvoicedc.com)
• designed layout, wrote copy and edited copy for chapter on DC fashoin leaders published by Global Villages (The Best of DC)

FASHION EDUCATOR

• 2009 retained by Stephany Greene to conduct research for creation of the UDC Fashion Merchandising program (the Fashion Merchandising Program was launched in September 2010 at the Community College of DC)
• 2010 to present taught Fashion Merchandising and Fashion Forecasting at Community College of DC
• 2006-2007 taught Advanced Marketing in MBA Program at Southeaster University

FASHION EVENT COORDINATOR

• 2004-2009 launched, coordinated and branded Capital Catwalk Salon (fashion show) for the High Tea Society mentoring program for girls.  Event honored Andre Leon Talley (Editor of Vogue), Tim Gunn (Project Runway celebrity judge) and many others
• coordinated numerous panels discussions, book signings, trunk shows and fashion presentations for a variety of clients including, Humanities Council of WDC, Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts, Second Baptist Church, High Tea Society, Howard University School of Law, Intellectual Property Law Students’ Association, DC Parks and Recreation, WDC Economic Partnership, Office of Planning and Economic Development, Smithsonian Institute, Spingarn Public High School and Commission on the Arts and several local retailers and restaurants

FASHION LAW WEEK ADVISOR

• 2010-2012 served as Advisor to the students of Howard Law and helped to create Fashion Law Week (www.fashionlawweekdc.org). the first event of its kind in the nation featuring fashion law panel discussions, roundtables and fashion show (held at Mansion on O Street)

FASHION CAMP COORDINATOR

• summers of 2007-2011, submitted RFP on behalf of High Tea Society to present Charming By Design, a fashion camp to over 450 students.
• identified and managed over 20 contractors including interns, instructors in the field of sewing, theater arts, nail design, makeup, fashion design, literacy, speech therapy, nutrition, first aid, modeling, evaluation, photography, etc.

FASHION BLOGGER

• 2008 created a blog, www.yoohoodarling.com to promote fashion design clients as well as joys of living in WDC

TRUTH IS BETTER THAN FICTION, DARLING!