Her Voice Blog

New York's Lincoln Center has been abuzz this past week with the high fashion of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week which brings the most stylish and fashionable folks out to see what's in store for fall. One new addition to this year's lineup was the first-ever "Strut: The Fashionable Mom Show."

Organized by a group of mom bloggers and supermodel Iman, the event took place Thursday February 16 at the Library of the Performing Arts near the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week tents. 'Strut' came together after the organizers needed stylish clothes for a TV appearance and felt frustrated at the lack of fashionable options for moms.

Said one of the moms, "We need stuff that's transformable and affordable, that real moms like us can wear every single day to all of the things that we have to do, whether it's the grocery store, school pickup, back to the meeting, back to school."

According to an account of the event, "looks included a pair of white skinny jeans matched with a purple, tie-dye T-shirt, and loose black slacks with a billowy mustard top."

Supermodel and mom of two Iman didn't walk in the show, but was quoted saying "I'm with my people! People think fashion and moms are at odds, which I don't think they are," the supermodel and mogul said backstage. "It's just our lifestyle is different, yet we hold the purse strings at home and make all the decisions on purchases."

We know women (and moms) make 85% of purchasing decisions for their families, including prioritizing clothes for kids over clothes for themselves. It was important for the fashion show's organizers to make sure all the fashions shown were currently available and at prices that are more accessible than haute couture.

There were blazers and jackets from Chris Benz to the Gap, bags Iman sells on HSN.com and dresses by Kors and Rachel Roy.

Moms have often felt excluded by the fashion industry, especially when the clothing presented is intended to be worn by a size zero, 6-foot-2 tall woman. But women don't want to lose their senses of style, just because they are moms and the fashionable moms event is certainly hoping to change that, giving them more opportunities to enjoy stylish, accessible fashions.

Iman, who has her own cosmetics and accessories company, got involved in the project because friend and fellow mom, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, is the fashion director at Lincoln Center and an IMG consultant.

Fashionable Mom Show - Teaser 2 (with Iman) from Big Fuel Studio on Vimeo.

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