TRI-LAKES AREA — Judy Cassil of Hot Springs is used to being the one who helps transform women. The busy store owner had never received a makeover - until now.
Cassil, who has lived in Hot Springs for 10 years, owns Wardrobe, Moods & Attitudes, a store that’s adding a new element to conscious shopping.
Tucked away in a corner of Temperance Hill Shopping Center in Hot Springs, the store is “a very unique retail business with a twist,” Cassil said. “Instead of depending on walk-in traffic, we cater to charities for fundraising, and we host style shows with makeovers and brunches and let organizations fundraise using our stock.”
The front part of the store has a boutique feel and offers women’s clothing, accessories, jewelry and purses at wholesale prices.
The back part of the store, also known as the Panache Room, is ground zero for all events the store hosts. One wall, painted with a landscape mural, isthe backdrop for a stage. A bistro area sits across from the mural, while an outdoor market is recreated through doors leading to the store’s dressing rooms. The doors are painted to resemble an ice house, accessory store, flower shop and millinery.
“Everything in that room was donated by way of time and painting by friends who are members of the Three Rivers Art Guild,” Cassil said.
Able to accommodate up to 60 people, the space is used for charity fundraising events, as well as for church outreach programs. When there are no shows going on, the space doubles as a storage area for merchandise.
“Our mission is helping those people and organizations striving to help others,” Cassil said.
The store offers five types of shows to help a group raise money. They include Fashion & Flair, where five participants from the audience are turned into models; He’s Just Not That Into You, a comedy show performed by volunteer actors that includes a 15-minute makeover on the cast - Betty Woods, Betty Flannery, Sarah Nayland, Dick Antoine and Tom Wilkins; What Not to Wear: Extreme Makeover, three pre-selected participants receive a total makeover; It’s All About You, Lord, geared toward churches and Sunday school classes to bring unchurched women back to the church; and What to Wear, When, for What, a style show with professional women demonstrating what to wear for different business presentations and how to transform an outfit from daytime to nighttime.
When an organization books the store for an event, the organization is responsible for selling tickets. A portion of ticket sales goes to help pay for the catering, while 10 percent of store sales before and during the event go back to the organization, Cassil said.
To help out on a style show, Cassil reaches out toarea businesses to donate their time and services. Ginger Kinman, owner of a catering and interior design business called Voila, takes care of the food. Danielle Rowland, a district manager for Arbonne International, provides the makeup, while Dee Clifton of Avalon Salon & Spa does the hair.
“I feel inspired by how many people are so willing to give up their time. This is such a giving community,” Cassil said.
On Jan. 12, the store held a What Not to Wear: Extreme Makeover show for Quapaw House Inc., an organization that offers alcohol and other drug treatment services. Women who were going through rehabilitation were transformed into models.
Robert O’Dowd, executive director of Quapaw House Inc., described the event as “creative and positively inspired in its power to unite a community behind a worthy cause.”
On Feb. 12, the store will host a comedy style show for the Garland County Single Parent Scholarship Fund. Cassil is working with Karen Garcia, a strategic program manager for Weyerehauser Corp. who was given the Thelma Bryant Pioneer Award for best exemplifying a “pioneering spiritfor diversity and inclusion.”
After opening in June 2009 and hosting around 20 events, the store has outgrown its 2,600-square-foot space. In a few weeks, the store will take over the adjoining space next door and add 1,600 square feet. Fittingly enough, the space has a high karma quotient - it is a soon-to-be vacated beautysupply store.
Wardrobes, Moods & Attitudes got its start when Cassil turned what seemed like an obstacle into an opportunity.
In March 2009, Cassil was facing the aftereffects of the economic downturn. B & K Ladies Clothing, the store she had worked at with her nephew Joe Jameson for two years, was closing.
“We had been asked on the first day of the month to start preparing for termination of our employees” Cassil said. “We sat on the bench outside the store, the prayer bench, and cried and prayed. I knew I had days to do something.”
While sitting on the bench, Cassil realized the building right next door to B & K was empty, and an answer came to her.
She approached the building’s landlord, Robin Karsten at Columbia Property Management, about the vacant space and found out no one had rented it for 18 years. It had been the storage area for the former outlet mall that later turned into Temperance Hill Shopping Center.
B & K Clothing closed at the end of March. Wardrobe, Moods & Attitudes opened June 1 in the space.
The name for Cassil’s new store is tied to an event B & K held in April 2008.
By working in the clothing business, Cassil met women who lost their husbands, she said.
“We also met ladies who had been diagnosed with cancer, were going through chemo and were looking for clothes to buy through the weight gain. I came to discover we weren’t just selling clothing. We were dealing with every kind of women’s issue
in the world,” she said.
Cassil also met women who had never
had a pedicure or manicure or who had
never spent money on themselves when it
came to cosmetics. Her solution was to give
these women pampering they had never
known. Using money that was leftover
from her budget, Cassil corralled other
businesses to take part in an event - 469
women came out to enjoy Wardrobe,
Moods & Attitudes.
For Cassil, what she does isn’t a job.
“I lived the first part of my life making
a living and raising children. The second
part of my life is trying to use the things
I’ve learned. The third part of my life is
where I’m working for what’s on the other
side,” she said.
THE MAKEOVERBefore walking over to Avalon Salon and Spa, Cassil uses a facial scrub from Arbonne
to exfoliate and get rid of a layer of dead cells.
Cassil’s everyday look is to wear light makeup and “finger-styled hair,” she said, laugh
ing.
Stylist Dee Clifton at Avalon Salon and Spa shampooed Cassil’s hair with color-refresh
ing shampoo from Bain de Terre. Next, she applied Chi Volume Booster to give Cassil’s
hair lift and shine. She dried the hair using a Chi Pro Dryer and a small round brush.
Clifton sprayed Chi Shine Infusion on Cassil’s hair before using a Chi Flat Iron. Next,
Clifton used Goldwell Gel Wax to seal the ends of the hair and to separate and define.
The style was topped off with Goldwell Hair Spray.
“You need to lock in the hair,” Cassil said.
With the hairstyling finished, Cassil went back to the Panache Room at Wardrobe,
Moods & Attitudes for makeup. Danielle Rowland of Arbonne treated Cassil’s skin with
products from the NutriMin C Re9 anti-aging skin-care set.
Rowland prepped Cassil’s skin with a balancing toner, followed by the reversing-gelee,
transforming lift. Next, she applied the corrective eye crème to reduce the appearance
of dark circles under the eyes and repair the delicate area. Rowland followed it with the
reactivating facial serum to increase moisture retention while diminishing the look of
fine lines. She then used the SPF 8 day cream to protect and strengthen the skin.
For makeup, Rowland started with a primer to hide imperfections and create a velvety
look that would allow the makeup to last all day. Rowland applied concealer and liquid
foundation with SPF to protect the skin.
For the eyes, Rowland used the Audrey Eye Look Set. “These are colors for a daytime
look,” Rowland said. Rowland applied a brown base color and followed with a linen
white shade to highlight. Rowland put petal, a pink shade, on the brow while linen
went on the center to make Cassil’s brown eyes pop. Rowland lined the top eyelids in
black, extending the line to the corner of Cassil’s eyes. For the lashes, a conditioner
was applied to keep them from drying and was followed with black mascara on the top
and bottom lashes.
On Cassil’s cheeks, Rowland used Savvy blush to give a hint of pink for a natural
look.
To finish off the look, Rowland lined Cassil’s lips with Kola, a neutral shade, and col
ored her lips with Bravo, a red shade. Rowland also gave Cassil Vavavoom sheer shine
as a lip touch-up.
Before leaving the Panache Room for final photos, Clifton came to do last-minute
touches to Cassil’s hair.
THE CLOTHES Cassil wears an outfit from her store - a two-piece, red travel knit by Sole Dione
Studio. Her jewelry and boots, both by Marlee Creations, are from her store.
“This is my bling outfit,” she said.
Tri-Lakes, Pages 178 on 02/07/2010