Page 15 - Florida Sentinel 11-27-15 Edition

Local
Fashion Show To Highlight ‘Diva-Fit’ Designs
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Shantel Reid, co-owner of the Fashion Plug, said from the time she was 13, she’s al- ways been interested in de- signing clothes.
“Before I was 13, I was drawing different designs, and when I turned 13, my grand- mother bought me my first sewing machine, and I haven’t stop designing since that time. I even started designing clothes for my classmates.
“I take pride in being a self taught designer, and I believe fashion is my passion.”
On November 29th at Whiskey North on Dale Mabry Highway, Mrs. Reid will be unveiling her fashion line called “Diva-Fit.”
“I came up with the name because I consider myself a diva, and I like for my clothes to fit properly. I want to bring the New York fashion league style to the club scene.”
Mrs. Reid said that’s why she felt hosting her first fash- ion show in a club was a great
SHANTEL REID
idea.
“I wanted a clothing line to
be eye catching, trendy, and form fitting, whether you’re slim or curvy.
“I consider myself pretty outgoing, and after going to a lot of clubs, I began to notice a lot of the ladies were wearing the same designs. That’s when I decided to make custom de- signs for individuals. I came up with the concept while I was attending college, and hanging out with my friends.”
Mrs. Reid said she de- signs for all sizes, including the plus-sizes.
“When it comes to colors, I go with the seasons and keep it pretty consistent.
“I’m currently working with 50 designs for my fashion show, and I’m always busy working on others. I’m cur- rently working on a denim line, and I’ve been asked to start designing clothing for men. I do that next year. I al- ready have a kids line that’s doing quite well.”
Mrs. Reid said she wants to go with the grown and sexy when it comes to men’s fash- ion, and she understands it will take an entire new ap- proach.
“My goal is to teach others how to sew. I’m planning to do a summer camp program in the near future, and my future goal is to have a chain of Diva- Fit boutiques.”
The fashion show on the 19th will begin at 7 p. m., and will feature about 20 models on a runway giving the audi- ence a close up look at what Mrs. Reid hopes will be the preferred club wear in the fu- ture.
Nation Prepares To Participate In ‘World AIDS Day’ 2015
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Tuesday, December 1st, World AIDS Day 2015 will be observed. The day of observa- tion was created to bring atten- tion to the millions of men, women, and children through- out the world living with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).
In keeping with the obser- vation this year, the Hillsbor- ough County Health Department will offer free STD (Sexual Transmitted Disease) Testing as part of the world ob- servation. It will offer the test- ing from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m., at the Main Health Department, 1105 E. Kennedy Blvd.
The tests being offered are to determine HIV, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Syphilis, and Hep- atitis.
For the past three years, the international theme has been “Getting to Zero: Zero new HIV infections. Zero deaths from AIDS-related illness. Zero discrimina- tion.”
The HIV
virus weakens
the individ-
ual’s immune
system by de-
stroying the
cells that fight
disease and infection. The dis- ease is spread to others through body fluids. If untreated or im- properly treated the HIV virus can lead to AIDS.
Today, an estimated 1.2 million people are living with HIV in the United States. Through proper medical treat- ment, many are living longer. Additionally, many of those in- dividuals never contract AIDS.
The idea of drawing atten- tion to the disease worldwide came about in 1987 in Geneva Switzerland. The first World AIDS Day was observed De- cember 1, 1988.
In 2007, the White House began marking World AIDS Day with its display of a 28- foot, red AIDS Ribbon on the building’s North Portico. It be- came the first banner, sign or symbol to prominently hang from the White House.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 3-B