The Well-Appointed Catwalk: StyleFixx and My Project Runway Run-In

Kara Janx and one of the few photos of me you'll ever see here

My best friend and I bought half-price tickets on a whim to StyleFixx Girls Night Out. These girly
shopping/cocktail events are always popping up, so why not give it a try?

The event was at the Cyclorama last night, and after learning that we had five(!) free drink tickets, we headed over to get Stellas and some awful champagne. Then we were off to snake our way through the crowds.

Among the Avon ladies, Lia Sophia reps and vendors of truly ugly handbags, there were a few standouts worth mentioning.

One was the South End's Flock boutique, with their Linnea Pelle wallets and edgy baubles. KT Collection had some lovely delicate necklaces, but there were certainly no deals to be had. (I'm super cheap when it comes to jewelry, in case you didn't know.) I did end up with a pair of small gold leaf-shaped earrings from another jewelry maker I loved, but of course she was out of business cards, and now I can't find her name anywhere.

But here's the best part of the night: As I walked away from Yummy Mummy Brownies with a delicious fudgey confection in hand, I dropped my wallet, and who picks it up for me but Project Runway alum Kara Janx? I was two drinks deep, so I got up the courage to be a nerdy fan girl and ask for a picture. She was amazingly sweet, and our exchange went something like this:

Kara: "You look like you have relatives in South Africa."
Marissa: "Uhhh... no.
Kara: "Well, we're probably distantly related somehow because you must be Jewish."

Yeah, I guess it's that obvious, even when I straighten my hair.

Kara's designs are as sweet as her disposition, with a rainbow of ruffled dresses perfect for summer weddings. And she was the only designer smart enough to bring a tent! (Otherwise, you were expected to try clothing on behind the Cylcorama's curtains, where men intermittently appeared with a hand covering their eyes.)