December Dinner Summary
On December 11, 2013, BPW Calgary members along with many guests gathered at Venu 1008 for an evening of reflection, and a celebration of the many accomplishments and positive outcomes BPW has been a part of in 2013.
In recognition and celebration of Calgary’s designation as the Cultural Capital of Canada in 2012,
BPW Calgary hosted Ania Basak, Founder of Fashion Calgary. Along with her husband, Rafael Wegiel, they started this dynamic company three years ago that showcases the richness of our city’s fashion, beauty, art, design and cuisine offerings through a variety of events and initiatives throughout the year.
As a new Canadian and Calgarian, Ania embarked on a life journey coming from Europe to Canada five years ago. While adjusting to her new life she immersed herself in all that Calgary has to offer in fashion, beauty and the arts and she came to recognize the richness of her new city’s cultural resources. With a solid background in business and marketing, and a passion for fashion and beauty, Ania identified that there is much to showcase here as a cultural destination and, thus, Fashion Calgary was born.
Fashion Calgary’s recent, newsworthy portrait campaign features thirty Calgarians who are profiled as ambassadors shaping the culture of our city from local media, sports, cuisine, arts and politics sectors. Each were photographed beautifully and profiled with their view on art and culture’s significance in their life in Calgary. Our vibrant cultural scene was celebrated and the
portrait campaign was launched at the Fashion Calgary Gala event in October 2013.
As a professional beauty and image consultant, Ania reminded everyone that “dressing for success means that you must dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” And on that note she shared some solid reminders about business-wear code for professionals in Calgary.
- Deciding what to wear every day is a key decision
- Wear clothes that “mean business”
- Less is more
- Dress comfortably
- Remember “head-to-toe” – maintain your shoes, polish and clean them. This includes NO open toed shoes – even in the summertime.
- You wear your hair everyday – keep it healthy and get it cut every 6-8 weeks
- Press your clothes for a polished and clean look
- Be prepared for emergencies –keep an extra suit jacket and heels at the office, just in case of a last minute client meeting…
- Accessories —go easy on them— watch and one bracelet only, smaller, subtle earrings. Remember you can add to them or change them for an evening event, but don’t overdo it during the day
- Casual Fridays—stay professional, do not show too much. No super-minis or cleavage.
Ania’s story was one of perseverance and desire to follow your passion. In closing, BPW Calgary members were reminded of an impactful quote by Bill Cosby “In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.”
BPW Calgary First Vice President, Sophie Blais-Yalbir, provided an update on the news of the Servants Anonymous Society’s (S.A.S.) headquarters recent flood and the subsequent flood of support that came from the community, and more specifically, BPW Calgary.
On behalf of Verity Conrad, Young BPW Calgary President, Sophie shared the importance of “knowing the power of your networks… BPW is capable of accomplishing amazing things.” Verity facilitated Shell Canada donating $10,000 in emergency funding for S.A.S. to aid in the recovery of their facility.
Theresa Jenkins, Manager, Resource Development, S.A.S., expressed gratitude for all of the support they received through this experience and also for BPW Calgary’s generosity towards their Adopt-A-Family program. This Christmas, there are two families who will have a heart-warming Christmas as their wish lists will be fulfilled, and their Christmas spirits boosted high thanks to BPW Calgary members.
From left to right:
Irene Farah, Solongo Tserendavaa, Debra Ross, Maria Plesa and Ania Basak
