We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Schakara Arrazola-Tiscareno a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Schakara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

Southern Colorado Fashion is an Art and Fashion Collective that fosters Creatives, Talents and Artist on a large scale. This is our first year as a small business agency serving the Southern Region of Colorado.

Any business, has challenges especially when we are the first of our kind focusing on small city talent. Pueblo has never experienced showcases like ours, most Fashion Shows are being cultivated in big cities such as Denver.

There is a lot of elements that need to be continuously tended too in order to create cultivation, opportunities, and community engagement. Our first showcase was in January of this year, we started with 15 models and a handful of designers who have never experienced participating in a Fashion Show.

We began recruiting talent from our local stores while constantly sharing the importance and intentions of our work. SCF has build our talent roster from the ground up, which takes a little more time, energy and education. As we started the year with a successful showcase for Winter, we soon realized another issue that needs constant attention and creativity…which is finding larger venues with the openness to support us as we continuously grow as a collective.

As a new business fostering community productions, all our revenue is currently going to our quarterly showcases’ overhead cost. We believe in investing into our local business and fellow business owners to nurture and elevate the Southern Region of Colorado. Yet, we are running into a few hurdles in receiving the same engagement and support from fellow businesses because they do not understand what we are cultivating.

Currently, we are seeking to obtain local Sponsorships and Donations. We have a large group of creatives, talent and artist whom are involved in Southern Colorado Fashion and believe our call for financial support will align sooner than later as we continue to provide stellar experiences with our community.

So if you are reading this and share similar passions please check out our Sponsor Packages and benefits on our website at www.southerncoloradofashion.com/sponors.

Schakara, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Our mission at SCF is to elevate and support Southern Colorado artist, creatives and talents by providing showcases, events, workshops, photoshoots, and model sponsorships. We are located in Pueblo Colorado.

Our purpose is too ignite and expand the Fashion and Art Industry in the Southern Region.
We move through our community with the intention to create a large platform for our local talents and creatives to collaborate and shine authentically. While honoring and fostering diversity and artistry.

SCF is an inclusive community for Creatives, Artists, Talents, Queer and BIPOC. We are an Art and Fashion Collective that represents authentic expression while cultivating a safe space of non-judgment. We have models of all ages, shapes and sizes. Shattering the norms of what is expected by society and other big city agencies as model worthy and beauty.

Inclusion is how we begin to break molds and barriers. We provide opportunities for all to make their mark. To be truly inclusive takes work, this is not easy. We all have flaws and believe by working on our unconscious bias and seeing the other-side is an essential element and component of our way of cultivation as a Collective.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Show up and pour into one another, this can be done in many ways. Spend your well earned dollars on local talent. Keep your money flowing into your community verse large consumer business. If you do not have the finical means to purchase directly from local artist and creatives, then show up to community events and gatherings.

Share your gratitude and commission through acts of service. Share your experiences and passions with any and all whom are open to learning more. Word of mouth is the most sincere and effective form of marketing and referrals. Share our local events on your social media platforms and within your own network system. Try new things that are out of your norm and lean into unknown experiences, this fosters organic connection and networking.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Whether you are a creative or not, the element of openness goes a long way! I have been an artist my whole life and in the fashion industry for over a decade. I am still learning, adapting, and evolving. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the openness to collaborate, listen and learn from others. We all have an idea of how we want our business or life to look, when in actuality that is not something we can fully control.

What do have power over is how we pour our energy, time, and resources into others. To truly find joy in the reward of being apart of each other’s journey and celebrating their successes verse just focusing on ourselves. Our present society is all about me, me, me. “What’s in it for me?”

When in actuality, we all need to be asking ourselves what can we do to support one another. “How can we help with your dreams, and aspiration?” That mindset starts with openness and compassion for a bigger purpose outside yourself. There is truly so much beauty when we join hands together to bring our visions into reality!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.southerncoloradofashion.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/southerncoloradofashion
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/southerncoloradofashion
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/IpTvJ-5UEtE
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits
Photographer: Cassandra Jasmine Photography and MorPhotosByJace Videographer: Isaiah Lujan Designers: Love Gives Art, Rainbow Rosies, Pueblo Drip