By: Carmelita L. Irby
Farbe Magazine Contributor Writer
From Inspiration to Creation to You! Veteran & Military Spouse Designers Hit the Runway for A Fresh New Fashion Experience to Kick Off New York Fashion Week This Past Valentine’s Day! Presented by Armed Forces Insurance &
First Command Financial Services
What is GY6? “Got your six” means “I’ve got your back.” When someone says they’ve “got your six,” it means they are watching your back and that person expects you to have their back as well. “Got your six” is now a ubiquitous term used in the military that also highlights the way service members and military spouses look out for each other. Coronavirus has forced many business owners and industries to “think outside of the box” with how they can safely, effectively, and efficiently market to their customers online. Welcome to the Virtual World!
Let me introduce you to two marketing geniuses behind GY6’s First Successful Virtual Runway Fashion Show which was held at our local Jacksonville-Onslow Council for the Arts this past Valentine’s Day, Bree Carroll and Latoya Scott. Individually, each are power houses in their own communities, but jointly these military spouse entrepreneurs and full-time mothers’ tenacity are a force stronger than a category 5 Hurricane. Bree and Latoya have a lot in common. Both are military wives, each a mother of three children, life coaches, minority entrepreneurs, business owners, philanthropists, authors, and both share the distinguished honor of being voted as Military Spouse of the Year at their current duty stations through Armed Forces Insurance. Bree is AFI Air Force Spouse of the Year for 2020-2021 and Latoya is AFI Camp Lejeune Military Spouse of the Year for 2020-2021. The Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year®️ award recognizes military spouses’ important contributions and unwavering commitment to their community.
Armed Forces Insurance used the GY6 First Virtual Runway Fashion Show as the official kickoff event for Military Marriage Day on August 14, 2021. Military Marriage Day is a holiday focused on celebrating the love and unity of military and Veteran couples. Bree is an advocate for helping military couples build strong healthy marriages throughout the military community with her podcast (apple.com), Hearts & Stripes. It is both Bree and Latoya’s passion for fashion that helped manifest GY6. Latoya is the CEO and Founder of FTM Fashion Week (NC, VA, GA), Final Touch Modeling Agency, Editor in Chief of Farbe Magazine, and a phenomenal International Entrepreneur Business Coach and Life Coach.
In keeping with the “Got your back” spirit, these beautiful ladies invited other military spouses and Veterans to participate in GY6 First Virtual Runway Fashion Show Featuring Top Veteran & Military Spouse Designers and it was a virtual success! To watch the GY6 Virtual Fashion Show go to: gy6show.com.
Meet the Designers:
1. Michelle Collins-Windle of MCW Original- Putting Originality in Fashion One Stitch at A Time. *MCW Original will be in the FTM Fashion Show Week Season 8 in Jacksonville, NC on April 24, 2021 at the Hilton Garden Inn Jacksonville.
2. Triple Nikel 555 Apparel- An Unapologetic Lifestyle Minority Veteran Brand Bringing DVRSTY and UNITY to All of America and the World
3. Wendy Hively of Charlie Madison Originals- Where Creativity and Passion Is Not Rocket Science
4. Damien Lee Villanova of Damien Lee™- Veteran Owned Exotic Leather Handbags Where Sophistication is the New Standard. *Damien Lee™ will be in the FTM Fashion Show Week Season 8 in Jacksonville, NC on April 24, 2021 at the Hilton Garden Inn Jacksonville.
Farbe Magazine would like to thank The Jacksonville-Onslow Council for the Arts (jaxarts.com) for opening their doors and with their continuous support of local minority artists, entrepreneurs, military spouses and families, service members, and Veterans. The Jacksonville-Onslow Council for the Arts hosts free, weekly virtual art studio time for service members, Veterans, and their loved ones. Armed Forces Insurance (afi.org) and First Command Financial Services (firstcommand.com).
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