A Traveller’s Journey - The Red Issue - Fall 2014

Fallon Huffman, Entrepreneur
Photo credit: Carey Shaw
SKY Magazine: Living Well Fall 2014
The Red Issue 

Fallon Huffman, #QueenV #Phenom

“If you could do anything, and not fail, what would it be?” he asked. The traveller replied, “I would open a boutique, choose my own products and direct my own photo shoots. I would follow my values and be in control of my own vision and my own brand. I would be free.”

 THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME SHE HAD HEARD HERSELF SAY IT OUT LOUD, and from that moment forward she began her journey. One year later, her vision became a reality. In September 2012, Fallon Huffman (Mazurkewich) launched Queen V Fashion House on Broad Street in Regina’s Warehouse District. 

“I went in search of discovering what it would take to bring my vision to life after I heard myself say it out loud. I read books, did the research and followed my vision to Queen V.” 

“The Queen V muse is brave. She is unique and the creative. She embraces fashion as an expression of ‘who I am’. Queen V is for the woman who appreciates ripped jeans and sequins, statement making jewelry and accessories and graphic t-shirts. The Queen V collection is for the woman of any age who loves and lives style and standing her own ground.” 

“I chose the letter V because it is the Roman numeral for five, which is also represented as a five-point star symbolic of a woman. I also love the oppositional quality of words that begin with the letter v: virtue, vice, victory, villainous, virtuous, visible, vulnerable . . . these words are not for the faint of heart, and neither is Queen V.”

Fallon launched Queen V in the national and international market place in February 2012 first by creating the website, www.queenv.co and reaching out to the brands that she wanted to bring to Regina. First came Club Manhattan, then House of Harlow 1960, One Teaspoon, Religion, Spiritual Gangster, and Bardot Australia. Queen V Fashion House, the store, opened in September, eight months later in October 2012. November 2012 she launched the online store in Canada and in June 2013, she opened the online store to the United States. 

The Queen V vision led to the creation of the High Priestess brand – which started as an in-store brand exclusive to Queen V, with signature jewelry pieces. What began as a differentiation tool soon became a business and soon after she began selling select pieces of the High Priestess brand to a shop in Saskatoon.

From there, the young entrepreneur created Villa Fashion Agency + Distributors (villafashionagency.com), a jewelry distribution sister company to house and distribute across Canada the Club Manhattan and High Priestess brands.

In her first year of business, Queen V’s interactive social media strategy captured the hearts of 20-somethings, sparking a #QueenV cult following on Instagram. She quickly learned she had a knack and photographer’s eye for fashion, styling and buying. In just two years, Queen V Fashion House online has grown into a one-stop shop and online retail haven with a progressive following of fashion risk-takers.

“People Instagram beautiful pictures of themselves wearing the clothes they love from Queen V, and I am so honoured that they love them that much to share them with the world.” 

Today, Fallon’s bold style is synonymous with motorcycle jackets, rock tees, shredded denim and an occasional red lip— all elements of the fashion retailer’s intrinsic personal taste.

With a relentless obsession over all things web and social media, Fallon has propelled her brand’s unforgettable aesthetic on every channel including more than 5,608 followers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram combined and growing. These carefully curated pages have translated ‘likes’ into sales. Fallon has revolutionized marketing with a business built almost entirely on unpaid social media from day one, drawing thousands of visitors back to the Queen V site every month. In addition, Queen V Fashion House has piqued the imaginations of fashion bloggers who help bring the Queen V story to life. 

In 2014, Fallon was a finalist for the Chamber of Commerce Paragon Award in the Young Entrepreneur of the Year category. She was also nominated for the 2014 YWCA Women of Distinction Award in the category of Entrepreneurship & Innovation. But there is more ahead for this traveller. Fallon Huffman is looking to the future with her eyes wide open, her vision fixed on the sustainable growth of the Queen V brand. 

“Learning what it takes to be a sustainable business is about understanding and managing risk, managing relationships and walking fearlessly and unapologetically. Our community has a way to go towards understanding how to build an entrepreneurial economy.”

“Local businesses help create a vibrant and unique municipal culture. In order for our city to thrive – we need to support local restaurants, boutiques and shops. ‘Every time you are spending your money, you are casting a vote for the world you want to live in,’ she says, quoting Anna Lappé - a widely respected author and educator. 

“Queen V is part of a greater vision. To have the freedom to live in that vision is part hustle and grind, part strategy and part courage. We are a force in the Saskatchewan retail world, and we hope to inspire people to expect and seek out creative and innovative style that local businesses bring to the market.”

Queen V Fashion House

#101 - 1118 Broad Street

Regina, Saskatchewan

306.206.1331 

A Raven, A Road and a Vision for Freedom - SKY Magazine Red Issue Fall 2014

By LYNN LARSON ARMSTRONG

Fallon Huffman, Entrepeneur | Photo credit: Carey Shaw

To walk through the doors of Queen V Fashion House in Regina’s Warehouse District is to find oneself in the heart of its creator, Fallon Huffman (Mazurkewich), who possesses the intellect of raven and the heart of a freedom-loving entrepreneur. Clear white walls and a well-appointed silver logo sparkling in the sunlight tell the story of a meticulously polished runway-like retail shopping experience. 

But the details reveal the soul of this entrepreneur’s quest for freedom. Inspired by Jack Kerouac, author of “On the Road”, Queen V is for “the ones who never yearn or say a commonplace thing . . .”. A curious collection of ravens, antlers, metals, denim, sequins, sweaters and dresses is carefully curated for the fearless and the vigilantly independent. 

The lone entrepreneur has held her ground in the local competitive market place formidably and created an online and real time destination shop for those seeking refuge from the noisy mundanity of every day fashion.  This is the journey of a traveller.

Happy Birthday Dionne

“Today I am truly blessed and HAPPY to say I made it another year! Woo Hoo!  I beat the odds thanks to the love and support of my incredible Wingman G and all the Earth Angels out there who have kept us in their prayers and continued to support us on our journey.  I am officially 49 and feeling Oh So Fine!” - Dionne Warner, on her Facebook page.   

 Today is the 49th birthday of the most amazing person I have ever met in my life time. Dionne Warner is an eight time cancer survivor, but she is so much more.

I first learned about Dionne’s journey at the YWCA  Women of Distinction Awards night in 2010. I was first stuck by her fabulous earrings and her unmistakable beauty. She was wearing a strappy evening dress. When she got up to speak, I saw the scar that runs up the back of her head.  Somehow it made her more beautiful, more proud.  As she spoke about her journey through cancer, all I could see was her strength and an irrepressible spirit.  We all cried that night.

In 2012, I was to meet her at an event where I was promoting SKY Magazine. Dionne came by and introduced herself, but of course I already knew her name. She was smiling and looking more fabulous than fabulous. I asked her, ‘how do you do it?’ She replied, “I surround myself with only the most positive people.” And then she said jokingly, “You should  do a story about me.”  I replied, “I will someday.”

In May 2014, I sponsored “Just Walk it Off”, a fashion show fundraiser. I was also a model in the show, along with three amazing women who were also cancer survivors, Jodean, Nicki and Leah.  They had never met each other before that day, but when they started to share their stories about their cancers, they could finish each other’s sentences.  I listened in awe, speechless, and humbled by these great women.

That night, Dionne was speaking, telling her story to a room of about 200. As we waited in line for the fashion show to begin, I thought - here’s Dionne, an eight time cancer survivor, and these amazing women, Nicki, Leah and Jodean who give of themselves so that others can hope. I have access to 32,000 homes, I thought.  I wanted to help them share their message.  And so I made a decision that night to dedicate the Summer SKY to their stories.  I asked Dionne to be on the cover, and she gratefully accepted. I called it the Karma Issue, because it truly is and was a labour of love to write their stories.

When the Summer SKY was published and distributed in July, the emails and social media response was incredible. Their stories touched literally thousands of people, all of whom could relate to their stories. Telling their stories gave way to more stories that continue today.  To measure the power of their stories is the measure the depth of hope.  It was as if their words had found their way to the people who needed to hear them, so that they could find the words to share the message of hope to other survivors.

Dionne is more than a woman. More than a cancer survivor. Dionne is a true hero, a warrior and a messenger of hope.

Sometimes people ask me what Dionne does for a living. I tell them, she gives hope, she fights cancer and she lives every moment of every day to the fullest.  Dionne is the epitome of strength, humility and grace.

Dionne changed my life just by allowing me to enter hers and tell her story. To walk alongside Dionne is to help carry her message of hope.  And I happily and gratefully accept it.

Happy birthday Dionne.  

I am too young for beige.

This week I attended Vancouver Fashion Week to see my daughter Sara Armstrong present her Spring Summer 2015  collection on the runway.  I was wearing a piece from her 2012 collection, suitably lived in rolled up Levis (circa 1996), and a pair Vince Camuto heels.  A woman asked me, 'who are you?'  I said,  I am wearing Sara Armstrong, and I am just her mother.

I later learned that she is a publisher of an online magazine here in Vancouver, and she was impressed by my style. She asked if I was a writer, and I said yes, and a publisher of a magazine based in Saskatchewan.

We talked about the untapped market for ‘women of a certain age’ in terms of style.  At that point, I realized the juxtaposition between being 52 and not wearing head to toe beige and elastic waist pants was what drew her to me.

Women of a certain age. What does that mean? I didn’t realize until that moment that I was one of those.

I do notice that women of a certain age are often styled in beige, as if she is about to disappear into the twilight of her life.  That is not my aesthetic.  Not my way.  In fact, I don’t own beige in my closet, and aside from my yoga pants that I wear exclusively to yoga and the gym, there are no elastics in my pants.

I might be somebody’s mother, but I do have a pulse. And so should we all.

My Muse

She is outspoken.

She loves style and fashion.  

She will choose getting her nails done before buying cereal. 

She pays extra money for rips in her jeans.
Sequins call out to her from across the room.
She likes to sparkle.
High heels are a staple in her wardrobe. 

The Fall Song: Born to be Wild

There is always a song in my mind. One that plays over and over again. A song that calls out to me, and eventually I start to sing along.  This is my process. I am the publisher, editor, writer and owner of SKY Magazine. 

The Fall SKY is inspired by Born to be Wild, the feeling of the open road, the smell of leather and the freedom of fringes and good old fashioned defiance. The Fall SKY is inspired by all things  wild and free.  The Fall SKY is coming soon.  Watch for it.  

Vancouver Fashion Week: Can’t wait to see you.