Girls strut their stuff during a fashion-filled weekend in New Jersey

In search of a fashion experience for girls that goes beyond the beauty pageant norm? Look no further than East Coast Starz, the program directed by moms Stacie Fitzgerald and Lauren Handler that sets out to teach kids and parents about the industry through work with agencies, designers, stores and a slew of other resources—including its own events like the “Take” series, Starz’s flagship (and most popular) outing. Photo shoots, runway shows, parties and teamwork comprise the biannual weekend affair that invites girls from 2 to 16 to grace the catwalk and even meet representatives from modeling agencies. Whippany, NJ played host to the latest installment, Take 7!, May 17-18. This year’s program kicked the creativity up a notch, introducing a team event that paired girls from every age group with fashion hubs like Paris, New York and Milan, asking the girls to research the cities and style outfits based on their findings before the weekend started. “We always say that we are much more than a runway or an opportunity to model, and by exposing the girls to far away cities worldwide and asking them to research the culture, fashion and unique aspects of each city, we further drive the educational aspect of our program home,” notes Fitzgerald, who chatted with us at the event.

–Samantha Sciarrotta

Q: What is Take 7!’s primary goal?
A: I met Lauren [Handler] and we decided to start East Coast Starz as a way to teach participants about fashion. More importantly, we wanted to use our events as a platform to instill a sense of confidence and self esteem in these young girls.

Q: You also emphasize teamwork. How do you think it impacted the girls?

A: Through the activities, participants were provided with invaluable team building and interpersonal communication tools that can help them in their future educational and professional endeavors.

Q: Anything else new this year?
A: We were so excited to team with “One Kid Can Change the World,” a charitable “kids for kids” initiative that was started by one of the 8-year-old participanta. Lauren and I always tell the kids that they can achieve anything they set their hearts to, so we are proud to support such a wonderful example of a young child trying to make the world a better place for other kids.