Fashion Archives -

August 22, 2025

Becca’s Closet Providing Homecoming and Prom dresses for girls in need

School is back in session, and that means, for most high school students, Homecoming is fast approaching, and with it, the opportunity to dress up and celebrate with peers at a formal dance. For many girls, this is an exciting time and a chance to go shopping for the perfect dress. But for others, the expenses involved create unnecessary financial stress that, in some cases, may force them to miss out on a major high school milestone.

Rebecca (“Becca”) Kirtman wanted to change that. While a freshman at Nova High School in Davie, she realized that purchasing dresses and accessories for Homecoming and Prom presented a significant financial hardship for some students, and she made it her mission to ensure that all girls, no matter their financial situation, had access to formal dresses.

The idea came to Becca after reading an article in a teen magazine about female students at a private school in California who decided to donate their dresses to a less affluent school in their community. Inspired by the article and determined to create this kind of opportunity for less affluent students in her own community, Becca began writing letters to different manufacturers requesting dress donations.

Through her project, known as the Nova High School Dress Bank, Becca singlehandedly collected and donated more than 250 brand-new formal dresses, helping girls across Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties attend their high school Proms and Homecoming dances.

When a tragic automobile accident took Becca’s life in 2003, her parents immediately decided to continue their daughter’s work, turning her project into a registered nonprofit organization named Becca’s Closet.

“It was a very easy decision,” recalls Jay Kirtman, Becca’s father and president of the organization’s Board of Directors. “She started this and we needed to continue it, so we formed the organization within 10 days of her passing.”

The Kirtmans changed the name to Becca’s Closet both to honor Becca and because her friends were always raiding her closet and borrowing her clothes.

From the beginning, Becca’s Closet garnered a lot of support from the community, with several members of the Florida Panthers organization jumping on board. “It took on a life of its own,” says Kirtman. “We were almost immediately on CNN, the ‘Today Show,’ ‘Inside Edition,’ and many other TV shows.”

The national media coverage spurred inquiries from people across the country wanting to do the same thing in their communities. Becca’s Closet now has a national presence, with more than 50 chapters across the United States all run by volunteers.

South Florida remains the organization’s operational center. “We currently have over 7,000 dresses locally in South Florida,” says Kirtman. Becca’s Closet recently received a donation of 1,000 dresses from fashion retail chain Windsor. “When the organization receives a large donation like this, we reach out to chapters around the country to see who needs dresses and then distribute them accordingly,” explains Kirtman.

Every year, Becca’s Closet dresses thousands of girls in South Florida, and tens of thousands across the country. “The most rewarding thing for me is the appreciation people have when they get a dress,” says Kirtman. “Hopefully they know what Rebecca did and what she stood for. And we only hope they continue doing something in their own communities.”

To qualify for a dress, you must be a high school student with financial need who cannot afford to purchase a dress for a school-sponsored event/dance.

“We’re on the honor system,” explains Kirtman. “If they tell us they can’t afford a dress, we give them a dress.” The honor system is in place to protect the girls. “It’s hard enough for kids who can’t afford things to jump through hoops and prove everything. We want this to be a positive experience.”

Girls seeking a dress need to provide a current high school ID and answer the question of how they would get a dress if they didn’t get it from Becca’s Closet. They do not have to provide tax returns or other financial documentation. “We’ve had a couple of kids in our 20-plus years who have gone home without a dress,” recalls Kirtman. “You can count that on one hand, and those are the kids who are trying to beat the system.” Becca’s Closet also serves a lot of girls in the foster care system, girls who are homeless, and those in the court system.

For the past 23 years, Becca’s Closet has had a donated central distribution center located inside Festival Marketplace in Coconut Creek, where girls could make an appointment, go see the dresses, and try them on. “They worked one on one with an adult volunteer and two student volunteers and had their own private dressing room,” says Kirtman.

In lower-income areas, the organization will sometimes get more than 30 students from the same school and takes thoughtful steps to ensure that each girl still feels special.

“We keep logs on which high school the girls go to and what dress they got, because we don’t want to give the kids who go to the same high school the same dress,” explains Kirtman. If a girl does choose the same dress that someone in her school already chose, the volunteers inform her and give her the option of selecting another dress.

With the closure of Festival Marketplace in May, Becca’s Closet is now looking for a new home. “We have not been able to find a home to distribute dresses for girls who need them,” says Kirtman. “If we don’t procure something, we’re going to be doing pop-ups at a major hotel and will be doing a big giveaway at the end of September.” Ideally, Becca’s Closet would prefer to remain in central Broward near major highways to be easily accessible for kids across Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, and Broward counties.

On Nov. 11, the organization is hosting its annual fundraising luncheon at Anthony’s Runway 84 in Fort Lauderdale.

To donate dresses, to get involved, or for more information, visit www.beccascloset.org.

June 30, 2025June 30, 2025

“Walk the Runway”: ArtServe

Turn left onto East Sunrise Boulevard. Then turn right onto Northeast 14th Street. It will be on the right. That’s right, ArtServe is where we are going this month. This nonprofit organization is for everyone, which is why admission is always free to view its exhibitions and attend its receptions. The gallery’s capacity, however, holds up to around 200 people, so be sure to come on in. Its new showcase will be held from July 18 through Sept. 19.

ArtServe. This arts venue first opened to the Fort Lauderdale community in 1989. Since then, it has grown into a vibrant arts incubator and cultural hub, supporting thousands of local artists and nonprofit organizations across Broward County. It’s not just a gallery—it’s a creative laboratory where exhibitions, performances, and workshops come together to spark connection and innovation.

ArtServe focuses its efforts on lower-income communities, typically west of I-95, offering not only opportunities for local artists, but also free workshops for small art businesses, teaching grant writing, marketing, and even how to start a small business. ArtServe serves to inspire artistic development, supporting the advancement of its diverse members, including artists and the community, through education and creative exploration and presentation opportunities in both the visual arts and performing arts.

“Walk the Runway.” Highlighting South Florida’s local fashion scene, ArtServe is currently showcasing local fashion designers, bringing individuality, liveliness, and, even more fascinating, its call for oceanic awareness to center stage.

Recently broadcast on Local 10, Young At Art presented “Reef Restyled,” a fashion phenomenon set to raise awareness out to the public about the coral reefs and the need to save them. These vibrant ecosystems support about 25% of all marine life, despite covering less than 1% of the ocean floor.

Currently, 84% of the Earth’s coral reefs are in danger. Runoff from agriculture, sewage, and plastic waste smothers reefs, blocks sunlight, and introduces toxins. Even sunscreen chemicals like oxybenzone can damage coral DNA.

Young At Art brings this pollution problem to the forefront, using fashion to come to the ocean’s defense. Seventeen participating local high school–age artists in the program used 75% upcycled and/or recycled materials to showcase their reef collection. Coral reefs aren’t just beautiful—they’re vital for human life. In the Walk the Runway showcase, the Young At Art collection will be exhibited in one of ArtServe’s solo galleries.

Chelsea Rousso. Another exhibitor is the esteemed glass artist and fashion designer Chelsea Rousso, who bridges the boundaries between the two media and is an innovator in her use of fused glass in fashion. While her work has been exhibited in numerous museums, galleries, and art shows across the nation and in Canada, Rousso, aside from her glass sculptures, is best known for her exquisitely wearable glass swimwear, corsets, bow ties, and masks.

Rousso’s book, “Fashion Forward: A Guide to Fashion Forecasting,” is being used in several colleges and universities around the world. Her installation for this showcase heavily features her Alice and Wonderland Collection.

Rousso holds a bachelor of fine arts from Pratt Institute and a master of fine arts from Goddard College. For more information, visit https://chelsearousso.com.

More about ArtServe. For most exhibitions, ArtServe does a call to artists (CTA), typically advertised through its social media or e-blasts. There are both long-term and short-term artists who keep up involvement with the organization.

ArtServe is self-affiliated, and its funding goes to operational costs of the building, its employees’ salaries, artist fees, and exhibitions. ArtServe’s artists always get paid for their work, and they are promoted via ArtServe’s social media and e-blasts.

Aside from CTAs, artists may also come from the Broward County Cultural Division for exhibition space to carry out its grants, or through collaborations that ArtServe does with other nonprofit organizations. Some of these past initiatives were set to amplify the healing and transformative power of the arts, reflecting ArtServe’s mission to be not just a gallery, but a community catalyst for good.

In 2020 and again in 2025, ArtServe has been the recipient of the Community Care Plan Non-Profit Awards hosted by 211 Broward, as the Non-Profit Organization of the Year. In 2024, ArtServe received Yelp’s “People Love Us” award.

ArtServe has been said to be a cultural trendsetter, due to its leadership role in the local arts community. It supports more than 350 nonprofit cultural organizations and around 10,000 artists across Broward County.

Some of ArtServe’s sponsors include FPL, Seacoast Bank, the Hudson Family Foundation, Topo Chico, and OutClique Magazine, all of which are local supporters invested in the creative economy.

For more information about ArtServe or how to respond to its calls for artists, visit https://artserve.org.

Picture:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/azd8co0umod56h72i96nd/APz6YnD6HfAKla6kpVvhbk4?rlkey=edahezpfo6c8xru8hl9t8wc1u&st=gfb2sga4&dl=0

Some other exhibitions

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/7u44upp28b1atn6wogt9j/ADogl1jXVlRmwykhpLf_UkA?rlkey=wsd3zxn8eb9nx97qcot2hpeyt&st=cujn6o54&dl=0

September 25, 2023

Authentic Venetian masks in Florida

While known for their exquisite detail and beauty, Venetian masks are also grand symbols of history. The art of Venetian mask-making dates back to the 13th century. For hundreds of years, aristocrats wore these masks to protect their identities while engaging in behaviors that could have tarnished their reputation, like gambling and frequenting bars.

Nowadays, Venetian masks are worn by those attending Venice’s world-renowned Carnival, an annual celebration synonymous with elaborate masks and costumes that attracts close to three million visitors each year.

In 2001, Disney decided to bring traditional Venetian mask-making to Orlando, and it sought out authentic Venetian mask-makers for a short-term contract at its Italy Pavilion in the EPCOT theme park. Twenty-two years later, Balocoloc has become a permanent fixture there, and many of its patrons have become collectors of the company’s exquisite masks.

“Disney wanted to have an artisan in EPCOT making masks,” explains Giorgio Lurcotta, who heads up Balocoloc’s Florida operation. “My parents flew over from Italy to have a conversation with them. We decided to do a test for six months, and that was it. We’ve been here ever since.”

Balocoloc was originally founded in Venice by a group of young artisans in 1978 to make wooden frames, necklaces, and other crafts. But when the famous Carnival returned to Venice in 1979 after a 200-year ban by the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, like many other artisans in the city, Balocoloc turned its focus to mask-making.

“All of the artisans with skills started making masks at that point,” confirms Lurcotta.

When Balocoloc’s original founders decided to close the company, Lurcotta’s mother took over and expanded the product line to include capes, hats, and dresses from the 13th and 14th centuries. Since then, Balocoloc has been a family affair.

When Lurcotta and his brother Flavio first arrived at EPCOT in 2001, they hand-made all of the masks, which are created of papier-mâché, at the shop. It’s a lengthy process that requires precision and patience.

“We first have to mold clay to create the face we want to become a mask,” explains Lurcotta. “Once we have the shape done, we pour plaster on top of it to create a mold. When the plaster dries, we take the clay out and have a mold. From that mold, we have wet paper with glue that we put inside the mold. Once the paper dries, you can pull it out of the mold, and at that point you have a mask.”

After it comes out of the mold, the mask still needs to be sanded, painted, resanded, and have its edges capped before it’s ready for the paint, bells, feathers, and other elaborate decorations Venetian masks are known for. This finishing process takes an additional two to three days to complete.

While Lurcotta still does customization work here, almost all of Balocoloc’s masks are now imported from its shop in Venice, where production time is much faster. “There’s so many designs in Venice,” says Lurcotta. “We try to bring to America all the best that we can make.”

Balocoloc has close to 800 different models of masks in its collection, which can range from $50 for a simple eye mask to $1,200 for an elaborate piece. Lurcotta keeps about 100-150 masks in stock at the company’s store in EPCOT, La Gemma Elegante, at all times. “No two masks are the same,” he says of these handmade creations. “They’re all one of a kind.”

For those who are “in the know,” Balocoloc also has a special collection of macabre masks not on display. “We call them the scary masks,” says Lurcotta. “We have them all year long, but during Halloween we pull them out.”

One of the artists who makes these scary masks is Lurcotta’s cousin, Mauro. “His style is completely different. It’s good for Halloween,” affirms Lurcotta. “The way that he makes masks, they’re so unique. He always writes a story behind them based on how he felt during that day. It’s different than the other artists who are following a pattern.”

Though popular, these scary masks are not typical of Venice’s Carnival. “Carnival is the celebration before Lent, so everyone’s celebrating with dancing, eating, and having fun. The masks represent that moment. They’re very happy, colorful masks,” says Lurcotta, who prefers to keep these happier masks on display.

If you aren’t going to be up in Orlando anytime soon, you can catch a glimpse of Balocoloc masks at the Wiener Museum of Decorative Arts, which recently relocated to 3250 N. 29th Ave. in Hollywood. Though currently closed, the museum plans to reopen by early November.

For more information about Balocoloc, visit www.balocoloc.com.

October 14, 2022

New York’s loss is Coral Springs’ gain: the story of Artbag

The year was 1959. Donald Moore, a 17-year-old living in rural North Carolina where he was born and raised, was newly married with a baby on the way. He needed a job to support his family but local opportunities were very limited. Knowing his situation, relatives in New York City urged him to come up north, stay with them, and look for a job in the Big Apple where there were more possibilities. “Why not give it a try?” he thought. So, he went up to New York City, went to an employment agency, and noticed an opening at Artbag.

Artbag, founded in 1932 by Hillel Tannenbaum, a former professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, was a Madison Avenue shop that repaired, restored, and crafted handbags. They were known for their attention to detail and craftsmanship, and they had a loyal and illustrious clientele.

Moore interviewed and was offered a job on the spot. For his $1.00/hour pay, his duties included sweeping floors and dusting bags. He got to work before his boss and stayed late. Tannenbaum took notice of Moore’s work ethic, and Moore became Tannenbaum’s protégé, learning pattern-making and handbag construction and restoration. By the 1970s, Moore had a thorough knowledge of the business and craft, and he considered opening his own shop. But, realizing Artbag might soon lose Moore’s valuable talents, in 1976 the owners presented him with the opportunity to buy a small stake in the business from one of the three partners, and he took advantage of it. By 1993, he was the sole owner of Artbag. But there’s “Moore” to the story.

Enter Moore’s son Chris. When Chris was a young boy, he eagerly helped out when his father brought home bags to work on, but he had never entertained joining Artbag. Chris graduated from college in 1992, intending to buy a pizza franchise, but with the recession and a limited job market, that prospect looked less attractive.

“At that same time, unbeknownst to me, my dad was buying out his last partner, and asked if I wanted to come in,” Chris said. “My mother used to call me ‘Shadow’ because wherever Dad was, I wanted to be. He just has that type of personality, engaging and affable. He was my hero. So, I agreed to join the business.” And despite a former Artbag owner who was quite vocal in his belief that the business wouldn’t last with Donald and Chris Moore at the helm, Artbag thrived.

In 1999, Chris became the owner of Artbag, and he, Donald, and Chris’ wife, Estelle, worked together for the past 23 years at their Madison Avenue shop, taking in all kinds of bags, from those purchased on the street to prestigious bags from Hermès, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton, to name a few. Does a bag need a new silk lining? No problem. Does the zipper need to be replaced? Can do. A strap repaired? Of course. Want to add a compartment? Never say never. Leather repair or refurbishment? Yes.

All of Artbag’s work requires great attention to detail, and Chris Moore enjoys taking the time to explain the craft to customers, and they appreciate learning what goes into making a bag look as good as possible. “For example, the color of your bag is often custom-made. Say you have a black bag,” he said. “It’s probably not black that comes out of the bottle that you just pull off the shelf. There are times you have to painstakingly tint the black to be a great match to the existing bag.”

Artbag often takes in repair bags from other repair houses or shoemakers when the customer is dissatisfied with shoddy work. “We’ve been known to be fairly pricey, but you get what you pay for,” Chris Moore said. “Maybe you got a ’good’ price, but if the stitching is crooked, or the zipper is off line, what purpose did it serve?” Staffed by artisans committed to their craft, Artbag’s philosophy is that if a repair or refurbishment on a favorite bag is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.

The number of repair houses has decreased and the quality of workmanship has declined over the years, yet Artbag has always had a high level of workmanship, as evidenced by their many clients, be they everyday people or celebrities like Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Cicely Tyson, and Whoopi Goldberg. Whether it’s maintaining an investment in an expensive, high-end bag, or a bag only rich in its sentimental value, the craftsmen at Artbag achieve results that few, if any, can match. “It’s not that we’re geniuses, it’s that we care,” Chris Moore said. “If a customer is not happy with a bag, even if it’s the most minute detail, I may not sleep that night.”

Artbag also does custom work. If it gets to the point that a bag can’t be repaired, Artbag will duplicate it. One of the first things that Artbag copied was a plastic travel bag from Eastern Airlines. A client loved the bag and couldn’t get it anymore, so Artbag recreated it.

New York was home to Artbag for 90 years, but Chris Moore and his wife decided it was time for a change. While they loved living and working in New York, when COVID-19 hit, they, like many people, reflected and reassessed. “Why are we paying the high Madison Avenue rent and subjecting ourselves to the long and often unpredictable New York City commute?” In contemplating where to move, they initially considered Fort Lauderdale because they vacationed there often, drawn to the area because “it’s a little bit of New York and a lot of Florida at the same time.” But as they thought more about it, they realized that a better demographic for their business was in the Coral Springs area, because it was close to Boca Raton, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale.

So, the Moores bought a house in Coral Springs in August 2021, anticipating that they would move the business close by, which they did, next to the Coral Square Mall. Expecting to open in their new location early this summer, they had to push back the opening until August because Artbag got so much press about leaving New York that local customers were inundating them with bags. As a result, they had to extend their Madison Avenue lease. Although New Yorkers may mourn the fact that they can no longer visit their trusted Madison Avenue shop, they can join the many customers nationwide who mail bags in for Artbag to repair.

Artbag in Coral Springs remains an intergenerational family business. Chris Moore oversees the business; Estelle works the front of the shop, handles administration, and takes bags apart. Donald, who is now 80, trains new hires in the craft. And while Artbag’s location has changed, the deep and long-standing family commitment to quality and craftsmanship has not.

“Joining this business was one of the best moves I’ve ever made in my life,” Chris Moore said. “The only pressure I’ve ever felt working in the family business is the need to not let my dad down. Artbag is his legacy.”

Artbag is open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s located at 927 N. University Drive, Coral Springs. For more information: (212) 744-2720; www.artbag.com; Instagram @artbag1130.

June 26, 2020July 15, 2020

Top 5 Advice for Wearing Masks for an extended period

It has now been a few months since most of us first laid hands on our masks. During the lockdown, they were used while we ventured out to Publix, and to other stores that were still open. Now as we have a wider range of activities to draw us out of our homes, the use of masks is increasing.

Masks were not initially designed for continual use. Now, with more and more activity, and COVID-19 still a threat, work environments are mandating masks. A lot of folks are facing 8 hrs or more of mask use. It is a challenge to keep a mask on for a whole day, so we want to share some of the top advice regarding mask use:

Protect your Ears

Masks that hook around your ears are now a common sight around the community. The ear hooks eventually irritate the back of your ear after using it for a couple hours; you can relieve this by getting a mask with straps that tie behind your head vs your ears, or with a single tie behind the head. You can also get ear guards that will protect your ears.

Comfort

Now that you have protected the back of your ears, it’s time to consider the materials of which the mask is made of; polyester and synthetic material traps more heat vs cotton. The N95 masks are typically made with thin synthetic fibers, but may not be as comfortable as a cotton mask. Other moisture can also get trapped behind the masks, so one suggestion is to put a tissue on your nose behind the mask, it may help with some irritation. If you feel suffocated with your mask, you can try mints or chewing gum, as they will help regulate your breathing.

Also, try out your masks at home before you use them for an extended period of time. This will help you figure out the more painful areas and give you a chance to address it.

Make it Smell Better

You will be spending a bit of time with your mask when you venture out. So, if you are sensitive to smells, consider using Menthols, or scented antibacterial sprays inside your mask. These will give it a pleasant smell, and reduce germs accumulating inside your mask. You may also consider a few drops of essential oils. For example, lavender oil is used to relieve anxiety; peppermint may help with mental focus; eucalyptus will help open your lungs, and bergamot has antioxidant properties, and can be a herbal option to ward off germs.

Foggy Glasses

For the 64% of Americans wearing glasses, especially in the South Florida humidity, foggy glasses are another annoyance you will face with masks. First, make sure you have a tight fit on top of the mask. If you have a metal strip in your mask, make sure it sits snugly on your nose and skin. You can also try to wear your glasses lower, and thus down your nose. For masks that tie behind the head, criss-crossing the straps can also be used to keep the fabric pressed closely against your face.

Style

Since you are already customizing your masks to make them more comfortable, you might as well personalize it with your style. The choice of masks now is ever expanding, and you can get them custom made for you. You can choose a different mask based on your mood or outfit.

In Closing

Living with a mask on your face is now a part of everyone’s daily routine, you might as well try to make it as comfortable as possible. There are masks for every purpose and occasion, so get a few styles and use them based on your activities.

Personally, I enjoy taking mask breaks when I can, but please wear a mask when you can not be socially distant in public. You are protecting me by wearing a mask, and I am protecting you by wearing mine.

Submit your comments and your stories on masks to us.

August 10, 2017October 2, 2018

Getting Online For Fashion

School is starting and your kids want to look their best. Some are fine with jeans and T-shirts, others have to wear uniforms. Then, there are those children who want to be stylish and dress up to date with fashion trends for their age group. Sure, the big stores carry what’s hip and in this season, but for truly unique clothing the internet rules. Like most things we look for, online shopping is one way to go. It’s convenient, easy, and you can have your kids right by your side to choose their outfits. Sometimes it’s the parents who want their children dressed in the best. While the little ones nap, Mom can be online ordering their clothing. There aren’t many children’s clothing stores around, just a few, and if they are not in your neighborhood, you have to travel. The online industry is booming and two local moms decided to open online children’s clothing boutiques. Both very different, both very unique, both cater to girls. Maria Marcus has been involved in fashion all her life. A native of El Salvador, she wanted her daughter to wear hand smocked dresses, so she learned how to do hand smocking.

When friends began asking her to make outfits for their children, Maria knew she had something good. “I always had a passion for hand embroidery and good quality fabrics. I am very traditional, I like children to look like children, I love everything classic, so I wanted to create a line that was classic and timeless,” Maria said. Maria taught others how to make the clothing to help her with orders, then opened her first boutique; within two years she opened a second store and, as the business grew, she opened a factory which employed 60 people. Years later, she was exporting her line to the USA and Europe. On one of many business trips to New York, Maria met her second husband. She decided to marry, sold the business and started a new life in the U.S. “I was a housewife for several years.

When my children went to college I decided it was time to get back into the business. I went overseas to look for factories to manufacture the line, and that was how Little Threads was born,” Maria said. “I am very traditional, I like children to look like children, I love everything classic, so I wanted to create a line that was classic and timeless.” Maria also created a high end childrens line named Marco & Lizzy, after her grandson and daughter. On one of her trips to Peru she discovered Pima cotton. Maria decided she needed to create a baby line using the ultra soft fabric. A year and a half ago the online stores took off. You can visit the websites at www.marcoandlizzy.com and www.babythreadslt.com.