Community Corner

'Jerseylicious': Fashion Show Pits 'Street' Against 'Chic'

Gatsby to Go hosts a fashion show at Jersey Gardens Mall.

Montville High School graduate Olivia Blois Sharpe pitched a new idea for a street fashion show in Sunday's episode of "Jerseylicious" to show off the work of Gatsby to Go—and her old rival Tracy DiMarco was on hand to deliver an opposing opinion.

In this week's episode, Sharpe, after seeing an interest on her blog in the upcoming New York Fashion Week, decided it would be to the Gatsby's benefit to host a fashion show, showing off clothing options for regular people who can't actually get into the high profile shows in the city. She figured Gatsby to Go could do the hair and makeup for the models, drumming up more business for the Gatsby Salon.

Sharpe pitched the idea to Gatsby owner, and Bridgewater resident, Gayle Giacomo, and Gatsby manager, and also Bridgewater resident, Christy Pereira.

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But for the two businesswomen, they were concerned about all it would take to put on this kind of program—namely cost.

"How much is this going to cost me?" Giacomo asked with skepticism in her voice.

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Sharpe said she would take care of everything, and Giacomo gave her the go-ahead, albeit with both concern and excitement about the possible outcome.

As she put the show together, Sharpe gathered DiMarco—who started Gatsby to Go with Sharpe before being fired by Giacomo and later brought back—and the other Gatsby to Go members together to discuss the idea.

And they immediately got into a fight—the first of many this week.

Sharpe said she had already spoken to representatives with Charlotte Russe, who were willing to donate the affordable and fun clothes she wanted to have modeled. But DiMarco thought it was "cheapening the whole thing."

After arguing about who owns Gatsby to Go, and who's in charge, the two decided to have two sides of the fashion show—street versus chic.

"If doing two different looks is what it will take to get her on board, then fine," Sharpe said.

The day of the fashion show, everything was set at Jersey Gardens Mall for the event—and after another fight over whether Sharpe or DiMarco should speak to introduce everything, plus a third fight over helping each other with hair and makeup, the show actually began.

"You did unbelievable," Giacomo said after the event actually went off without a hitch.

"It was better than I ever expected," Pereira said.

On the "Jerseylicious" section of Style Network's website, readers were asked to vote on whether they preferred DiMarco's or Sharpe's style—Sharpe's street choices have an overwhelming majority of the votes.

The rest of the episode centered on over-the-top design ideas from Alexa Prisco for Anthony Lombardi's new salon, and the apparent official break-up of Gigi Liscio and Frank Buglione after she admitted she had not told her family they had moved in together.

"Jerseylicious" airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on the Style Network.


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