The Power of Mentorship and Tampa Bay’s Fashion Prodigy, Connor Totten

St. Petersburg, FL—At age 18, Connor Totten, Tampa Bay’s fashion prodigy, is ready to begin his college career at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. But first, Connor will present his annual fashion show at the Sundial Plaza on August 5th and will unveil his new line of designs in his summer collection entitled "Forwards Backwards.” Touted as the high fashion event of the summer, this will be Connor’s last show of this type for a while, as Connor plans to buckle down and hone his craft at college as he works toward his dream of creating his own international brand and label.

Born in 2005 as one of three triplets, Connor began his exploration into the fashion arena at the young age of ten and was encouraged by Jump For Kid’s Founder and CEO, Jeff Pope to create enough designs to have a fashion show fundraiser. Connor kept designing, first for his favorite teachers, and now for his annual events.

Steven Spielberg once said, “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” Jeff and Connor have this type of mentorship and both have blossomed because of it. Connor loves working with Jeff and has continued to support and raise funding for Jump For Kids because he says, “Jump For Kids encourages youth to stay active and pursue their dreams, and that is the focus of every conversation I have with Jeff. He has helped me achieve my goals, and I will always be grateful for his efforts to validate me.”

Jeff stated, “Connor is brilliant and it has been a joy to work with him over the years. He is an amazing ambassador for the agency and an inspiration to everyone who spends time with him. We are honored that he continues to lend his creativity to Jump For Kids and we are looking forward to this year’s fashion show in August.”

To date, Totten’s shows have raised more over $80,000 for Jump For Kids. Jump For Kids provides Tampa Bay’s youth with the tools to establish healthy habits so they can enjoy a better quality of life. Using the funds raised from charitable donors, grants and fundraisers, they provide local students with fitness equipment and a personal trainer/mentor who will educate program participants in exercise, proper fitness training and nutritional tips to combat and prevent childhood obesity.

This sixth annual event is in partnership with Jackie Z Style Co, a popular luxury fashion hotspot, additionally showcasing their latest high-fashion ensembles and accessories on the runway. Tickets just went on sale and are going fast! Click here to get yours as seating is limited: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/connor-totten-jackie-z-fashion-show-benefiting-jump-for-kids-tickets-668399469807

To learn more about Jump For Kids, click here: https://www.jumpforkidsfl.org