Naperville Woman Wins 1st Round of Promenade's Style Contest

A Naperville 21-year-old has won the first round of the Project Style competition. 

As a semi-finalist, Michelle Thomas received the most online votes for an outfit she pieced together with a $150 Promenade gift card. 

Thomas, as well as the four other to-be-determined finalists, will move on to the live Style-Off event at the shopping center in September. One winner will be named The Promenade Bolingbrook's Top Trendsetter and receive a $1,000 center shopping spree.

Each Top Trendsetter will also receive the chance to compete in
the 2012 National Project Style Style-Off, judged by Nick Verreos and
Jeannie Mai. One winner will receive the Grand Prize of attending Mercedes
Benz Fashion Week in New York City in February 2013.

Thomas planned a work-to-fun outfit to serve both the office and going out with friends. 

She used to her gift card to purchase a necklace and black blazer from , a pink tank from Pac Sun and black jeans from . She also purchased a clutch from . Each competitor is also allowed to use one personal item. Thomas included her own black heels. 

Thomas is a licensed cosmetologist who has always loved fashion. She said she loves watching style shows and as a little girl, she went to Walgreens, buy magazines and cut out photos of outfits she liked. 

"We love discovering and encouraging stylists from our local community, while showcasing our center's great fashion retailers," said Kris Kuchler, director of marketing of the Promenade Bolingbrook, in a release.

"Through Project Style, we encourage creative trendsetters to test their passion for fashion and express themselves with the opportunity to win recognition for their style and talent. Shoppers, as well as the industry have embraced Project Style. The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) awarded Project Style a 2011 Maxi Gold Award for marketing excellence in digital media."

The Promenade Bolingbrook is working with PlaceWise Media and has
teamed up Nick Verreos, popular Project Runway designer and Red Carpet host, and Fashion Star correspondent and host of How Do I Look?, Jeannie Mai to travel the country to help us find the next chic stylist.

Want to apply for Project Style? Enter at the Promenade Bolingbrook's Project Style website.