A trendy service is coming to downtown, along with an affordable and fashionable boutique. Now open, 306 Forbes Boutique is the brainchild of JoJo Sanchez of Cardamone's Salon and her business partner Lisa Wolfsen. The shop will sell "shabby chic" clothing on its first floor, and offer microblading upstairs. This will be, according to Sanchez, the first place downtown offering the treatment, and it will be using "what [she feels] are the best products on the market". 

Microblading is a type of semi-permanent tattoo which helps improve one's eyebrows. It "gives definition to a part of the face that's a necessity now," Sanchez says, giving the brow "enough structure or a really good map so if you want to fill them in more they've been drawn on" to give a guide. The skin is lightly stroked by the needle, creating small cuts into which the pigment is deposited. The goal is to make it appear like a light hair stroke rather than a dark line. The initial cost is $395 and the retouch a month later is $125, bringing the grand total to $520. Patrons can get a color boost 18 months afterwards for an additional $250. Those that don't want to take the plunge into microblading can have their eyebrows enhanced with makeup at 306 Forbes' brow bar, where there will be a "full line of products to accentuate with a makeup application". 

The clothing available is described by Sanchez as "trendy but classic...the demographic is college kids and business women so [they] have a little more of a mature group". Sanchez and Wolfson felt as though there was not much available downtown for the young professional looking for something nice that wasn't too pricey. Brands who are featured in the boutique include The Supply, Sanctuary, Nation Limited, Street Level Bags, Mac Jeans, and fragrances from Tokyo Milk among others.

This week's featured PGHFW designer; Yetunde Olukoya is more than just a woman of her word. Her background as a medical doctor took a turn when her dreams became a reality as her life of designing became the forefront of her career. Now, she is constantly working on her brand; Ray Darten, empowering what she believes in, a full-time mom, major travel guru, and of course being a total boss babe. 

Ray Darten creates deeply rooted bold, African print dresses, jackets, skirts, accessories and more. She focuses on using her styles to tell stories of the African culture and heritage. She also plays a role in helping drive its economy by having all fabrics sourced and handmade in Nigeria. By doing so, she hopes to give back to the children in the community by extending support in children's education and health through her 'Ray of Hope' initiative. In June, she gave back to a community tribe in Lagos, Nigeria where she delivered school supplies, flip flops, food/drinks and toiletries to the children affected by poverty. Her dedication to her work is highlighted in her most recent blog post, as she shares pictures of her monthly workshop she hosts for her staff as a hands-on training event educating in everything from pattern making, tailoring, and most importantly the focus of specifications/standards and quality control. 

With an impressive 50 thousand followers on instagram, Ray Darten is growing rapidly. She has been featured in Fashion Shows, FOX 11 Los Angeles (Good Day LA), and Pop Up Shops across the globe. Her fashions are available for purchase via her website and she even opened her own store in Emeryville, California, where customers can shop her looks. 

You can be sure to see more of her latest fashion creations when Yetunde Olukoya's designs hit the runway this fall at PGHFW.