Vanessa Di Palma Wright

Sharon Backurz, from Zenzee, is one of the most creative women and designers whom I have had the pleasure to work with for years, and proud to call her a friend. She was the last featured trunk show at Farasha’s Main Street boutique before we decided to close and rebrand as a full-service consulting company. At the time, she had launched a fun art and fashion collab collection with the Arts Council which we loved representing. And since then, she has evolved and expanded into an indie-cool Park City brand that offers small-batch collections that feature masterfully hand-dyed tie-dye sets and a refined, yet edgy cashmere collection that I want to live in. Including dresses and sets that have added fringe and embellishments that speak to the comfort and style that represents the epitome of effortlessly elegant and cool. Her collections are available for purchase at Panache, Cole Sport, CREATE PC, and shopzenzee.com.

Alex Gibson from Sien + Co is a local designer who knitted the memorable, soft, and controversial pussy hats for the Women’s March on Main Street in 2017. Her fine-knitted collection of chunky sweaters, hats, and luxurious home decor accessories offer authentic craftsmanship. Moreover, she uses sustainable materials sourced from South America and fine wools are a must for every mountain-modern home. Do not miss her collection - all available at Park City Mercantile.

Emily Loughlin came into my world upon her return to Park City after graduating from SCAD in 2015. She began designing engaging and fashionable visual window displays for Farasha’s storefront on Main Street. Shortly after she was part of the sales and styling team and eventually became Creative Director for all our projects thru 2018. In that time, I was able to witness her creative prowess in full effect. From repurposing clothes and embellishing vintage pieces to now creating, jewelry and an evolved collection of beautiful art that includes a plethora of mixed media, sculptures, and portraits. She is methodical in her approach of repurposing and re-using to minimize her carbon footprint and create one-of-a-kind pieces that represent modern times, nature, and beauty. Her art is available at CREATE PC on Main Street.

Park City has a thriving community of women who are entrepreneurial, hard-working, committed, and engaged on so many levels. I consider myself truly blessed to be part of such an inclusive community that values the talents, assets, and gifts that we all have to offer. I am so thankful for all of my loyal clients who have supported Farasha’s dream of being a pop-up platform for emerging designers for the past twelve years that we have been in business. In that time, Farasha has evolved into a consulting company that is all-encompassing with an impressive following of loyal women who reach out for styling sessions, wardrobe consults, photoshoots, retail support, and more.

Farasha currently shares office space with dynamic duo Jacki Zehner and Madison Limansky of the ShePlace - the new lifestyle, boutique co-working space at the Newpark Town Center. Jacki is a dear friend, and Madi is my former business partner. We all gain so much from getting together to brainstorm on projects where we can collaborate and partner. We often make time to meet, connect, support, and create events and experiences where women can gather to gain insight, support each other’s causes, and offer a space for women to share, learn and grow together.

Farasha means « Butterfly » in Arabic. When I was a little girl, I was gifted a book of names. I discovered that Vanessa means butterfly. Thus, I have always been drawn to butterflies, as they represent the journey of transformation and beauty from the inside out. When I launched Farasha in 2009 as a platform to showcase emerging designers in resort towns, I wanted to choose a name that represented me and my passion for all things in fashion. I also wanted to choose a word that is not so recognized and has some mysteriousness to it. I was struggling with all the butterfly themes. My husband suggested that I look up the word butterfly in other languages to play with the idea. Farasha stuck because it has a very feminine and yet foreign sound to it. It’s a word that is non-familiar but intriguing. Most people cannot say it when they first encounter the name. If you sound it out phonetically, it’s simpler than it looks.

/far,a,sha

And therein, lies the objective of what Farasha is and what it represents. Fashion is continually evolving and recreating itself - just like the metamorphosis of a butterfly. Farasha represents the women, companies, and brands that seek to be renewed, reinvented, and express themselves thru the fashion lens.

My favorite Park City Main Street gallery is Gallery Mar. Owner and great friend Maren Mullin has used her craft of curation and entrepreneurship to create a fresh and inviting space. She purposefully represents artists that she loves and symbolizes the modern mountain life that we all love. Her artists are emotional, intentional, and speak to a plethora of global collectors in a fun and approachable manner.

I have enjoyed collecting fun curiosities from Gallery Mar that represent my fashion-forward lifestyle. Such as Horacio Rodriguez’s ceramic LV pistol and my Hunt Slonem butterfly oil painting. Like my clothes, they are a form of expression and provide me with positive energy and joy when I admire the different mediums of art that add a sense of individual style to my personal space.

J GO Gallery is another go-to spot I frequent that combines art, culture, and community under one roof. Grab a coffee and gluten-free treat at the adjacent Park City Desserts, admire the variety of artists represented, and stay for an intimate concert with friends all under one roof.

The art and culture scene in Park City and Summit County is the thread and heartbeat of our community. During the pandemic, we have all reiterated the importance of staying connected, supporting one another, and being more focused on localization to thrive. Now more than ever, we seek culture through fashion, art, music, performances, film, and unique experiences that make us feel part of an ecosystem. These are the elements of what is most important. And much like the butterfly, arts and culture is ever-evolving, changing, and transforming. It is part of our raison d’être.