IEEW’s 3rd Annual OKC Benefit Fashion Show on July 17

You don’t have to travel to Seventh Avenue in New York City to see the latest and greatest trends in the fashion world. There is a taste of haute couture right here in Oklahoma City, in the third annual Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW) Benefit Fashion Show called “Cowboy & Couture.”

This exciting event will be hosted by Eden Salon and Spa of Oklahoma City, and will be held at 6 pm on July 17, 2012 at the Historic OKC Farmer’s Public Market. All proceeds are donated to the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® program.

“IEEW board member Jan Hill, owner of Eden Salon and Spa, goes all out in planning and organizing this one-of-a-kind event that attracts and excites so many who want to see the latest and greatest in fashion,” says Dr. Terry Neese, IEEW’s founder and chief executive officer. “I was absolutely blown away at the professionalism of this event; I felt like I was watching a fashion show in New York or Paris.”

IEEW provides training every year to 60 women in both Afghanistan and Rwanda, to help them grow their own businesses; this is the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® program. As part of this training, half of the 60 studentsare selected to travel to the United States in July for higher-level business and leadership training.  They each have a one-week-long mentorship with an American female business owner in a matching industry. They also take part in an International Women’s Economic Summit – a conference that focuses on the strength and contribution of women entrepreneurs in Afghanistan and Rwanda, the obstacles they face, and free economy solutions to peace. At that time, they will also participate in a U.S. graduation.

Eden Salon is a full-service salon and spa that offers everything from manicures to facials to haircuts and hair coloring. It was originally co-founded by Jan Hill in 1982 under the name My Sister’s Scissors. The business has been included in ELLE Magazine’s “Top 100 Salons Across America.”

“I couldn’t think of a better program and better cause to donate to than PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS®,” Hill says. “We are helping our sisters in business in Afghanistan and Rwanda realize their dream of entrepreneurship, and at the same time we are hosting a fun event that the public can enjoy and appreciate.”

Tickets cost $100 for VIP seating and one drink, $35 for reserved general admission, and $40 for general admission at the door. There will be refreshments and a cash bar for all those who attend. To get tickets to the fashion show, please log on to www.edenfashionshow.com.

About IEEW

The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW), started in 2006, is an Oklahoma City-based 501(c)3 with a mission to empower women to grow their businesses, pursue greater entrepreneurial ventures and become more active public policy advocates. The Institute accomplishes this mission by focusing on education, mentorship and coaching women in the United States and abroad who are seeking to acquire entrepreneurial skills to help start and grow a business. IEEW works with a network of mentors, corporate sponsors, and private donors across theUnited States to accomplish its work.

About Dr. Terry Neese

A member of the U.S. Afghan Women’s Council, past national president of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), and founder of Terry Neese Personnel Services, Dr. Neese is known as a small business expert, and was recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the “Power 30”— the most influential small businesspersons in Washington, D.C. She is an inductee into the National and Oklahoma Women’s Halls of Fame, co-founder and past president of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), and a former distinguished fellow at theNational Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA). Dr. Neese made history in 1990 when she became the first woman nominated by a major political party for the seat of Lt. Governor of Oklahoma. The grandmother and certified pilot also has been appointed to numerous councils and positions, with nominations by prominent leaders such as Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.