Roopal Patel has been active in the fashion industry for as long as she can remember. After earning a Marketing Degree from New York University’s prestigious Stern School of Business, Patel began her career working with a small designer--eventually leading her to join Style.com as their Market Editor. Shortly after, Roopal was named the Senior Women’s Fashion Director at Bergdorf Goodman, eventually taking on the role of Senior Accessories Market Editor at Neiman Marcus. Her acclaimed ability to pinpoint key designer pieces each season contributed to the vision of what Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus are today. In November of 2011, Patel was named Fashion Director at Moda Operandi, an online retailer that enables fashion-savvy customers to order looks straight from the runway.

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New York based stylist Leslie Fremar is one of the fashion industry’s most coveted celebrity stylists. Known for her sophisticated, discerning and impeccable eye, Fremar began her fashion career at American Vogue as Anna Wintour’s assistant prior to becoming the in-house Director of Celebrity Relations at Prada. Fremar’s intelligent understanding of celebrity dressing has quietly produced some of fashion’s most iconic red carpet moments. More recently, Fremar has explored the world of designing cotton t-shirts/tanks for Fruit of the Loom, which can be found at Bloomingdale's in locations across the country sold at $18 each for a pack of 3. Fremar’s current client list includes Jennifer Connelly, Jimmy Fallon, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Julianne Moore, Charlize Theron, Liv Tyler and Reese Witherspoon.

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Christian Siriano attended the Baltimore School for the Arts and studied fashion in London, where he interned with industry legends Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen. When he moved to New York City, Christian became the youngest winner and fan favorite of Bravo's "Project Runway." He quickly became a rising star in the fashion industry, and today his clothing is sold at Neiman Marcus

Christian shows a full collection each season at New York Fashion Week, and his designs have appeared in some of the most respected fashion magazines around the world. Oprah Winfrey calls his designs "works of art." Tim Gunn calls him "a prodigy" and "the next great American fashion designer." Christian designs several ongoing collections of shoes and bags for Payless ShoeSource, created a makeup line for Victoria's Secret, and has embarked on design partnerships with LG, Starbucks, Puma, and Spiegel. He is the youngest person to ever appear on the Crain's "40 Under Forty" list. The release of Christian's book "Fierce Style: How to Be Your Most Fabulous Self" saw him embark on a national book tour in 2009, and he co-founded accessories e-commerce retailer Send the Trend and served as Chief Curator until 2011.

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Since launching his own label in 2001, Brian Atwood has beguiled the fashion industry with his indelible shoe designs. A champion of both modernity and drop-dead glamour, Atwood’s unique design sensibility is informed by his authentic American roots, as well as by a European sophistication he has nurtured for the last two decades. The Chicago native studied art and architecture at Southern Illinois University before heading to New York where he attended the renowned fashion college, F.I.T. Upon graduation he embarked on a 7 year modeling career that took him to the runways of Europe. While in Milan, he pursued several fashion companies for design jobs and was eventually discovered by Gianni Versace—becoming the first American ever hired by the great Italian designer.
While at Versace, Atwood fine-tuned his technical abilities and began conceiving of his own label. In 2001 he debuted the very first Brian Atwood collection, quickly gaining notoriety not only for his exceptionally crafted footwear, but also for his inventive manner of presentation. In 2003 his talent was recognized when he won the CFDA Swarovsky Perry Ellis Award for best Accessory Design. These global accolades eventually led to his appointment in 2007 as Creative Director of the Swiss luxury firm Bally. Currently Brian is designing for his eponymous collection while also drafting plans for contemporary collections, accessories and more.

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Heidy de la Rosa was discovered at in her hometown of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico at a party thrown by a modeling agency. Since then, she has enjoyed a burgeoning modeling career. Heidy has appeared in many publications such as Allure, Brides, CosmoGirl, Seventeen, and Latina. She has walked in the Laura Smalls runway show for the past four seasons, ever since the designer began showing her collections at New York Fashion Week. The Puerto Rican bombshell has also appeared in commercials for global brands like Dove and Bing. In her free time, Heidy enjoys picnicking in Central Park, gallery-hopping, and attending charity events.

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Dylan Lauren is the proud daughter of famous clothing designer Ralph Lauren and owner of the largest candy store in the world. After graduating from Duke University in 1996 with a degree in Art History, she sought to bring her childhood memory of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory to life with her very own Dylan's Candy Bar. Dylan was named one of the Top 25 Most Stylish New Yorkers by US Weekly in 2007, and favors designers Ralph Lauren, Alice and Olivia, and 7 For All Mankind. In June 2011, Dylan celebrated her marriage in NYC wearing a gown designed by her father.

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Elyse Luray is an appraiser and historian in popular culture. Currently she is one of five hosts on PBS’, “History Detectives” and can be seen on shows like the “Nate Berkus Show,” “Clean House NY!” and “The Longest Yard”. When Elyse isn’t developing historical hypotheses and co-hosting, she spends her time lending her auctioneering skills to charities all over the country. Most recently, Elyse published her first book “Great Wines Under $20” where she shares inside tips on how to enjoy great, inexpensive wine!

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Having been a finalist on Project Runway's second season, Kara Janx's career has skyrocketed in the past couple of years since the show aired. Kara stars in the new season of Project Runway All Stars which is anticipated to parallel her personal success! Kara recently launched her bridal line in Spring 2011, which has garnered a tremendous following from press. Kara’s work has graced the pages of Elle, Harpers Bazaar, InStyle, Lucky, Vogue, and WWD. She has even taken on the title of International Sportswear Designer of the Year. .

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RJ Cutler is a Harvard-educated filmmaker who specializes in documentaries and intelligent reality TV. He was the director of The September Issue that focused on Vogue Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour and her staff, and the producer of The War Room, which shows President Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign. He has won an Emmy Award, a Peabody Award and has been nominated for an Academy Award. 

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Start the New Year off right by planning your dream vacation! Our favorite T&C Creative Factory contributors shared with us their absolute favorite destination getaways to escape their busy schedules. Whether they’re testing their endurance at surf camp or indulging in a traditional Poon Choi meal while overlooking Hong Kong’s skyline—our favorite tastemakers are always open to new and exotic adventures. Take some inspiration from them and make 2012 your year!

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