She`s So Skirt!

In her mixed media work, Charleston artist Olan Quattro explores memory and myth. Her collages are constructed from the forgotten pieces of our lives. Each piece is first layered with old letters, photographs and notes and then painted. The layers represent the passing of time, the erosion of memory.

The pieces shown here are from her project, “September Fashion Issue,” in which she challenged herself to create a collage from every consecutive page of Vogue’s 2009 September issue.

Moira Vetter was raised in the family business, running the cash register at her father’s pharmacy when she was just 7 years old. It’s no surprise that today she is the founder and CEO of Modo Modo Agency, an award-winning, business-to-business marketing agency that won the #2 spot in the Atlanta Business Chronicle's 2010 Fastest Growing Women-Owned Firms in Atlanta.  

“Work and work ethic were always at the core of our family,” says Moira.  “They are at the core of who I am, too.”  

Award-winning interior designer, author and environment evangelist, Lori Dennis, sat down with skirt! recently to shed some (green) light on decorating your digs with dignity.

Lori is New York born, but L.A. bred all the way. Having been raised by a single mother, and a grandmother that grew up during the Great Depression, Lori was green way before it was the “it” thing to be.

Holton Elementary students eat their vegetables thanks to chef Sally and the Femme Foodies, a network of local women chefs taking food-education into schools. “We challenge the kids to try something they wouldn’t otherwise try,” she says. “So far, I’m astounded at how receptive they are to new foods.” Cabbage was a hit and students have sampled wilted spinach salad and hummus wraps.

She’s the city’s first sustainability manager, appointed last March to move Mayor Jones’ sustainability initiative forward. “We have green programs in place—from reducing energy use to curbside recycling—but nobody’s ever measured their collective impact,” says Alicia, a lawyer whose LEED certification comes in handy on the job. “We’re creating a master plan for sustainability in the city.

She’s the brains behind Impact 100, a women’s philanthropy circle founded on a brilliant idea: If 100 women each give $1000, they’ll fund a $100,000 grant capable of transforming one community organization. “It’s a game-changer for any local nonprofit,” says Talley, who pitched the concept to decision-makers at The Community Foundation earning their hearty endorsement. “We designed a logo and launched Impact 100 on their website.”

When Sorrel talks, hospitals listen. After a 2001 medical error claimed her 18-month-old daughter’s life, she was shocked to learn that hospital mistakes are the fourth leading cause of U.S. deaths. “It’s the equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing everyday—but nobody talked about it.” She gathered her courage and faced vast audiences, telling Josie’s story to spellbound medical students, patient safety commissions, legislators, and insurance industry executives.

She’d never been a churchgoer. But Jess, newly married, was ready to tackle a writing project. “The movie Julie & Julia inspired me to explore something deeply and blog about it.”  She picked religion, vowed to attend a different worship service each week, and launched her online journal, 52 Prayers.

Before her first day at St. Andrew’s School in Oregon Hill, the new head visited kindergartners and their families at home. “A family is a child’s greatest asset; we don’t focus on their deficits,” says Cyndy of the 89 students who attend the tuition-free private elementary school. “We take that asset, the parents, and build on it.”

As director of Breadwinners, the six-month culinary program at New Visions New Ventures, Stephanie transforms home cooks into entrepreneurs. “Along with culinary skills, we teach cost-analysis, packaging, marketing, food blogging—all the skills needed to run a successful food business.”Armed with degrees from both William and Mary and Johnson and Wales, Stephanie did a stint at Millie’s before taking Breadwinners’ reins last April.