DIY, Lifestyle, Oakland Park, Sewing

Sugar Luxe Society Promotes DIY Denim Workshop

We all know Sugar Luxe Society is every Oakland Park woman’s favorite boutique clothing store. The hip boutique has everything you need to stay in fashion, from handmade silk kimonos to trendy dresses and hats. But behind the curtains, there are several fun workshops available to all.

Turning a Denim Jacket Into a Brand New Clothing

I was lucky enough to have an old denim jacket on hand for Sugar Luxe’s DIY Denim workshop. With very little sewing experience and a free Sunday morning, I made my way downtown for the first series of two classes. The class began with Sugar Luxe Society’s owner Dayanara Soto. She handed us clipboards and encouraged us to sketch or write down our visions. We talked about the current styles that we like and don’t like. Not knowing where to start, Dayanara’s fashion expertise was greatly appreciated and admired.

We then placed our denim items on a hanger. I decided I would add trim to my jacket to lightly distress it. My classmate decided to embellish her favorite pair of distressed jeans. Dayanara let us choose from a huge selection of repurposed and vintage trims, tassels, beads, and pearls. We took our time and talked about all the different ways we could incorporate trim, patches, fabrics and even tule.

I kept the length of my jacket and added an eyelet trim to the bottom. To achieve that I first had to deconstruct the existing hem. I used a seam ripper to carefully remove it. Which took way longer than I ever imagined it would. Oddly satisfying, I worked stitch by stitch.

A Helping Hand Using the Sewing Machine

While I worked on deconstruction, Dayanara showed us our way around the sewing machine. She went over how to thread it, the different seams and stitches that were available. Dayanara used to be a teacher and that becomes very apparent throughout the workshop. Especially when I get on the sewing machine and began going off course. Under her careful eye, she was able to redirect me several times so that I wouldn’t have to start all over again. Over time I was able to build the confidence to complete it (mostly) on my own.

Fashion as a Way to Empower Women

The classes are not just about having fun though. Dayanara’s vision for Sugar Luxe Society was always to have these classes as a way of empowering women through some of our favorite things, fashion, thrifting, and makeup. In addition to the Denim workshop, Sugar Luxe also hosts fashion and home décor thrifting classes, creative fashion styling workshops, creative vision board workshops, and a denim painting workshop. So there truly is something for everyone at Sugar Luxe.

Sugar Luxe Society began as a pop-up boutique, but Dayanara always wanted to plant roots in a storefront to be able to reach out to the community with these types of workshops. Her goal is to build confidence in women and have them leave feeling fashionable, creative and empowered. She has great attention to detail and admiration for handmade items in fashion. The décor in Sugar Luxe was done by herself and her sister, Ana. From the paint on the walls to the copper pipes that hold the changing room curtains, everything in Sugar Luxe has an intentionally elevated handmade esthetic.

A Total Transformation

By the second workshop, my denim jacket went from boring western to boho. We also decided two lace flowers needed to adorn the top half, and we finished by applying the eyelet to the trim of the jacket. I left the class beaming and inspired. The only thing about these classes is you may find yourself wanting to deconstruct every denim item that you own.

Several workshops are upcoming so be sure to follow their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pg/sugarluxesociety/events/ for dates and times.

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About the Author

Rhiannon Samoyedny

Rhiannon Samoyedny was born and raised in South Florida. She has lived in Oakland Park for over 25 years and purchased her home in Garden Acres in 2012 where she resides with her husband, two teenaged boys, a few rescue cats, and her dog.

Her professional career began as a project manager and estimator for a small Oakland Park construction company and she later went on to earn her degree in Court Reporting, where she later incorporated her own small business RS Reporting, Inc.

She has a passion for gardening and attends many horticulture classes and workshops. She is also an LGA (Local Government Academy) graduate, class of 2019, and an active community volunteer and activist. You can usually find her around town at various Oakland Park meetings and events with her notebook, so be sure to say hello.