The Evolution Exhibition

What is The Evolution Exhibition?

Brought to you by the passionate and success driven Mona Dinal, The Evolution Exhibition: The Journey of Fashion and Beauty by People of Color is a space for networking, paying homage to those who came before us and celebrating ourselves. Mona Dinal is a Junior, Business Management major from Brooklyn, NY. I had the opportunity to interview Mona about this amazing event that she’s been working on for months. Below is the interview and more details about The Evolution Exhibition.

Fatou: How did you go about putting this event together? Mona: I’m a brand ambassador for Shea Moisture. I help them with planning and putting on events in D.C. I have a passion for beauty and fashion. So, I decided to do an event for myself. I wondered, how can I bring up designers like ADW, Bryan Lewin, Capsulated Co.? How can I expand their lines? I wanted to create a very free and creative space. Not very structured and rigid. I want the work of these artists, designers, and owners to be exposed to the community. No restrictions.

Fatou: What do you hope to gain from it? Mona: It’s a learning experience. A test run. I want to see if it’s my passion and if it is my passion, how I can I improve on it. I had to stay on top of myself and it was not easy. Not everything is going to come intro fruition without hard work. I really want to incorporate the sponsors and vendors into it. This is not a “girly” thing, this is an event for any and everyone. There will be 90 full sized giveaways.

Fatou: Describe how you’re feeling about the event? Mona: There is a lot of adrenaline running through my body. I want to take a nap so bad but that can’t happen. I’m just so thankful for the support that I’ve been getting. It’s really a blessing. I doubted myself for a really long time, but this is another stepping stone along my path to success. I’m really excited. This is something that has changed my entire outlook. Working with different people, making decisions. I can say I’ve done this on my own, but I’ve had so many people help me along the way. Alyssa, Roosevelt, Khloe, all of my vendors, my panelists. Everyone is absolutely amazing.

Fatou: How do you plan on incorporating art into the black community? Mona: I plan to open my own non-profit for the arts in the future. Since, I work at a middle school, I will probably host an event there on an even larger scale. I just want to be able to give people opportunities. Help me, help you, help me. I would love to host other events, I just have to figure out how to go about it. I want to be able to provide people with quality. I want to raise the bar, no mediocrity. It’s going to be work. Be that liaison, be that provider, give back, support and honor these artists. If I really want this, I will find a way to make this happen. The Evolution Exhibition is a program and space where black entrepreneurs can have an opportunity to present their work and passion. This is only the beginning.

The Evolution Exhibition will be on Wednesday, February 28th from 6pm-9pm at The Incubator (2301 Georgia Ave. NW Washington, D.C.). There will be 90 full-sized giveaways! From clothing to hair and art to beauty care, there will be a total of 11 vendors showcasing their work. Hope to see you all this Wednesday!