Pizzazz event returns for stylish shoppers

Pizzazz is back, and it's projected to be more stylish than ever. After a year's hiatus, this distinctive boutique shopping event has made a comeback with more vigor and vitality. Held at the Fox Chapel Golf Club, 33 vendors will show everything from jewelry to cashmere bathrobes. Most of the items are not available anywhere else in Pittsburgh. "People have missed it," says Carol Weir, chairwoman of the event. "They have been asking if it is coming back. We have gotten so many calls about it. The vendors love coming to Pittsburgh for this show, so they have been calling too." The three-day shopping extravaganza hosted by the Garden Club of Allegheny County is making its 15th appearance. Prices range from $10 to $10,000. "It is really going to be a great show," says vendor Suzy Abuza, owner and designer of the collection at Indo-Chic in Stonington, Conn. She plans to bring silk pieces and cashmere bathrobes and ribbon-knit sweaters as well as pieces from her resort collection. I have been to Pizzazz for several years and it is a wonderful event." Vendors are invited from around the country and are selected on the basis of quality, originality and exclusivity. There are at least 50 on the waiting list, planners say. The garden club has a strong commitment to funding innovative environmental projects that will improve the quality of life throughout the Pittsburgh community. Seventy-five percent of the proceeds from the event will be dedicated to the green roof on Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens' Center for Sustainable Landscapes, a "Living Building," which will be constructed next year. Remaining proceeds will go to the garden club's Community Trust Fund, which supports a wide variety of horticultural, environmental, conservation and civic programs throughout our region. "The garden club has a long history of helping to fund lots of projects," Weir says. "That is very important to us." One of the shops that's supported Pizzazz for multiple years is Mr. Charles from State College, which has unique contemporary clothing and accessories. "We get a lot of pleasure out of participating in Pizzazz," says owner Charlene Rosen. "We plan to bring items that are hot, such as fur vests, ski and leather jackets, sweaters and scarves. People love the jackets we sell because you can wear them with jeans or dress them up. People today are looking for an investment in clothing ... they can wear with a lot of different outfits." This will be the first year for Preppy Pink Pony out of McLean, Va., which has personalized gifts, such as stationery, handbags, iPod cases and flip-flops. Owner Virginia Kennedy says she is excited about coming to Pittsburgh and says some of her vendor friends are jealous she was invited and they weren't. She is known for her monograms, which she says adds a special touch, that you have gone the extra step. "I am only going to do two shows out of the area this year, and Pizzazz is one of the two because I have heard good things about this show," Kennedy says. "I hear it's a very special show." Julie Lindsey agrees. Owner and designer of the items at Julie Collection, this will be the first time her collection will be shown at Pizzazz. Her pieces includes shawls, handbags and jewelry, made from semi-precious stones in dazzling colors. "To get into a show like Pizzazz, organizers have to be urged to invite you," says Lindsey, who has a showroom in New York City. "The great shows, like Pizzazz, have a waiting list because we all want to be a part of such a first-class show. They look for originality, which is what makes a show like Pizzazz successful year after year.