Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/260044
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JERRY METELLUS (WITH PAIGE); DENISE TRUSCELLO (LA COMIDA); COURTESY OF THE SMITH CENTER (SMITH CENTER) SERVICE INFOTK Carter- Henderson with her daughter, Paige. LEFT: The walkway at La Comida, a Mexican restaurant opened last year by Michael Morton. BELOW: The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. place to debut her latest endeavor, the Las Vegas Fashion Council, dedicated to nurturing developing designers and establishing Vegas as a world player in the fashion industry, while helping to diversify the local economy. "Years ago, we didn't spend a whole lot of time downtown," she says. "Although anyone who grew up here will remember going to BINION'S HORSESHOE to get your picture taken with a million dollars inside a plexiglass box. I'm inspired by all of the activity happen- ing now. I love to push myself and look toward the future to see what is possible, and the energy I see downtown—the emphasis on redevelop- ment, fostering small businesses, and nurturing the growing arts and design scene—thrills me." Taking full advantage of this growing arts scene, Carter-Henderson and her fiancé, Phil Cooper, hold season passes for the Broadway series at the SMITH CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS and attend the center's Cabaret Jazz performances regularly. Afterward, the couple enjoys dinner at LA COMIDA ("a lively, casual Mexican eatery with great margaritas"); LE THAI, a laid-back Thai place ("One of their dishes is called Awesome Noodles—and they are!"); or the steakhouse OSCAR'S ("Many swear it's the best steakhouse in Vegas"). "There's this explosion of culture around places like the Arts District and Fremont Street," she says, calling INSPIRE THEATER, a venue created for $5.5 million in a former 7-Eleven, "a great new addition. And I love to see the groundswell of entrepreneurial activity, with dozens of new independently owned businesses. The fashion boutique COTERIE is one of my favorites. It's filled with little trea- sures. And I'm so inspired by what's happening at STITCH FACTORY," a collaborative studio of designers, models, photographers, and buyers that provides designers with professional work space and business mentorship. "This city offers me the opportunities to fulfill some of my life's objectives," Carter- Henderson says. "Giving back, making a difference, leaving a legacy, and being the best example that I can be for my daughter." V continued from page 60 CARRIE'S DOWNTOWN Carrie Carter-Henderson's favorite spots. COTERIE 515 Fremont St., 702-350-2939 DISCOVERY CHILDREN'S MUSEUM 360 Promenade Pl., 702-382-5437 INSPIRE THEATER 501 Fremont St., 702-489-9110 LA COMIDA 100 Sixth St., 702-463-9900 LE THAI 523 Fremont St., 702-778-0888 OSCAR'S 1 Main St. (in the Plaza Hotel & Casino), 702-386-7227 STITCH FACTORY 300 N. Las Vegas Blvd., Ste. 120, 702-476-5552 62 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM NATIVE 060-062_V_SP_Native_Spring14.indd 62 2/11/14 12:07 PM