Designer-Stylist-Speaker
HER BIO...
April Schenk has been a business owner in Downtown Hammonton for over 20 years. Her eco-friendly lifestyle company April Schenk, LLC has evolved to encompass everything from fashion, jewelry, interior design, refurbished home furnishings, teaching workshops and styling services.She recently expanded her brand into the food industry when she released her popular “SASS Sauce” to the public for purchase which is now available at a number of local specialty markets.
In addition to the above mentioned items, Schenk is a freelance interior designer where she specializes in providing one of a kind hand painted furniture items, custom designed furniture, custom upholstery and offers a collection of vintage and antique home décor items as well as clothing and accessories available for sale at The April Schenk Boutique located inside of Ideal Blend in Hammonton. Schenk encourages and offers styling advice on how to incorporate both fashion and interior pieces of the past with looks from today to create a one of a kind style, both in your closet and your home. She also loans out many pieces from her personal collection to be
used for display, or to be styled as part of fashion shows and/or photo shoots.
Schenk has recently expanded her brand to create a 12 part motivational speaking series called the “A-List” Project. She is on a mission to share her creative process with others in hopes of sparking their own artistic fire and offers an opportunity to explore “how finding a creative outlet helps to promote a more positive and confident life.” The “A-List” is a collection of 12 different affirming words starting with the letter ‘A’ (Able, Alluring, Appreciative, Aware, Authentic, Accepting, Ambitious, Ageless, Adventurous, Assertive, Artistic, and most importantly Alive). Each session revolves around a different creative thought project, with a message of self-love focusing on the true meaning of each word and how it applies to daily life and the practice of building confidence. The A-List originated as workshop classes and now is in development to bring her message to a large audience to include a book as well as daily beauty cards, set to be offered to the public in 2018.
In a continued effort to encourage art and creativity in others, she briefly opened The mART in May 2016. A community cooperative marketplace for artists of all mediums and anything handmade, Schenk created a one of a kind concept to have people come together to buy, sell and create art. This collection of artistic vendors offered a location for handmade and upcycled goods, fine art as well as workshop and how to classes. Schenk is on a mission to create a destination that celebrates and encourages art of all mediums and tried to create a space for artists as well as customers to come relax, create, learn and be inspired! A large stage was one of the highlights of the space where many exciting nightly events took place. Open mic nights, Friday night jam sessions, fashion shows, movie nights and a host of other events were offered as an interactive shopping experience like no other. Unfortunately, the concept didn’t take off but Schenk plans to offer the idea again in the future in a more populated area.
Schenk owned a successful handmade invitation boutique and event planning company (Cordially Invited) from 1999 to 2007 in the heart of Downtown Hammonton. In addition to hundreds of weddings and parties she planned a number of charity events over the years for Kessler Memorial Hospital, Rotary International and Saint Augustine Preparatory School to name a few. It was during that time that she became active in the revitalization of Downtown Hammonton and now sits on a number of committees and boards in an effort to help grow the Downtown area and lends her expertise in planning and design.
April Schenk continues to excel each season and is receiving renowned recognition from participation at a number of high-profile events. Schenk’s collection of antique collectable and upcycled art was on display at The Franklin Institute’s after hours Speakeasy event (2017). She gave an educational presentation about the history of many items from her collection.Her work was showcased as part of an installation at the Noyes Museum of Art in partnership with Stockton University’s Kramer Hall for Hammonton : 150 Years of Industry(2016). Schenk received rave reviews when she partnered and hosted a dynamic fashion show at Stockton University’s Kramer Hall, showcasing how fashion has come full circle over the decades (2016). Her pieces sold-out in collaboration with Nicole Miller Philadelphia(2012) and her work walked down the runway at NY Fashion Week in conjunction with Tamara Pogosian(2010) and Philadelphia Fashion Week in conjunction with Kristin Haskins Simms (Season 8 contestant for Project Runway) (2010). Schenk’s work has been seen in publications such as Eliza Magazine, US Weekly and on celebrities such as Gretchen Rossi of the Real Housewives of OC to name a few (2008-2010).
The April Schenk Collection, which includes women’s necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets and much more can be found at www.aprilschenk.com;www.etsy.com; www.facebook.com and The April Schenk Boutique Ideal Blend (575 Basin Road), located in Hammonton, NJ. You can consult with her there to find out more about the many services she offers.