Austin Shines

The first-ever "Austin Shines" presented by Eliza Page and Launch787 is bringing together artists, retailers, designers, educators, and industry influencers to celebrate and encourage new and emerging jewelry design talent.

Fun Fashion Find: Taco Pocket

I'm not really sure if this is exactly a fashion find or not because I'm not sure what you would put in this taco pocket. Use it as a coin purse maybe? A makeup travel bag? I just don't know, but whatever you do, make sure you have eaten a good meal before using this guy or else you might be caught choking on a zipper pull.

(For the record, I don't think this taco bag is going to win any fashion awards, I just thought it was too funny not to post.)

Taco Pocket found at Blue Elephant


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Cinco de Mayo Fashion Fiesta

Assuming you're not passed out somewhere with a bottle of tequila in your hand, 26 Doors Shopping Center is having a fiesta for Cinco de Mayo which features a fashion show by Adelante, Rae Cosmetics, and Urban Betty. Food will be provided by Santa Rita (mmm) and Teo Gelato, drinks from Paula's Texas Orange, and live music by Sweetmeat.

Treasure City Thrift Recycled Fashion Show

Treasure City Thrift Store along with iLoveMikeLitt is accepting entries for their 3rd Recycled Fashion Show which will be taking place on Saturday June 20th.

Each designer is expected to submit a collection of at least 3 outfits that are refashioned out of old clothes.  Designers may find their own clothes to use, or get materials free of charge from Treasure City Thrift Store.

Space is limited and the deadline to submit interest is Monday, May 3rd.  So, hop to it Austin designers!  This sounds like fun.

click here to Sign Up 


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Barton Creek Square Fashion Show Event Recap

This weekend Barton Creek Square held their "Trends and Friends Weekend." They started things off on Friday with cupcakes and cocktails with all donations going towards "Project Princess." Project Princess is a pretty awesome nonprofit organization that collects dresses and other prom accessories to give to underprivileged high school girls. To find out more about Project Princess and to donate click here.

the Project Princess girls

The cupcakes were provided by The Cupcake Bar, which I have to say was a really fun and delicious treat. I chose a red velvet cupcake, pink cream cheese frosting, and topped it off with blue sprinkles. It was a mini sized cupcake so it was super cute. The size reminded me of those mini muffins I used to bring to lunch sometimes in middle school. Mmmm.

Barton Creek Square Weekend Fashion Show Event

Barton Creek Square will be hosting Simon Trends & Friends Weekend this weekend on April 23 and 24. This is a two-day event featuring six runway fashion shows packed with styles for both men and women.

What Austin needs that New York has

Don't get me wrong, I pretty much think Austin is my fave. I love everything about this town and it's style. However, there are a few things that New York has that I think Austin should have. Here they are in no particular order:

Mood
Wouldn't it be amazing if Austin had a fabric store with wall to wall fabric options? The Project Runway contestants and New Yorkers are so spoiled. I could live in this fabric store.

New York Style vs. Austin Style

I had a fabulous time in the big city but I am glad to be back where fried chicken is served with cream gravy instead of brown.

Besides taking in the tastes, sounds and sometimes questionable smells of New York, I of course focused most of my attention on the visuals and more specifically the clothes.
My fantastic friend Lauren Zaffaroni (a.k.a. Zaff) and I rented bikes and rode around Central Park (probably my favorite place in NY) but pulled over to chat about the difference between New York style and Austin style.

what I'm wearing: hat: Target, sunglasses: Ray Bans, jacket: Urban Outfitters, dress: Blue Elephant, tights: H&M, boots: Aldo
Zaff has been living in New York for over a year now and previously lived in Austin for 4 years, so she knows what's up.

I took a video of our interview but it didn't look so great and normally when I read blogs I don't play videos anyway and prefer to read, so I transcribed it for y'all:

Me: What would you say one of the big differences between New York style and Austin style is?

Zaff: I think people in New York wear a lot more black. Tons and tons of black. And here you have to dress more for the seasons and in Austin every day is summertime. Here you see a lot more people in nice coats and prettier outerwear because it's more important. And then shoes are different because it's more important that you have shoes that are good to walk in.. as I see that girl walking by in platforms...


Me: Would you say people in New York are more brand conscious than in Austin?

Zaff: Um probably. They probably know their brands better than people in Austin. I don't know. I don't spend a lot of time in areas where people are carrying Louis Vuitton bags but I think they might be more educated about brands.

Me: Is there anything about Austin style or fashion that you miss?

Zaff: Oh yeah. I miss cowboy boots. I mean, I could still wear my cowboy boots but not as often. I definitely miss that and I miss being able to wear summery clothes for a longer period of time. I miss that for sure.

Me: Are there any specific stores in Austin that you miss?

Zaff: I miss Room Service. You can't get vintage clothing here for a reasonable price at all. I miss thrifting in general. What else do I miss...I liked By George a lot but I didn't buy a lot there because I have no money.

Me: Is there anything stylewise from living in New York that you think you will take back with you if you move back to Austin or anywhere else?

Zaff: I don't know. That's a hard question. Yeah, probably. I will probably continue to wear a lot of black... and...yeah...that was a bad answer, sorry. Edit.

Me: Don't tell me how to edit my own video.

A Short Hiatus

I just wanted to let y'all know that I will be taking a very short hiatus from blogging because I am heading to New York tomorrow! But do not fear; I will be getting back Monday and should have plenty to post when I return.

Expect a post or 2 about my opinion of the fashion capital of the world and the fashions I will see. What will a stylish Austinite have to say about New york? Stay tuned to find out and while I am gone make sure y'all...


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I Wanna See Some Local Designers on TV

Where are my Austin designers?

"Project Runway" is casting for season 8 right now and they are supposedly looking for more people from Texas. This is your opportunity Austinites! "Project Runway" is a huge launching pad. Plus, I am obsessed with the show, so isn't that enough to get you to apply? The deadline to apply is April 22nd so hurry up.
To learn more and apply click here.

"Project Runway's" red headed step child "Fashion Show" is also casting right now. If you don't remember, "Fashion Show" is the show hosted by Isaac Mizrahi that Bravo tried to use to replace "Project Runway" with after "Project Runway" moved to Lifetime. You probably tried to watch a couple shows and get into it, but quickly learned it was no replacement for "Project Runway". Didn't that description make you want to apply to be on it? That's what I thought.
To learn more and apply click here.


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Keepin Austin Weird and Stylish

Together, Leslie and I are keepin austin weird and stylish. Don't we make a great pair? Glad to see him out and about!


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My Vintage Finds

Did y'all check out the Vintage clothing liquidation sale? If you did, you would have found out that they changed the venue last minute. The clothing sale actually took place at the "Bouquet Room" in the Omni Hotel at 7th St. and San Jacinto. But that wasn't all that was disorganized.

Where were the racks of clothes? Yeah, there weren't any. There were just piles. Piles upon piles of randomly placed clothes. I stood in the non-air conditioned room rummaging through the polyester trying to find a natural fiber diamond in the rough. The normal person

might have felt overwhelmed in this scenario, but I had flashbacks to my

high school days spent cleaning out my great Aunt's farm house. I knew there had to be a clothing equivalent to an antique 1950's Jadite plate in there, and I was determined to be the one to find it. My determination led to me finding several pieces of awesome clothing.

Here are a couple of my faves:

Some of the things I bought need a new button or two. Simple fixes that will be fun and totally worth it. That jumper in the middle, however, is in great condition and fits me perfectly which was kind of a miracle since I wasn't able to try it on (did I mention there are no dressing rooms and only one mirror?) I can't wait to accessorize these! I ended up with 5 pieces overall for a total of $23. Not too shabby. Or is it shabby chic?

This sale is technically still going on right now and is supposed to last til 10 tonight. It is also happening tomorrow from 10am - 6pm.

Happy thrifting to all and to all a good night.


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P.S. was anyone else there when that little rift between the 2 older guys was happening? What was that about? Y'all almost killed my vintage shopping buzz. ALMOST.

Vintage Clothing Liquidation

I wish I had known about this event sooner to give y'all more of a heads up, but better late than never, right? This coming Monday and Tuesday, ATX Auctions will be hosting a massive Vintage Clothing Liquidation sale at The Firehouse Lounge in Downtown Austin. There are over 4,000 pieces from the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's that will be sold for pennies on the dollar. This is the liquidated inventory of a Vintage Clothing store that NEVER opened in Austin.

Here are the amazing prices that the pieces will be selling for:

T Shirts - 2.00
Dresses - 5.00
Women's Tops - 3.00
Jackets - 5.00
Leather Jackets - 10.00
Mens Shirts - 3.00
Skirts - 3.00
Hats - 3.00

Crazy!

What:

• Vintage Clothing Liquidation

Where:

• The Firehouse Lounge
  605 Brazos St.
  Austin, TX 78701
  
  
• The Omni Hotel
  
  700 San Jacinto Boulevard
  Austin, TX 78701

When:

• Monday April 12th 2pm - 10pm
• Tuesday April 13th 10am - 6pm
  

Austin Digs the Tribal Trend

Back in Januray I wrote about the Tribal chic trend being a popular look on the runways for Spring 2010. Spring is in full force right now at the local boutiques and I found several tribal chic pieces while out and about.
necklace: luxe Apothetique, bracelets: SoLa, romper: Girl Next Door, shoes: gallery D


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This Month's Tribeza

Normally when I first pick up a magazine, I look through the photos and then decide if I want to actually read the articles or not (I can't help the fact that I'm a visual person and a photography snob.) So when my eyes came across the "Black Canvas" photo spread in this month's Tribeza magazine, I was blown away and forced to actually do some reading (heaven forbid I read something longer than a text message.)

The photographer behind the "Black canvas" photo spread was Dan Winters. No wonder I was pleasantly surprised by the April issue. Dan Winters is a widely recognized and award winning photographer who shoots regularly for magazines such as The New York Times, Esquire, GQ, W Magazine,and more. He has shot portraits of various celebrities including our current President. Dan Winters has 3 residences, one being in Austin, but this is his first time to shoot a spread and cover for Tribeza.

The spread features clothes and jewelry from St.Thomas Boutique, Saks Fifth Avenue, Feathers, By George, Neiman Marcus, Eliza Page, Julian Gold, and Beyond Tradition with hair by Jose Luis Salon and makeup by W3ll People.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the spread:

I love when photos are so beautiful that they look like paintings.

For a full look at the spread you can view Tribeza online, or if you like to keep things old school you can pick up the magazine at one of your local boutiques.


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The Lone Star Ladies Presents: Shop Austin

The Lone Star Ladies Presents: Shop Austin is a unique event that brings together handmade vendors of Austin. If you are into the locally handmade and the unique, then this event is for you.

The first 30 shoppers of the day will receive a Goodie Bag stuffed with items such as jewelry, accessories, t-shirts, and tote bags from local stores such as Touch of Sass, Stitch Lab, bettysport, and more.

The Beauty Lounge at Shop Austin will feature complimentary hair styling, lash extensions, and mini manis by Milk + Honey Spa.

Click here for a full list of vendors and more info. about the event

Click here to purchase tickets in advance. Tickets in advance are $10. Tickets purchased at the door accept cash only.

What:

• Lone Star Ladies Present: Shop Austin (shopping event featuring local handmade vendors)

Where:

• Saengerrunde Hall
  1607 San Jacinto Blvd.
  Austin, TX 78701

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When:

• Saturday April 17th
  10 am- 6 pm
  

2010 UT "High Voltage" Fashion Show

Every year, the Textiles and Apparel Division at UT presents a fashion show consisting of the designs of graduating seniors in the apparel design program. This fashion show gets bigger and better every year, and Austin's next favorite designer might be among the bunch of seniors. This event is a must for local fashion enthusiasts and admission is free! I hope to see you there.

What:

• UT "High Voltage" Fashion Show

Where:

• Frank Erwin Center
  1701 Red River St.
  Austin, TX 78701

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When:

• Thursday April 29
  Exposition at 7:00 pm
  Show at 8:00pm
  

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Fun Fashion Find: Easter edition

Hippity hoppity Easter's on its way. Actually, it's here. Happy Easter!Bunny ring found at SoLa


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Newest Shop in the 2nd St.District: Plain Ivey Jane

The 2nd St. District has a new addition to its ever growing array of unique local boutiques. Plain Ivey Jane is now on the list of 2nd St. District shops along with Girl Next Door, Gallery D, and Beyond Tradition to name a few. Unlike it's neighbors though, Plain Ivey Jane is a different kind of shop offering brand name clothes at discount prices. How does this work exactly?

The clothes at Plain Ivey are mostly overstock clothing coming from high quality stores such as Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. They also carry a few higher end brands such as Marc by Marc Jacobs; and I saw one Burberry coat which was originally sold at $1225 but offered at Plain Ivey Jane for $635.

Although I think the concept for Plain Ivey Jane is cool and there were some things I could see myself wearing, I'm not sure if there are as many Austinites who are that into brand name clothing as Plain Ivey Jane might be hoping; and I have to say that as an Austinite, I am actually a little confused by the slogan on their website, "Look like Dallas. Pay like Austin." This seems to imply that people in Austin would prefer to look like people in Dallas. I can't imagine any Austinite wanting to look like they live in Dallas.

We like high quality clothes as much as the next person, but the best thing about Austin's fashion sense is our casual coolness. And just because a top has the name Marc Jacobs on the label doesn't necessarily mean I am going to want to wear it. My favorite dress in the store was priced at $160, but I found a similar and equally cute dress for less at Feathers recently.

A redeeming aspect to this store, and one that you should note if you are looking for unique accessories, is their selection of locally designed jewelry. Trash ATX is a local jewelry line consisting of recycled and re-purposed materials. This means their jewelry is eco friendly and one of a kind.

Plain Ivey Jane is only one of three stores to carry the Trash ATX line (which I thought was beautiful and not incredibly overpriced.) Trash ATX would be one of the reasons I would come back to shop at Plain Ivey Jane.


Overall, it might not be at the top of my list of places to shop YET (it's still only on it's 4th week of being open so I am giving them some slack). Plain Ivey Jane might be worth checking out (if you can get past their offensive slogan) and if you are already in the 2nd St. district, which is an area where you could easily spend an entire day of good shopping and good eating.




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Pre-Kentucky Derby Party

If I was ever to attend the Kentucky Derby, I would be there with a big beautiful colored hat on my head (preferably adorned with a giant bow) and a mint julep in my hand admiring the other hats I see. I have to admit that the horse race would come second to the spectacle of hats.

Beyond Tradition is throwing a pre-Kentucky Derby party next Thursday April 8th featuring local milliner Laura Del Villaggio of Milli Starr's Spring 2010 collection of hats. There will be live bluegrass music by Ruby Jane Smith, mint juleps, and chocolate bourbon pie from Me Myself & Pie.


The milliner Laura Del Villaggio will be in the store and is available to take custom orders for delivery by Kentucky Derby Day which is May 1st.

A percentage of the evening’s sales will benefit Ride on Center for Kids (R.O.C.K.), which offers therapeutic horseback riding for kids with learning and physical disabilities.

What

• Pre-Kentucky Derby Party

Where

• Beyond Tradition
  221 W.2nd St.
  Austin, TX
  

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When

• Thursday April 8th
  6-9 pm