I've been meaning to write about Magnolia Family Vintage ever since the lovely Tolly over at Austin Eavesdropper told me about it, but, this month has been kinda crazy what with Austin Fashion Week and me leaving the country for a bit. But, y'all should know that in my downtime I have been checking out this awesome online vintage store.
Magnolia Family Vintage launched the first week of August by fellow Austin blogger Sarah Jessica Dean of The Year of Living Thriftily. If Austin does one thing right in the realm of fashion, it's vintage. Not only do I love the clothing for sale offered on this site, but I love that a local blogger opened up her own online store. It kinda gives me hope that maybe one day I could do something badass such as this.
If I wasn't so poor right now I would buy these things (yes I don't even have the ability to buy thrifted clothing. The 2 things I bought at Blue Velvet the other day don't count shhh):
To everything (turn, turn, turn). There is a season (turn, turn, turn) The seasons are turning. Summer is ending and fall is around the corner. Not only does this mean we can soon start thinking about layering and wearing knee high boots. This also means all the boutiques are in desperate need to get rid of what's left of their summer stock! Le Garage Sale is the shopping event that brings all the local boutiques under one roof so that you can shop all the discounted merchandise in one place. It takes place over 2 days at the Palmer Events Center.
$12 per person per day.
2 day pass is available for $20 per person.
Tickets are CASH ONLY and available at the door. Most booths are cash only as well.
For more info. on Le Garage Sale and for a full list of participating vendors, go to the Le Garage website.
What:
Le Garage Sale
Where:
Palmer Events Center
900 Barton Springs Rd.
Austin, Tx, 78704
The fashion I saw in Taipei really wasn't all that crazy. In fact, the people weren't really dressed more fashion forward than anyone here. There were definitely some differences though. People in Taipei are not afraid of bold color and they tend to mix and match colors and patterns that you might not expect to be mixed. Pink and red stuck out to me as popular colors to wear. I also noticed the more fashionable girls wearing baggy dresses that emphasized or exaggerated their hips. This is an interesting trend that perhaps we will see in America soon as well.
My favorite place to shop in Taipei was definitely the night markets. The night markets are full of cheap clothing and lots of awesome cheap jewelry. I could have spent much more time there and kind of wish I had gotten a chance to. Some clothing items that were popular at the night markets were boaters, fringed vests, and cropped lace jackets.
I skipped out on Austin FashionWeek this year because I had the opportunity to visit Taiwan. Seeing as I have not done a lot of traveling outside of the U.S. it seemed like the right choice to make. But, I hope y'all enjoyed the guest blogging about Austin Fashion Week by my friends while I was gone. While they were witnessing fashion shows and mingling with local fashion designers, I was doing this:
-trying to do yoga led by a teacher speaking chinese
-walking a hiking "trail" in what appeared to be a jungle
-shop shop shopping
-drinking tea
-eating rice
-eating more rice
-almost crashing a scooter
-attempting to surf (and not drown)
-trying not to throw up every time i smelled stinky tofu
-getting asked to have my photo taken with random asian people
-practicing my dj skills in room 601 after our friend's wedding
Here are some photos of what I wore and the ambiance of Taipei. I of course sported a lot of local Austin fashion all the way in Taipei. There will be more photos to come of the street fashion and trends that I noticed while there.
How often do you get to see what goes on behind the scenes of a fashion show up close and personal? Unless you're a model, designer, hair stylist, or makeup artist, the chances are that your seat has been on the other side of the stage. Lucky for y'all, my friend and local designer, Anslee Connell of SavannahRed volunteered to give us a behind the curtain look at what goes on before a fashion show. Here are Anslee's thoughts on the "Texas A State of Fashion" show which was held at none other than the Capitol building during this year's Austin Fashion Awards...
I’m not just your average clothing designer. I create fun, funky, vibrant, and dare I say well fitting, pieces of art that fit ladies of the curvy variety. I'm here to give you a glimpse of what we do when we get ready for shows (and perhaps some glimpses of things we shouldn’t do).
Anslee Connell (me!) of SavannahRed in the process of getting my makeup done by Coby Simcoe before the show!
Photo taken by Cathie Hutchins.
Austin Fashion Week came to a close Saturday night at the Long Center with an awards show wrapping up the week's events. Of course we don't give out any regular old trophies for the Austin Fashion Awards. Winners receive the coveted "Golden Boot."
photo by Cory Ryan (winner of Critic's Choice Award for Best Photographer 2 years in a row)
Click here for a little explanation of the difference between the Critic's, People's, and Peer Choices and how they were chosen.
Thursday night, 2nd Street district celebrated their 5th birthday with a block party filled with fashion's finest. The 2nd Street district is still young, but it has quickly become a prime area for shopping in Austin. It is especially a good area to go if you are looking for locally designed jewelry.
Monday night Austin Fashion week continued with the fabulous "Fashion Wonderland" event from Linda Asaf Design Studio and Rachelle Briton Designs. The inspiration for the event came from these 2 pieces:
Alice in Wonderland Swimsuit by Linda Asaf
Queen of Hearts dress by Rachelle Briton Design
I got the chance to briefly speak with Rachelle about her thoughts on Austin fashion and her rockin line. Here's what she had to say...
The event was held at Hem Jeans and while I was a little disappointed that it wasn't an actual runway show, I still had a great time:
Megan Summerville, a friend from the Austin Fashion blogger's lunches, the fabulous brainchild of Sew Sister, and Texas' Next Top Designer of 2009 had a presentation of a never-before-seen corset...
Last night's party and fashion show at GSD&M Idea City marked the beginning of the second year of Austin Fashion Week. It was a very eventful night and I had a blast. Here's what I wore:
Here's what everyone else wore:
Designer Louise Black who you might remember from Project Runway. She also happened to have one of my favorite looks on the runway this night.
Austin Fashion Week is just a couple of days away now! I will be next to the red carpet at the Kick Off event with the rest of the media being all legit and stuff. The best part about getting to be at the Kick Off...80s pop icon Tiffany will be performing!
Everyone in the Austin fashion circle that I run around with has been like "Wooo! Tiffany!" And everyone who is NOT in the Austin fashion circle that I run around with has been like "Who?" I attribute this to the fact that Tiffany started off her career in 1987 touring malls in America.
Anyway, due to the fact that Tiffany is performing at the Kick Off, there has been some talk about people wearing 80s inspired outfits to the event. I don't think anyone is going to show up in leg warmers or anything, but, who knows. I honestly have no idea what to expect or what to wear.
So, what do YOU think I should wear? I put together a few options. Please vote and help a girl out:
For more info on Austin Fashion Week and to purchase tickets to the Kick Off click here. And, I will of course post coverage of the event including photos of the runway show.
I also have some fabulous guests who are going to guest blog for keep austin stylish all during Austin Fashion Week. Stay tuned for awesome Austin Fashion Week coverage!
Fall is just around the corner which means... back to school fashion y'all! Austin's own internet phenomenon and funny man, Zach Anner, has some sexy new t-shirts for you to incorporate into your wardrobe. These graphic tees are perfect for making a back to school statement.
Jackson Ruiz Salon is bringing old Hollywood to Austin with their 2010 Austin Fashion Week event, “Lights, Camera… Fashion!” The salon is teaming up with neighboring boutique, Touch of Sass, and designers Lana Chu and Jessica Ciarla. Guests will be greeted by Austin’s own paparazzi as they walk the red carpet. Upon entering, attendees can sip on Tito’s “Glamtinis”, snack on hors d’oeuvres, and watch a unique fashion show featuring Jessica Ciarla’s “little white dresses” complimented with hats by Lana Chu.
Many hair stylists would find it challenging to style around the one of a kind hat designs of local Austin designer Lana Chu, but the Jackson Ruiz team sees it differently. When speaking with owner Allen Ruiz, he expressed his excitement for the salon/designer pairing. Instead of viewing the hats as a challenge, he views it as inspiration. However, ask Ruiz what he’s most excited about and he will quickly answer… the fashion awards show.
The team is responsible for hairstyle and make-up designs on all 24 models walking in the show. Joining forces with six different designers, Ruiz feels that it’s his responsibility to channel each designer’s message through his team’s hair and make-up creations. They are looking forward to exceeding the success of last year’s fashion show and winning the support of local beauty enthusiasts.
Interested in attending the events? Make your red carpet debut at Jackson Ruiz Salon on August 18 from 6p.m. and then show your support for the team with the 2nd Annual Austin Fashion Awards , August 21 5:30 p.m. at the Long Center.
What you can expect to see at an art show on the East side:
-dirty creative people
-inappropriate and/or vulgar art
-hipsters
-outfits worthy of a second glance
-old men who don't own a tv
All of the above were at the 88 Art show last night. I don't even know why I bothered to take pictures of some of the art at this show since I feel as though I can't really publish them on this blog. This blog isn't one of those kind of blogs.
The other day I was working at an audition (I work for a casting company). And as I walked down the hallway of the building on East 5th street, something pretty caught my eye. Light bounced off white chiffon through a window, beckoning me to take a closer look. That's when I saw the sign "CIARLA atelier" on the door and realized this was the studio of clothing designer Jessica Ciarla.
Jessica is the Parsons trained designer and creator of the clothing line CIARLA. In December 2008, Ciarla launched a bridesmaid and little white dress collection called CIARLAbride, which features bridesmaid dresses, couture wedding gowns and fabulous reception party dresses.
Since I obviously wasn't able to hang around the Ciarla studio and gaze at the prettiness while I was working, I had to make it a point to come back and check it out when I had time. With Austin Fashion Week only a week away, now seemed like a better time than any to take a peek at the studio. Jessica says her main show stopping piece for Austin fashion Week is the red wedding gown which will be featured in the Fashion Week Kickoff Show. And, check this out...Jessica herself will be wearing a short mini version of the long gown at the Kickoff event. How cute!
I've got some info. on a fabulous fundraiser Fashion Show for y'all. The Runway for Peace fashion show is benefiting the Amala Foundation raising funds for the Global Youth Peace Summit. The Amala Foundation is about bringing children together from all over the world and teaching them about Peace and being advocates for Peace.
Guests will get to see the latest trends from SoLa, Pangaea, Nectar, Dark Eyes Clothing and designer Rene Geneva. Hair and makeup by As You Like It, Agnes. Music by DJ Polecat.
Some women might put out on a pair of diamond earrings in order to say to the world "I am a sophisticated woman." The VINCA customer, puts on a pair of diamond shaped earrings made out of wood and makes the world laugh. This laugh is what VINCA jewelry designer, Amanda Dimova, strives to achieve with her work. Amanda claims she is "incapable of making something that's not either cute or funny."
I first came across Amanda's jewelry when I was shopping on South Congress and went into one of the best stores to find local jewelry, Parts and Labour. A little bear ring made out of acrylic seemed to be shouting my name. I could almost see him bouncing up and down like a little anime character saying "pick me pick me" in a high pitched voice.
While VINCA jewelry is playful and happy-go-lucky, Amanda is serious when it comes to her design process. While most jewelry designers use materials that are already made, Amanda makes the actual components. Amanda got the idea to work with acrylic when her family, who owned a shoe factory, bought a laser cuter for industrial purposes. Amanda quickly learned that some pretty cool things could be produced with the precision of a laser cutter. These pretty cool things include jewelry pieces titled "Rocker Bear", "Super-Power", and "La Grappa."
VINCA jewelry seems like the perfect jewelry line for a lot of the Austin gals I know. Amanda says she has a friend who
If you feel like you haven't experienced the artsy fartsy side of Austin in awhile, then you might want to check out "88" this weekend at Domy Books. "88" is an art exhibition, organized by Andy Coolquitt, that offers a view through the lens of 1988 in Austin to demonstrate how “we developed as a visual culture … what we’ve learned and what we’ve lost and where we need to go.” Are you intrigued? Because I am.
Among the artists featured is clothing designer and UT alum, Elisa Jimenez. Elisa's work will be a part of an interactive show that starts at Domy at 7 p.m. and will feature models unveiling her creations while transitioning the event into a raw and immediate parade to Okay Mountain for a final "runway-esque" presentation at 9:30 p.m.
I feel like I might have to attend this show to document what a "runway-esque" presentation is.
The official launch of Bon Bon jewelry by Micah Yancey is tomorrow, August 4th at Touch of Sass. Delish cupcakes and blufeld wine will be provided for you to snack on while you pa-rouse the locally designed jewelry. The best part of this event is that 10% of the night's profits will benefit the Breast Cancer Resource Center.
For Austin Fashion Week, randomly selected photographers, models, makeup artists, hair stylists, and designers were matched up and asked to create a unique look, photograph it, and have it walk the runway at the Kickoff Party.
I have no idea why this whole experience hasn't been videotaped for a reality series titled "Austin's Next Top Fashion Team." Designers were just thrown together randomly with other artists that might not have necessarily matched their aesthetic. I bet this would have gotten good ratings on Bravo.
Anyway, the results are pretty awesome. Here are some of my favorite photos:
This weekend I went home to where I grew up, Ft.Worth, Texas. My personal style has evolved throughout my lifetime into something that I now think of as an "East meets West" look. This photo shoot represents more of the West side and explains why I always wear cowboy boots.
In about 2 weeks I will be in Taiwan. So you can stay tuned for the East side photo shoot coming soon.
Posts
