Sneak Peek of What's To Come

Last Saturday I styled an amazing photo shoot!  I have been wanting to do more photo shoots for Keep Austin Stylish and I decided that every month will be kicked off with one special photo shoot featuring clothes from a local store and/or local designer.  I'm kicking things off with a bang by using Ana Reign jewelry and dresses from the Dress Shop for February's shoot.

Since February is the month dedicated to romance, I went for a romantic vibe with a bit of an edge.  We used the beautiful backdrop of the Northwest Austin hill country to make the glamorous Ana Reign jewelry pop.  The feminine and elegant dresses from the Dress Shop were the perfect pairing for the statement making jewelry.

I had a wonderful team behind me to help with this shoot and I had so much fun working on it.  Thank you to everyone involved!  I will be posting the photos from this shoot soon so stay tuned.

And I already have an idea for March's Keep Austin Stylish shoot, so y'all are in for plenty fashion photo treats to come!

Joanna

keep austin stylish

Upcoming Event: Fashion Freakout 4

If there was only one fashion show in Austin that I could suggest you attend, it would probably be this one.  Of course, I say that having NEVER even been to Fashion Freakout (I wanted to go last year but wasn't able to).  However, the things I have heard/ videos and photos I have seen from the Fashion Freakouts in the past lead me to believe that this show is amazing.  

The best part about Fashion Freakout is probably that the style they portray in the show is so Austin.  Example: at the Fashion Freakout show last year, one of the male models walked the runway with a beer in his hand and took a swig from the bottle when he "posed" at the end of the runway.  

Top 10 models

Congrats to the final top 10 contestants in the Top Austin Model Competition!

Alexandria Overton

Top Austin Model Showcase Event

Last Sunday night the 15 semifinalists of the Top Austin Model competition strutted their stuff on the runway at Qua Lounge (yes that's the club with the sharks in the floor).  Not only was I there to see if the models have what it takes to be named Top Austin Model, but I was also there to view the local fashion designs by designers Meling Chang and Jena Randall.

I thought the models all did really well, especially considering most of these girls are inexperienced at modeling.  However, there were a couple of girls that stood out to me above the rest.  I've been to a ton of fashion shows here in Austin and I not only try and get good runway photos, but I also try and get a good look at the clothes.  I've definitely had some complaints about models in shows before.

Here are some things that will make you stand out as a good model:

She's Gone Country

Last weekend I went back to my hometown of Ft.Worth, Texas to go to my favorite Ft.Worth event, the Rodeo.  Growing up in Ft.Worth I very rarely ever hung out in the tourist area of Ft.Worth, the Stockyards.  But, I thought it might be fun to show y'all the Ft.Worth street style and shopping in the Stockyards.  When the Rodeo is in town, you see all sorts of cowboys hanging out at places such as the White Elephant saloon and along with that you get to see the awesome cowboy fashion (yes, cowboy fashion).

Before heading over to the Will Rogers Coliseum to see the Rodeo, my Dad and I took a little tour around the Stockyards.  One of my favorite parts of hanging out in Ft.Worth during the Rodeo is that I have an excuse to wear my cowboy hat and cowboy boots (although I wear my cowboy boots all the time regardless.)  The other awesome part is getting to shop at all the antique shops.  If you go to Ft.Worth I highly suggest stopping at the Montgomery Street Antique Mall.  My other favorite shop is K.Flories Antiques, the place where I got my elephant necklace that has become a staple in my wardrobe.

Home is Where the Fried Chicken Is

I struggle these days on whether to call Ft.Worth my home, or to call Austin my home.  Although I call myself an Austinite, like the majority of Austinites, I was not born and raised in Austin.  Ft. Worth, Texas was my original home.  

This weekend I went "home" because it's my favorite time of year in Ft.Worth right now...rodeo time.  The rodeo is really the only event I ever go back to Ft.Worth for.  My hometown doesn't have as much going for it as Austin, but it does have a couple of awesome perks:

-great antique shopping

-awesome museums

-my mom's fried chicken

Top Austin Model Showcase Event

The top 15 models have been chosen from the first round of the Top Austin Model competition, and they are getting ready to move on to the second round.  This Sunday the chosen top 15 models will walk it out at the Showcase Event at QUA Lounge where judges will then choose 10 girls to move forward to the next round.  The fashion show will feature looks by local designers Meiling Chang and Jena Randall, plus body art by Beauty on the Go and Ivy Kim.

Check out this behind the scenes video from the competition's photo shoots and get a look at some of the models you will see compete in the show this Sunday:

Le Garage Sale

It's that time again.  The end of the winter fashion season is here, which means (besides the fact that I'm already getting excited about the thought of wearing summer dresses) there are major deals out there for us to take advantage of.

Le Garage Sale is a huge sale that takes place at the Palmer Events Center twice a year.  Tons of local boutiques come together in one spot to sell their discounted merchandise in order to get ready and make room for a new season of clothes.  To find out more about what you can expect to see at Le Garage Sale, check out this post I did about Le Garage back in September.  There is also a video that I did for News 8 Austin (which is now apparently called YNN... weird).

Check out the Le Garage website for a list of all the stores participating (there are a lot!).  And remember that admission is $10 per day and Cash Only at the door.

Take Me To The Library

I've been slacking on taking photos of my outfits lately.  That all changes today!  My outfit today uses my 'ol reliable color combo of black and white clothing with red lipstick as a pop of color.

I love the nerdy schoolgirl vibe of this vintage dress I got from Prototype.  Just for kicks I had to take photos in this outfit while wearing these 1960s vintage glasses frames.  I purchased these glasses for a play that I did the costume design for awhile back.  I don't need glasses, but if I did, I would wear all sorts of crazy frames, especially with outfits like this.

Texas Style Council Conference

I am involved in some pretty exciting stuff coming up!  Indiana of Adored Austin and Grechen of Grechen's Closet (among other blogs) had the idea to put together something amazing.  I introduce to you... the Texas Style Council Conference!

I am on board to help design The Texas Style Council space on 2nd Street which will be our spot for meeting and mingling, as well as the location for some of our events.  Here's the breakdown of what the conference weekend during SXSW will entail...

Friday:
- Clothing swap!

Saturday:
- Scavenger hunt/ boutique crawl
- Clueless themed dance party (a.k.a. best excuse to wear plaid and knee high socks ever)!

Friday and Saturday's events are open to the public, but on Sunday for the price of $45 you can get a "Texas Style Council Passport".  This passport will get you several things:

- A weekend parking pass during SXSW
- 2011 Texas Style Council discount card (gives you discounts to local and online shops)
- Free admission to the Clueless dance party
- Admission to Sunday's brunch
- Conference goodie bag for the first 100 registered attendees
- Admission to Sunday's Conference held at Ballet Austin
- Special invite to an off-site Sunday dinner and shop tour

Indiana and Grechen have secured some amazing guest speakers for the Conference.  For more info. about the Conference and to check out the list of panelists visit the Texas Style Council Conference website.  Registration is now open!


Joanna
keep austin stylish

By George Blowout Sale

By George sale starts today!

Joanna
keep austin stylish

Yep, Cypress Vanguard Has It All

I finally got to go check out the local designer fashion house, Cypress Vanguard today!  The space that was formerly home to Launch 787 and lingerie designer Megan Summerville transformed in December to the local designer fashion house now knows as Cypress Vanguard.  In addition to housing the designs of Megan Summerville, this shop contains the locally designed clothing and accessories from the Ross Bennett Collection, savannahred, milli starr, By Jeannie Jewelry, Tracy Tenpenny, and Foxy Fusions.

Here's a little bit of info. on the designer collections you will find at Austin's fashion house:

Megan Summerville

Handmade lingerie in styles varying from girly to sexy to everything in between.  Each month Megan is releasing a signature bra and panty set from her high end Megan Summerville Signature line, which is known for one-of-a-kind pieces that are made from extremely rare and luxurious fabrics.  For January and February Megan has released a romantic velvet set which is custom dyed with a 1920s vintage cotton lace accented and hand beaded cup.

Top Austin Model

Attention all local models!  Ready for some competition?  Top Austin Model is a multistage competition for Austin-based models featuring all LOCAL talent.   Doesn't the sound of this event along with this poster, make you think about America's Next Top Model?  Well then consider local model Brianna Fleet (the gal in this poster who put all this together) to be the Tyra Banks of Austin.

New Year's Day

"New Year's Eve equals sparkly shit."  This is what I told my friend on the phone while standing in my closet trying to decide what to wear to his New Year's Eve party.  "I saw a girl at HEB wearing so many sequins she looked like she was in a marching band" he responded.

The funniest thing about wearing this "sparkly shit" the night of New Year's Eve is that the next day you inevitably wake up from a night of drinking looking like a _____.  (fill in the blank options include: crack whore, homeless gay man, drunk dancing queen).

Here's what I looked like getting home this morning: