Recap: Austin Fashion Week 2011 Awards

The Austin Fashion Week 2011 Awards Show last Saturday put an end to this year's Austin Fashion Week, and as I write this blog post, I am currently in Austin fashion hibernation.  After a week of: fashion events, runway shows, mingling, heel wearing, cupcake eating, and champagne drinking, I have felt a need to: hide, eat healthy, stop drinking, wear flats and cowboy boots, and do yoga.  But don't worry, this extreme behavior should only last for about a week.

For the Awards I wore another vintage find from Feathers (are you starting to realize I am obsessed with this store?)

Recap: So F*ing Haute

It wasn't technically an official Austin Fashion Week event, but it was officially one of my favorite shows of Austin Fashion Week.  Besides actually being f*ing hot (we were all packed in Hush like sardines in a sweaty can), the aptly named "So F*ing Haute" show contained some of the most interesting and unique styling that I saw all week.  What was most surprising about this show is that it was the first ever show by the creative duo, the Champagne Derelicts.  The Champagne Derelicts are a team of stylish Austinites comprised of Hunter Lohse and Jenny Woys, who you may or may not have seen rocking some interesting outfits out and about at fashion events around town. 

Hunter and Jenny, whether it's hit or miss, are always behind clothes that make you stop and pay attention.  I must admit, I can only best describe the looks from Friday night that were styled by Hunter as a 70s porn version of Scott Disick.  It's probably difficult to imagine most guys you know attempting to rock the Dapper Tramp look.  But for an underground sweaty runway show in Austin, it worked.  But, personally, my favorite pieces were worn by the ladies.  When the piece by Tracy Tenpenny that was like a panier skirt made up of nails strutted down the runway, I'm pretty sure my mouth dropped.  Where and when can I wear a bustle made of nails?  Someone create this badass event for me... 

Then to make the show complete, Jenny Woys' designs walked the runway creating a perfect contrast to Tracy Tenpenny's rough and hard designs with her airy and natural aesthetic.  The final looks, which used feathers and hair as materials, were a great mystical end to a fun and inspiring runway show.  I'm intrigued to see what's next for the Champagne Derelicts.

The Dapper Tramp

My Outfit: Austin Fashion Week

Austin Fashion Week has been a blast!  I've been running around like crazy and I'm kinda exhausted.  I haven't had time to photograph any of my outfits except for this one...  Thank you Mom for taking my photos!

Recap: Mode Kei

There was a short time in my life when I really wished I was a Harajuku girl.  While those days are gone, I still dream of the day that I get to travel to Japan.  It's one of the places that I absolutely must visit.  Monday night, Waterstone Aesthetics put on an amazing Japanese inspired show using Harajuku and origami as design inspirations.  Waterstone Aesthetics provided the hair and makeup, local t-shirt company Alchemy provided the t-shirts for the harajuku lovers, and the origami inspired costumes were beautifully designed by Ayers Designs.

When the final model wearing an Ayers Design costume came out on a giant pair of stilts, I was blown away.  I love these crazy over-the-top type of fashion shows, and I think there should be more of these in Austin.  We are such a funky creative town, so I'm not sure why I don't see more of this on a regular basis.

All the proceeds from this show benefitted the victimes of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan through JASGA.org.  Check out my photos from the show:

Recap: Maison d'Etoile & Megan Summerville present Lingerie Cabaret

Maison d'Etoile was HOT... and so was the lingerie Monday night.  Although we were all sweating uncomfortably in the little old East side house that is home to wig shop Coco Coquette, Charm School Vintage, and Salon d'Etoile; we were all able to endure the accidental sauna due to the lovely eye candy in front of us.  Plus, singer Mistress Stephanie not only serenaded us with her lovely voice, but also kept us laughing with her outgoing charm.  If I ever have to sing in front of a sardine packed crowd in a sweaty house I too would probably fan my lady bits with an audience member's hat.  Not only to keep myself cool, but to also keep things classy.

Megan Summerville unveiled her latest lingerie designs at the Maison d'Etoile event for Austin Fashion Week, and although she told me beforehand that she was nervous, I knew she had nothing to be nervous about.   Megan Summerville is easily one of my favorite designers in Austin.  The attention to detail that she puts into her handmade pieces is what amazes me the most.  I love that her looks have a vintage vibe, but aren't too costume-y.  Her designs are unique and special, while still being completely wearable.  The wigs from Coco Coquette and fascinators from Madame Reverie added to the Cabaret vibe of the show and it all came together beautifully (despite the heat.)  

Style Watch: Austin Fashion Week Kick Off 2011

Where: Cowboy Harley Davidson Showroom

When: August 20, 2011

I'm not sure what to say about the style from this night, because there weren't any big trends that stood out to me.  It was honestly kind of a cluster f*ck of outfits.  But I guess that sorta represents Austin, right?  We are just a motley crew of individuals.  I'm totally a fan of weird and unique style...I just wish the outfits from this night had as a group been more stylish.

Recap: Austin Fashion Week 2011 Kick Off

Clearly I was too excited and anxious to get to the Cowboy Harley Davidson Showroom for the Fashion Week Kick Off last night because I got pulled over by a cop for: speeding, changing lanes without signaling, and following too closely.  When the officer asked me if there was an emergency I really wanted to reply "Yes officer. A fashion emergency."  But I restrained myself.  I must have been looking good in my beaded bustier from Feathers though, because I was let go with just a warning.

My hope for Austin Fashion Week is that it gets better and better each year, so I arrived at the Kick Off with hope of improvement.  The venue for this year's Kick Off event was reason enough for this year to be better than last year because it was indoors.  Last year was held outside at GSD&M and it's not hard to imagine how hot and uncomfortable that was for people.  It's hard to stand around and look cute in your nice dress and heels when sweat is running down the side of your leg.  Luckily this year there was none of that!  The downside to the venue was of course that we all had to sit through a runway show that featured Harley Davidson MotorClothes.  "Oh that one is kind of cute...in a slutty trailer park kinda way..."  That was the only comment I had during that portion of the show.  

Upcoming Events: Austin Fashion Week FREE events

Austin Fashion Week kicks off tonight with a runway show featuring designs from the Austin Fashion Week Mashup Teams plus collections from Betsey Johnson and MotorClothes by Harley Davidson.  Along with live music from LC Rocks, there will be plenty of cocktails and treats to go around.  I'm excited!

But while the Kick Off event tonight requires a ticket, there are plenty of awesome showcase events coming up this week that will be FREE and open to the public.  Here are some of the free events that I am most looking forward to!  Most will have free cocktails, some treats, entertainment, but all will definitely have fashion:

My Outfit: Laundry Day!

I've been doing a lot of laundry lately (even more so than usual.)  I can put together outfits a lot better when everything is clean, otherwise I'm running around my house like this: "Ok I'll wear this dress!...Crap, all my nude colored underwear is dirty! Ok, so nothing white...I'll wear this top!  Where are my strapless bras???"  It's disastrous.  And with Austin Fashion Week starting this weekend I need to have all my clothing options available.

You should be happy to know that all my clothes are currently clean, steamed, and hung up in my closet coordinated by color.  Hey, that's what happens after you work a retail job for a year.  

Austin Fashion Week Pick: Margot Wolf

It's hard to stand out when you are a jewelry designer in Austin.  There are over 100 designers participating in Austin Fashion Week this year and a majority of those are jewelry makers.  But what makes Austin based designer Margot Wolf stand out is not only her unique designs, but the professional result her hands on talent and skill creates.  It's easy to find hand made jewelry in Austin, but it's not as easy to find handmade jewelry in Austin that doesn't look like an arts and crafts project.

Margot Wolf has been making jewelry for almost a decade now, so she's no newbie to the scene.  Although she didn't always know jewelry making would be her craft, from the moment she picked up her first jewelry-making tools she was hooked.  Margot fell in love with jewelry making and feels empowered to have found the perfect outlet for her creativity.  Her pieces are inspired by every avenue of her life from industrial elements such as a rusty nut from antiquated machinery, the fletching of an arrow, or even nature in its most pure and original form.  Margot often casts found natural specimens into metal, mainly silver, bronze, and gold vermeil.  Items that most people would find disturbing or treat as garbage such as a found dead scorpion corpse, Margot finds inspiring and beautiful.

Hearing her describe the process of using a cuttlefish bone to make one of her rings was intriguing and made me realize the skill and creativity that goes into each one of her pieces.  While her pieces are simple and can easily be layered with patterned garments or other jewelry, is is the uniqueness of her work that still makes her designs eye-catching.

Style Watch: Psych Fest

What: Austin Pysch Fest

Where: The Mohawk

When: August 12, 2011

Sometimes in Austin when you combine Rock n' Roll with Fashion, you get a specific look.  It's a little 70s inspired and a little bohemian.  If last night you wore something Janis Joplin would have worn, then you probably fit in.

I think the Austin Psych Fest attendees were not only influenced by the music, but also by some of Austin's best boutiques, Laced with Romance, Feathers, and Dog and Pony.  The boutiques brought their latest styles for their pop up shops which featured lots of vintage, the new Dust and Drag and Rima Hyena Collaboration, Altered Vision designs by Nikki Cloud, and DIY jorts from Dog and Pony with some mischievously placed studded crosses.

Check out what everyone was rockin:

When You Want to Get Tan Quickly But Not Look Like Snooki

85, 65, or anything above 45.  Those are the sunscreen spf numbers that I use when I'm outside in the summer.  I'm a huge nerd when it comes to taking care of my fair skin.  This comes from years of lessons learned from sunburn experiences (anyone else ever put an aloe plant directly on their face?)  Plus, once I turned maybe 22 or so, I already became concerned about aging.  I was blessed with healthy looking skin and I want to do my best to keep it looking that way as long as I can.

I've never really minded being pale, and I still don't.  Especially in the fashion world, having super fair skin can look really chic.  But, lately I have been wishing that my skin had that healthy summer glow.  The only way I ever get this look naturally is when I go on a long beach vacation.  I still lather myself in sunscreen of course, but over time I still achieve a bit of a tan.  But this summer I have been a girl on the go.  Unfortunately there hasn't been much lounge by the pool time for me.  Plus, it's also been a thousand degrees every day so when I'm outside I'm either immediately under water or hiding in the shade.  So, what's the solution?  Spray tan!

The last (and first and only) time I ever received a spray tan was many years ago.  It was from one of those horrible spray tan places where you stand inside a shower type type thing and a machine sprays you from all sides.  I remember the experience well because I thought I might actually die from asphyxiation.  On top of the uncomfortable process, the result was pretty unnatural looking.

This time, I went to Betty Lash where they offer the Organic Glow spray tan.  I'm still not quite sure why it would matter if your spray tan is "organic" or not.  But I assume that it's better for your skin in the same way that organic food is better for you.  But regardless of the science of this, I do think my Organic Glow had some notable positives going for it over my past spray tan. 

AFW Mash Up Team Photos

The Austin Fashion Week Mash Up Team photos are up!  There are some beautiful photos here.  Check em' out and make sure you go to the Austin Fashion Week website for all the details on the teams and to vote for your favorite photo!

New Limited Edition Austin TOMS

Calling all hipsters, hippies, college kids, and do gooders, TOMS has a brand new Austin themed limited edition pair of TOMS available starting today.  The last pair of Austin TOMS were more UT inspired in my opinion.  But these, seem to be more Austin inspired with images of things like the bats, and the capitol.  And, they come in 2 different color options. 

These puppies go on sale today at noon at Tyler's on the Drag and go on sale at 2 pm at the new Tyler's in Southlake, TX.

What do you think of the new Austin TOMS?


Joanna
keep austin stylish

Edge Boutique Is On The Edge of Glory and Hangin on a Moment With You

There I was, having a flashback to when I was maybe 10 or so, standing in line in the hot Texas heat waiting to ride the ride at Six Flags that everyone wanted to get on.  But, I wasn't about to get on a roller coaster.  Those days are long gone and rides have been replaced with booze.

I'm not quite sure how what was supposed to be a "soft" opening of the new downtown boutique Edge, became such a crowded scene last night.  But, I guess it's not every day a boutique that specializes in men's clothing and accessories opens up in Austin.  I can count the number of Austin men's boutiques on one hand.  So, maybe it was the allure of something new.  Or, it could have easily been the allure of free drinks (the length of the drink line definitely could be used to support this theory.)  All I know for sure is, the crowd was not there to cool off.  It was just as hot inside as it was out.

On a normal shopping day at Austin's newest mens boutique, you won't find free booze and sweaty patrons.  But, what you will find is...plenty of designer denim from brands like True Religion and Rock Revival, rock n' roll inspired mens jewelry, and graphic tees from brands like Top Ranch.  Although the majority of the selection at Edge has a rocker vibe, a pinch of country twang, and a helping of L.A. inspiration, they also carry some more conservative button ups, and at least one nerdy chic item in the form of a plaid blazer that my eyes kept gravitating towards.

It's not a lot, and of what I saw I was not impressed by, but Edge does also have a few items for women. This includes some purses that I think I was supposed to be impressed by because they were surrounded by photos of famous people carrying them, like Angelina Jolie.

Edge Boutique founders Phillip Solomon and John Goeth

One of the Worst Dressed Cities in America

GQ magazine

When I heard that Austin was ranked #18 in GQ's Worst Dressed Cities in America list, I laughed.  The GQ article got it all wrong.  According to GQ the "hipster" is to blame for our city's bad style.  But in my opinion, there are some specific elements that have contributed to our poor fashion statements, and they aren't "skin-tight black jeans" and "There Will Be Blood mustaches."  Honestly I don't see anything wrong with either of those things.

Top 10 Reasons why Austin Could Have Been Named Worst Dressed City in America:

10. Pajamas in public

9. Yoga clothes in public (when not actually doing yoga)

8. Improper undergarments worn under clothing

7. T-shirts with funny sayings or comics on them

6. Burnt orange

5. Nike shorts with Ugg boots

4. Nike shorts with tye dyed t-shirts

3. Nike shorts in general

2. Arts and crafts bullshit that you try and pull off as wearable art

1. Flip flops

Why do you think Austin should be on the Worst Dressed Cities in America list?

Joanna

keep austin stylish