Austin Designer Joelle Andrew Nominated For IHDA
I love it when science and beauty come together to create something really unique. Building upon a process normally used for creating high-end furniture and industrial design, local designer Joelle Andrew of Supplii has created her own revolutionary process using bentwood to create unique environmentally friendly handbags. Besides looking like the lovechild of a mid-century Eames chair and a Prada bag, what makes these handbags so unique? Joelle’s handbags get rid of the need for additional products and streamline the design process. The wood itself acts as the hinge, the feet, the outer and inner shell, the whole shebang! These babies are handmade here in Joelle’s studio in Austin where Joelle says she proudly uses water based finishes, recycled packaging, and non-toxic glue to create her one-of-a-kind bags which are eventually biodegradable.
Joelle Andrew has been nominated by InStyle magazine for an Independent Handbag Designer Award for “Best Green Handbag.” Check out the rest of the nominees and vote for who you think should win!
Joanna Wilkinson
Keep Austin Stylish
Upcoming Event: Fash Bash, A Bicycle Fashion Show
Sexy girls riding bikes in cute outfits? Genius! It’s like this fashion show was designed for my ex-boyfriend, and probably every other guy in Austin. Models will walk bike down the runway this Saturday in the first ever “Fash Bash”, a bicycle fashion show presented by BikeBot featuring looks by local boutique SoLa and Austin based bicycle accessories brand, Psychlist. This should be a fun one to watch! Advance tickets are $20 and get you free booze all night. More details below…
A Recap of Strut 5.12
model and performer, Sky Van Vliet
Compared to how I was at last year’s event, I was much more tame at this year’s Strut 5.12 fashion show. Maybe it was the indoor brightly lit atmosphere compared to last year’s nightly outdoor event, or the fact that I attended this year’s event solo. But whatever the reason, I did not walk stumble out of this year’s event from too much free tequila. Not that there wasn’t plenty of that to be had at Strut 5.12 this year. The free booze flowed like the recent Austin rain fall.
Of course, I didn’t totally say no to the party libations. I think Michele Utt, founder and creative director of MKV Productions which was responsible for the the event, was worried when she saw me walking away from the runway right before the show was about to start. ”The show’s about to start” she said. To which I replied, “I know. But I gotta get a new drink, I party fouled mine.” But, my drink was not actually spilled because I had drank too much (I just like scaring Michele.) I actually blame the spillage entirely on the fact that I was struck by this locally made Manic Trout necklace which was being auctioned off for CapCity Kids. I got a little too excited about the seahorse necklace that I accidentally swung my purse into my drink spilling most of its contents onto the table (and my friend Cathy’s purse.) When you knock a cocktail over onto a table that is holding auction items for charity, the best thing to do is be very apologetic and then walk the hell away. Luckily nothing was damaged in my spaztic excitement.
guitarist Luis Banuelos
Although the main attraction at this charitable event was supposed to be the fashion show, I’m afraid the show was stolen by a guitarist named Luis Banuelos. The crowd seemed to have been put into a trance with his titillating solo performance. I honestly didn’t know one person playing one guitar could sound like that! (*insert sexual innuendo about solo guitar fingering here*). After such an awesome musical performance, it would have been nice if the fashion show itself had been driven more by the music. I usually like to dance while I take runway photos, and the music during the runway show was a little lacking, both in volume and energy. As far as the fashions went, the mens clothing from Capra and Cavelli was particularly a snooze fest. There were a few standout dresses from St.Thomas, and 81 Poppies always has some safe and cute, well tailored clothing. But, I don’t think any of the womens clothing would have been that exciting without the statement jewelry by Sugar Gay Isber. Her pieces are always really runway friendly and make every-day wearable clothing more artful. Thank you Sugar for providing a little bit of spice to this show. Sugar and spice make everything nice!
Check out the fashions from the Strut 5.12 show:
The Most Beautiful Woman In The World
To have great style takes strength, confidence, and independence. My Mom has always encompassed all of these qualities. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever known and she continues to still amaze me every day. Not only is she gorgeous to look at (did I mention that she was an actual beauty queen?) But my Mom has always had the kindest and most positive upbeat spirit of anyone I have ever known. Always laughing and smiling, I am so proud to have her as my mom.
The other day my Mom told me she wished she still had all of her dresses from the 60s and 70s, and, I wish she did too! I would wear them all the time! A little look at my Mom’s style back in her heyday – an evolution from the 60s to the 70s:
Upcoming Event: Austin Flea
Austin Flea returns this Saturday just in time for you to snag a local handmade gift for Mom!
Among the numerous local vendors, Kathyphantastic will be at the Flea with her handmade Mom inspired ceramics! Like Kathyphantastic on Facebook to find out how you can win this Mom mug which you can pick up at the Flea on Saturday just in time for Mother’s Day!
Fun Fashion Find: Leighelena Rainbow Stingray Bracelet
Leighelena is one of those Austin based brands that I have been quietly following for awhile now. And, I am loving their latest pieces so I thought it was time to share! This rainbow sting ray bracelet particularly caught my eye because the material is so pretty and unique. In case you’re wondering about the moral use of stingray leather, I contacted them and asked about the source of the leather and they informed me that they source it from countries where sting ays are eaten and the leather would otherwise be discarded.
Leighelena Rainbow Stingray Bracelet, $110
Found at: ShopLeighelena.com
Joanna Wilkinson
Keep Austin Stylish
In Love With Crowned Bird
“Ummm this is rad!” That’s the first thing I said when I saw photos of this new clothing line, Crowned Bird. I was so shocked at how cute it was! It’s truly been a long time since I have seen a clothing line come out of Austin that has such a strong point of view. Not to mention the point of view is youthful, modern, and wearable. Crowned Bird is the vision of Priscilla Barroso, a native Texan who studied fashion design in San Francisco but credits working at Al’s Attire in North Beach for giving her the training that would ultimately lead to her creating her own fashion line.
Crowned Bird is a colorful and playful line that is strongly inspired by decades of the past, particularly the 20s and 30s. But the biggest inspiration for her line, was a 1960s children’s book called Peppermint Fence. Simple nostalgia plays a huge part in Priscilla’s designs, which I think is extremely relevant to today’s modern stylish girl. Read the rest of this entry »
Vote for the Vintage Style Fest “Vinty” Awards!
The casual laid back vibe of Austin may lead to plenty of fashion don’ts and mishaps, but one thing the Austin fashion scene knows how to do right is VINTAGE. No one can deny that vintage rules in this city. Even people in more fashion conscious cities such as New York and L.A. are jealous of our awesome selection of affordably priced vintage. And the vintage scene only continues to get bigger and better every year.
There are numerous vintage shops all around town and everyone has their favorite. Now it’s your turn, the people of Austin, to have your stylish voice heard and VOTE on your favorite vintage shops, whether they be brick and mortar stores or pop-up shops.
The bi-annual Vintage Style Fest is this weekend and they have teamed up with Keep Austin Stylish to bring you the “Vinty Awards.”
Click here to VOTE for who you think should be the winners of this year’s “Vinty” Awards! For an idea on who to vote for and for a list of vendors participating in the Vintage Style Fest, click here.
Winners will be announced this Sunday during the last day of the Vintage Style Fest. See y’all there!
RSVP to the Vintage Style Fest on Do512 for a chance to win a $200 shopping spree! Woo!
GIVEAWAY: The Work Table Bracelet
Writing business processes for Apple by day and crafting jewelry for her Etsy store “The Work Table” by night, Trish Sierer is a creator. Trish was born and raised in Austin and has been living here for 48 years. While she has had different businesses throughout this time, she has been beading for almost 20 years. Her handmade leather jewelry can be found at the new boutique on South Lamar, Flock, which is a cool little store full of great local gifties which you should check out. But today, you can enter to win one of Trish’s beaded bracelets right here on this blog! Scroll down to find out how to enter to win the Pixelated Pastels bracelet which normally has a price tag of $75…
