When I asked Stephen Moser why he chose now to come out of fashion designing retirement, he replied “something was missing in my life.” After being diagnosed with cancer 5 years ago, the Austin style guru famous for his unique fashion sense and column in the Chronicle, said he thought he would never be able to show his designs on a runway again. As Stephen attempted to hold back tears at his comeback fashion show “Cattivo” last Friday night, it was clear that he had found what he had been missing. With the encouragement of all the people around him in his life, as well as his tumultuous love of fashion as fuel, Stephen showed a preview of his new Fall collection “Made in Heaven.” It was a collection featuring looks for both men and women, with a cohesive look that was very “Stephen.” Shiny pants, black feathers, and fur trimmed coats made up a collection fit for a man or woman wanting to get noticed, i.e. anyone wanting to look like Stephen Moser.
Made in Heaven by Stephen Moser:
Several other local designers presented by the designer fabric showroom TexStyles, showed a few of their pieces as well. The entire show had a great energy leading up to the anticipated showing of Stephen’s collection. There were several standout pieces in the bunch, with a white sequined Elvis inspired jumpsuit being one of my favorites (I’ve secretly always wanted one of those). It was a fun show and very different from the runway shows I had been attending at the Driskill. “Cattivo”, which was presented by Bad John Paul, felt more theatrical from most of the shows I had seen during Austin Fashion Week from everything from the lighting, to the fashion, as well as the models.
“Cattivo” was obviously a show meant to highlight creative designers who were there to show their art. As Stephen expressed in his own column for the Austin Chronicle, “Am I making money on this? Hell, no. But could I do worse than spending my waking hours designing and thinking about sewing? Absolutely.” It was a night all about passion and a fun love of fashion, not about seeing dollar signs. That’s not to say there weren’t any wearable pieces in the group. I would have been happy walking away in several of the looks from the show (with one of the male models on my arm).
Talon by Rick Gonyo:
Jinxstaposed by Valeri Jinxy:
Sixchel by Dina Chavez:
Melissa Taylor Jenkins:
Lala by Laisa Chavez Machias:
Regina Simone:
SavanahRed by Anslee Conell:
Schoeneck by Esther Bowen:
Kinskey:
MJVO by Meagan Jones:
FourSmallCats:
Hubris Caligula by JonJon
Mange la Mode by Benson Roberts:
Joanna Wilkinson
keep austin stylish