Summer Issue 2010
Letter from the editors.
Welcome to Velveteen
Dear Readers, Welcome to the first issue of Velveteen, spring 2010. Spring is a time for reinvention, a time to start fresh. Here at velveteen we have been working hard the past few months to bring you this fresh start. A brand new take on fashion for teens. We've given up more than a little beauty sleep to bring the latest on fashion in Austin and we can honestly say we've had a great time doing it. We hope something in this magazine inspires you in some way, and we hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed making it. XoXo, Jaquice, Mimi, and Mo
Contributors Jaquice Horton
Mimi Strauss
Mo Quinn
Jaquic Horton brings the chocolate thunder to Velveteen magazine. Her bold style is amazing but not when she spends all of ezine shopping for things to complement it. If there were three words to describe her they would be straight, up, and G. She loved working for velveteen magazine, mostly because it's the only class she can shop online, listen to music, and rant about tacky nails in without being reprimanded.
Mimi Strauss is one adorable ginger. Her likes include vintage clothing, talking to her cat like it's human, and working for Velveteen. Her only dislike is Mo teasing her about her cat. She loves to lust over designer clothing, and then score totally unfair deals on them at Buffalo Exchange. Her favorite part about working on this magazine was getting to be creative and stalking people on fashion blogs. Oh ya, and she rock climbs.
Mo Quinn is a self proclaimed sass-a-frass who loves to row, and lust over designer clothing with mimi, but unlike mimi, the only time she scores designer clothing for cheap is in her dreams. She is obsessed with Vampire Weekend and drinking water. Her life plan as of now is to become a writer for paper magazine and traipse around NYC in vintage Dior. But this plan changes every other day so ask her again tomorrow.
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Table of Contents Page 12
Page 6
Page 2
Page 19
Page 23
Page 16
Letter From the Editors Contributors Street Fashion: South Congress Avenue Fashion Week Relocation: Fashion Disaster There Will be Blood The Short Truth on Long Nails Asian Invasion Dreaming It Velveteen’s 2010 Trend Guide Breaking the Mold Where Can I Find Vintage It’s Called Style Twice as Nice Fashionation - Flight for a Cure Fifi Lapin Blog, blog, blog The Bunny Tree
1 2 4 5 7 9 11 14 17 25 27 29 33 41 47 49 back page
Street Fashion: South Congress Avenue Photographed by Mimi S.
Dress: New Bohemia Purse: Mexico
Dress: Target
Dress: hand made Shoes: John Fluevogs
Necklace: Urban Outfitters Dress: Marshalls Shoes: Buffalo Exchange
Dress: Urban Outfitters
Skirt: vintage Necklace: handmade Shoes: vintage
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Fashion week relocation: Fashion disaster By Mo Q
Fashion week moves from cozy Bryant Park to the circus tents.
Model art by Alex D., accesories by Mo Q.
I am skipping through Bryant Park, pigeons are pecking at the sidewalk and lazy couples lay on the great grass lawn. To any normal person this may seem like your average city park. But to me this is the sacred home of fashion. As I stroll through the park I imagine that I am a fashion editor, heels clacking trough the tents at New York fashion week. In Bryant Park, not Lincoln center. It is true that many other activities take place in Bryant Park. Tai chi lessons, chess games, and ice skating are a few examples. But fashion week has been there since the early 90’s and it only takes up 3 and half weeks a year. That’s 24 days a year (including the 5 day set up and take down time). The public of New York has the park the other 347 days of the year, and they are used to fashion week being there. The regular users of the park have learned to work around it. Since 1993 fashion week has taken place under the tents in Bryant Park. Since it has been there, the park has become synonymous with high fashion. Fashion is big on tradition and it’s only natural that keep it at a place that has been working so well for 17 years. Lincoln center is not a place renowned for fashion, it is known for housing the Big Apple Circus. That is not the kind of image that such glamorous designers like Oscar De la Renta, Carolina Herrera want to project to their clients. And Bryant Park has become so cemented in pop culture, with shows like Project Runway promoting it every time Heidi Klum says “And a chance to showcase their collection at Bryant Park” Bryant Park has become synonymous with Fashion Week and moving it now would be a disgrace to the fashion industry. Another reason why Fashion week should not be moved to Lincoln center is that it is way too spread out. Fashion week is a time for people to show off their most stylish outfits. Big names like Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss, and Naiomi Cambell break out the Chanel and Dior Couture. Heels as high as 7 inches are the norm. If fashion week was moved to Lincoln center the setup would require fashonista’s to walk a little bit more than a city block in their stilettos to get from show to show. People won’t be able to dress us as much, and that’s half the fun of fashion week. And because more than 200 designers show their collection shows are starting right after another, so spreading them out means people won’t have time to get from one tent to the next. The worst thing about Lincoln Center is the location. It may be larger that Bryant Park, but it is in no way more convenient. Bryant Park was minuets away from the garment district, where many designers’ offices are. For fashion week they were just a few steps
Style NoteThe pictures on the top are Velveteen’s top accessory picks for spring and are as follows: Previous pageJimmy Choo Private patent-leather sandals- Gorgeous nude heels that will make your legs look miles long Chloe Marcie small leather hobo bag-Classic leather bag with gorgeous details in a standout color 3.1 Philip Lim accordion pleated necklace-Statement necklaces are big for summer and into fall, and this one is great because it can be dressed up or down This pageIsabel Marant Lapiz lazuli chandelier earrings-These earrings from a breakout designer are bright and funky, the perfect touch of hippie cool Isabel Marant Dana fringed canvas boots- HUGE for summer, Marant provides boho fabulous boots stars are swooning over. Alexander Wang Zoro angular acetate sunglasses- Edgy and cool these sunnies are a standout, the perfect dose of punk for summer Continued on pg 5o
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There will be
BLOOD
Thousands of lives are lost every year to the animal fur industry even though there are many alternatives that designers could be using. By Mimi S. Women draped in luxurious furs made of Mink, Rabbit, Chinchilla, Linx, or fox. The fur ads that are often in fashion magazines portray an image of elegance and glamour. However, these ads fail to tell the reader of the terrible death that the previous owner faced in order to make these coats. The cruel treatment of animals for the use fashion is unacceptable. I believe that there are many other alternatives that designers should be using instead of fur. Fashion is a beautiful art and there should not be any amount of blood being shed in the industry. I am not an animal rights activist. I have no problem with killing animals for food when they are treated fairly and the majority of the animal is used after it is killed. I feel that cruelly killing an animal and not using any part of it besides its fur is sadistic. Even though there is an abundance of wonderful faux furs, designers still chose to use real fur. Faux furs are great alternatives to real fur because they are soft and can be high quality and there are no lives that have to be lost for the use of fashion. The owners of a fur coat may not believe that anything could be as high quality as their mink Dior cape, but as they stride into the Gala of the year they probably aren’t thinking about where their coat came from or what the previous owner endured in order for the gorgeous Dior
Many designers have incorporated fur into their fall collections for years and it looks like fur will remain prominent in fashion unless we can stop it. Photo Courtesy of Life photos.
masterpiece to be created. One reason for the prolonged ruthless treatment of these animals is the lack of education about what goes on at fur farms. If people knew where the fur comes from then a great majority of the people who buy these coats would never again make a fur purchase.
A woman wearing a fur coat made of Nutria, a native brazilian animal, photo courtesy of tree hugger.
The goal of fur farmers is to get as many furs for the least amount of money as possible. They do this by packing animals tightly in crates with no room for the animals to move around in. If an animal requires medical attention then they are killed and thrown away because medical help is too costly. The close confinement and lack of attention causes many animals to become aggressive, mentally disabled, and destructive. This crowding and confinement is especially distressing to minks, which are solitary, water animals. They need to be given the opportunity to swim or else they become very stressed. This stress leads the minks to self mutilate by biting at their skin, tails, and feet. Another way that fur farms cut costs is by feeding the animals meat byproducts considered unfit for human consumption. The water that the animals are given through the nipple system sometimes freezes in the winter or fails to work. Fur farmers only care about the quality of the fur, so when the animals are killed there is no consideration for the animals pain. Small animals may be crammed into boxes and poisoned with hot, unfiltered engine exhaust from a truck. If the exhaust is not lethal, the animals will just be skinned alive. Larger animals have rods forced into their mouths, and they are painfully electrocuted. Other animals are poisoned with strychnine, which suffocates them by paralyzing their muscles with painful, rigid cramps. Gassing, decompression chambers, and neck-breaking are other common slaughter methods in fur factory farms. These methods are cruel and unjust and this treatment of animals is unacceptable. One other major concern regarding the fur industry is the amount of endangered animals that are being killed for their furs. These animals include, like the lynx, certain species of rabbits and certain species of the mink. If the killing of these animals for their furs continues, many could extinct in just a few years. The European mink is on the endangered list, but there are still thousands killed every year for their luxurious furs. Many of the minks are found in their natural habitats, where they are trapped and then killed. This decreases their population even more rapidly. The next time that you are in Neman’s, please stand clear of the furs, because the blood is there. There is no excuse for the mass murders taking place in the fashion industry and the least that we can do is not take part in it. V
Alexander McQueen Fall 07 New York show, photo courtesy of fashion 411.
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THE SHORT TR U T H O N LONG NA I L S BY JAQUICE H. Top : This is a example of what not to do. Right: Cute short nail. Down: they turned these cute color into something butt ugly( nails above) Crass; cheaply vulgar; crude, and tacky is the definition of long nails. If ugly is not enough, they are known to carry bacteria such pseudomonas aeruginosa and a yeast, Candida parapsilosis, which can wreak havoc on a person’s health I hate it when I meet cute guys and I am thinking to myself “this could be the one”, I go to shake their hand and they have long nails with dirt undernithe .They are so bad that I decide to give them a hug in stead, even though I really didn’t want to do that either. What is even worse is when the person thinks that they are cute or attractive, when clearly they are a tacky mess. Now, I am not saying I know everything about being in style and what is cute and what is not, but what I do know is that elongated nails on any part of your body has never ever been attractive Women are always looking for ways to enhance their appearance: losing weight, fixing up there hair, buying new clothes and shoes ect. They believe the longer the better. Some men do indeed find long finger nails attractive, but I think it is the idea that the woman try’s to kept herself up that they like, that or they have some kind of fetish. It is a tradition on some cultures. In old China if you had long figure nails it was a sign that you didn’t do manual labor. Thankfully that was back in the 1600’s, we are now in the 21st century it is time to let that go. There are tons of different bacteria that hide under your nails when you allow dirt to pile up underneath them. For example Pseudomonas is a bacterial infection that between the natural nail plate and the nail bed, and/or between an artificial nail coating and the natural nail plate. Experts say it is important to keep your natural nail short, clean, and they should not extend past your finger tip. In 1967 at Oklahoma City’s Children’s Hospital, there were 16 infants who died from Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, they found Pseudomonas on three of the nurses all of which had long nails. I think we all can take form this story that long nails are bad, they kill people. The tackiest thing of all is when you have nail art. Yes it is cute when there one little flower on one finger, but when there are ten fingers bedazzled, glossy, and a pictures unicorns floating on a cloud, it becomes a bit overwhelming. One of the only times you can get away with a bunch the crap on your nail, is when you
are in a parade or it is really being used in actual art. Ordinary people should have nails that only come to your figer tip maybe a little longer but any thing over that is just to much. On top of all that they are long. The person would even be able to survive in society. From picking up your keys to opening a door and even putting on pants,these simply tasks become impossable because you are concentrating on not breaking them. I can’t imagine how the people who grow their nails to 10 inches long and more. Hate me all you want, but this is something that must be stoped. I hope I have persuaded you to never, ever, never grow or get long nails. Artificial and long nails are
known to harbor significantly more bacteria then, before and after washing hands, than short natural nails. They are tacky and unattractive. People, this is 2010, the year we must throw out the old and washed out trends, and make room for the new and uncontaminated craze just waiting to adopted. V
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The Asian Invasion
Lim, and Wu, and Wang, Oh My! By Mo Q.
Jason Wu
Jason Wu, of Tiwanese descent, attended Parsons in NYC and launched his line in 2006. His show's embody the chic modern woman, which probably explains why Michelle Obama is a fan She even wore a custom gown by him to the Inaugural Ball. His innate attention to detail and knowledge of the female form
sets him apart from other women’s wear designers. Spring 2010 was a great collection filled with adorable cocktail dresses in bright colors and feather details.
Philip Lim
Philip Lim was born in Thailand to Chinese parents. After graduating at California State he quickly rose
through the ranks of the fashion elite, and was praised for his combination of dressy and casual clothing. He is a master of fabrics, combining things like tissue weight cashmere with starched cotton, for beautiful original clothing. He hand-stitches details onto every garment. This really showed in his spring 2010 collection which was full of hand made pleated organza dresses dripping in sequins.
Alexander Wang
Wang was raised in San Fransisco, in a Chinese American family. He attended Parsons School in NYC and launched his self titled label his sophomore year. Wang has been lauded for his effortless juxtaposition of sportswear and glamour. and expert tailoring. And in 2009 Wang was named the women’s wear de-
signer of the year by the CFDA. His spring 2010 collection was by far my favorite, combining leather and cotton, and taking sporty chic to a whole new level.
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DREAMING IT Austin stylist Sandra Antoun gives personal insight on her journey in the fashion world
By Mimi S.
The beautiful Sandra Antoun, photo courtesy of Sandra Antoun.
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She wears a black, fitted coat with zippers randomly placed all over, a vintage Ramones T-shirt worn to the least thread, ribbed grey leggings with little buttons on the side, thick black wool leg warmers and vintage rocket dogs. Her hair is down in an elegant scramble of black waves and her mesmerizing grey blue eyes gaze around the room. This is Sandra Antoun, an Austin stylist from Las Angeles who is trying to make it in the fashion industry. She currently owns her own company called Kitsch and is hoping that it takes off in Austin. “L.A. is very progressive as far as fashion and that is why people go there to model or act and be in the fashion world. So I definitely think I have a different edge, maybe more of a progressive edge because I grew up there,” Antoun said. Antoun believes that her style has been influenced by her childhood in many ways. Her dad is a musician and artist and her brother is a drummer. After high school in Calabasas, Antoun went to college in Santa Barbara where she got degrees in psychology and sociology in the hopes of becoming a school psychologist. After getting into grad school, Antoun was teaching Autistic children and had a student pass away. “I figured I may want to try something different,” Antoun said. “It was great though because I ended up in sales somehow and it was really just about understanding people which is really just what a sales position is.” Antoun moved to Austin in July of 2007 from Los Angeles and was apprehensive for many reasons but grew to love it. “I do [love Austin] now, it was really hard at first because my parents are in California,” said Antoun. “But now I really, really love it and I feel that I became inspired in Austin to do this [styling] because in LA it’s really expensive and everybody’s doing it and here I feel like I have an opportunity to bring my skills and not be afraid.” Antoun feels that Austin has a very distinctive feel and unique in many ways. “I think it is very indie, very artist-based, and everyone wants to act like they are a musician” Antoun said. “I think Austin is very much what I like to call a velvit rut, like flip-flop millionaire.”. Antoun initially wanted to mirror Buffalo Exchange with Kitsch. She accepted clothing donations from friends and sold the clothes at different coffee shops and venues. However, it didn’t work out as well as she has hoped and decided to keep the company name but change the business. “I think that the first and most important reason I started styling as a profession is due to the fact that I have
Sandra Antoun raising the roof. Photo courtesy ofSandra Antoun.
always, since the day I can remember, invited friends over who were feeling sad or wanted to “refresh’ their look, and do a Sandra Makeover on them,” Antoun said. “It’s almost like when I meet someone I see them as a more polished version of themselves and I wish that they could see themselves how I see them.” Antoun finally decided to turn this into a business when her brother asked if she would help style a VH1 behind the scenes DVD for a band called Deadman. “I remember asking my brother ‘Me? You want me to help you with this?’ and he replied with ‘Yeah you, you are gifted Kid, and I think you are perfect for this.’ Ever since that shoot it’s been non stop for me,” Antoun said. Antoun has recently been styling for clients as well as fashion shows. One of her high profile clients is a consultant who needed help dressing for the Texas Film Awards. Antoun chose a color , organized her clothes and helped her sell some things. Through this client Antoun has also started working with her neighbor. Willamina Model Agency, a New York modeling agency, is opening up a location in Austin and for their opening show they asked Antoun to do the jewelry as well as help out with basic styling. “I had to go to the jewelry venders, there were three that we were working with and I basically got to pick out they jewelry that I thought would go with the outfits and I put them on each model,” Antoun said. “I also brought shoes and helped pick out the shoes and we mixed it in with the designers clothing.” Antoun would like to continue styling in Austin and expand her company. “I would like to have a team, and I hate to compare it to this, but like Rachel Zoe, except nicer,” Antoun said. Helping her achieve this dream is Randoph Duke, LA based designer and stylist whom Antoun had sent a newsletter to regarding her new styling company, Kitsch. When he emailed her back she thought that it was spam because she had never thought that he would actually respond. He wanted to see more of her work so he asked her to come to LA and help style a reality show called America the Beautiful that he is working on. When Antoun first saw him she said that he was “Dressed to the T as to what 2010 has laid out for men.” Antoun says that he has really helped her with starting her business by teaching her the basics of running her own business and making connections. “I think its like anything, anything is hard if you want it to be but it can be really easy if you make a decision to do something.” Antoun said. “I think that’s the hardest part, just doing it verses dreaming it.” V
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Velveteen’s 2010 Trend Guide By: Jaquice H
Cross Body Bag Designer: Mylene
The cross body bag is perfect for people who travel light. I would recommend to for you if you don’t like the normal over the shoulder purse.
Oversized Rose Bag Designer: Karen Millen
I am seeing these everywhere on women of all ages. Definitly a must have for summer 2010.
Hair Bow
Designer: Topshop.com I love this look. The oversized hair bow lets everyone know that you are still in touch with that little girl inside you.
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Army Look Designer: Balmain
The army look is not just for those want to be outcasts. Now you can use it to add a little attittude to your everyday style.
Destroyed Denim Designer: Balmain
These are bada**. What is so great about them is that you can make them at home, instead of going out and buying a $25 pair. Although these rock, remember when it comes down to it, these are just a ripped up pair of jeans.
Jumpsuit
Designer: Lou Lou Jumpsuits are making their comeback from the 80’s. But we are trying to have more fun with them this time around, like with this cute printed fabric.
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Graphic Leggings
Designer: Alexander McQueen Leggings are coming back with a bang. With a nice pair of graphic leggings like these, all you need to do is pair it up with some cute pumps and a solid t-shirt.
Florals
Designer: Arden B Florals are always coming in and out of stlye. Their bright, cheery, and fun to play around with.
Ruffles
Designer: Arden B Ruffles, ruffles, ruffles! They are gorgous without even trying. They can easly transform a simple outfit into a eligant masterpiece.
T-shirt Dress
Designer: Stella McCartney The t-shirt dress brings out the downtown hipster in all of us. Put this with a sexy pair of leggings and you are ready to roll.
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Gladiator sandals Designer: Miu Miu
These are going to be huge this summer. Throw on your daisy dukes and hit the streets.
High Waisted Skirt Designer: Reiss
These are great because they highlight the cutest part of your body. They show of your legs without being trashy.
High Waisted Shorts Designer: Vanessa Bruno
High waisted shorts are totally adorable because they add that little touch of sass to that everyday outfit.
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Breaking the Mold Lauren Ford gives us all the deets on breaking into the industry.
You can spend all day with fashion magazines sprawled out around you, you can watch project runway reruns all weekend, and you can browse style.com until your hand is sore from clicking. But no amounts of fashion homework can substitute for the real deal: getting hands on in the fashion industry. For girls in small towns far away from New York City, this goal can seem unachievable. But luckily, Lauren Ford is here to help. In four years she has risen from a freelance writer at Tribeza, a local culture magazine, to the head editor of the magazine, with big time shoots under her belt. And she’s here to spill all her secrets to success with you. For anyone wishing to enter fashion,
education is the first step. Ford started her career at Texas A n’ M University, where she majored in journalism. She worked for the school paper, when she started an A n’ M fashion column at the paper. “Part of it was writing,” She says “but also doing photo shoots”. Using her friends as models and her own clothing, she did great shoots for the paper, and also discovered her passion for styling. Fresh out of college Ford started interning at Texas monthly, doing everything from administrative tasks to fact checking. “It wasn’t like Devil wears Prada” she says, but it wasn’t super fun styling either. All of that fact checking may sound tedious, but take note- all that hard
work paid off when she was hired on as the research coordinator for the Texas monthly Fashion Guide. Just the platform she needed to launch her fashion career. Ford began to write pieces for big time magazines like Elle Girl, Glamour, and Teen Vogue, where she would style the shoots for her stories: all from one internship at Texas monthly. She says “I get all kinds of interns who have like five internships by the time they graduate college, and that was not me”: Proof that you don’t have to have a giant list on internships to start your career. So how can you get started on the path to fashion? “I think the biggest thing you can do right now is start a blog”, Ford says. Take for example, Jane Aldridge, a Dallas native whose popular blog, she of shoes, has landed her in Vogue. You don’t have to have a designer wardrobe like Jane to start a blog though. “I think the most interesting stuff is like being able to be really resourceful, making stuff look really cool on a budget” Ford explains. Also try to volunteer at fashion event in Austin, and be ready to do whatever they need. “Since so many people want to be in this industry you have to sort of be willing to do anything” Ford notes, “It’s a lot of schlepping”. You don’t have to be in New York to do fashion she
notes, but there are a lot more opportunities there, at least look into things like fashion camps in places like Dallas or Huston. continued on Page 17, connections are really important in the fashion industry. Another thing to consider, it’s not a direct path so don’t get disheartened. “You think like I want it so bad it’s just going to happen for me,” she says, “but it doesn’t really work like that.” Lauren Ford’s hard work has paid off though. Now as the editor of Tribeza, she has creative control over photo shoots, and gets to work with famous photographers like Dan Winters, who has shot people like President Obama for time magazine, and the Dali Lama. She also has a lot of responsibility to make sure the magazine turns out properly, but she enjoys the challenge. Being a stylist is a similar challenge, she’s in charge of “putting the puzzle together to come up with unexpected ways to dress people” She says. It’s a great job she explains, “You get to go to fun parties and events but creative jobs aren’t all glamorous.” The best advice she has for aspiring Ana Wintour’s out there ““Some people are just artists in la-la land… but hard work is the number one thing”
“Some people are just artists in la-la land… but hard work is the numbwer one thing” -Lauren Ford, Editor of Tribeza
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By Mo Q
Ford styling a model for a Tribeza shoot, above. March cover for the music issue of Tribeza styled by ford, left Both courtesy of Lauren Ford
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Where Can I Find ...
? e g a Vint
Vintage clothing is one of the coolest things ever, and guess what? There is an abundance of it in Austin Texas, thats right, the city you are in.
By Mimi S.
Feathers Boutique When you first open the door of Feathers it appears that the shop is very small and exclusive. However, as you walk deeper into the boutique and notice the three other rooms not visible at first it becomes clear that it is much more than your average vintage store. The prices are also very reasonable for the quality of clothing that you are getting. One of the other aspects that make Feathers unique is that the employees do a wonderful job of selecting ready to wear pieces that have aspects that are coming back into style. If you are looking for a spectacular well priced vintage piece to add to your closet Feathers is the place to look.
1700b South Congress Ave. (entrance on Milton)
Blue Velvet Blue velvet offers a wonderful selection of unique vintage clothing. It is unique because of the quality and quantity that they have. The store is packed full of vintage clothing from the 20’s to the 90’s. Another great thing is the cleanness and organization in the store. When you are shopping here it doesn’t feel claustrophobic or cluttered, it also feels very clean. Some vintages stores can feel dirty which then translates to the clothing, when buying vintage it is important that the clothes are gently used and almost new.
217 W. North Loop
Cream Vintage
One of the most popular vintage stores in Austin is Cream vintage, and for good reason too. They have a wide variety of authentic vintage clothing for all sizes and ages. One of the best things about Cream is that they offer alterations at all of their locations. This can be very helpful if you try something on that is too big, to long, ect. Their prices for alterations are also reasonable. Not only does Cream offer vintage clothing but they also offer a large selection of music.
2532 Guadalupe St. , 1714 South Congress Ave., 1108 East 53rd St.
Sonny’s Sonny’s Vintage store is the place to go for hardcore simply vintage clothing. They offer a great variety ranging from gowns, purses, skirts, hats, ect. The vibe in the store is a mix between a college coffee shop and 90s grunge and overall is very friendly. Most of the clothes are either gently worn or appear to have never been worn at all which was a nice surprise. Sonny’s offers basic vintage clothing and has something to offer to almost everyone.
2928 Guadalupe St # 104
Big Bertha’s Big Bertha’s is a treasure chest bursting with wonderful designer riches. The owner of Big Bertha’s travels all over the country in search of clothing for his shop and all of his effort is worth it and noticeable. The taste level put into selecting the clothing sold here is impeccable. Every piece of clothing is in pristine condition and made well. Another great thing about Big Bertha’s is the large amount of designer clothing that is offered.
1050 S Lamar Blvd Ste E
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It’s
Called... By: Jaquice H
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style! Briana B. and Mo Q. are two teenage girls living in Austin, TX. They have two very different personalities that come out in their choices of clothing. I’m the sh*!” Briana B. says. “I will never be dressed 100% girly there is always something a little bit off” Mo Q. states. They stay loyal to past treads by adding little touches of vintage clothing or accessories from their favorite decades to their daily outfits. They are two of LASA’s most creative and stylish fashion gurus, with unique styles like Mo Q. who is High fashion meets comfortable, and Briana B. describes herself as ”a mix of Beyonce and Rihanna”. Style doesn’t just come from one decade, but multiple decades, including the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. Briana B. believes that the 80’s has the most influence on what she wears, saying “they were really up with it”. Briana B’s main objective when shopping is to find it for cheap. She first searches for shoes because she believes she has a passion for shoes.” “One time we went in this store called Hush Hush. The first thing I see was they had a whole wall of nice shoes, and everything was ten dollars,” Briana says. “I thought that was so awesome, because it is so rare to find a place that has really nice shoes for ten dollars.” When Mo Q. is feeling depressed she likes to cheer up with shopping. “One time I went to Buffalo Exchange. I was having a really bad day, and I was looking through the racks. I found a couple of cute things. Suddenly I am in the jacket section and I like stopped .Mo explains. I see this Mark Jacobs, crushed hot pink velvet jacket. It was Mark Jacobs, the real deal. Mo shouts. I ran to the dressing and tried it on and it was too small. They had put it in the wrong section.” Although Mo loves high fashion, her heart stays true to the vintage. “When I am looking for vintage clothing the first thing I have to find
is the color,” Mo says. “It has to be a cool color, because you can alter something pretty easily with sewing, but you can’t change the color. And it can’t be a really ugly pattern. But it has to be well made, like I wouldn’t buy a vintage that is really badly mad that’s going to fall apart 5 seconds, because then it’s not worth getting. But if you buy something that is really well made even if it doesn’t fit perfectly you can go to a tailor and then it’s like gorgeous” And just the opposite of Mo, Briana B main focus is “the now time” and every now and then will through in a 50s inspired gown. She likes to combine her favorite artist and designers, like Louis Vuitton and Kanye West “I would wear a run DMC shirt with some Kanye Louis Vuitton’s red sneakers if I had them, with my hair style which is a Mohawk, with some black tights”, Briana says. Although every era has their own additions to the history of fashion, Briana B. feels that her style is not restricted to her own time period. “I don’t feel myself or the way I dress to be defined by new trend I dress how I think is appropriate what I think is cute what I think looks good on me so I am not common I don’t fallow the crowd” Mo Q. likes to correlate her appearance with the different seasons. “In the winter, when I don’t feel like getting out of the bed, I love to 90’s kind of grunge nirvana thing, and I am always wearing plaid shirt and like denim shorts,” Mo says. “When it gets to be summer, I love 60’s silhouette. I am all about the high wasted skirts and the peter pan colors,” Mo
explains. “And sometimes I like a boyish silhouette. But I will wear a fancy blouse with my ripped up boy jeans. Everything I wear has something fancy about it with something little off, because having a full fancy outfit is just too much work,” says Mo. Of course Briana B. and Mo Q. still have a lot of room to branch out with their appearances, but for now they are at peace with their own choices of clothing. They believe that the old saying “out with of old in with the new,” doesn’t apply to all. They say “why can’t we just do both”. They like to stay loyal to the ‘vintage’ clothing, while incorporating the new as well. Fashion is combining the trends of yester-years with fresh new idea, and that is exactly what Briana B. and Mo Q. have mastered at an early age. V
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Photographed and styled by Mo Q. From Left to Right Zoe wears Anthropologie dress, Molly's and her own shoes, jacket and headband Molly wears Biancas shirt and skirt from Free People, Mimi's vintage shoes, and her own vest and belt Bianca wears Zoe's cardigan and shoes, and Mimi's shirt and shorts from freathers Mimi wears Molly's dress and tights from Rodarte and anthropologie
Twice as nice
On Bianca- Molly's vintage letterman and old navy skirt, stylists own shoes and tank top
Mimi wears Molly's Target tank top and Old Navy shorts Molly's Lucy in Disguise hat and Zoe's Converse
Zoe wears Mimi's Target romper and her own cardigan. Opposite pageMolly wears Bianca's free People dress and her own vintage belt and cardigan stylists own heels
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from left to right Zoe wears Mimi's skirt by fread flare, Biance's shirt by Free people, Molly's vintage scarf, and her own shoes and headband Molly wears Mimi's vintage jacket, Bianca's Free People shirt and her own jeans and shoes Bianca wears Mimi's vintage shirt, Molly's vintage skirt and the stylist shoes Mimi wears Molly's Nordstrom'd dress and vintage cardigan and shoes
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FashionNation Presents, Fashion Week: Flight for a Cure The Take OFF By: Jaquice H.
FashionNation is an organization at Texas State university. It was founded by Dominique Bedford. ( left, middle ). This is one of many fashio shows that they host. This one was a benifit for womans breast cancer research.
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Fifi Lapin
Hi, I'm , I was born one of 257 brothers and sisters but sadly there was an outbreak of myxomatosis when I was just one year old... I was the only one that survived. My parents are therefore incredibly protective of me and spoil me rotten. I'm an hare-ss to my fathers fortune which he made playing fast and loose with carrot and lettuce shares on the international stock market. There are a lot of rabbits out there eating carrots and lettuce so I guess he just struck gold (or orange you might say). Some people think I’m just a socialite but I think there is more to me than just an extremely stylish clotheshorse! Written by the author of the blog Fifi Lapin
photos courtesy of Fifi Lapin
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The Style Rookie
B l o g B l o g B l o g
Tavi is the blogger of the moment. Her super edgy style and sass is inspiring hipsters everywhere, but get this- she is fourteen years old. Her favorite designers include Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons, Yohji Yamamoto, Alexander McQueen, and Vivienne Westwood. High fashion designers that even the most daring of women save for special occasion. But what makes her blog, The Style Rookie, so cool is how it effortlessly blends music, film, and art, with the latest fashion trends, in a totally current way. She is defiantly one to keep your eye on! Find her at www.thestylerookie. com
Sea of Shoes
Jane Aldridge is no stranger to high fashion, her mother surrounded her with it from a young age, so it's no wonder that she grew into a bona fide fashion blogger. Her blog, Sea of Shoes, focuses on her amazing shoe collection, ranging from comfy Celeine wedges to towering YSL cage booties, and the amazing outfits she pairs them with. What sets her apart though are her bold fashion parings, untypical of the city of Dallas where she lives. Besides shoes, she also owns a plethora of one of a kind jewelry, in the shape of crawfish, lobsters and a walrus. She is one of the few people who could pull off that giant beaded squid! Her travel diaries and shopping guides make her blog fun and useful. And best of all, you never know what you are going to get with Miss Aldridge. Find her at www.seaofshoes. The com Sartori-
alist defines street style. The head photographer, Scot Schuman, gave up his job as a fashion photographer living in New York City to become a world traveler, documenting amazing style worldwide. The simplicity of the blog really makes it a joy to read and Schuman seems to capture the personalities of the people that he photographs, brining life to his blog. The best part of the blog, though are the vintage photograph contests he holds. Readers send in pictures of everything from bathing beauties to debutantes in the 1940's. Find him at www. thesartorialist.blogspot.com
The Sartorialist
by Mo Q.
Jump Page Cont. from page 6
from all their tools making it easy to fix any last minute snafus. Said designer Ana Sui in an interview with the Huffington Post, “I hate the idea. [Of moving from Bryant Park] One of the things that works with Bryant Park is that we can walk the clothes over there, and finish the clothes as we’re setting up. I don’t think we will have that luxury at Lincoln Center.” Other people who won’t be enjoying any luxuries at Lincoln Center are the visitors of New York Fashion Week. Bryant Park is in the center of Midtown, making it easy for anyone to access. Lincoln Center is uptown. This is inconvenient for people who live downtown and any designers who work from downtown. Overall the location is just plain bad for the designers, the press, and the public. Fashion week is a huge event in the fashion industry, until it was invented it was impossible for designers to sell their garments to clients. Since 1993 Fashion Week has had a home at Bryant Park, which as a result is now synonymous with high fashion. By moving it from Bryant Park to Lincoln Center the city of New York is making it difficult for the designers to do what they do best. They are dishonoring tradition, and the new location is too spread out and inconvenient to the designers and the press. It will be impossible for the designers to have a successful showcase under the new conditions, and the already pressured garment industry could crash. All in all: this idea is a fashion disaster.
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