If things have seemed a little slow lately ’round these parts it is because I am still catching my breath from two back to back fashion weeks here in New Orleans. In order to cover both I got a little help from none other than Rebekah Apotre of 504 Stitches. Rebekah and I tag teamed NOLA Fashion Week to attend as many events as possible. You can read my notes from the fashion bloggers panel at the Southern Fashion Bloggers site if you are inclined. Below are her thoughts on the Friday runway shows.
I’m a girl who LOVES fashion. So much so, that instead of a boy fashion was my first love. Well that and the September Issue of Vogue. Every Autumn when that heavy, designer laden issue hits the newsstands I’m there, waiting to crack that spine and linger over the pages while fragrance fills the air from all those perfume ads.
I hope this helps you understand that I felt really lucky to sit in for Christy for NOLA Fashion Week. She got to go to the woods and I got to sit in a beautiful vaulted ceiling room and watch the fall collections from this year’s roster of designers.
For me, it’s all about mix n match designer, handmade, thrifted, indie designs and being able to wear a piece for several seasons so I lean towards great tailored jackets, pretty dresses, and unusual or statement jewlery to well, make a statement.
Here are my personal favorite picks from the shows I attended on Friday which I selected for three reasons:
– the pieces are either classic or statement pieces
– they will be wearable seasons from now
– they will mix into your current wardrobe
Bold but delicate gold peices made me rethink my preference for silver jewlery. Lots of darker metals and mixing of textures.
LVF Design
HeavyMetal Jewlery
Nelson + Little
Of course anything from Cocodri can happily find its home in my closet and were one of the few designers that had something for men as well as women.
I’m a fan of a hard working bag that holds lots of stuff and still looks good. I feel Kay-LA ‘s bag will be able to handle my cross city bike trips and more elegant endeavours like girls night out..
Now on to the clothes…
Ottilie Broadman is the woman behind her New Orleans based luxury fashion label of the same name. She opened up Friday’s shows with her line of office wear- tailored & feminine with accents of fur – I kind of want to work in an office just so i can wear clothes like hers!
I love this jacket:
She also showed a number of short dresses which I think will look great over leggings which will make this little dress adorable for outside the office too.
I think these dresses from Nire are great on their own and I’m a fan of layering dresses over skinny jeans or leggings when it gets cooler.
The most incredible part of my day at NOLA Fashion week was meeting fellow bloggers, hanging out with friends & twitter friends who I’ve only “met” online. There is a wellspring of talent, ideas and creativity here in the city. I can’t wait to see what the next round of fashion weeks brings to the city and you can be sure that I’ll continue to fuel my love of fashion by continuing to watch the NOLA fashion scene as well as work on as many creative projects with local friends as possible!
Rebekah Apotre is a blogger, crafty sewing teacher and cheese lover currently crushing on all things NOLA. You can find out more about her here:
504stitches.com
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Category: fashion week
NOLA Fashion Week Schedule
With one fashion week already in full swing everyone is now gearing up for the next run of events with NOLA Fashion Week March 21st-26th. What makes this week (err next week) different from this week (as in the one happening now) are the educational workshops for budding designers, networking events, and invite only runway shows.
Many of the events held during the week will have a daytime event followed by meetups in the evenings so if you can’t make the workshops there are other networking events you can attend.
Design by Coco Bourgeoisie |
I’m happy to report that I’ve teamed up with Rebekah of 504 Stitches to help bring four days of coverage to Slow Southern Style. I will be attending the Wednesday and Thursday night parties and she will be covering the runway shows on Friday and Saturday on behalf of Slow Southern Style. Which events are you planning on attending?
Monday, March 21st
Evening: Paris Parker presents The Art of Style- Artist Sarah Ashley Longshore will have her Anna Wintour Collection on display to view with other fashionable attendees.
At: LePhare, 523 Gravier St.
7pm-11pm / Benefiting Friends of City Park through JT AWEAR
TUESDAY, MARCH 22
Day: Kids Fashion Day- Children centered dress up day
At: Louisiana Children’s Museum, 420 Julia St.
10:30am-2:30pm / Benefiting Louisiana Children’s Museum
Evening: NOLAFW’s Night on the Town- New Orleans’ boutiques and shops open their doors to the fashion industry
At: Various Venues
5pm-9pm / Benefiting the sp[OIL]ed Campaign
Design by Coco Bourgeoisie |
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23
Day: Production, Marketing and Styling Workshops
At: LePhare, 523 Gravier St.
10am-4pm
Evening: Industry Engaged Cocktails- happy hour event brings tenured individuals and up and comers alike with Seema Sudan of liaMolly playing host.
At: Capdeville, 520 Capdeville St.
5pm-8pm / Benefiting Covenant House through JT AWEAR
Design by Coco Bourgeoisie |
THURSDAY, MARCH 24
Day: Production, Marketing and Styling Workshops
At: LePhare, 523 Gravier St.
10am-4pm
Evening: NOLA Tidbits presents Digital Media and Local Fashion
At: Martine Chaisson Gallery, 727 Camp St.
6:30pm-11pm
FRIDAY, MARCH 25
Day: 4 Runway Shows | 2 Accessory Presentations
At: Ogden Museum, 925 Camp St.
11am-7pm
Evening: Amelie G Magazine presentsTri-Coastal Fashion-
Enjoy cocktails and small plates, hosted by Madeline Von Froomer & Chrissie Miller of the East Coast, Leah Bauer of the West Coast, and Elsa Brodmann of the Gulf Coast.
At: Ste. Marie, 930 Poydras St.
8pm-1am / Benefiting Coastal Restoration through JT AWEAR
SATURDAY, MARCH 26
Day: 6 Runway Shows
At: Ogden Museum, 925 Camp St.
11am-7pm
Evening: Scene Magazine presents NOLAFW Wrap Party.
At: Eiffel Society, 2040 St. Charles Ave.
9pm-1am / Benefiting NOLAFW Fall 2011
Also, in a more practical way, I don’t see the point in making a garment similar to one you could pick up at Forever21 for 20 bucks. Let them buy the thing for 20 bux, not the $150+ that I’d have to charge to make a one of a kind piece that, for all practical purposes, could be from Forever21. I want to make something that makes the wearer stand out, not blend in.
Fashion Week New Orleans Schedule
For those of you living in New Orleans you may have heard about the three fashion weeks taking place over the course of four weeks. While one has already passed I’d like to share the schedule for Fashion Week New Orleans, which is taking place this week. Over the course of four days there will be one kick off party followed by three nights filled with looks from local designers and boutiques and each night will benefit a different local charity. The crown jewel of the week is the top designer competition in which the winner will receive trunk shows and a 90 day stint for their line at Hemline Boutique. It’s all taking place at The Sugar Mill, located at 1101 Convention Center Blvd.
Follow Fashion Week New Orleans on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with all of the events.
Tuesday, March 15th
Complimentary admission for all VIP pass holders Mixer at Twist
Wednesday, March 16th
Top Design Contestant Alicia Zenobia of Autonomous Clothing |
Top Designer Competition featuring Alicia Zenobia, Anthony Ryan Auld, Ashley Gunkel, Brennan Manuel, Carolina Gallop, Emily Riche, Esther Rose, Michelle Beatty, Molly Stackhouse, The Transportation Revolution
Boutique Runway Shows:
Swap
Lola
Buffalo Exchange
Lili Vintage Boutique
Frederick’s of Hollywood Swimsuit Collection – Limited Edition
Hemline
Thursday, March 17th
Righteous Fur
Howlpop
Spring Boutique
Dirty Coast
Prima Donna’s Closet
Indigo
Voluptuous Vixen
Loretta Jane By Kelli Cooper
Giggleberries
Belle Couture
Branch Out
Baby Bump
Red Carpet
Style Lab worn by NOLA Firefighters
Lissy
Greene Serene
Total Woman
Brinkman’s
House of Lounge
Cutting Edge Diva by John Joseph Delgadillo
Friday, March 18th
Top Design Finalists
Fairy Fashions
All About Me
Wish
Langford Market
Angelique
Attitude by Design by Lisa Bourgeois
Xiomara del Carmen
Fleur de Paris
Banana Republic
Brooks Brothers
BCBG MaxAzria
Jean Therapy
SELVAGGIOdesigns by Meghann Harney
Mixon by Anna Mixon of Miami
Kano Branon
Saks Fifth Avenue
And next up… Fashion Week NOLA schedule from #LAisthenewLA will be announced later on this week.
A lot of you have heard about the multiple fashion weeks invading New Orleans in the next month, and many of you have e-mailed me inquiring about them. Last weekend I attended the NOLA Fashion Week Preview at Republic as a member of the press. This is my recap of the night.
First and foremost I had a great time running into some old friends and new ones alike. Dorothy and I have become not only fashion partners in crime but impromptu Freret Street advocates so I’m always happy to get face time with her.
Fashion Week
All images via style.com