Category: southern fashion designer

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Menswear Made in the South: Southern Tide

Love to see your southern gentlemen in fine quality apparel? Are you a man that loves the classic southern look? Southern Tide has just what you want. A rapidly growing lifestyle brand, Southern Tide’s line of apparel and accessories boasts exceptional craftsmanship, clean lines, fine quality, and classic design.

Channel Marker Plaid Sport Shirt in Red paired with Southern Tide Jeans

 The company was founded in 2006 by Allen Stephenson and is manufactured in South Carolina. Southern Tide is expanding their brand to include the Southern Tide Vintage Collection.  The collection will include men’s jeans, chinos, and a variety of shirt styles. In addition, Nautical polo shirts and canvas belts have been added to company’s apparel line, as well as new designs and colors to existing items including the quarter zip pullover sweater, RT-7 Pants, boxers and lounge wear.

 Classic Skipjack Polo in Grenadine paired with Channel Marker Flat Front Shorts in Stone, accented with the Skipjack Needlepoint Belt in Navy (Made exclusively for Southern Tide by Smathers and Branson)

Southern Tide’s Vintage Collection is made for a comfortable, worn-in, but durable look and feel. The jeans are hand-crafted to give the customers a true vintage denim look and feel making no two pair alike. These vintage-washed jeans are constructed of 100% cotton, or 99% cotton with one percent stretch. The Vintage Collection also includes chino and oxford vintage shirts that are 100% cotton and are vintage washed.

(L to R) Saltwater Fly Tee (Super Gotcha) in White, Classic Lures Tee in Black, Original Skipjack Tee in Lava  Saltwater Fly Tee (Multi-Fly) in Aqua,  Saltwater Fly Tee (Slinky Deceiver) in Yellow

So if you are a southern gentleman or looking to purchase something special for the southern gentleman in your life you can purchase Southern Tide products in more than 500 fine retailers in more than 42 states across the country, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, as well as on Southern Tide’s online store at southerntide.com. 


-Brandy Gaspard
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brandy gaspard internship new orleans southern fashion designer

Molly Stackhouse- 100% Made in NOLA

This post was written by Brandy Gaspard, one of Slow Southern Style’s interns. You’ll get a chance to meet her in the upcoming weeks but for now check out her blog, Rambling Brandy, and be on the look out for her bio soon.




“Having a tag in your garment that says Made in New Orleans is a big deal.”- Molly Stackhouse

Photo by Jason Kruppa

I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Molly Stackhouse, the designer and mastermind behind MESDRESS.  Stackhouse started MESDRESS as an Etsy shop that made custom clothes for her clients, and has since expanded and is available in boutiques in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas.


 Molly has a love for New Orleans and is proud to say that her line is 100% made in the city that inspires her, in fact everything is produced locally and the fabrics are also from Louisiana. While this drives up the cost of each garment Stackhouse believes that it is important to keep things local. She loves contrast and geometric shapes, a strong theme in her spring collection. For the fall expect metallics and spaced aged looking garments, which Stackhouse hopes to have in even more stores soon.

MESDRESS can be found in Angelique (New Orleans), The Mix (Mandeville), Fleurt (Covington) and NK Boutique (Baton Rouge). You can also see her collection at Fashion Week NOLA this spring.

Photo by Jason Kruppa

Photo by Jason Kruppa

Photo by Jason Kruppa

Photo by Jason Kruppa

Photo by Jason Kruppa

Photo by Jason Kruppa

Brandy Gaspard




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Guest Post: Cavortress

I’m out at sea this week, so while I’m cruisin’ around Mexico I’ve got several lovely ladies taking the blogging reins for me. Let them know how much you like their posts by leaving words of wisdom in the comments. See y’all when I get back and sadly no, my pasty white self won’t be bringing back a tan.







My name is Julie Wheat and I am the owner, founder, and designer at Cavortress that was recently featured in Slow Southern Style’s last guest post, by Katie Kozar Thompson featuring a wedding dress I that designed and created for her.  When Christy offered to have me do a guest post for January, I was totally excited  to share more about Cavortress with SSSreaders.  In fact, Mrs. Kozar Thompson’s dress was our first ( and pssst….we want another bride but we can only handle one a year!).



Cavortress is a Charleston, SC based company known for designing swim and resort wear known for offering ‘conspicuous classics perfect for fun the in the sun’.  This is our first year manufacturing our products that will be available at Hampden Clothing, which has been named by both Town & Country and Coastal Living as one of the top shopping destinations in the South.  Cavortress can also be found at the well known Southern chain Monkee’s , and on our website www.shop.cavortress.com and at Austin’s SXSW event in March.  Our swim and resort wear features prints that I designed and fabric and hardware imported from Italy.  Not to mention, and all of our products are made in the United States.  Cavortress swim and resort designs are inspired by the number of requests we received from or vintage clothing clients over the years for vintage swimwear.




Excerpt from Cavortress vintage campaign ‘Sugar and Spice’ featured at 2011 SXSW’s STYLE X event. Photoraphy: Cyle Suesz.



More than a decade later, Cavortress vintage has expanded to sell clothing to a number of private clients including Charleston Magazine’s Style Director and brains behind Charleston Fashion Week, Ayoka Lucas; runway coach and former model (for Armani, Vivienne Westwood, and Clairol) Michelle Wood who was

recently seen on MTV’s True Life, as well as a number of radio and television personalities and musicians including second time Grammy nominee Spencer Chamberlain of Tampa’s Underoath and his girlfriend for their attendance at the 2010 Grammy Awards.


Our vintage fashions are also available at a number of independent boutiques in the South (including House of Sage and Rogue Wave Surfshop) throughout the South where we carefully curate monthly ‘mini-collections’ based on the boutique’s clientele. The Cavortress ‘Great American Vintage Collection’ will be
shown at SXSW’s second STYLE X event in Austin, TX March 15 and 16 along side of our swim and resort collection. Shoppers can expect to find hand knits, silks, woven wools, cottons, plaids, leathers, as well as strong American brands like DKNY, Pendleton, and Levi’s, including some that don’t exist anymore like Campus Casuals, I. Magnin, and Bleeker Street. Fashions featured in the Cavortress ‘Great American Vintage Collection’ have been plucked from thrift shops, auctions, and private collections across the country from Sioux City to Palm Beach, Honolulu to Salt Lake, Huntsville to Galveston, and San Francisco to Buffalo. This year vintage jewelry will be included. The 2012 advertising campaign for the ‘Great American Vintage Collection’ is being photographed this month with Tout Talent’s Madeline Cimone. 

In addition to designing swim/resort wear and placing vintage fashions, I most recently worked with TBA Productions and Seamless Pictures on the full length feature horror film, III, as a producer, wardrobe designer/supervisor , and as the effects assistant. Principal filming wrapped in December and the movie is currently in post production. The III team is excited about entertaining purchase offers from a number of studios and distributors. Being new to the film industry, it was thrilling to read a script, meet the actors, and make decisions about how to curate the character looks, not to mention figuring out how to
manufacture practical effects for an impalement, human gutting, and amputation. III unearthed totally new applications of my talents that I look forward to using again soon!



Cavortress working on special effects for Robert Dough, lead actor in III who will also appear in HBO’s East Bound and Down this February.


It has been fabulous to grow as a part of the Southern fashion community in a number of capacities and Cavortress is excited about the future. We hope to meet y’all soon!



Cavortress and quality control manager/husband at Bonnaroo 2011.

-Julie










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Urbandillo Needs Your Help

When you live in the south you become accustomed to layered dressing. On any given winter day you could start out wearing a t-shirt and end up in a coat, all in less than a 24 hour time span. But how do you stash that cumbersome jacket? Throw it in the car, tie it around your waist, or do you awkwardly lug it around and deal? Enter Veronica James and her clever clothing line, Urbandillo. Inspired by the way an armadillo rolls into a ball, Urbandillo is a line of compacting clothing that folds up into itself and can easily be carried around in its own handy carrying case. From classic fleece jackets to stylish trench coats Urbandillo is not only functional buy stylish as well. 



James is hoping to get the line going with Kickstarter, but time is running out as their fundraising efforts ends on December 31st at 11:00pm. To learn more about the project go to their Kickstarter project page or watch the video below and support the cause however you can.

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Fashion Week New Orleans Top Designer Competition



With Christmas come and gone and New Year’s Eve, the Superbowl, and Mardi Gras all in the near future who’s thinking about March already? If you’re an aspiring fashion designer, maybe you should.



Fashion Week New Orleans (FW NOLA) is currently accepting applications for their Top Designer Competition, which is part of their fashionable festivities March 21st-25th. Ten designers will be given the opportunity to compete for the title of top designer and a chance to win a 90 day in-store presence at Hemline, a professionally designed website, and a photo shoot of the winning collection. Deadline for applications is January 15th, 2012 and judging by the talent from last year such as Anthony Ryan Auld (of Project Runway fame) you wouldn’t want to miss out on this chance.


Designer: Alicia Zenobia
2011 Top Designer Alicia Zenobia

Alicia Zenobia, winner of the 2011 Top Designer Competition, feels the opportunity afforded her served as a springboard to get her designs into the public eye.


“This was the best opportunity to showcase the uniquely wilder flavor of New Orleans fashion in a comprehensive and well produced fashion event. I was so happy that my out of the box creations were not only understood, but also celebrated by the judges and audience at New Orleans Fashion Week and consequently the press and people of New Orleans, and beyond!”




Designer: Alicia Zenobia
Alicia Zenobia’s striking designs
 FW NOLA’s primary objective is to showcase the skillful individuals that comprise the burgeoning New Orleans fashion scene. The Gulf Coast region is known as a destination for food, music, and an entire film industry, so why not fashion? We’ve got the fashion designers, make-up and hair artists, models and the boutiques willing to carry the clothing, so we might as well nurture it and show the world what we have to offer.

Interested applicants should contact Mallory Domingue at mdomingue@fashionweeknola.com



Fashion Week New Orleans 2012 Schedule and Locations:

March 21, 2012 kick off party, Twist Lounge inside the Lafayette Hotel
March 22 – 24, 2012 Runway Shows and Top Designer Competition, The Sugar Mill
March 25, 2012 Bridal Runway Showcase, The Westin at Canal Place
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Haute and Handmade: A Recap

Make no mistake, I’m certainly not a model. I’m about a foot too short, my cheekbones weren’t chiseled by the hands of a Renaissance sculptor and the only way I’d fit into a sample size is if it were socially acceptable to wear a dress around one’s upper thigh.  Aside from my prototype setbacks I was pleased and quite honored to model Alabama Chanin’s intricate designs as part of Haute and Handmade this past Friday. Each of Natalie Chanin’s pieces are hand stitched with nary a sewing machine in sight. You have to really get up close and personal to inspect and appreciate the labor and love that goes into each garment. They are truly a work of art with needle and thread.


 Along with six local designers, Andrea Loest, Grayson Gold (he’s 12 years old!), Lorna Leedy, Kerry Fitts, Amanda Loest, and Rebecca Rebouche the Ogden Museum of Southern Art served as a pantheon of handmade looks, all designed below the Mason-Dixon line. I’m told there were over 400 people in attendance that evening, a great testament of support for southern based fashion. It was interesting to see which the similarities and stark contrasts of each designer but the common theme throughout the evening was a commitment to quality and originality. 


For more photos go to the Slow Southern Style Facebook page and many thanks to Leslie Almeida for taking pictures of the evening while I was backstage being prepped.
My friend Chanel wearing a Bayou Salvage dress

Fancy Ponyland

Fancy Ponyland

Bayou Salvage

Amanda Deleon

Alabama Chanin

some random girl

oh wait that’s me
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Guest Post: Wedding Cake and Custom Made Cavortress

Today I’m very pleased to share some space on Slow Southern Style with Katie Thompson, a furniture designer based in Charleston, South Carolina and newly wed with an eye for beautiful clothing designed below the Mason-Dixon line. Katie was sweet enough to share with y’all the story behind her custom made wedding gown, the designer who created it, and her beautiful wedding pictures. Enjoy!

Being fortunate enough to have lived in Charleston, SC for five years I was able to meet a lot of very talented people, and local designer Julie Wheat being one of my favorites.  Wheat’s eye for timeless style, amazing fabric and quality makes it hard to resist her designs.  Her aptly named brand Cavortress evokes a sense of strong feminine style with a sweet yet sharp vintage edge.  The Cavortress woman is the life of the party, and has a presence all her own.  Cavortress first caught my attention in Spring 2010 with a dynamic vintage collection, and I’ve been addicted ever since.

(Striking a pose in Cavortress vintage)



My husband and I were engaged last December, and in March I traveled with Wheat to the inaugural Style X at SXSW where Julie was showcasing the new Cavortress swimwear collection.  While driving across the country, our conversations naturally led to fashion, and to what I was going to wear for my impending nuptials.

I told her that I was really struggling to find “that” dress.  All of my life I’ve always done things just a little bit differently than most people – and Julie knew that about me.  And given my profession as a custom furniture designer, I felt that I was going to be hard pressed to find a gown off the rack that I truly loved.

I had previously had the thought of having Wheat make a custom dress for me, but never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be so lucky.  Needless to say I was speechless when Julie said “I could make your dress!”  Dream. Come. True!


Our travels brought us to New Orleans for the first night of our trip, and the next morning we walked around the city.  We discussed shapes, styles, and fabrics for the dress as we perused the flavors of the Big Easy.  I knew I wanted something form fitting with sleeves.  I also wanted to steer away from too much “frilly stuff,” as I liked the look of simple lace and clean silks – a vintage and classic feel, with notes of modern elegance.

One thing that really shows Julie’s natural talent as a designer – she knew my body, style, and look better than I knew myself.  She also truly listened to my ideas not only about the dress, but also about the wedding.  The location, season, and even the reception were all considered for the details of the dress.  Eventually a silk gown with capped sleeves, a bias-cut top, with a sweetheart neckline and a removable train was formed.

(A close up of the sleeves and neckline.)

Fast forward a few weeks, Julie is Los Angeles and sends me some photos of fabrics and trims she had found.  Julie is a connoisseur of deadstock fabrics, and found a “almost-white-but-not-quite” heavy silk that was a pure delight to touch.


Now being a designer specializing in the bespoke, I thought I was very familiar with the amount of time and the meticulous process of building something custom, but I really had no clue when it came to dress making.  With the wedding date set at October 22nd, I must admit that in mid-June I was really beginning to stress out about the wedding, and freaked about the dress not being ready in time.  Thankfully Julie was very understanding and explained how the dress was to be built, and that it was actually better if we waited a little longer.  Most brides tend to lose weight before their wedding, whether from stress or just getting in shape, and the closer to the big day the better, as there would be less of a need for last-minute alterations.

Once we began fittings in the beginning of August, the process flew by.  Over the course of the next few weeks, I spent several long days with Julie as she fitted, measured, sewed, ironed, and built my dress piece by piece.  It was amazing to watch it come together, and to watch Wheat’s incredible abilities.  In a world of mass manufacturing, it is refreshing to see a designer who has fine-tuned the fundamentals of hand-crafting fabulous clothing.


Julie was very open and thoughtful in including me in every detail and decision during the construction of the dress.  This was fantastic as I was able to not only see but feel how the details of the dress fit me.  From the hem to the sleeves, to even the placement of the trim, I was able to be very involved and that took a lot of the stress out of the process.


The dress was completed towards the end of September, and a few weeks later, the door swings open in the church and there is Joseph at the altar.  I’m wearing the most beautiful dress I’ve ever owned, and it’s truly MY dress.  My husband tells me he loves the fact that I’m not “common,” and the dress truly fit my personality, as no one had ever seen a dress quite like that before.  

I was incredibly comfortable and confident in the dress – I danced my ass off and hugged and kissed friends and family all night with ease.  I was also thrilled that Julie was able to watch the dress go down the aisle.


I am truly grateful to have had this experience, and especially to Julie for making it possible.  Her professionalism and knowledge pushed me to consider things about the dress I never would of thought of.  It was perfect.  It was truly one-of-a-kind, fit for a Cavortress, and I couldn’t of been happier with it.


Cavortress will be showcasing at Style X at SXSW again in March 2012, and can be found at Cavortress.com.

Photo Credit: Ben Williams
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Haute and Homemade: A Showcase of Southern Contemporary Couture

Words can’t even begin to express how excited I am not only to attend Haute and Homemade at the Ogden Museum on Friday, December 9th but also be a part of of the show.  I was positively giddy when I first found out about this event a few months ago and was beyond thrilled when I received an e-mail asking me to model. Well maybe I wasn’t thrilled that I gorged myself all Thanksgiving week before sashaying down a runway but hey that’s my own fault.






Alabama Chanin is the epitome of a damn good Southern fashion label, the type that made me start Slow Southern Style in the first place.  Grown out of love of handiwork with a strong eye for high quality craftsmanship I’m lucky enough to own two pieces designed by Natalie Chanin, my favorite being my black sleeveless dress. The stitching is done entirely by local artisans in Florence, Alabama. In addition to the exquisite work I love the whole company concept and culture and how it promotes the slow fashion movement and proves that you don’t have to subscribe to this fast paced, cutting edge trend driven fashion culture to look stylish. It’s all very galvanizing if you ask me. 


 As if I’m not excited enough there will be six local designers presenting the same night for a little lagniappe, including Slow Southern Style favorites Amanda Deleon and Kerry Fitts along with Grayson Gold, Lorna Leedy, Andrea Loest and Rebecca Rebouche.

my own Alabama Chanin dress, worn here in early fall 2010



In addition to the runway shows there will be a two hour sewing workshop on Saturday, December 10th, something that Alabama Chanin does on a regular basis both in Florence and in other cities. I’m committed to a graduation that morning (congrats to sis getting her master’s degree!) but believe me I’d be there if I could. I’m hoping to see a few of y’all at the Ogden next weekend to see one of my favorite designers up close and cheer me on if I nosedive down the runway.




Haute and Homemade: A Showcase of Southern Contemporary Couture
Fri. Dec. 9, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Ogden Museum of Southern Art, 925 Camp St., New Orleans, La.
$10 for museum members; $12 non-museum members; $5 for children under 17

Information and tickets: 504.539.9650, or go order: hauteandhomemade2011.eventbrite.com


Alabama Chanin Workshop
Sat. Dec. 10, 10 a.m.-Noon
Ogden Museum of Southern Art, 925 Camp St., New Orleans, La.
$149 (includes DIY kit for sewing); SPACES ARE LIMITED AND RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED.
To register: alabamachanin.com/workshop/two-hour-workshops.

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TRASHY DIVA 15th ANNIVERSARY PARTY

I love when fashion and fun collide. Trashy Diva is celebrating their 15th anniversary and they are pulling out all the stops with a fantastic party on November 9th with bands, booze and burlesque.  Festivities include performances by legendary bands Rasputina and Rock City Morgue, as well as burlesque performers Trixie Minx, Roxie Le Rouge and Mina Méchante. Doors open at 8 PM; tickets are $16 in advance and $18 at the door. Stumble into One Eyed Jacks wearing your finest vintage inspired looks, located at 615 Toulouse Street in the French Quarter. 




Trashy Diva started out as a vintage clothing store in 1996 and has since expanded to a full fledged clothing line and a family of boutiques around New Orleans. Owner and designer Candice Gwinn focuses on retro patterns in modern fabrics ensuring an old fashioned look in easy to care for fabrics that appeals to women of all sizes  and lifestyles. Her dresses have been seen in magazines like Lucky and Elle and have been seen on numerous celebrities and television shows. It’s no wonder this beloved brand is a favorite of not only locals but celebrities such as Kelly Osborne and Taylor Swift!

FRENCH QUARTER:
Trashy Diva Boutique – 829 Chartres Street
Trashy Diva Lingerie Boutique – 831 Chartres Street
Trashy Diva Shoe Boutique – 839 Chartres Street

MAGAZINE STREET:
Trashy Diva Boutique – 2048 Magazine Street
Truck Stop Clothing – 2209 Magazine Street

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Interview: Kathryn Wilson left me at the Altar

 Clothing designer Kathryn Wilson contacted me about her clothing line Altar, made here in New Orleans. Each of her designs are named after the streets of New Orleans and are reconstructed primarily from vintage materials. She’s offering Slow Southern Style readers 15% off at her Etsy store with coupon code SLOWSOUTHERNSTYLE15. Learn more about Altar clothing by reading the interview below and see what inspires Ryn.

SALE Burnt Orange Textured Satin Top with Sash size small medium - Calliope

Describe the Altar clientele. What type of woman would be drawn to your designs?
A woman with a unique sense of style who wants to appear creative and put together at the same time. Someone who is not afraid to reveal their dark side, but in a subtle way. She reveres their clothing as a personal statement and is confident and sexy inside and out. I think the clothing hints at these elements while the woman emphasizes it in her own personal way.

How does the South, and New Orleans in particular, influence your work?
New orleans seduced me the first time I visited on a short trip many years ago. There is a magic about this city that I’ve never felt anywhere else. I was so excited when I got into grad school here a year and a half ago, because the thought of immersing myself in NOLA was thrilling. There is a thriving art and fashion scene which provides endless inspiration and if I have a lack of ideas I just need to step out my door and take it all in.
For fashion specifically, I am drawn to the lace and frills aesthetic of the south. The white linens and loose gauzy materials capture my imagination. I love to counter that innocence and airiness with a bit of black leather. It’s like the swamp to me, absolute breathtaking beauty to look at, but with a presence of great danger. 
Euphrosine Lace Blouse with Bow Tie and Vintage Buttons XS/S/M/L/XL made to order
Aside from fashion design what are some of your other interests and hobbies?
I am a photographer and video maker, currently midway through the MFA program at UNO. I pretty much spend all of my time working on or researching my clothing designs or my photo/video projects. The time spent researching is some of my favorite because it involves going to galleries, reading books, watching films and talking to other inspiring artists. I also count traveling as research because every time I do I am guaranteed to come home with a new vision and a sketchbook full of notes.
Joliet - Black gray satin lace ballet slip dress tutu XS/S/M/L/XL made to order
 What does the future hold for you?
I have a few possible paths. When I get my degree I plan to apply for photography/art teaching positions. I hope to stay in New Orleans, but I’m open to change. I am also excited about the possibility of attending artist residencies in the US or abroad. Something else that has been on my mind for a long time is moving back to Shanghai (I lived there for a short period in 2008). I’d love to get a studio there to continue the Altar business full time while also working on my other art endeavors. Shanghai is so inspiring and the fabric markets are orgasmic. I definitely need to do that at some point in the future.

Keep up with Ryn by reading her blog or follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

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