I've never been to a fashion show in plane hangar before, but I hope it's not the last time. Designer Courtney Russel debuted his line - August Alexander - this last weekend from Hangar 10 in Addison and he did not skimp on the style.
The fashion show started when a lone figure pushed open the hangar door to reveal a jet plane. The fashion was no where in sight but the crowd was already pumped. Then the models came out and, one by one, began to walk the 40-ft (appx) runway.
Last Saturday, I went to cover the August Alexander debut fashion show and I really wanted to wear a nice dress. Do you ever get in the dressy mood? It's kinda rare for me as I prefer the shirt and skirt combo because there's more room to mix and match. But for that show, I really wanted to wear a dress.
Problem was I only only have three: two are extremely casual, and the other one has sequins that get everywhere and I'm thinking about just throwing it out. Yes, I'm missing the most important staple in my wardrobe: the Little Black Dress.
So I went in search of it 5 hours before showtime and found instead the Little Striped Dress.
Black is one of my favorite colors but, admit it, it's a safe color. We've been programmed that it's slimming and flattering, and can be used for anything. When every other color of the rainbow fails us, trusty black can become part of any scene or body type.
But looking at the dressing room mirror last Saturday, I wanted something more. Lots of people wear black to fashion events, it's the most common color. Sometimes, though, you have to be the girl in the stripped dress or the guy in the red pants.
Dresses should be staples in every femme-y girl's wardrobe but safe should not. I think the next dress I buy will have some non-nonsensical print like metallic stars.
This Spring look is inspired by an outfit worn in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
by Geek Goddess Felicia Day.
Dr. Horrible was born from the genius that is Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) where Neal Patrick Harris plays Dr. Horrible, an aspiring supervillain who hopes to get inducted into the Evil League of Evil. He's not doing so good.
Things take a turn when his archenemy Captain Hammer begins dating (and sleeping with) his love interest Penny (Felicia Day). Now THAT'S motivation to do something evil.
If you want to see Dr. Horible's Sing-Along Blog, I've put all the vids on a YouTube playlist and Netflix occasionally has it. It's about an hour total. I promise a few laughs and music that'll make you sing-a-long. By the way, I wish my iPhone could control a van.
This coming Saturday, Dallas-based custom clothing designer Courtney Russell will debut his ready-to-wear collection at Jet 10 Hanger front of 500+ guests. The Collection named August Alexander is women’s clothing, inspired by the jet-setting "First Lady" of the late 50’s.
Growing up, Courtney viewed his mother as "The First Lady" of style. "Watching her create new looks and mix vintage with modern, showed a type of elegance along with unimaginable beauty. She displayed class and style reminiscence of the late 50's, which I was intrigued to attain more knowledge regarding women of that era."
His style icons included Jackie-O, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn & Elizabeth Taylor, which shared his appreciation for quality and craftsmanship in fine attire.
"The decision to debut my collection in Dallas was a much anticipated and excited one. I wanted to create an event that was not only fashion driven, but showcased the lifestyle 'The First Lady' and 'The Gentle-Man' personifies."
The show, which I will be covering, promises to be "Runway meets Runway" - Lear Jets, Cocktails and Tunes. The runway show is produced by Jan Strimple Productions, world-renowned model and fashion show producer. Russell told 944 magazine that the pieces will be "everything a woman should have when she’s going out and when she wants to have fun and look good..."
He's even made a little trailer to preview the event. Please note that it does take a little while to load.
I was invited to cover Front House Management's third fashion show next Thursday: The Celebrity Fashion Experience II. The first Celebrity Fashion Experience got rave reviews by bringing together VH1 Glam God Indashio, Reco Chapple from the Fashion Show, and three local designers.
This time around, Dallas celebrity designer Oscar Fierro will be showcasing his Fall 2011 couture collection for the first time alongside Linda Rowe Thomas of the Rom's Label, one of New York Fashion Week’s newest design talents. Inspired by Godiva chocolatier, the Rom's Fall 2011 collection promises to invigorate the senses. Each designer will present their latest collections, accessorized with astonishing diamonds from the Rebecca and Tacori collection exclusively found at Robbins Brothers - The Engagement Ring Store.
FHM has teamed up with one of New York Fashion Week’s best kept secrets, Ron Smith, to creatively direct an over the top fashion show filled with many surprises.
I messed around with sepia in this picture a bit just for fun. If you scroll down, you'll see the accessory pics. I took out my big Mary Jane's I bought when Torrid first opened, you know, when they catered more to the alternative plus-size girl. Before they went mainstream and made alternative style a secondary fixture.
My mom gave me this new lipstick but I don't think you get the full color effect in the picture: Maybelline Scarlet Flare. It's got little sparkles in it and the name sounds scandalous so I think I'm gonna wear it for a while. Bet you $20 Alex is gonna make faces when she leans in to kiss me ;)
I was contacted my an LA casting producer about a Project Runway-style show that NBC is undertaking. They are looking for local designers, whether it be amateur, professionals, people who work from home, etc to compete on this new fashion show. The winner gets their entire line/brand launched in a major retail store across the country!
Depending where you look it from, this prize could be better than Project Runway's since there is the possibility for more brand awareness.
They're planning to come to Dallas during the first week in May. I know plenty of designers who want this chance.
If you're interested, e-mail the Casting Director Michelle Redwine (michelleredwine.casting@gmail.com) to pre-book an on-camera interview. Some great things to include in the email are a short bio, website or blog links, self pictures and portfolio pictures (be it garments, sketches, mood boards, etc). Good luck to all local designers!
Last night, I put all the entries in and only one came out. Congratulations JayMarie! You're getting both these shirts and I hope you enjoy them! Make sure to check out her blog: http://jaymarie.onsugar.com/
Thank you to everyone who entered. This won't be the last giveaway.
I've been on a bit of a blogging hiatus due to the massive amounts of schoolwork I have yet to catch up on and the sudden influx of web site work.
But what better day to come back than International Women's Day. Happy International Women's Day if you're a reader with a vagina!
I'm dedicating my Top 10 Tuesday to women's issues and inspiration because I do consider myself a bit of a feminist. Because I hate that men still make more money than women. Because I hate that women are conditioned to hate themselves. Because I hate that in some parts of the world, women are second-class citizens and even property. And I absolutely hate that religion is sometimes used to justify it.
But women have come a long way over the past century - there's no denying that.
1: The Million Woman March in EgyptEgyptian women are staging a 'Million Woman March' today after the new prime minister appointed only one woman to his cabinet. Though they fought for their nation’s freedom, some women now fear they are being sidelined in the process of building the new Egypt.
Egypt has made great strides in women's right over the recent years but women feel that the revolution isn't over yet. Read the Full Article on CSmonitor.com
2: The Mean Girls SyndromeEvery day women are crtiicized, degraded and made to feel inferior. The sad thing is that most times, it's by other women. We as women know this because we are guilty of it.
Skank. Whore. Bitch. Cunt. Girls have used these words in agression and criticism towards other women for ever but until recently, we didn't realize that it was a form a bullying. The kind of bullying that can kill a girl's already-fragile self-esteem.
But why do we do it? Why don't we stop?
3: Corrective Rape in South Africa"Corrective Rape" is a term used to describe when a man rapes a lesbian with the aim of 'turning' her heterosexual. This heinous crime is prolific in South Africa, especially in the 'townships'.
This isn't just a crime against lesbians, it's a crime against women. In doing this, the men are taking away a woman's right to be who she was born to be, feel what she was born to feel and love the way she was born to love.
In the last 10 years, 31 lesbian women have been murdered because of their sexuality, more than 10 are raped or gang raped in Cape Town alone per week, and for every 25 men accused of rape in South Africa, 24 walk free. Despite all this, hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation are not recognized by South African law.
In other words, a woman's right to love is not not recognized by South African law.
4: Self-Inflicted HateStudies have shown that women are more likely to inflict self-harm than men. The question is where does all that pain, anger and hate come from and what are we doing about it?
5: Eating Disorders & the Standard of BeautyWomen are much more likely than males to develop an eating disorder. They are three times as likely to experience anorexia and bulimia, and 75% more likely to have a binge eating disorder. [SOURCE]
It's hard to say that perpetuating a certain standard of beauty in out media has nothing to do with women becoming obsessed with their weight. While fashion glossies and advertisements are not the only ones to blame, they do reinforce a certain look - that which is to be desired, that which is to be glorified. I think society as a whole has made girls uncomfortable in their own bodies.
In the UK, 1 in 100 women aged between 15 and 30, suffers from anorexia. Reports show girls as young as five years of age have weight concerns, and think about going on a diet. [SOURCE]
6: The Two-Finger Rape Test in IndiaThis one made me sick to my stomach, but apparently in parts of India, doctors rely "Two-Finger" Test to verify rape. The two-finger rape test involves a doctor inserting fingers in a rape victim's vagina to determine its "laxity" and decide if she is "habituated to sex." Defense lawyers often use this evidence to discredit the testimony of unmarried rape victims, who are dismissed as "loose women".
7: Women Are More Than Baby-MakersLast month, a Republican-sponsored bill came under fire over language that undercuts a longstanding exemption on the ban on using federal money for abortions in the case of rape or incest; the measure narrows the definition of rape to "forcible rape", a term that was never defined.
Due to accusations of Republicans trying to redefine rape, the "forcible rape" language was dropped. The bill, however, would cut federal funding from programs like Planned Parenthood.
8: James Bond in DragWomen are responsible for 2/3 of the work done worldwide but only earn 10% of the total income... So are we equals?
9: FeminismFor some strange reason, many women don't want to be labeled as feminist. Maybe it's the "ugly feminist" stereotype or the "angry feminist" or the "man-hater". Maybe most women don't see a reason to be feminists anymore, especially if in their country, like here in the US, women are pretty much equal. But the key words are "pretty much".
Plus, it's International Women's Day and in some countries, feminist are still needed.
10: Women Will Transform the World"Women will transform the world. The world will not change without us doing it, and I see it everywhere I go. Nothing's going to change until the women have absolute authority. Not power -- I hate that word, "power" -- but the authority that they need. And they're aiming for it; they're working for it."
~ Betty Williams, Nobel Peace Prize laureate for her work to bring peace to Northern Ireland, via The Huffington Post
I've never been to a fashion show in plane hangar before, but I hope it's not the last time. Designer Courtney Russel debuted his line - August Alexander - this last weekend from Hangar 10 in Addison and he did not skimp on the style.
Last Saturday, I went to cover the August Alexander debut fashion show and I really wanted to wear a nice dress. Do you ever get in the dressy mood? It's kinda rare for me as I prefer the shirt and skirt combo because there's more room to mix and match. But for that show, I really wanted to wear a dress.
Growing up, Courtney viewed his mother as "The First Lady" of style. "Watching her create new looks and mix vintage with modern, showed a type of elegance along with unimaginable beauty. She displayed class and style reminiscence of the late 50's, which I was intrigued to attain more knowledge regarding women of that era." 
I was invited to cover Front House Management's third fashion show next Thursday: The Celebrity Fashion Experience II. The first Celebrity Fashion Experience got rave reviews by bringing together VH1 Glam God Indashio, Reco Chapple from the Fashion Show, and three local designers. 
I've been on a bit of a blogging hiatus due to the massive amounts of schoolwork I have yet to catch up on and the sudden influx of web site work. 
2: The Mean Girls SyndromeEvery day women are crtiicized, degraded and made to feel inferior. The sad thing is that most times, it's by other women. We as women know this because we are guilty of it.
9: FeminismFor some strange reason, many women don't want to be labeled as feminist. Maybe it's the "ugly feminist" stereotype or the "angry feminist" or the "man-hater". Maybe most women don't see a reason to be feminists anymore, especially if in their country, like here in the US, women are pretty much equal. But the key words are "pretty much".