Perspective
Style X Releases Brand Lookbook & Event Guide
Style X, the official fashion discovery showcase of SXSW, today released its official lookbook and event program for free downloads and viewing. The lookbook is a guide to Style X’s dozens of emerging brands and designers, along with a foundation for what consumers can expect at this year’s event. Style X will take place on Friday & Saturday, March 16 & 17, in the Austin Convention Center from noon to 8 p.m. both days and is free and open to the public. SXSW badges or wristbands are not required to walk the halls where pop-up shops are displaying clothing, accessories and technology companies with a knack for style. In addition to the showcasing brands, Style X features eight engaging panels with notable bloggers and media members like The Man Repeller, Grungy Gentleman, Marcus Troy, Nice Kicks.com founder Matt Halfhill, Elle.com editorial director Keith Pollock, and NYLON deputy editor Ellen Carpenter. Also, Style X closes each night with runway shows with SXSW Showcasing musicians serving as the models. Clothing from Rachel Roy, Cynthia Steffe, Dickies and others will be worn and gifted directly to musicians.The Prancer, Southern Groupthink & The Vision-ary
Interview by Monica BarnettI had the pleasure to talk at length with a few Style X alumni who know a thing or two about growing a brand and ‘staying the course’ during that growth. I initially thought the commonality was the bourgeoning growth of their respective “baby brands”, but I soon found a more pervasive theme. Julie Wheat of Cavortress, Larry Luk, Jorge & Georgious of We Are The Process; and Steven & Evan Weisfeld of Tortoise & Blonde are crystal-clear on their purpose, and the fierce combination of passion with purpose has brought their brand’s success.
Cavortress designer Julie Wheat grew up around Buffalo, New York and claims her hometown along with Albright Knox (modern art gallery), Birchfield (wall paper designer), and Cindy Sherman (SUNY-educated photographer & filmmaker) as the greatest influences. Notice she didn’t mention fashion and “until last year, [she] didn’t know who Tom Ford was…” but now says Tom is her first choice for a celebrity collaboration. Why? He’s an American-born designer from Texas who tastefully captures the essence of what a woman should look like. The young designer who was admonished in the third grade for cavorting about now has a swimwear line that shows style and wears with a multi-dimensional aspect that we don’t see in this genre. Her advice for up-and-comers:
1. Think of your audience more broadly. {Note: she thinks of the men that look at the swimwear on women as much as she thinks about the women who will wear it.}
2. Practice good work ethic.
Her ascent will be her own because in spite of having a celebrity collab crush on Ford, she remains steadfast on the ideal that her funding will be at her own hands so she can maintain control and direction of the brand.
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When you think of The South, what comes to mind? For three guys whose paths crossed at Atlanta-based Portfolio Center back in 2005, their brand is The South, According to Jorge, “It’s not pretty but it’s unapologetically Southern.”
We Are The Process (or Epidemic Coalition for OGs) is all about that, the process. These guys whose influences range from photography, graphic design, sports typography and history, claim the biggest driver of their product as ‘everyday life & living.” As you talk with them, you realize they are more than 100 percent committed to producing clothing that represents their Southern living even if they never make a cent {and they did say that!}. When you listen to their story of starting out with a vision for rep-ing ATL and then the larger South, and you hear their unwavering love for what they do and how they got where they are, it’s easy to take their wisdom to the bank:
1. Make a plan and stick to it.
2. Practice self-awareness. {Note: It took them one full year to determine the visual language and themes for their tees.}
3. Live today, but have long-term focus.
4. Take criticism.
The ROI for remaining true to their plan and their love of the process has been a groundswell of support from their fans {they tweet to their fans that they’ll be having drinks at a location and at least 30+ folks show up!}. In addition, social media {Twitter & Instagram, namely} has led to organic growth and visibility in magazines like Complex and Hoot; and they’ve changed the game with Facebook too. They use Facebook as a way to share what’s going on, not advertise ~ and their fans appreciate it. They’ve had to do little to no advertising on their own – wow! Look for We Are the Process to continue its move up the ladder and while they have big collaborations brewing, you have to believe that “staying the course” and believing this deeply in what they do will yield results…and maybe a sneaker or two?!
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“The brand falls somewhere between Newport, Rhode Island and the lower East Side {of New York},” said Evan Weisfeld, half of the father & son team. The Tortoise & Blonde story started long before Evan because it was his father, Steven, a successful optometrist, who unknowingly sparked Evan’s plan to take dad’s bricks-and-mortar business online to a new demographic. Have Evan tell it, “there’s not much to differentiate. Eyewear is eyewear…” but Tortoise & Blonde is the eyewear story of yin and yang. “Tortoise” is the classic side of the business (tortoise shell is one of the mainstays of glasses) and “Blonde” represents the ‘let your hair down’, wild child side.
The brand seems poised to bring together two disparate ideals into one pair of glasses. Steven gave further insight into the making of the brand when asked about collaborations including a recent pop-up tour with Urban Outfitters. “{Urban Outfitters is] a brand of many designers…and they bring it all together.” On the other side of the house, Evan says his dream celebrity collab would be with John Varvatos whose mystique is undeniably downtown, edgy, and Rock ‘n Roll but with mass appeal. While father and son have different collaboration dreams, they are in agreement on the concept of making Tortoise & Blonde as widespread as possible.
Since their ascent to bourgeoning baby brand has been somewhat different (they did a round of family & friends to get required funding), their advice for newbies comes with a bit more ‘road-travelled’ perspective:
1. Think it through before leaping.
2. Don’t pay for anything upfront unless you are a guarantee on ROI.
Indeed, father and son are creating quite a stir in the style world with their eyewear and we’re waiting anxious to see more at Style X 2012. While Tortoise & Blonde may be going international soon, the more interesting word on the street is that we should look out for a potential collaboration with a unique streetwear brand from Atlanta… In the meantime, check out these and other brands showcasing at Style X 2012 here in our Brands section.
New York has Fashion Week, Austin has Style By.
From the 1960s through the ‘80s, Austin’s live music scene’s roots were firmly planted. In the ‘90’s and ‘00’s, the film and interactive industries followed with support from everyone from former Gov. Ann Richards to Facebook, who recently opened a new office in Downtown Austin. Now, in the 2010s, Austin’s fashion scene is coming of age with both men’s and women’s boutiques opening regularly along with a slew of vintage, sneaker and accessory shops as well.Style By is where emerging fashion from around the world is showcased in front of the coolest and most buzz worthy creators of all things music, film and interactive.
But Style X will not only champion the emerging trends in Austin’s style sphere, but also the imaginative and noteworthy talents from across the globe. Debuting during the 25th Anniversary of South by Southwest Music, Style X is the next and natural evolution of the internationally-renowned festival and conference. Style X includes a pop-up retail showcase that will serve as the official shopping experience of SXSW with dozens of brands from around the country bringing the latest designs in screenprinting and design, women’s, menswear, streetwear, swimwear and accessories. Also, Style By will host multiple fashion shows, each celebrating a different segment of style. Stay tuned for more information on the runway shows. Music has always been a source for fashion trends and style and Style X is the world’s first event bringing those two together with a keen focus on the up-and-coming. Just as the music, film and technology makers reflect the innovative and creative capital of their respective industries, Style X will represent the inventive and inspired work of style makers from all over the world. They will be from places as far as Houston and Hong Kong and they will offer everything from eyeglasses and t-shirts to dresses and sneakers. The style will be by them, but this event will be for you.
