Ode To The Absent-Minded Dreamer

The Occasion:

Today marked the second day of fashion week filled with discounts, trunk shows, discounts, discussions, runway shows, discounts, discounts, and did I mention the discounts? I was fortunate to attend two panel discussions this afternoon. The first panel, “The Fashion Ad,” discussed creating fashion editorials and elicited commentary from a photographer, stylist, and model.

The second, “Retail Reality,” featured owners and managers from local boutiques in the Greater Nashville area. This discussion showcased ‘What’s-In-Store’ owner Dana Ferrell Nance who is without a doubt one of the most compelling speakers I’ve ever heard on a panel. To me, panel discussions are best compared to airplane food- bland and just enough substance so you don’t complain. But she was certainly a portion of prime rib steak to say the least. Passionate, specific, and full of vibrant, relevant, and useful ideas, I caught myself pondering how to finagle additional time to bask in her wisdom. Dana was truly a delight.

Today, I learned from my mistakes on yesterday and was able to attend cocktail hour at the Rymer Gallery prior to the runway series. The space is spectacular. I would recommend you visit at your earliest convenience. It’s an ideal space for rainy days and first-date type nights.

 Today’s Outfit:

I went for a little blue dress. Nude pumps. Camel and chocolate hounds-tooth bow wrap. Nude and pink jeweled and floral necklace. Floral accents of color in my hair.

Today’s Designers:

Melissa Tabor:

She had the most cohesive and finished line of the night. Great fabric choices. All of her pieces had dimension and exceptional tailoring. Such an amazing collection! Yes, the drop cloth came out early because I was drooling immensely.

Gado Gado:

The Gado Gado stylist backstage needs to become fluent in my favorite language: Spanx. I saw more muffin tops and awkward bottoms than mine eyes can take. And that’s nothing against the models because rayon polyester without a little added assistance has never done anyone in the world any bit of justice. Let’s assume the clothes were great. The undergarments- not so much.

Betsey Johnson:

Hello! It’s Betsey Johnson! When is she NOT fabulous? Bold. Vibrant. Fun. Great mixture of pieces and occasions. She was superb all around!

 Ben Sherman:

Two words: Male. Models. [‘nough said.]

 T. Rains:

Now this is where the theatrics really kicked into high gear. Everyone who participated in this show has my most utmost respect because some of the models came down the runway baring more than I’m sure they bargained for. Bold accessories and head pieces made the collection more than over-the-top. Let’s just say, I almost ignored the fact I could no longer feel my feet because I was too enthralled in the show. 

The Occasion:

For as long as I can remember I’ve had dreams and longings of grandeur to attend Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week. Just the name alone would send my heart aflutter; butterflies conducting a jive of sorts in my very soul awaiting for my chance to brave the greatness known as Bryant Park. Well, it turns out that my dream ‘Mercedes Benz’ is more of a Lexus, and my hopes of escaping to far away ‘New York’,  have rendered me to my own backyard here in Nashville. And although it may seem to some that this is the ‘Robin’ event rather than the ‘Batman’ heroics I’ve been pining for since birth, I couldn’t be more ecstatic to witness Nashville’s inaugural fashion week. 

Today’s Outfit:

I’ve never been to a fashion week so I erred on the side of ‘classic’ caution: black dress. nude shoes. necklace. ring. feather thingy-jig in my hair. Nothing flashy. Just enough to let them know I came to play. I’ll have a full wardrobe recap of all the outfit breakdowns at the end of this week. =)

Today’s Designers:

Due to poor planning and impossible parking, I arrived to the venue with little time to spare before showtime and was relegated to sitting in a rather inopportune spot. It did not deter me from being left awestruck by some jaw-dropping designs. Five designers showcased their talents tonight:

Jamie and the Jones:

Jamie used my favorite color from this season: Golden Merengue. I loved her feminine silhouettes and the proportions of all her outfits. 

Akiko:

This collection had a much more casual feel. It had a lot of cowl necks and open sleeves which… I guess some people are still into. I thought the collection had a great range of prints even if I didn’t love every piece.

Loretta Jane:

Best collection of the night. She had a great range of pieces but the collection was very cohesive. She had tiered pieces, cropped pieces, hooded jackets, t-shirt dresses. THE WORKS. And they were all finished and polished exquisitely. I had to get a drop cloth following her show. It was divine

Sylvia Heisel

Great variety in her collection- mostly dresses but she covered her spectrum: evening, cocktail, casual. She had some great coats to add some ‘WOW’ factor to her dresses so I commend the added visual interest.

Kevork Kiledjian

This collection completely changed the vibe of the whole evening. It was the most ‘high fashion’ and the most haute-couture to be showcased this evening. Fur. Feathers. Belts. Buckles. Leather. He really went for the gusto with this collection, and I give him a tremendous tip of my hat for being the only one to show A/W 2011 as the other collections were still S/S 11. 

Until tomorrow, Fash(ion)ville, Tennessee.

It’s a comparison that bears repeating: In many ways, Nashville’s fashion scene reminds us of Nashville’s rock scene in recent years. Both have thrived in country music’s shadow where others have wilted, and just as Nashville’s offbeat music scene gains traction every time another publication discovers one of our scrappy indie rockers for itself, the fashion scene too finds itself charting on notable fashion radars — from tastemakers the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow to Kings of Leon to Elle and Nylon magazines.

As usual, when reflected back at ourselves, we see a city of contradictions — to borrow an oft-used phrase, we are inescapably a little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, a little bit fancy, a little bit unadorned. Turn one corner, and we find a city’s worth of crafty gals rifling through discount fabric bins and stitching their own handmade goods after hours. Turn another, and we find luxurious designer fabrics at Textile Fabrics. We frequent high-end boutiques owned by the spawn of country royalty (H. Audrey), and browse musical instrument stores doubling as a vintage- and thrift-lovers paradise (Diamond Halo Vintage). Our fashion schools such as O’More keep national pace by offering students future-minded courses focused on using recycled materials, while sleepy Christian university Lipscomb holds within it a magnificent nod to the past: the archives of legendary ’70s icon and designer Halston — yes, that Halston.

But this frequent vacillation between an off-the-rack and on-the-cutting-room-floor existence isn’t really so surprising, because Nashville is as much Manuel’s glitz as it is Anna Sui-designed suits for the gents at Jack White’s Third Man Records. It is just as much the rugged country-western wear of Katy K’s, the embodiment of our rural roots, as it is Imogene + Willie’s, a remodeled gas station a stone’s throw away selling coal miner-inspired raw denim blue jeans. For $300.

So we devote this issue to embracing these tangled contradictions. The occasion? Our city hosts its first official fashion week showcasing sartorial pursuits with Lexus Nashville Fashion Week, March 29 through April 2. With it comes a spate of runway shows (see this story for our roundup of featured designers) and boutique-hosted events at retailers around town that portray a city eager to strut her stuff, even if, in many ways, she’s still looking over her sequined shoulder. Visit www.nashvillefashionweek.com for a detailed schedule of events.

FAINTS.

REVIVES.

FAINTS. AGAIN.

REVIVES.

FAINTS. AGAIN.

Welcome to FASH[ion]ville, Tennessee. We’re so happy to see you. =)

“English, muthafucker. Do you speak it?”