12

Jun

Homewood native Ashley Lewis prepares to show at her first Fashion Week

Homewood High School and Mississippi State alum Ashley Lewis feels fashion design is “something she was called to do.”  Lewis is currently studying at the Academy of Art, a small private college based in San Francisco.  She is presenting her very first show at Fashion Week Alabama -Huntsville.

How long have you been designing?  Oh my gosh.   I’ve worked for a few architectural companies, [Lewis has a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design] but as far as fashion design I’ve always been making my own clothes, and it’s always been a passion of mine. 

Do you sew your own garments? I do.  I sew every single piece.  I actually learned a little from my grandmother and that’s how I started making my own clothes.  [Later] I developed techniques to make [the process] go faster after taking classes at the Academy.

How did you get involved with FWAH?  I was one of the volunteers for Birmingham Fashion Week and I think a friend emailed me that Huntsville was having a fashion week. I emailed Le Jeune [the founder]; she let me apply and I was accepted.  I’ve volunteered and I modeled at BFW last year, but this is my first time showing.  I’m nervous and excited about it.

What will you show? The dress that I wore in Miss AL USA pageant in November is one of the main pieces in the collection and the other pieces are based off it.  I’m showing  – since this one is a small collection – a few daytime pieces with shorts, suits, skirts and tops, the gown, and an avant garde piece that is very detailed. I used a lot of shantung, and very lightweight breathable fabrics that flow but give you definition.  I used a lot of satins and chiffons also.  This collection is basically one you can mix and match with, and you can dress it up or dress it down. 

Can you describe the individual who wears your designs? She’s young, she’s very fashion forward, she wants to be in the know.  Her daily job would be something where she’s always moving. It could be anything from being a curator in a museum to an architect, but she loves the city life and absorbing things.  My dream client would be Sandra Bullock. [With] her body type and the way she carries herself, she can wear anything. And she’s so elegant.

After receiving a master of arts, Ashley would like to move to New York, work for DVF [Diane Von Furstenberg], and eventually have her own fashion line.  For now, she takes private orders and plans to have a website up soon.  Catch her at Fashion Week Alabama Huntsville this week!

Image via Ashley Lewis

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14 years ago Short URL Comments

First Person Fabulous/Scene and Heard

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01

Jun

Don’t Hate Me ‘Cause I’m Beautiful…

In all seriousness, I am humbled and tickled to be named one of Birmingham’s Most Beautiful People for 2012.  It’s an absolute honor, and the article in this month’s Birmingham Magazine  (on newstands now and available online) is filled with a diverse, talented and community service-oriented bunch. (BTW, Mrs. Johnston was extremely jazzy; I want to be like her when I grow up!)  What makes this a beautiful place to live is the spirit of the people who live here, no matter what we look like on the outside.  At the end of the day, pretty is as pretty does, no?

And for what’s it’s worth dear reader, I think YOU are beautiful too. 

XOXO Alexis

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Birmingham Live!/First Person Fabulous/Scene and Heard

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24

Apr

Pop the champagne (and pass the sequins)!

It’s Same Chic Different Day’s 200th post (and our 75th at AL.com)!

To celebrate, I bought myself something special: a pair of sequined harem pants. Why, you ask?  No, I am not headed to Vegas or auditioning for a Dynasty reboot (although, how fabulous would that be?!). 

I wanted to own something that said “risk taker” (oh, and “lover of sequins”).  I don’t wax poetic and get all mushy about getting to write this blog, but starting it represented a a huge risk for me and an opportunity to step out on faith.  Each day is sort of a “If you post it, they will come” moment.  Will you like it? Will you hate it?  Will you READ it? Will you try something different in your own life or wardrobe?  That’s the goal.

So, the pants.  I saw them a while back, as J. Crew sold a ridiculously glamorous pair silver pair for over $600 last year.  I filed them away in my mental “Obsessing Over but Out of the Budget” file until I happened across a look-alike pair in black.  For $40.  Sold!

So (once again) I’m stepping out on faith, my personal sense of style, and the fervent hope that my life will soon include someplace ridiculously glamorous to sashay around in them (or break out in a mean Chinese Typewriter).  And if not, I’ll just wear them while I sit on my sofa and write these posts. 

XOXO, Alexis

Images via J.Crew and CalypsoThreads

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14 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

C'est Si Bon/Champagne Taste Beer Budget/First Person Fabulous/Random Acts of Fashion/Shopping is My Cardio

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17

Apr

World’s Oldest Supermodel Struts Her Stuff at 83

Now if this isn’t absolutely fabulous, I don’t know what is. 

Daphne Selfe, who has been modeling since her early twenties, is part of Oxfam’s Big Bra Hunt, a humanitarian effort to donate bras from the UK to women in developing countries.  What’s the widowed mother of three (who has never had any cosmetic work done) wearing in the ad?  The Jean Paul Gaultier satin corset and conical bra made famous by  Madonna.

Selfe credits “good genes” for her stunning looks and figure, in a recent interview with Liz Jones at the UK’s Daily Mail.  She notes that a positive attitude, remaining active and maintaining a pulled together look  keep her going.  Her gorgeous silver hair is kept long and worn “in a topknot.  It avoids that old lady permed look, lengthens the neck and lifts the face.”

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As for her personal style, Selfe notes:  “I tend to wear all the clothes I have in my wardrobe from decades ago: every style seems to come round again. The only thing I can no longer wear is high heels [due to vasculitis]. ”

Read more  about Daphne Selfe here and here.

Images via Daily Mail, People and Perou

14 years ago Short URL Comments

First Person Fabulous/Love That!

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13

Apr

Traveling Mercy…

I had the occasion to be a damsel in distress last week.  After driving a little over thirty miles with an “Add 1 Quart of Oil at the Next Service Station” message flashing on my dashboard, I finally got wise and pulled over at the first rest stop outside of Birmingham.  I’m not fond of rest stops, having always imagined people get killed or accosted at them. But it was daylight and I was desperate, and I figured a rest stop was better than flailing in the middle of I65-S, so I stopped. 

I popped the hood, jumped out to remove a container of oil from my trunk and ran to the front to attempt to remove the cap covering the spot where the oil goes.  The fact that I don’t know what that “spot’s” technical name is should tell you a lot about how much I was equipped to be pouring the oil in.  I twisted it, I turned it – yes, I cursed it – but I couldn’t get the thing off.  (And yes, I have AAA, but in the heat of the moment I didn’t stop to call them.  Shame on me.)

A woman was nearby, walking a little dog and talking into a cell phone.  She eyed me (curls flying, dressed in black from head to toe, grimacing and generally looking frazzled) and made her way over. 

“Do you need some help, dear?”

Well, I did.  But before I could politely decline (I have a college degree; surely I can pour some oil, right?) she took over.  Examined the situation.  Sounded dismayed when I noted there was no dipstick  to measure the amount of oil.(Okay, I know that much!)  Then she struggled with the cap herself. And finally she called her son – a mechanic who works on my model of car – to get his advice.  I imagined he fussed a little at her for getting all up in a stranger’s business, but she paid him no mind.

As we stood commiserating and debating what to do next, a car pulled up.  The window  rolled down.  A distinguished-looking couple peered at us.

“Do you ladies need some help?”

The man – who later introduced himself as Mr. Larder –  parked and  got out, then proceeded to unscrew the cap, pour in the oil, and (gently) suggest that I head directly home and get an oil change.  After I thanked the three of them profusely and nearly wept from relief, he mentioned that he thought the woman and I were mother and daughter traveling together and in need of assistance.

“Oh – I’m from Kentucky,”  laughed Ms. Dale. “I don’t know her at all!” And after making a little small talk (the other pair of rescuers were from Florida), we soon were all back on the road.  And I made it home safely and without further incident (where yes, I got an oil change).

It was mildly humorous to me that the gentleman thought Ms. Dale and I were related.  I’ve got what could be considered a year-round, permanent tan, and she is White. 

The South sometimes (justifiably) gets a bad rap.  Some of us poison trees, some of us try to turn a great local park into a scene from Boyz in the Hood, and others “stand their ground.”  But I was encouraged to see that three individuals (who obviously missed John Derbyshire’s memo warning against being Good Samaritans to stranded Black drivers) didn’t mind extending themselves – delaying their own travel and schedules – to help a person in need.  And it was a good reminder to me to look past the obvious differences we have in order to see what we have in common, much like Mr. Larder did. 

That will always be in style.

XOXO Alexis

14 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

Birmingham Live!/First Person Fabulous

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15

Mar

First Person Fabulous: Charis Wilder, Miss Black Alabama USA

Reigning Miss Black Alabama USA Charis Wilder, 25, accepted her crown this past November and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Health Administration at UAB.  Charis, who was the drum major at Spain Park High School for three years, also plays the flute.  The busy queen, University of Alabama graduate, and oldest of four children to Reverend Dr. and Mrs. Thomas L. Wilder, Jr. is not only pursuing a platform to raise the self-esteem of young women and girls, she teaches piano through the Bethel Baptist Fine Arts Academy she founded with her mother, and also holds a day job: Office Manager at Women’s Health Associates.  Whew!  She recently took time out of her busy schedule to talk with me about her personal style and platform.

What have been some of the highlights of your appearances so far?  What means the most to me is when young women or girls see me and their faces light up.   That gives me an opportunity to explain what I’ve gone through and to encourage them.  There’s nothing different about me from them. That’s been a highlight of all my appearances.

How have you been able to promote your platform? It’s focused on promoting the benefits of taking care of yourself and also building self-esteem.  One of the things I’ve been able to do is when I talk to girls, is to let them know they are perfectly and wonderfully made. As far as the medical side, I have an opportunity to talk to patients and encourage them to get [screened and tested]. One of the big focuses is in April is I’ll do the fashion show to promote Heart Health Awareness.  We’ll have women of all ages to promote positive living and heart health awareness.

Why is this so important to emphasize to young women and girls today? Because when you look at tv the world will tell you beauty is this or that, [and] what people see on tv becomes their reality.  If you aren’t that [unattainable or unrealistic beauty ideal], you begin to doubt yourself and your looks.  If you don’t,  anyone can come tell you something about yourself and you’ll believe it.  It’s important to know you aren’t defined by what others say or feel about you.

What did you learn about style and self-esteem from your mother? I learned a great deal. Before I [entered] this pageant, my mother challenged me to sit down and think about what I like or dislike and to get to know myself.  Once I got to know myself – to take time with myself -[I was able to] appreciate and love the things about me that make me me.

How would you describe your personal style? My personal style is professional but chic.  I like structure. I think you can put class and sophistication [into dressing].  You can be sexy and attractive but be professional; you don’t have to have your skirt slit up your thigh.

What style tips have you learned from pageants that you carry over into “every-day” dressing? Always dress to impress. You never know who you will run into. 

What’s  your “go to” outfit?  It’s a red dress. I love the color red because it’s vibrant but it’s a bit conservative.  It hugs me and it’s flowy at the bottom.  It’s fun, cute and professional.

If we peeked in your handbag, what would we see? People tell me my handbag is entirely too heavy! It has my planner, my phone, my glasses, wallet, mints, papers, pens that I should have thrown away -the typical things you would see in any woman’s purse.

What are your “must have” items?  My makeup in general is a must have! If I leave the house and I’ve left a piece we have to go back and get it.  I love eye shadow specifically.

What’s the best piece of style advice you can offer to readers?  Get to know your body type.  Just because [an article of clothing] looks good on someone else doesn’t mean it will look good on you. I’d rather have something that complements me rather than the latest trend.

Ms. Wilder will join other women vying for the Miss Black America USA crown in the national competition in Washington, DC for preliminary activities and community service events during the first week of August.  Follow her appearance schedule and keep updated regarding Charis’ activities via Facebook and Twitter.

Images courtesy Carla Pennington

14 years ago Short URL Comments

First Person Fabulous

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24

Feb

Perry Varner Takes a Bite out of the Big Apple

Fashion industry consultant, Parsons alum and Montgomery native Perry Varner has returned to Alabama for a series of not-to-be-missed fashion events.  Find him at The Royal Experience, Radar Magazine’s second anniversary function and fashion show in Huntsville this Sunday.  He will also be hosting Runway Obsessions: For Colored Girls who Considered Fashion When the Rainbow is Enuf (a clever twist on Ntozake Shange’s work) in Montgomery at the Davis Theatre on March 9.  He spoke with me recently about his motivations and projects.

Mr. Varner has described starting a “movement in fashion.”  When asked to elaborate, he noted the lack of designers of color on Fifth Avenue. 

“I want people of color to have more visibility  when it comes to the impression we make and our buying power when it comes to these brands.  I want people to be more conscious of supporting brands .  That’s why I came to NY.  I’m getting a better understanding of what it means to brand and how little some brands reflect the people who wear the actual items.  There are no black designers on Fifth Avenue.  Not one.  People don’t know that when they go buy red bottoms  [i.e. Christian Louboutin] and Gucci; there are no people of color that represent these products.”

Varner, who is known for masterminding fashionable events, received a bachelors degree from Auburn University Montgomery, and received additional training at Parsons in New York.  He started as a promotions intern with Earthlink Live and later was fashion director for 205 Flava.  He also designed and launched several nightspots, including the popular Amani Raha. 

During those experiences, he says  “I began to only focus on fashion.  I found that being submersed in fashion-related events gave me the most pleasure.  It took me 13 years to figure out what I wanted to do, and the last couple of years to get it right.  It wasn’t easy.  Whatever sacrifices I made, I did it.  I’m in a way better place now [for it].  I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything.  I’d do it the same way again.   I have no regrets.  Somewhere between me thinking this could happen and pursuing it, it happened.”

Now, as a fashion consultant, Varner designs events within New York’s fashion industry and recently hosted a major brunch with numerous media partners and brands during New York Fashion Week.  But it’s not all hobnobbing with the fashion elite.  Varner also teaches a course at Harlem Children’s Zone and has plans to further cement his mark on fashion history with his latest project, a book he hopes to publish soon.

“The History of Black Fashion in America is about how black people have shaped fashion over the last one hundred years in America.  It journeys what we’ve done as people of color and what our contribution has been to pop culture in fashion,” he shares.  

What else can we look forward to from Mr. Varner? 

His latest Style Experience, “Runway Obsessions,” focuses on empowering women.  “I have over sixty models and all female designers.  I’m honoring six  females from the community in each city where we’re doing the show, women who are making a difference.  It opens up a lot of opportunities for the models and designers.  In each city I use local models and I feature designers from that particular city.   I created Style Experience to give people here [a New York-style fashion experience] with beautiful eccentric people, the red carpet, and paparazzi.”

Runway Obsessions will hit the catwalk in Montgomery on March 18,  Birmingham in July, and Atlanta during Labor Day weekend.

For more on Mr. Varner, click here.

Images courtesy Perry Varner

14 years ago Short URL Comments

First Person Fabulous/He Said She Said

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13

Feb

The Last Word on Birmingham Fashion Week 2012

Only for the love of fashion would I stand up for three nights' straight.

One blistered heel. Ten cramped fingers. Three nights in a 40″ by 140″ tent in make-your-teeth-chatter-and-knees-knock weather. 

No,  I didn’t spend the past few nights camping; I covered the second annual Birmingham Fashion Week, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting Camp Smile-a-Mile and Alabama Forever.  It was my first fashion week anywhere, EVER and what I learned in the tent is that next year, I’ll make sure we have seats. I didn’t rock shades a la Anna Wintour, and I wasn’t so much of a rube that I held up numbered cards to rate the designs, but every night I was left breathless by the energy, the generosity, and the sheer creativity I witnessed from members of the beauty industry, the models, the designers, and the audience.

It may not be New York, but then why would we want it to be?  Not to get on my soapbox, but I’ve lived here long enough to grow tired of the comparisons between Birmingham and just about every other city.  It was nice to see us step up and (literally) strut our stuff for a change.

“It’s hard to show your inner heart and be judged,” BFW co-founder Heidi Elnora admitted before the finale began.  Although she was referring to the pieces preparing to march down the runway, she could have been talking about any of the million other dreams people have but never follow through on because they’re afraid.  As Hayden High School art teacher Amy Cutcliffe emphasized, “Everybody has something [to share creatively].” BFW gave many – myself included – an opportunity to do that.

Was everything about the event perfect? No.  But that’s not the point.  The show’s mission – to bring together our community – delivered. There was pageantry, there was drama, and for three nights, people from different ages, backgrounds, aesthetics and perspectives commiserated and celebrated in the name of fashion.  Not to be missed: Brandon Wayne giving us FASHION as he emoted down the catwalk, Ashley Davis’ perfected “smize,” and Marcella Bailey’s infectious cheering from the sidelines. I’m no Pollyanna, but I left feeling that some very talented people brought everything they had to give and left it on the catwalk. 

I, for one, feel richer for it…and am already marking my calendar for BFW 2013.

14 years ago Short URL Comments

Birmingham Live!/First Person Fabulous/If We Weren't There It Didn't Happen/Scene and Heard

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11

Feb

Who Wore What Where: Birmingham Fashion Week

From what I’ve seen come down the catwalk, come Spring we will all be wearing (or avoiding) high-low hems, pleated maxi skirts and palazzo pants, romantic sheer blouses (but perhaps not sheer enough to expose our lingerie, as was shown),  and tailored shorts.   But the high fashion isn’t just on the runway at BFW 2012.  I’ve spotted super-chic attendees in colored denim, one shoulder embellished tunics, faux and genuine fur vests and short jackets, at least one fascinator, and amazing footwear: booties, glam platforms, and of course, a Louboutin (or ten).  

Who was the most fashionable?  There were SO many to choose from, but I just had to talk to the very chic Miss Cates Lyman, age 6, who attended Birmingham Fashion Week’s Friday shows with her mother, Elisabeth Lyman.

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Who picked out your outfit?  My mama. [smiles]

Why do you like it?  “Because my mama has a matching one…and because it has pockets!”

What’s your favorite color?  “Pink.  It’s a happy color!”

What do you want to be when you grow up? “A movie star!”

Is this your first fashion show?  “No ma’am.  I’ve been in one.  This is my third,” she informed me.

Cates’ mother provided additional details regarding her outfit: the Milly multicolored striped mini dress is from Village Sportwear, and was purchased so they could match on Palm Sunday.  The silver sequined vest is from SNAP KIDS apparel in Crestline Village; Cates’ red tights are from Target, and her red leather, buckled Mary Janes are from Christine’s in Mountain Brook Village.

Images courtesy Lynsey Weatherspoon Photography

14 years ago Short URL 2 Comments

Birmingham Live!/First Person Fabulous/If We Weren't There It Didn't Happen/Random Acts of Fashion/Scene and Heard/The Look/Who Wore What Where

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27

Jan

SCDD Chats with Miss Escambia County USA Katie Peavy

Katie Ellen Peavy, 19, is the reigning Miss Escambia County USA.  She is competing for the Miss Alabama USA crown in Montgomery this weekend.  Katie is currently studying cosmetology and plans to complete a business degree at Auburn University; she is the daughter of Cameron and Heidi Knapp.

Miss Alabama USA is Friday and Saturday.  How are you feeling going into the competition?   I’m certainly nervous and very anxious, but at the same time, if the judges decide I’m not ready [to serve as Miss Alabama USA], then I’m okay with that, because that gives me more time to improve.

What will you remember most about your time as Miss Escambia County USA?  I’ll remember the support and encouragement I’ve gotten from everyone.  Everyone’s been really helpful; I’ve had a ton of sponsors from our community and that was much appreciated.  And [I’ll remember] the hardest part: working out! (Laughs)

Can you give us any info on what you’ll be wearing?  I’m excited to wear my evening gown.  We bought it at a  Lasting Impressions trunk show, and I got to meet [prom and pageantwear designer] Sherri Hill.  She was there when I picked it out, and I had the option to customize my gown.  We also got my swimwear from Lasting Impressions.  My interview outfit is classic and elegant; I’m just really excited about the wardrobe. 

Is there anyone in particular you’d like to thank?  I’d like to thank my sponsors from our community. They were just such a huge help.  In a pageant like this, it takes quite a bit of funds to get everything you need and took some of the financial strain off of us.  And of course my parents – my Dad has been so nice to put up with this and my Mom has been a huge help.  And [personal trainer] Clinton Curry at the Brewton YMCA did an amazing job.

How do you feel about shows like Toddlers and Tiaras?  My younger sister absolutely loves [competing in pageants], and I love them.  My mom encouraged me to [enter one] at 17, and I loved it.  If the children are into it and love it, I think it’s fine.  If they didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t force them.  But if they’re into it, I say let them have fun.

What would people be surprised to know about you?  Most people would be very surprised to know that I’ve been bitten by a rattlesnake.  That’s not something that happens to everyone.  And I’m so prim and proper…it’s kind of like, ‘How did you manage to get bitten by a rattlesnake?!’  It happened the first time I met my  [former] boyfriend’s parents.  They took me to Camden, Alabama’s ER only to find out that they did not keep the antivenom on hand.  The closest places with it were Selma and Brewton. I was very calm and collected, but I knew that if we went to Brewton my parents would be there [panicking].  So, they rushed me by ambulance to Selma instead and I stayed in the ICU for 4 days.  But luckily I don’t even have a scar; they took pretty good care of me!

Images courtesy of Matt Boyd Studio

14 years ago Short URL Comments

First Person Fabulous

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