Style Girl’s intern Michael Deininger-Bell with his Fresh & Precious blog partner Courtney McGovern showing off their Americana style.   Even when Memorial Day was a few months away, did you notice stars and stripes are having a bit of a moment? Separately (stars. stripes.), that’s not all that surprising. Same goes with the red, white and blue combination. Every year when the sunshine calls, we see the “summer on the French Riveria” type of vibe, but I’m talking about in-your-face America. Get this. It’s actually kind of in style to be patriotic.   (Click HERE to see “60 Hot Hipster Girls Wearing American Flags”) In the past, it was something your neighbor’s parents “did.” You know, wearing their flag t-shirts, accessorizing with fanny packs and heading into town for the fourth of July parade. It’s kind of like wearing a band t-shirt of the band you’re at the show to see (my parents insist on doing this groupie faux pas all the time).   When I studied abroad in England my last semester of college, I was all about the Union Jack. Announcing the arrival of my Anglophile status, it was English breakfast tea, English humor (Coupling and Are You Being Served?) and my trusty Union Jack sequin sleeveless jumper (recently sold via the Style Girl Collection).   I can remember going to TopShop with my English friend Elsie where we discovered a cool tank top with a hint of an American flag on the top half. Elsie suggested we both get it, but I passed, preferring to keep my flag fashion limited to the Union Jack (whereas, she wouldn’t have been caught dead in my sequin Union Jack jumper).   It seems times have changed. Although the US of A might not be in fashion in the rest of the world right about now, ‘Merika is experiencing a bit of sartorial self-love, at least from the outside. Go on, mix star-spangled prints with wild abandon!  Since my intern Michael Deininger-Bell is often seen around town in stars and stripes (with a denim collar, of course!), I thought it only fitting to address the Americana / flag fashion trend while re-capping his first fashion show (featuring several vintage Americana looks) held last Thursday at Sputnik downtown (below under Social Chic).   God Bless America the Beautiful.       FOLLOW Hair Stylist Cheryl Kent’s Hair-spirations

 

 
Zannie and Madeline are both wearing clothing from Charleston’s Lori Wyatt Vintage
 
with He & Me accessories from Avenue East at Tickled Pink

 
 
L: Katie Kirk wearing a vintage swimsuit from Lori Wyatt Vintage with He&Me Silhouette in
kelly green with Drifted leather earrings available at Avenue East inside Tickled Pink

R: Cassie Hunter in a floral high/low dress and Jeffrey Campbells from Edge of Urge
 

 
Fashion Statement: Models remind guests to vote against Amendment 1.
 

 
Sputnik bar co-owner DJ Edie Senter with Shannon Dunne
 
 
 
L: Vintage polka dot dress from Style Girl Collection

R: Jess (wearing new bird print dress from Hallelu) with Juliana
 
 
 
L: Madeline wears a He&Me handmade turquoise breastplate necklace with
He&Me chartreuse wrap worn as a maxi skirt from Tickled Pink

R:Model Madison Hatch in a vintage Navajo print shirt
 

 
Post-show, Michael gets a smooch from his proud aunt, Missy Bell
 
Photos: Jess James
To see more photos from the Fresh & Precious
Fashion Show, click HERE.

 

The Junior League’s Mint Julep Jubilee
May 5.2012 – Derby Day
Poplar Grove Plantation

 

 
Southern belles in their Derby hats
 
 
 
Event Styling by Khalilah of A Boxed Event
(those poor flowers melted in the heat. It was a hot one!)
 

What I Wore:
Miguelina lace dress from Gilt Groupe with silk lace-trimmed jacket from Oliver Boutique,
vintage butterfly belt, hat embellished with vintage scarf from The Bargain Box, vintage bag
from Lori Wyatt – Vintage, Jewelmint earrings, vintage bracelet from Candy Shop Vintage
 
 
 
L: Excited Damien Buchanan is back in Wilmington!
R: My favorite dress on Derby Day – butterfly print from Anthropologie
 

 

 
Harrison Sasser of Gentlemen’s Corner with WWAY’s Katie Harden
 

My favorite outfit for the guys – suspenders? check. bowtie? check. straw fedora?
oh yes. And, classic Wayfarers.
 
 
 
L: Megan Everette in a monogrammed Derby hat.
R: Misty Miller Marston wearing a homemade Derby hat, her mother-in-law’s
Mikimoto Jackie O pearls and an embroidered dress from the Junior League’s
Bargain Sale ($3!) said she’s  ”in it to win it.”
And, indeed she took home the prize for Best Derby Hat!
 
 
 
Wide brim hats are not the only party on Derby Day. Fascinators made
several appearances (Elena Masters on right).
 
 
 
Jonny Everette looking every bit the Southern gentleman
in a classic seersucker suit and straw hat.
 

 

 

Photos: Jess James
To see more coverage from the
Mint Julep Jubilee, click HERE.
 

HEAVY METAL
 
    
 
L: My absolute favorite look of the night from head-to-toe was Model Karolina Kurkova
wearing a glittering turban and gown from the Rachel Zoe Collection.

R: Camilla Belle was pure perfection in her Ralph Lauren metallic dress and dark pout.

NOT-SO-MELLOW YELLOW
 
 
 
L: Model Coco Rocha wore a neon yellow-and-pink Givenchy pantsuit once owned by
Elizabeth Taylor, which she purchaed at auction in December, accessorized with her pink
ombre hair.  She claims the jumpsuit still has a red wine stain on it courtesy of Ms. Taylor.

R: Solange Knowles blew her sister out of the water in this custom-made Rachel Roy bold,
bright stunner complete with one of this season’s must-have flourishes, the peplum.

CAPED CRUSADERS

 
 
L: Lana Del Rey wore a custom Joseph Altuzarra dress and cape with
dark lips and nails to complement her darker hair

R:Bianca Brandolini D’Adda in Dolce & Gabbana

LADIES WHO LAYER

 
 
L: Alexa Chung wearing a Marc Jacobs dress and buttoned-up white blouse
(with model Karen Elson)

R: Always a bit of a rogue stylemaven, J. Crew’s Jenna Lyons did not disappoint.
Love how she  incorporated her signature style (denim jacket, crisp white blouse)
into her red carpet evening attire and chose to accessorize her pink satin skirt
with a lighter shade of pink suede heels.
 
WHAT THE FROCK?

L: Florence Welch’s swirling layers of Valentino is sure to end up on a number of
“Worst Dressed” lists, but my take is if anyone can pull it off, it’s her.

R: Model Anja Rubik tops Angelina’s slit from the Oscars in a ridiculously
revealing Anthony Vaccarello gown. Isn’t this the same dress
Gwyneth wore on the Harper’s Bazaar cover? At the Met Gala, Gwyneth
opted to show off her side-boob instead in a little Prada frock.

THAT’S THE TICKET.
 

 
Something for the guys! Decades owner Cameron Silver turned up the fun factor with designer Nicole Miller wearing a suit designed by Miller with a cheeky vintage “ticket print” fabric. As if his suit wasn’t enough of a conversation starter, he accessorized with an original Elsa Schiaparelli blowfish walking stick that he snagged at auction in New Hope, Pennsylvania,  where he was being filmed for his Bravo show, Decades, that premieres this fall.
 

 

2nd Location –  NOW at Tickled Pink in Lumina Station!

April 20 – May 11 Positions Red Barn Studio Theatre WILMINGTON   WHAT: “Positions,” written by local Owen Dunne (husband of my BFF Shannon Dunne of James + Dunne Styling), directed by Red Barn co-founder Steve Bakunas and presented by the Red Barn Studio Theatre, Positions is the theater’s first original play. See what happens when Leo proposes to his wife of 15 years, Hillary, to fool around more often (she’s more focused on the kids than sex), by trying a new position every week for a year – 52 positions in all.   WHEN: April 20-21, 25-28, May 2-5 and May 9-11 at 8pm and April 22, 29 and May 6 at 3 p.m.   WHERE: Red Barn Studio Theatre at 1122 South Third Street   WANNA GO?: $20 cash or check only. For more info, call 910.762.0955 or visit www.RedBarnStudioTheatre.com

For more style-related events and details, visit FASHION FIX Events Calendar. About FASHION FIX Everyone needs a fashionable friend who knows the best places to shop. Looking for the insider scoop on the most sought-after deals?   Once a week (FASHION FRIDAYS), get your fashion fix with Style Girl’s style tips, style on the street + more!   Please forward on to your oh-so-fashionable friends.

 

Jess:

To escape, my friend Stella French (who was living in Austin for a few weeks leading up to the festival) and I decided we’d much rather join the fashionable folks we spotted on the balcony at The Driskill Hotel.

 
En route to the balcony, I spotted ShopBop Fashion Director Kate Ciepluch, an Instagram friend, who shared that she was there filming a secret project. Oh, the intrigue.

Stella and I climbed the marble staircase two steps at a time only to find that the balcony  was part of a private party hosted by Fuse and required a special wristband to enter. Never to be deterred, Stella grabbed my arm and pulled me over to the corner of the pipe and drape sectioning off the party.

“I’m going under and if I get caught, I’ll just say I dropped my phone.”

 
Halfway under, she stumbled on the curtain slightly before disappearing into the stylish crowd. I stood there, frozen in a moment of panic. It seemed like such a good idea when Stella was still standing next to me. Knowing it would be unforgivable not to leave her hanging and miss the party, I counted to three and ducked under the curtain without looking up to see who might have spotted my illegal entrance.

When some of the Fuse staff started chatting Stella up and asking who we know, she quickly diverted their attention by inviting two of the guys to join us in the photo booth. We laughed at our poses, chose a favorite, instantly uploaded it to Facebook and made our way to the open bar.

Sweet Success. On the balcony at The Driskill Hotel.

Those leggings led us to him! Here’s where the stylish folk are hiding out.

Easily the highlight of our day, we got a chance to see the Pierce sisters, Catherine and Allison Pierce, play a set while Stella racked up the digits and party invites from the musicians, photographers and music executives all around us.

Catherine Pierce

I Like the Nightlife, Baby

Gay:

The East Side Showroom is a beautiful restaurant and bar that has a speakeasy feel.  The staff is complete with vintage clothes and attitudes, the music when we were there, was authentic 20′s and the food and drinks yummy.  The lighting was just right. Every detail perfect.  I felt lovely in there.  I even got up and did a soft shoe with the band.  There was an undeniable romantic glow that touched everyone there.

Jess:

After Stella and I devoured some cajun flavored ice cream from a food truck and pampered ourselves with a blow-out, we decided we were going to do it up right. It’s Saturday night. No more flat boots. It’s time for the heels! In the forty minutes it took me to get ready, her sweet boyfriend informed me she had passed out cold as soon as they got home. On my own,  with only 15 minutes left before the Mississippi Showcase where Charlie Mars was playing, I tried calling a cab only to find out there would be a two hour wait. I tried sitting at a bus stop for several minutes, before impatience got the best of me, and I just started walking. I came across a group of guys who looked like they might have worn pocket protectors if they had on more formal attire. They said they were headed downtown and invited me to join them. We walked as far as we could before the sidewalk gave out to the highway. They came to a halt and one of them asked, “Does anyone have a flashlight app?”

In my almost four-inch-heels glory, I shrugged my shoulders and said, “Follow me” pushing my way through the branches on a shadowy path carved by the headlights from oncoming traffic.  We peered around the treacherous curve and sprinted to the other side of the highway. Turns out the next bus stop was a lot farther than Google maps promised. I walked three miles before hitching a pedicab to The Lustre Pearl to meet Gay and Kevin.

Gay:

The Lustre Pearl is in the Rainey District, between Lady Bird Lake and I- 35, where historic bungalows downtown were turned into bars and music venues with its rezoning in 2004.  Lustre Pearl is a wonderful distressed old candlelit beauty with an outdoor tent, large stage and gravel dance floor.  Again, it didn’t matter what anyone had on, the place just worked its magic and we were all hip, cool and relaxed which is always fashionable.  It was a luxurious, happy feeling to be covered in dust from the dance floor the next morning!

Jess:

Lustre Pearl was pure magic from the moment I arrived. The Hogslop String Band’s Daniel Frazier (“The Mouth of the South”) greeted me with a “Hello, darling” and everyone was in high spirits. I met two stylish girls from Dallas. One was wearing an incredible Aztec print sequin skirt from Zara paired with a chambray shirt and an oversized (it’s Texas!) rhinestone pendant shaped like the state. Don’t mess with Texas, ya’ll.

Fearing tequila might get the best of ‘em, Gay and Kevin decided to ride their electric bike home, leaving me to another “adventure” finding my way home. After calling for a cab (“if noone comes for you in an hour, call us back”) I settled in on the curb in front of The Pearl with a slice of pizza (the food trucks here are the s*it). After the third musician  (this one, a bass player from the Providence, RI band Boo City) asked why I was sitting on a curb, (by this point, I could admit the heels were not my best decision of the night) I decided to take Harrison up on his offer to join the band for a party at “the Castle” in exchange for a ride home.

 
Scrunched in the backseat with Harrison and his lead singer Tai, a supermodel soul sister with the tiniest red hotpants, we pulled up to what was essentially a modern take on a medieval castle. Apparently, the owner opens his doors to bands looking for a place to jam. Spotting the infinity pool / moat, several guys in several different bands decided to disrobe, dive in and proceed to play music…naked.

Still unable to secure a cab, I finally found a ride home (Harrison didn’t seem quite up to keeping his promise), and fell into bed a little after 5am.

Shopping?
Jess: After the Onward Soldiers show at Amy’s Ice Cream, Gay and I browsed some beautiful things at By George and planned to hit the shop girl’s must-hit list (Howl, Feathers Vintage and sister store and high end consignment shop, Moss).

Gay convinces Jess to try on a glittering gold cocktail dress at Moss

After Sunday brunch, we lingered at Moss, moving slower by the second. We found some exquisite pieces at prices we could feel good about. Gay found a gold crochet dress made for her alone while I took home a Karen Millen colorblock dress. Feeling satisfied and ready for a nap at our mid-century oasis, even Style Girl didn’t have the heart to shop on.

Overall, we felt SXSW is not the place to go looking for fashion.  But there was a definite style.  Comfortable,  rough, torn, a little dirty around the edges.

Days and nights blur into one another and the most important thing is not what you’re wearing, but trying not to miss a beat.

xoxo,

Gay + Jess

SLIDESHOW:

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