TUFT

I thought I should make a formal blog post (that kind of sounds ironic, doesn't it?) to say that I will be showing my Fall '12 collection at Nashville Fashion Week this year! My show is Thursday, March 22nd at 7:30 at Marathon Music Works. I'll be showing with six other lovely designers as part of a local emerging designer installation show. So rather than have the girls make sexy faces down a runway, I'll have my girls in my own unique set that I created to coincide with my line. This may or may not involve a pink drum set.....................................................................

I am so excited about this line, not only because it was inspired by Best Coast and chandeliers, but also because I got the chance to work with the incredibly talented Nashville artist, Beth Gilmore. Besides being the owner of Twist, the best art gallery in town who always has the most interesting exhibits at our local art crawl (ie: a man wearing a replica painting of Guernica and dancing in it, whaaaaaat), Beth also works as a tour guide at Belmont Mansion, a Nashville landmark that doubles as a college in one of the hippest parts of town. The later comes into play in her illustrations, which largely feature members of the family that actually lived at Belmont. It was a portrait of one of these girls that stopped me when I was browsing booths at a holiday craft fair at Crema (the cool people coffee place of Nashville). I blurted out a half formed question of working together and Beth amazingly didn't think I was a weird freak. Fast forward to today, I have yards of beautifully printed fabric with Belmont mansion history all up on it. Beth's artwork will be displayed in my exhibit, as well as on my clothes. More of my printed garments will be at House of Stella, the day of my show and the day after.

Speaking of House of Stella, aka the boutique my favorite fashion friend ever owns, they have been very generous by donating all my accessories for my line (which are all super affordable..not like that $75 necklace I just saw at J.Crew, we're talking $15 at House of Stella). They are also hosting a trunk show for me on Thursday, the 22nd and that following Friday, the 23rd. Thursday will have a select few pieces, while Friday will have my complete line and I will also be there to taunt you with my eyes and laugh at your dumb jokes. :) There will also be cupcakes happening, soooooooo it's settled. See you there.

One last shoutout to Aria Cavaliere, owner of Parlour Vintage, and not to mention a very talented Nashville stylist, for helping me to edit and style my looks, which is quite possibly the hardest part of making a fashion line. Seriously, it doesn't sound hard, but bad editing can screw up months of hard work. Aria has wonderful taste (she cites Catherine Baba as a style icon), and produces the most kick ass photo shoots in Nashville. This girl has some fashion balls.

A huge thanks to everyone who played a part in helping me produce this line, even Mom who made me endless smoothies while I was crouching over my sewing machine and my sister Brandie for scouring google for hours for a "fuzzy white fabric". I abused you guys the worst 'cause I know you have to love me anyway.