Sunday, April 5, 2015

Florals for Spring...Groundbreaking

As Miranda Priestly notoriously said in the 2006 movie, The Devil Wears Prada, "Florals for Spring isn't the most ground breaking idea". Every year when spring come, flowers appear everywhere! Whether they're in your garden or in your favorite store or closet, flowers are unavoidable. As basic as this trend for spring is, I do enjoy my fair share of floral print. Who wouldn't be excited over an okra flower print romper?! Scroll through and see the Cavortress take on this seasonal trend!

1960's Cotton Saks Fifth Avenue Dress:$88.00
1960's Printed Dress: $62.00
1980's Rayon Floral Jumpsuit: $32.00
1960's Pucci Silk Maxi: $850.00
1940's Matching Needlework Change Purse: $34.00
1980's Beaded Flower Purse: $48.00
1960's Resin Floral & Glitter Ring: $22.00





Saturday, March 21, 2015

Friday night at CFW was the first day of spring (plus the vernal equinox, super new moon, and total eclipse of the sun), sprinkled with rain and dried by sunshine and energetically attended by birds, bees, flowers and trees. Well, it was a heck of a way to end winter. Deer shed their antlers in the spring, as do animals their fur. Would there be a better time to wear jewelry made of antlers and give your fur or feathers a last go-around? Maybe break out a ridiculously bright color or floral print? Rock sparkles?  Cavortress says no. Some people embraced their inner casual Friday, while others visiting from out of town wore sunburns (from Tuesday) as an accessory turned souvenir (ouch!). Check out how who wore what last night.

Janelle Gray, design team for Alex and Ani (visiting from New Jersey)
Instagram: @janellemoynagh
Dress: Alice + Olivia
Shoes: BCBG
Bag: Alex and Ani
Sunburn: Folly Beach


Megan Murphy (r), Benefit Focus
Instagram: @murphthesmurff
Caftan: Cavortress
Necklace: 3 Little Beads with natural deer antlers
Shoes: Vince Camuto
Leah Thornley (l), jewelry designer and owner of 3 Little Beads
Instagram: @3littlebeads + @leahthornley
Necklace: 3 Little Beads
Dress: Dillard's
Shoes: J. Crew
Watch: Nixon
Ring: Cartier
Instagram: @quet1
Shoes: Steve Madden
Dress: Island Princess
Necklace: Frugal
Purse and Sunglasses: Prada
(Last day for feathers)
Thomas Robertson, co-founder and contributor of Outre Mode + makeup artist at Mac Cosmetics
Instagram: @smilethomsmile + @outre_mode
Shoes: Steve Madden
Glasses: Versace
Suit/Shirt: Express
Watch: Marc Jacobs
Fur Stoll: Thrifted
(Last day for fur)
Gary Rader, assistant buyer/manager at Shoes on King
Instagram: @garyrader
Chambray hand embroidered dress: Vintage
(Casual Friday, birds, bugs, and flowers—we have a home run here!)
Harriet Lee, Yes Carolina
Earrings: Local Designer at Cooper Penny
Shoes: French Connection
Jacket: Anthropologie
Shirt: Banana Republic
Top: Las Olas
Bag: Vintage

Robert Blake, visual merchandiser at Gucci
Instagram: @robertblakester
Sunnies: Cavortress
Pants: Mosa
Jewelry: Cavortress (Vintage Thai Silver)
Watch: Oris
(Casual Friday)

Lonnie J. Hawkins, stylist + blogger
Instagram: @southofyork
Shoes: Lacoste
Pants: Levi's
Jacket:Ralph Lauren
Glasses: Ray Ban
Anna Nash, creative director of Park Avenue Fashion Week
Instagram: @_annanash_
Shoes: gifted
Pants: Nine West
Jacket: H&M
Necklace: Kabana
(80s Barbie meets Casual Friday)
Gentleman on the left:
Pants, Jacket, Shirt: Ralph Lauren
Tie: J. Crew
Glasses: Oliver Peoples
Gentleman on the right:
Pants and Tie: J. Crew
Shirt: Michael Kors
Glasses: Tom Ford
Elli Boland, life coach 
Necklace: Melinda Maria
Pants: Black Orchid
Shoes and Earrings: gifted
Jacket: Bebe
Top and Bag: from Germany
Courtney Habberstad
Instagram: @courtneyhabberstad
Shoes: Aldo
Dress: Parker NY
Jewelry: Chan Luu
Bangles: from Italy

Greer Chenault (r), Inventiv Environments
Dress: Black Halo
Bracelet: Hermes
Watch: Rolex
Jacqueline Lawrence (l), owner of Inventiv Environments
Dress: Mosa 
Shoes: Cole Haan
Michelle Wood (c), model coach
Outfit: She had no clue—but looks fab!
David Hart, men's wear designer
Head to toe David Hart
(Spring green)
Boyfriend of Emerging Designer Sara Ellis Clark
Instagram: @alabamabiscuit + @clarksara3
Jacket: Belk
T-Shirt: Merman Supply
Jeans: Billy Reid
Shoes: OluKai
Geoffrey Richardson, owner of Lava Salon
Instagram: @lavasalon
Suit: no clue, found on random rack
Shoes: Converse
Hat: Kangol
Kara Smoak, Intern + CofC Student
Dress: Tobi
Bracelet: Cavortress
Hat: Vintage, Cavortress

Friday, March 20, 2015

Charleston Fashion Week Street Style Day 3

On night three, it not only rained, it poured. Being fashionable on a rainy day outdoors is not the easiest thing to do. Luckily, there are a number of places on the Charleston Fashion Week® campus at Marion Square to take shelter. My intern got to the media tent early last night, and when she met me to pick up my computer, I asked her, "How does it look out there?" She replied, "There's a lot of black, and people aren't really walking around." What this means is that a number of people were taking shelter at the Style Lounge (and bar) or at the VIP tent sponsored by Gwynn's. This made for a hell of a rowdy night once the rain let up and intermission happened. Thursday night was fun.


Now back to what people were wearing. There WAS a lot of black, and even one attendee, ShinHae Yoon, put it all on the line with her shirt that said "To Wear Black Or Not To Wear Black." Enough said. What you wear is always a choice. Like we said on our #CHSFW Day 1 Street Style post, clothing is your arsenal to the world. We also predicted unpredictable weather, and viola—there was rain! Thursday night required clever handling of the elements in many cases, and some people just wanted to brighten things up a little. Others just wanted to hang out and have a cocktail (or four).
Designer Richelle Valenzuela (l) and model ShinHae Yoon
ShinHae:
Instagram: @shinhaeyoon
Skirt: Zachary/Nathaniel
Jacket: Scotch & Soda
Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell
Bracelet: Gifted



Designer Carlos Campos (l), Miguel (c), and Lufti (r)
All apparel by Carlos Campos unless otherwise noted.
Carlos:
Instagram: @carloscamposdesign
Shoes: Retro Nike
Lufti:
Shoes: Cole Haan
Bag: Phillip Lim
Jewelry: Vintage


Justin Walczuk
Instagram: @fotoready
Shoes: Johnston & Murphy
Blazer: Banana Republic
Shirt: Steel & Jelly
Tie:  Social Primer
Pants: Saks


Aviancia Applewhite
Instagram: @fashionpursuits
Shoes: Steve Madden
Dress: from the Internet


Angharad Jones, Charleston Magazine PR and Marketing Manager
Instagram: @welshbella
Shoes: BCBG
Jumpsuit: Whitney Rife
Jewelry and scarf: Hidden Countship
Bag: Mango


Adam Zhu (l), web developer at Obviouslee Marketing, and Zac Mallard, creative director at Empire Apothecary
Adam:
Instagram: @theadamzhu
Shoes: Rick Owens
Jacket: BBS
Zachary: 
Instagram: @empireapothecary
Shoes: Ferragamo
Suit: Sarar


Abigail Marie, owner of Nonpareil Photography
Instagram: @nonpareilabigail
Pants and faux-fur vest: from China
Bag: from South America
Top: Thrift store
Jewelry:  Collected over the years—mad love for star-shaped jewelry.

Robert Blake, Visual Merchndiser at Gucci
Instagram: @robertblakester
Shoes: Aldo
Sunnies: Gucci
Pants: Calvin Klein
Blazer: Vintage Langston of Princeton, NJ from Cavortress (Check out that hand-sewn label! And the fabric is batiked by hand.)
Necklace: Cavortress
Top: Express

Bess Winn
Instagram: @satchit81
Necklace: Stella & Dot
Bracelets: David Yurman
Dress: Milly
Shoes: Kate Spade

Charlotte Baroody, owner of Revere by Charlotte Baroody
Instagram:  @chachabaroody
Hat: Vintage, Mr. John
Shoes: Miu Miu
Shirt: Troubadour
Bag: Alexander Wang
Pants: Lysse
Jewelry: David Yurman


Josef Myers, owner of That Level
Instagram: @realjosef
Watch: Casio
Shoes: Puma
Jacket: from Korea
Shirt: Five Four Club
Pants: H&M


Julie Wheat, professor at Art Insitute of Charleston + owner of Cavortress
Instagram: @Cavortress
Robe: 1940s silk embossed and hand-painted with Sumi-e Haori (Kimono outer jacket), Thrifted, Clarence, NY
Necklaces: Larger/multi stone: 1920s druzy and sterling (gifted from a client); Solitaire: gifted, Union Diamond
Boots: Lucky
Umbrella: 1940s bamboo/vinyl parisol (it works as an umbrella!), Gypsy Lady Antiques
Dress:  Vintage Dolce & Gabbana
Chopsticks:  1920s ebony and paua shell, gifted
Mollie Howey, painter
Instagram: @knitterplease843
Skirt: BCBG
Stockings: Victoria's Secret
Garter Belt: Bits of Lace
Shoes: Kenneth Cole
Shirt: Gracia
Jewelry: Gifted

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Charleston Fashion Week Street Style Day 2

Like we said yesterday, the weather is unpredictable in March in the Lowcountry, and it's OK to wear fur at Charleston Fashion Week®, if you so choose. And with the weather being under 60 degrees, there were people wearing fur! Also, people who may have planned their outfits were a bit chilly. Regardless of the temperature—like we also said yesterday— it's not who or what you are wearing, but how you are wearing it.
Ike Behar's show last night was a perfect example of how to execute that. They put women in menswear, rolled cuffs, and even paired one of their impeccably tailored ensembles with a beat-up pair of vintage Nike shoes. I had a moment with the Behar brothers and Frederick Jabber (the man behind the Charleston store on King Street and one of the most stylish AND sexy men in town) and discussed. The difference between how Shep Rose of Bravo TV's Southern Charm pulls off Ike Behar is an entirely different thing than how he would do it. (See below.)

Frederick Jabber of Ike Behar
Head-to-toe Ike Behar (of course)
Please take notice:
1. How the tie tack is raised slightly higher than usually worn so that the tie can be "ruffled," almost how an ascot would be.
2. The slightly exaggerated cuff and heavy break on his trousers. How else would you wear a well-tailored plaid suit as such?
3. The soft, subtle shoes (both in texture and shape) that remain understated as to accentuate the clothing ensemble and set of the tie of similar color, but with more pronounced texture.
4. Bracelets, nice touch. Someone is definitely going to notice that the cuffs on this jacket are the perfect length to show of the crisp cuff of the gingham shirt, which is just bright enough in black         and white to set off the muted grey suit.
5. Lapel flower is more than slighly off center so you notice the nicely sized rounded point on the collar and the deep inset that works with the plaid print.
This man has class. THIS is how  you wear Ike Behar.

However, it's not just about the clothes; it's the attitude you need to pull it off. It doesn't matter if it's Forever 21 or Dolce & Gabbana—if you don't have the guts to own it, don't even go there. (See below: tattoos, neckties as bow ties, and an eight year old in head-to-toe sequins.)
Zachary Nathaniel, former CFW Emerging Designer
Instagram: @zacwithanh
Jacket & Necklace: Forever21
Top & Pants: Gap
Shoes: Vlado
Sunglasses: Vintage
Leslie Hartley
Necklace: Chanel
Jewelry/Rings: Gifted
Shoes: Store on King St. that isn't there anymore :(
Top & Skirt: Milly
Laura Boyd
Instagram: @laaaaaurrr
Rings: Various vintage/new, gifted
Shoes & Dress: Charlotte Russe
Bracelets: Urban Outfitters and Alex & Ani
Bag: H&M
Instagram: @relationshep
Apparel: Ike Behar
Andrea Tallent, PR director at Antonio Azzuolo
Instagram: @a_tallent
Robe: Vintage
Shoes: Vintage Miu Miu
Purse: Cleobella
Leggings: J.Crew
Top: Single (vintage)
Justin Barfield
Instagram: @jthreadzzz
Shoes: T.U.K. creepers
Top: Academics
Bottoms: Dockers
Sunnies & hat: Urban Outfitters
Accessories: H&M
 
Adelaide
Dress:  Little Miss Matched of New York City
Shoes: J.Crew
Headband:  Underarmour
McKenzie Nicole Walden, Shoes.com model (Look show she rocks these Aldo heels!)
Instagram: @mckenzienicolewalden
Jacket:  Helmut Lang
Dress:  American Apparel
Shoes:  Aldo

Robert Blake, visual merchandiser at Gucci
Instagram: @robertblakester1940s Coyote Fur Jacket: Cavortress
Bracelets:  Cavortress
Shoes: Gucci
Necklace: Gifted
Jessie Parks, editorial director of Charleston Grit 
Instagram: @greasekellyShoes: Joie from Shoes on King 
Jeans: Vintage Levis
Bag: Vintage
Hat: Goorin Bros.
Top: Vintage
Blazer: Theatrics Unlimited on King St. (closed) 

Sean Barnes, student at the Art Institute of Charleston
Instagram: @uglyseananers
Top: Goodwill
Tie: Goodwill
Shoes: Prada
Belt: Izod
Cassie Baker Mizell
Instagram:  @cassiemobakermizell
Top & Bottoms: Hampden Clothing
Shoes: Saks
Bag: J.Crew
Bracelets:  Cartier and assorted