2013 New York Update

Hello Gals about the Globe! We've been on hiatus most of 2013, because this little Gal about the Globe moved to New York City. During the last year, I've written for a few websites covering fashion week, travel and even e-commerce. I've also been completing my MFA in Creative Nonfiction at The New School University in New York City. Additionally, I also wrote the Rome Today Tours website and did I ever tell you I turned Gal about the Globe into a nonprofit organization in 2012? Yes, one of my dreams is to find some money to send more women around the world. Finally, I've also been working on a couple of other projects. As you know, I've always been a snarky writer, and as a result I've been writing/taking sketch comedy workshops at The Magnet Theater. It's been so much fun and I'm excited about putting up a show with my sketch writing comrades at the end of this workshop. Anywhoo, hopefully 2014 will be an even better year, but I don't know how it could possibly top the last two. Wait a minute, yes I do; Why not head to Argentina for a month in the new year, to not only get some more writing done, but to hablo my espanol, dance some sexy ass tango and eat some of the best steak in the world, among other things.

Contribute to Kate's Documentary about The Pay Gap:

Log on to The Pay Gap Kickstarter page to get involved.

South by Southwest 2012 is Here

Last year, South by Southwest (SXSW) featured the first fashion component in conference history, “Style X,”. The event included a tour of Austin’s emerging boutiques, runway shows with SXSW musicians-turned-models, and major sponsors like Keds and American Apparel, as well as panels with industry professionals.

This year, Style X is back and it’s free for everybody! The event runs from March 16 – 17 from noon- 8 p.m., at the Austin Convention Center. Make sure you download the lookbook before heading to Austin, for the event schedule and exclusive information.

And don’t forget to check out my slideshow (above) for a taste of last year’s Style X. Hope to see you there!

SAT to NYC Via Fashion!

Photos by Bryan Rindfuss

Dreams do come true. San Antonio native Mandi Gallegos featured her new Mikailee Alton Collection at the PLITZS New York City Fashion Week, “Designer Showcase Presentation,” in which only 36 emerging designers were chosen to participate. The event, showcased in Manhattan’s Fashion district, coincided with the official Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and allowed up-and-coming designers to affordably produce their presentation to industry professionals, investors, boutiques, buyers, and the media, among other interests.

A personable woman with an infectious energy, Gallegos claims that while she’s returned to San Antonio, she still hasn’t awoken from her dream. With a large dimply smile, she enthusiastically explained, “Honestly, it still hasn’t hit me! Even during the show, I was like, ‘I’m here, right? Is this real? I’m not dreaming?’ I thought for sure I would’ve broken down and cried but it really was so fast and it turned out to be everything I thought it would be.”

The dream began just a few weeks before the event, in mid-January, when Gallegos was “supposed to be taking a break,” or as much of a break as a single mother of three boys can take. “I don’t know how they [PLITZS] found me, but they emailed me directly,” Gallegos recalled. Just a few years ago, Gallegos never thought she’d live to see another day, much less live to see her dreams come true. In 2007, she was diagnosed with a rare brain illness and began chemo treatments. While lying in her hospital bed, she promised her parents that if she were to survive, she’d make them proud. Gallegos’s illness is in remission now, and she actually attributes her success as a designer to her regular doctor visits during recovery.

“When I walked out of the doctor’s office one day, I noticed that there was a mannequin in a window display and I didn’t know what it was. I walked in [the building] and the lady greeted me with, ‘Welcome to the International Academy of Design and Technology.’” Gallegos was given a tour of the school and by the time she reached the second floor, she was in love. She began school the following week. She continued working fulltime as a purchasing agent for Toshiba Business Solutions during the day, a company she’s been with for ten years now. “I’ve pretty much been on the go since my last chemo treatment. I never looked back. I kept going,” she said proudly.

However, Gallegos’s story gets, well, more interesting, as she could not participate in San Antonio Fashion Week (FWSA) a local, low-key event in comparison to New York Fashion Week (what I like to call Fashion Week with training wheels). She was anxious to feature her work, but just couldn’t make it happen. “I wanted to do it. They asked me if I would do it; I just wasn’t financially ready. I didn’t have enough money at that time.” In addition, Gallegos explained that she was “in the back” at FWSA—hard to believe considering that while showing her Mikailee Alton Collection in New York, she was not only approached by an investor, but was also contacted by a Project Runway casting director, who congratulated her and asked her to submit her work to participate in the upcoming season. Gallegos hasn’t decided whether or not to vie for a spot on Project Runway, and admitted with laughter, “I don’t know. I’m still a little nervous about it. I’m still contemplating about whether or not I want to do it!”

I asked Gallegos if she was already thinking about the next New York Fashion Week. But while she hopes to attend, she has her eyes set on producing a show in a place where all her dreams began: San Antonio, Texas. “I really think that having it here would be a blessing to me. If New York wants me, of course I’ll go. But I would really love to show here, a really big collection.”

The Mikailee Alton Collection features a unique array of dresses and skirts made in silk chiffon, baby silk and bridal satin in colorful hues including burgundy, magenta, pink champagne and teal. Most of the looks’ clean lines are accented with hand-made burnt pedals on the chest, back and neck area, while jackets are made with narrow sleeves and flared trunks.

China and the Art of the Toilet

(Warning, these images may cause you to cringe or barf. Hey, sometimes Gal about the Globe has to give you the bad news too).

By Diana Renee Rodriguez at Nana's Breakfast

One of my fondest Chinese memories is squatting in a public restroom with no stalls for privacy, directly across from another squatter with a lit ciggie in her mouth, a strained wrinkle on her brow and grunts which bounced around the four walls we shared. Females going to the restroom together was taken to a completely different level. Or, merely the idea of going to the restroom was taken to a level in which a Westerner, such as myself, found it momentarily challenging to grasp. That mental book of socially acceptable restroom etiquette is meaningless the second you touch ground in China.


The Toilet Paper Mystery
The Chinese invented the toilet paper 1,422 years ago. After doing my business in a Chinese public restroom, I'm left squatting over a stainless steel hole with not a single square of toilet paper in sight. At this point, I don't care if my bottom isn't pampered by Charmin's Ultra Soft tissue; A leaf would suffice! One may think that those innovative ancient Chinese genes would carry down to today's Chinese minds. But all I see is a sad failure in the toilet department after their ground breaking toilet paper invention many, many years ago.

Although scarce, there are places where you can find a roll of toilet paper nearby. They tend to be in Western restaurants such as KFC and McDonalds, or fancy restaurants and hotels. Unfortunately the Chinese restroom patrons, not used to the comfort of a roll of tissue beside them, have crazy toilet paper parties while using the facilities. And there aren't enough fúwùyuán (服务员, attendant) ladies that are willing to clean a tissue mess each hour. In conclusion, I learned to take with me my own personal supply of tissue paper. I returned home with a greater understanding and appreciation of the value of the toilet paper.

Daphna's Adventures as a GATG

Hey there Gals about the Globe! I am extremely excited to be part of such an inspiring community. My name is Daphna Cuevas, and I would have to say I'm a late bloomer in traveling but leaving that for future posts. I currently find myself living back home in Guadalajaran Mexico, yep hecha en Mexico. However, I went to middle school, high school and college in the states, and lived in France and Europe for a year and a half.

This year has been full of ups and downs but I must admit its ending on a great note. Guadalajara just finished hosting the Pan/Parapan American games and I was fortunate enough to be a volunteer attachee, which is just a fancy name for assistant. Not getting paid was totally worth being part of such an important event to the country, meeting amazing people, forming new friendships along the way and even getting to meet Canada's own Minister of Sport and the Govornor General....aka the president of Canada!

When being a Gal about the Globe, you have to learn to take any opportunity that comes your way because you never know what it will lead to. Check out my pictures and contact me next time you're in Mexico. I hope this opportunity leads me to Canada and/or Europe, so you can visit me there as well!

Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn and Araceli

Over the holidays, I went to a beautiful photo exhibit dedicated to the one and only Audrey Hepburn. I didn’t realize that Audrey spent so much time in Rome throughout her career. Her photo display gave me the chance to truly appreciate and admire both her professional and personal life. Especially her goodwill efforts with UNICEF! Love one of her quotes, “For some trips all you need is one piece of luggage. Your heart.” Brava Audrey for continuing to inspire women today from all over the world with your style, grace and talent!

More New York Fashion: Chris Benz Spring 2012 Collection

Unless you’ve been living under a fashion rock, you’ve probably heard of American designer Chris Benz. He’s become pretty important in the fashion community—and at an early age too. Originally from Seattle, he went to New York’s prestigious Parsons School of Design at 17, and then worked for Marc Jacobs and J. Crew before launching his own ready-to-wear line in 2007. Among his classmates at Parsons, he studied with Jason Wu (the guy who is famous for designing one of Michelle Obama’s inauguration dresses, a white silk chiffon gown now displayed at the Smithsonian). Benz also went to school with Bradley Scott, another up-and-coming designer I had the opportunity to interview while in New York City for fashion week. During our interview, Scott informed me that Benz’s customer is more of a “fantasy customer,” as the price point for his lines tend to be just as loud and as outrageous as his colorful creations and pink hair.

Benz’s Spring 2012 collection is really girlie, fun, retro, and a bit untamed—like me! Hopefully he’ll take a cue from Wu and design another collection just for Target so I can actually wear it. In the meantime, I’ll be fondling the video that I took at Chris Benz’s Spring 2012 collection at New York Fashion Week. Check out the really shaky video above (they were keeping us pretty liquored up at Lincoln Center, my bad). Benz’s collection is really perfect for the sunny South Texas weather, as his dresses and ensembles consist of bright color blocking and fresh mod patterns, lots of whites, and they’re loose and light—sure to keep you cool. Also, I think it serves as a great inspiration for us to create a similar look with fashions from, say, Target. And you can bet that Chris Benz imitations are sure to follow at places most of us can actually afford anyway, like Forever 21.

I’ve also uploaded some old-fashioned photographs below in the event that you feel like throwing up while watching the trembling video. But if you don’t watch the video, then you won’t get to see the surprise: if you make it to about a minute and fifteen, you’ll get a glimpse of Chris Benz (the guy with the pink hair, duh), talking with domestic designer and Oprah-endorsed morning television god for stay-at-home moms and wannabe stay-at-home moms, Nate Berkus. He kept trying to make eye contact with me for an interview, because apparently Desiree Prieto at Fashionation has made some real waves up north in the fashion community. (No, not really, that’s how rumors get started, y’all.) I did get to chat with Nate Berkus for a moment after I took my video about an event I covered in Chicago that he emceed back when we both lived there. And guess what?! He remembered me! Well, not me, per se, but the event.

My Trip to Ireland Part II: University of Cork, Blarney Castle, and Green Ireland

By: Amanda Hughes



The next day we went to the University of College Cork. Quite possibly the most beautiful college campus I’ve ever visited. The students attending this university really make the most of their campus. I saw many of them sitting outside studying, reading, talking to friends, riding bikes on the paths, etc. I really could see myself coming back to Cork one day to teach (they have an American Lit department, so it wouldn’t be a far-fetched idea).We spent each weekday morning on the campus listening to mini-lectures from various faculty. And each weekday afternoon we took mini-field trips.

The first afternoon field trip was to Blarney. Yep, you guessed it, home to the infamous Blarney stone. What you don’t know about said stone until you go to Blarney……it’s at the top of a castle. No problem, right? Yeah…this place was built over 800 years ago. The stairs 1) wind up for about eight flights and 2) are so narrow you have to walk up sideways. Needless to say, I was not enthusiastic about kissing the stone by the time I got to the top. And I was even less enthusiastic when I saw the Blarney stone: there, above and to the left of the man’s hand – where the stone is noticeably darker than the rest of the wall – is where you plant your lips. Given my history of illness (apparently, when I get sick, I GET SICK) and knowing about half the world had been there before me, I declined to kiss the Blarney stone. My inaction caused a lot of reaction back home. I was told I would regret not doing it. I’m happy to report I’m very glad I didn’t. I did, however, get some pretty nice pictures of the castle

Other than visiting Blarney castle, we visited Blarney Woollen Mills – the largest family owned business in the Republic. The current CEO is the daughter of the founder. When she was 16, her father put her with a cart full of knickknack type of souvenirs at the base of Blarney Castle and she sold these goods to tourists. When the mill went bust in the 70s, her father bought it and turned into a much larger version of the cart. It was highly successful from day one. About ten years ago, the current CEO visited the U.S. Impressed with the way stores such as Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn were laid out, she changed the entire layout of the mill. Along with souvenirs, she incorporated goods marketed toward the locals of the area, such as bedroom furniture and kitchen staples. She also turned part of the mill into a cafeteria type restaurant, similar to what IKEA stores have – only they serve traditional Irish food.

The next day we again had a mini-lecture and a mini-trip. This time we went to the Tyndall National Institute. It’s a research facility owned by the university. We were not allowed to take pictures inside the place, but I gotta say, as someone who is not scientifically inclined, I was seriously impressed by the work they do there. What made the trip even more cool - the Queen of England had been there only a few days before us.

On Thursday, we took a day trip to Kinsale. It is a Sweet little town, with a harbor full of ships and old buildings.

Our next field trip took us to what was probably my favorite place, Killarney. Why was it my fave? I fell in love with this little lady (pony) and I met this barn kitty……and this one. Did I mention how green Ireland is? There are literally so many shades of green, you cannot count them all.

Thanks for reading about my trip to Ireland. I hope that you make a trip there one day. If so, contact me. In the meantime, have a look at my slideshow above!

My Trip to Ireland Part I: Arrival

By Amanda Hughes from Taking Chances TX

Before I even arrived on the Emerald Isle, I knew I would be exposed to a lot of differences from my home country (and by home country I mean Texas, of course). However, I didn’t expect the differences to begin at the airport and I certainly didn’t expect them to begin in the bathroom…see the toilet in the slideshow above. That’s right, the first picture I took on this trip was of a toilet in the Dublin International Airport. It just looked, well, strange to me. So I took a picture. And now you know what a toilet in Ireland looks like.

After taking the above picture, I changed into more appropriate attire. Dublin was a good 40 degrees cooler than San Antonio (even at the end of May) and let’s just say, it was a welcome change to walk down the sidewalk and not feel like it was sautéing me. At the same time, walking around Dublin in the normal uniform for Texas in the month of May (t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops) would have sent me into hypothermia within three steps outside of the airport, so a change of clothes was definitely necessary.

Then came the hell that is known as currency exchange. If you think you’re financially strapped in our country, then I don’t recommend a trip to any country within the EU anytime soon (or the UK). I seriously had to pick my jaw up off the exchange counter when the $100 I handed over came back to me at a much lower denomination and minus a processing fee. It was like being at a gas pump when gas was almost $5 a gallon – that kind of feeling (you know, the bent over one). Taken advantage of doesn’t even begin to cover how this experience felt. Once I semi recovered from the sticker shock, we were on our way to locate the bus that would take us to Cork. I was pretty disappointed when we were told we would not be taking this one (see slideshow)……cause, come on, how fun would it be to ride around Ireland in this bus? But alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

I wish I could tell you the bus ride to Cork was breathtaking, magical, and filled with awe at the beauty of the natural landscape. I’m sure it was every bit of those descriptions, but I fell asleep and slept pretty much the whole way there (thanks a lot jet lag). All I managed to stay awake for was this (view from bus).In case you forgot what that is, that’s rain. Don’t worry, I had forgotten what it looked like too. We did stop for lunch on the way to Cork and you know I did wake up for that (those that know me best know I don’t miss a meal). And so, in the sweet little town of Cashel we weary travelers stopped for a bite to eat and to take in some of the sights, which included, A charming street in Cashel, An old castle, the Rock of Cashel, a street sign in Gaelic and English, oh and lunch!

The Irish clearly have their priorities in order. I’m seriously considering opening one of these in San Antonio (News and Booze drive-thru) Although we only spent a couple of hours in Cashel, I really enjoyed the visit. It was the beginning of a dream come true. With a heavy heart, I got back on the bus (I seriously could have stayed there the entire trip – it was like Jewett, only much more charming) and promptly fell back asleep. Waking up to the vision of our hotel both startled and relieved me. Believe it or not, I didn’t take any pictures of the hotel (oops). So in lieu of personal pictures, here’s a link to The River Lee Hotel:

http://www.doylecollection.com/locations/cork

The rest of this first day was pretty uneventful. I ordered room service and was not expecting my 7-Up to come in a glass bottle, but it was a pleasant surprise.

Dancing with the Mop: Lessons Learned from Studying Abroad

Photo: Museo Nacional del Prado

By Bethy Hardeman, follow her blog on Yahoo!

I walked out of my third- floor apartment in Madrid, Spain to the sound of Antonio's birds chirping above me. I looked up after shutting the door to see Antonio himself cleaning in the hallway. He looked up and a smile crept across his chubby face.

"What are you doing, Antonio?" I asked in Spanish.

He stopped his cleaning briefly and smiled bigger. "I'm dancing," he said, winking, "dancing with the mop." He immediately swooped the mop up in his arms and commenced a funny little dance, humming merrily as he did so.

That was my study abroad experience. It wasn't filled with loud dorm rooms full of other American students or large universities packed to the brim with English-speaking young people. No, my experience involved a small language school in the center of Madrid, weekend adventures around Europe and, of course, friendly Spanish faces.

My program at Tandem, Madrid kept me on my toes with classes taught completely in Spanish. Apart from an intensive language course each day, we could also choose from a variety of cultural classes, such as Art and Architecture and Spanish Film. Through my Art and Architecture class, I enjoyed taking walks with colleagues through old and new sections of the city, exploring the architecture we were studying in person.

Excursions around Europe during my study abroad semester allowed me to experience culture outside of the classroom. I learned how to travel independently, despite limited language knowledge, travel frugally by staying in hostels and going by train, and travel thoroughly by experiencing destination cities by foot and immersing myself in the culture.

But at the end of the day, my favorite part about studying abroad was the people I met there. Antonio was the doorman of my apartment building. When not "dancing with the mop," he could be found sitting at the front desk, building a wooden cage for his birds. He would inevitably stop me to pull out a picture of the biggest fish he ever caught, proudly pointing out how large it was. And then there was Jaime, my language exchange partner. We didn't just get together to help each other with our pronunciation. Jaime gave me a real-life language learning experience when he took me car shopping one afternoon. Then there were of course my fellow students at Tandem. Since many of them didn't speak English well, we could only communicate effectively by practicing our Spanish together. I learned how to properly drink beer from a German dentist and how to have fun doing just about anything with friends in the city from a skinny French student. But most of all, I learned how to be confident in speaking the language that will always have my heart: Spanish.

Gal about the Globe on the Set of HBO's "Rome"

Araceli ran into some actors while touring the set as well. Perhaps she was an extra on the set of HBO's Rome, an extra from the future that is, as her clothes are clearly sewn and of the moment!

Rome Today Visits Largest Olive Tree in Europe: L’ulive più grande d’Europa

Olive harvest 2011 was a healthy success! Thanks to our friends from La Tartaruga Sabina, the villa and estate of the Micheletta family, Rome Today learned about the thorough process of turning olives into oil for a year-long supply of extra virgin olive oil. Luckily, their amazing OSCO olive oil will soon be available on store shelves in the United States, with New York as its first stop. In our upcoming video (log on to Rome Today), we’ll learn more about the beautiful region of Sabina and its most prized possession – Sabina DOP extra virgin olive oil!

Along the tour, we took a quick detour and drove up to the oldest and largest olive oil tree of in all of Europe. To our surprise, we discovered the tree stands on private property and the lovely owner – Ottavio Bertini – stepped out to greet us. We couldn’t resist and quickly asked him to give us a quick interview on the history of how this amazing tree has managed to weather the storm all these years. Like everything else, it’s a miracle when you consider that its trunk measures 7 meters in diameter and it’s been certified to be over 2,400 years in age! Luckily, this olive tree is protected by the European Union for years to come.

After seeing this tree, it’s easy to understand why this region produces golden olive oil in surplus.

A Fellow Gal about the Globe Publishes "Femoir"

I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Montreal-based international color marketing expert, Catherine Larose. As a Gal about the Globe, I’m always looking for older Gals about the Globe. They are mentors who’ve not just “been there done that,” but offer a window into my own future as they’ve blazed so many of life’s trails I can’t wait to trample through. Any Color But Beige: Living Life in Color is Larose's new, honest femoir documenting her ethnically diverse background, globe-trotting career, lifestyle, and relationships.

“The book itself is what I call a circular memoir,” says Larose, “it starts off with my very colorful Irish-Italian-American childhood. Then growing up and my life as an adult—during which I lived a very beige and secure marriage in the suburbs; my beige existence.” One of the most significant changes in Larose’s life came one day when working in Paris. While gazing at the Paris sunset she “wanted to fold it up, put it in my pocket and take it home with me.” Larose discovered that something was missing from her life—color—and didn’t want to continue living the rest of her life in beige. “I made some major changes to put color back into my life, which is very ironic because I sell color for a living,” Larose begins, “so here I am putting color into everyone’s lives as a result of my job, traveling the world, not realizing all along that what’s missing from my life is color.”

The book is divided into sections of Larose’s life based on color; primary colors coincide with her childhood, while colorblind coincides with her divorce. Chicago, Paris, Shanghai, Johannesburg, and Trieste are a few destinations of Larose’s life story, as is her creative career as an international color marketing expert. Her descriptive voice and presentations on color marketing and color intuition are clever, and made me feel like I was dropping in on conference rooms around the world. I’ll never look at color or a paint chip quite the same again, as there’s a “tactical side,” and a contextual story side to her job that is so specialized, and yet so every-day, you’d forget it must be somebody’s job to sell color.

But what Larose really does with color in this book is make you realize that color represents so much of who we are, who we want to be, and especially who others are. While I don’t want to give away the whole story, as featured in the book trailer above, Larose flies back home from Paris, divorces her husband, and paints her bedroom a beautiful Bordeaux red. “I’m not advocating divorce as a means to put color in your life, not at all, otherwise, I wouldn’t have been married for 20 years,” Larose says, “but I think that was necessary for me to move on in my life.”

Any Color But Beige: Living Life in Color is a memoir, but reads like a travel narrative, with a little red suitcase from Larose’s childhood dragging its way through Larose’s travels and life tribulations. The book can be purchased on Amazon, available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book. You can also check out Catherine Larose’s blog, updated regularly, at Café Girl Chronicles

Meeting with NY Fashion Designer Bradley Scott

While in New York City for fashion week last month, I headed to 7th avenue, aka Fashion Avenue, as it sits in the city’s Garment District. Previously the textile-manufacturing Mecca of America, the Garment District is still considered a fashion capitol among designers and it is where I visited up-and-coming designer, Bradley Scott, in his showroom. Scott received this year’s Fashion Group International Rising Star Award for Ladies Clothing.

Stepping off the elevator and making our way to his showroom, my colleague Sheila, another writer and consultant for Stila cosmetics, remarked that the experience felt like an episode on Project Runway or another fashion reality show. “And this room, right here,” Sheila remarked, “that’s where Whitney Port was showing off her new collection on ‘The City.’” The open-spaces were very loft-like, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and doors, stark white walls, and not much else separating each showroom. We passed designer Altuzarra and made our way through the doors of Bradley Scott, where a mannequin in a glossy yellow leather jacket greeted us upon entrance.

Once inside, Scott gave us a sneak peak at his Spring 2012 collection, which is great for Texas weather because the fabric used in the line is very light weight and the dresses aren’t heavy or overloaded with too many layers. “All of these solids are 100% silk,” Scott explained, picking a flowing yellow dress out from the bunch. “There’s no synthetic, there’s no wool, there’s no linen, so it won’t wrinkle. They are fun vibrant colors—I know the South loves color; [they come in] green, navy, saffron, and light saffron.”

Scott draws his inspiration from the famous Italian designer Gianni Versace. “He treated fabrics and took the technique of fabric manipulation and made it more special than what the fabric mills did,” Scott says. “Versace was given a beautiful fabric, chopped it up, embroidered it with leather, lace, buttons, and sequins and made it his own. I think that when you make your own design, your own way, from the raw material up until the production stage, it is fantastic.” Scott also does a lot of fabric manipulation, like his inspiration; he chops it up, embroiders the edges, ruffles things, and embroiders his own organza. “I take things unexpected, like lace over a saffron lining, and strips of hand-cut patent leather. So I do a lot of creative stuff with fabrics and use really different techniques that I don’t think are on the market.”

95% of Scott’s fabrics come from Biella, Italy, near Lake Como, where the oldest mills in Italy reside (circa 1812). The fabric-making process is “all done by hand,” as they start with a swatch and then change it around. “It’s really a very fun process,” Scott adds, “and the Carlisle Collection uses the same mills which is how I got in touch with them.” Starting in the fashion industry at age 19, Scott worked for the Carlisle Collection for eight years, eventually resigning to create his own line after graduating from the prestigious Parson’s School of Design in New York City.

When asked about the experience at Parsons he said, “Besides the no sleep and insane deadlines? That’s pretty much it. You went there to work and I did not have much of a social life. I was very focused, I knew what I wanted and I also had a fulltime job while I was there.”

Take a look at Scott’s designs in the slideshow above or check out his website.

Araceli Speaks Out about Occupy Rome Protests Turned Riots

As for the Rome riots this weekend, what can I say. I’m horribly disappointed. I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t recognize my own city. My heart sank watching the news coverage of the riots. All I could see were groups of masked and hooded thugs destroying the city I call home and have grown to love just as much as my own country. Like any city, Rome has its own problems but nothing justifies what we witnessed this Saturday. Nothing justifies attacks on police, smashing windows, setting vehicles on fire and throwing up barricades. I pray they round up those thugs…and throw away the key!

I took a few pictures on Monday driving into work but nothing compares to the real damage they caused that was closed off for clean up. What happened on Saturday is NOT Rome! It’s the action of a few demonstrators that infiltrated a peaceful protest causing terror and havoc with no clear message. The results surprised us all. Occupy Wall Street...Occupy Rome...Occupy whatever capital city you want, but don’t destroy it!

Fashion Week San Antonio Finale

Fashion Week San Antonio wrapped up on Friday evening with a final Fashion Group International (FGI) event, “The Emerging Designer Show.” Hosted in an historical part of Sunset Station, “The Depot,” the runway show began spectacularly thanks to the beautiful building’s vaulted ceilings, balcony seating and 1,000 lights. State Representative Joaquin Castro, was not only excited about San Antonio’s third annual fashion week, but commented that the city would continue to support such an artistic endeavor showcasing San Antonio and Texas talent for years to come.

The first models down the catwalk wore Malissa Long’s Spring/Summer 2012 creations, which began with smaller fitted clothes, and continued with looser, cooler numbers, like a fun orange “trash bag” dress with chest embellishments. Long’s pieces often mixed the fitted and loose look, and while her poufy gray shorts and splash-colored dresses and tops were inspiring, be on the look-out for her array of multi-color-blocked handbags. They are a must-have.

Carol Reyes’s collection was a little bid louder, with interesting looks including a pink and black fur coat with silk waist belt over a fitted two-toned dress which was completed with ruffles around the bottom. Her creative take on color blocking included dresses with black and white polka dots. However—above everything else—her black flowered elbow-length gloves were so sexy and elegant I’d like to wear them everywhere—like a six-year-old princess; to school, to bed, to Halloween, everywhere.

Dolores Vernor featured warm weather clothes with intriguing detail; a gray calf-length coat with fur collars and cuffs, and black longhorn logos on pink background. The attention-getting “Cruella di Vil” jacket, another take on the popular color blocking, incorporated large vertical black and white stripes.

The “featured” designer of the evening was Adrienne Yunger, whose memorable outfits included her fresher designs. A man in golf clothes wore army green and navy blue plaid pants, accompanied by a bright blue billowy top with bright stripes. Other looks were Native American-inspired as men donned colorful coral pants with tops in Southwestern-colored palates which were also reflected in Yunger’s dresses.
Toni Jackson’s noteworthy House of Krimson label was inventive and reminiscent of ‘Lady Victoria’ while my favorite designs of the evening were created by the duo Monique Ganis and Petrecia Falcon. Their collection felt like I was going to London in the fall, winter—or even spring for that matter, thanks to the city’s temperamental weather. Gorgeous double breasted coats and chic gray business suits inspired, while a flowy umbrella jacket with bright red lining twirled and twirled. It was a romantic ending to a romantic evening.

Sagra dell’Uva (Grape Festival) in Marino

October is by far the best time to visit Rome. Temperatures are slightly cooler and grape season is in full swing. Wine is overflowing everywhere and bunches of fresh picked grapes are ready to be eaten. Especially in the medieval town of Marino where the “Sagra dell’Uva” attracted hundreds to drink up last year’s reserve to make room for this year’s vino novello. Since 1925, the town of Marino (south of Rome) has graciously shared with locals their abundant source of produce and wine by handing out over 150 tonnes of grapes and providing 3,000 litres of local white wine during their four-day festival. The highlight of the event is when they turn the water from the city’s main fountain into sparkling white wine giving visitors a taste of Marino’s famous wine.

The grape festival, which is one of the oldest in Italy, commemorates the return of Admiral Marcantonio Colonna to his home in Marino after his victory over the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto in October 1571. The sagra is celebrated during the month of October to give thanks for the safe return of more than 250 sailors sent to battle.

After all these years, Romans continue to show their appreciation for this victory and long-standing tradition by visiting Marino’s annual wine and grape festival.

Angelina Mata Atelier Premieres at New York Fashion Week

The entrance to Cult Studios is hidden behind plywood and a closed-off sidewalk when I arrive at the Flower District location near New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology. Inside, Henry De La Paz, a hairdresser originally from the Rio Grande Valley, is preparing models with weaves, curls, and Princess Leia braids and ribbons for San Antonio designer Angelina Mata’s Spring/Summer 2012 ready-to-wear collection being unveiled at New York Fashion Week.

With 12 years on the ground in San Antonio, and time in L.A., London, and now New York City, De La Paz continues to work with Mata, traveling to San Antonio roughly every five weeks. “I’ve worked with her and her family for eight years,” he says proudly. The all-star cast of San Antonio artists coming together to support Mata’s new line also includes makeup artist Patrick Eichler, whose extensive career includes working with icons such as Alexander McQueen, Valentino and Zac Posen.

When I’m finally ushered into the studio, I find Mata’s Atelier vision showcased in a performance-art installation rather than the traditional runway show. While the approach is said to have been adopted by many fashion designers after 9/11 for budget constraints, it’s continued because of the way it allows an audience to study the designs more deeply. It’s a different but much more rewarding experience.

A dress made with silk organza and “enshrined underground for ten days” was arguably one of Angelina Mata Atelier’s most important pieces of the night, as Mata worked with fiber artist Laura Beehler who helped dye and weather the fabric to create what Mata’s marketing calls a unique “b(earth)ing.” The two buried the five yards of fabric wrapped around a rusty grate, embedded it with rose petals, and kept it wet, as if growing a plant. Once extracted from the ground, the silk organza was turned into a signature bespoke dress with the intention to look antiquated, and indeed it did, as the rust, rose petals, and leaves all left their mark.

Mata says that her silk organza gown, as well as the rest of her line, “translates into a concise ultramodern look with the haunt of ancient civilizations.” This may feel like a familiar trend, however by combining both modern and ancient elements — conforming the long silk organza gown to the body while also allowing it to flow off the body, for example, contributes to a blending of conservatism and progressivism.

However, this exquisite work was less accessible than Mata’s other ready-to-wear outfits, like the fitted, dark pink, off-the-shoulder chiffon dress; a cream A-line knee-length dress; or the stark-white fitted dresses outlined with green and pink. Mata’s tribute to color featured green, orange, and yellow dresses with unique patterns. One of my favorites was the purple skirt with copper belt, which appeared to have large copper medallions printed on it. Large, thick metal belts tied other dresses together as well, however as exciting as the dresses were, the talk of the night were the shoes.

Mata’s shoes were a collaborative effort; furniture artist Peter Zubiate and graphic artist Can2 assisted here, along with metal artist Jose Chapa, who also did all of the metal work for belts. Many of the models appeared to be perched on stilts as they stood on thick wooden platforms stuck to metal extensions — not your typical stiletto. The shoes created a futuristic fairy tale experience, and complemented the models’ vertically pinned thick braids. Some of the braids appeared to be spray painted, others were very pixie-fairy-esque, evoking the fresh appearance of the line. (With their hair down and undone, the models recalled the film Avatar.) In addition, jewelry designer Tracy Stephens helped execute Mata’s earrings.

Mata made it to New York Fashion Week with more than $8,000 in donations largely from the San Antonio community. A thank-you celebration for local friends and supporters is set for November 2 at Blue Star Contemporary Art Center, during which Mata will show the collection against the backdrop of departed SA artist Chuck Ramirez’ work.

New York City Fashion Week: Kaelen’s Comfortable Spring/Summer 2012 Collection

Toronto born, New York-based designer Kaelen Farncombe presented her Spring/Summer 2012 collection at Chelsea neighborhood’s Root Drive-In Studio. Upon arrival, myself and guests were given a baby pink program with black Rorschachs. But we didn’t know quite what to make of it once we finally previewed the collection, as we were ushered into a rectangular room where translucent pink sheets hung from the ceiling, along with tree branches. The leaves of the trees appeared to be on the models’ headbands, which was distracting from Kaelen’s new collection.

Perhaps the Rorschachs, pink sheets and leafless branches were meant to evoke a psychological, fairy tale dream, which coincided with the collection. Light-weight fabrics like chiffon, silk, and cotton in muted hues of pink, peach, and nude hung loosely from the models’ bodies. Some outfits were given a punch of color, like the cropped tee in orange silk noil, accompanied with a draped skirt in peach silk chiffon. However most of the looks included quiet button up rompers in nude crinkle cotton and a flowy draped pocket dress in cream crushed velvet, with a couple of louder looks like the pleated disco dress in white sheen ossido, and the blazer and slouch shirt in seafoam inkblot. The inkblot was incorporated into a few outfits as well.

While most of the collection was cohesive, the blazer and slouch pant in striped cotton, as well as a t-shirt looking-dress with a slit down the side called to mind pajamas. And then, once the image of pajamas struck my mind, I couldn’t help but think that, perhaps most of Kaelen’s collection could pass for pajamas: some looks were sexy, “my-boyfriend’s-coming-over” pajamas; some were casual and covered up, “I-haven’t-shaved" pajamas; and some were “whatever, I don’t give a shit” pajamas, that can be worn as clothes as well. With that said, I really did like the relaxed look of most of Kaelen’s pieces and think that the loose and flowy fit makes them comfortable to wear, while making the person look and stay cool.