Scary time in the South

Oh yea, it's costume season. Y'all know my unending love for playing dress up and New Orleans is really just the gateway drug for my habit. There's always a reason to costume here, no matter if it is Halloween, Mardi Gras, Red Dress Run, the list goes on and on. When Halloween falls on a weekday it means everyone needs multiple costumes for multiple nights. I  like to unveil a new creation every year on Samhain itself which means we'll dust off old favorites so they can make a reappearance on other nights. This past Saturday we biked downtown, the only place to be unless you're throwing a house party. Frenchman and Decatur Streets are hands down the best spots in the city to see the most creative costumes. In other words, you have to bring it and I'm not talking about some cheap drug store bagged crap. My husband busted out his warrior costume from two years ago and I was a red headed boa constrictor, something I've only worn once to work. Yea, I get to wear costumes at work, pretty awesome right?

What I Wore to Fashion Week

During the last NOLA Fashion Week I was only able to attend some networking events and a blogger panel, sending Rebekah of 504 Stitches to report on the runway shows in my absence. This year I was fortunate to make it to two of the Friday runway shows, Amanda deLeon and local favorite Jolie & Elizabeth. I was really impressed with how polished the shows were, especially since this was only the second go 'round for the NOLA Fashion week team. I brought along my friend Charle to help me dissect the looks and the photo below is from the Eiffel Society after party, where we refueled on tasty Parmesan fries and let loose on the dance floor. See y'all at the spring shows!

Amanda deLeon Spring Runway Show

Last Friday night I attended two New Orleans Fashion Week shows at the Ogden Museum, one of which was Louisiana native Amanda deLeon's Spring 2012 collection. I met the designer back in May and was afforded the chance to see her previous collection up close and personal. Touching the high end textiles and examining the exquisite craftsmanship of her designs was a treat. Amanda utilizes luxurious fabrics such as blanket soft lambskin leather and wispy chiffon, often in the same dress to create a tough yet feminine aesthetic. While spring is admittedly not her favorite season to design for Amanda took her signature looks and incorporated them into a collection that I loved. Egyptian like collars, pin sharp silhouettes and ethereal, almost cocoon like caplets were only surpassed by my favorite dress of the evening, a fringed frock with a delicate sheer veil ensconcing the swishy details. The color palette remained soft in pale metallic gold, sea foam green, and shades of blue that made me lust for a Caribbean beach.

Kickstarter: Lia Molly in New Orleans

I'm a sucker for a good Southern fashion designer. Slow Southern Style favorite Seema Sudan has been featured  here, here, and  here and while her knitwear collection Lia Molly is arguably one of the most successful clothing lines based in New Orleans it is still considered a small scale operation, at least by most factory standards. I'll let Seema tell y'all the story herself via the video below but she really needs your support to take her productions from overseas to the Big Easy.

Seema really appreciates a good thing when she sees it, that good thing being New Orleans. This town is full of inspiration and it is really neat to see so many fashion designers insisting on living here, not only for inspiration  but to plant firm roots and watch their businesses succeed. Head over to Lia Molly's Kickstarter page and give this project a little boost. You'll feel good about not only supporting one of New Orleans' finest but helping an industry grow.

$100 Giveaway from Langford Market

Do you need a little help sprucing up your Fall wardrobe? The New Orleans Langford Market is giving one lucky Slow Southern Style reader a $100 gift certificate and a pumpkin spice candle to help get you in the mood for cooler weather.

Cree's Cheap Chic 10th Annual Costume Sale

Halloween is coming up and y'all need a costume. October 31st is a big night in New Orleans and the town goes wild with goblins, political figures, and creatures that crawled out of the swamp. I've written a slew of blog posts if you need a little help deciding what to be this year but what you really need to do is get out and start shopping before all of the good stuff is gone.

Objects of Adornment Opening Night

Copper, feathers, and fur from Lacey Dupre

I can't believe how great opening night for Objects of Adornment went! Since its inception two years ago Slow Southern Style has been all about showcasing Southern based designers and I was thrilled with the opportunity to share four of my favorites in an intimate setting. 

New Orleans Fashion Week

New Orleans Fashion Week is at it again from October 15th-21st with a slew of events geared towards not only taking fashion to the forefront but making it an actual industry here in the Big Easy. The week's activities will be comprised of not only parties and shopping events but educational workshops geared towards individuals interested in photography, writing, fashion illustration, and of course design. While last season's shows were invite only this time there will be a limited number of tickets sold to the general public on the NOLA Fashion Week website. Are you planning on attending any of the weeks' festivities? Let me know which ones you are going to and maybe I will see you there!



Support NOLA Fashion Week from Joseph Miner on Vimeo

kc thomassie designs

Ladies let's face it, nothing makes us feel glitzier than a tuft of frivolousness sitting atop our head. Southerners are known for their fanciful headgear, from the Kentucky Derby, to church hats even the crowns our Mardi Gras queens wear we love resembling peacocks.Recent Samford University graduate Kaci Thomassie satisfies cravings for the fantastical with her handmade, one of a kind creations here in Louisiana.

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Drawing from her degree in theater with a concentration in costume design and inspired by vintage clothing Kaci works with a variety of materials including feathers, leather, unique fabrics, vintage buttons, and beads. It's no wonder why her fascinators are sought after by brides to be, especially on the North Shore. Check out her work in person at this Saturday's Objects of Adornment at Du Mois Gallery on Freret Street. Can't make it to the opening? The show will run from October 8th until the end of the month.

Keep up with Kc Thomassie Designs on Facebook.