When you live in Austin you know that during spring break hundreds of thousands of people make Austin a temporary home to attend SXSW.
Since 1987 musicians have launched their careers, independent movies have premiered and now fashion events are a popular new component to the week-long list of events at SXSW.
The first fashion-focused event was a three-day fashion blogger extravaganza. The Texas Style Council, created by Austin’s Indiana Adams who founded Adored Austin.com, provided an opportunity for fashion bloggers to connect, network, play and shop at their Social Media Conference.
I actually covered the Texas Style Council event during SXSW from its inception (when it was just a small breakfast two years ago) and it has since turned into a fashion business marketing force that connects fashion bloggers from around the country and has grown from a handful of attendees to more than 250 registrants this year.
The weekend began with a fashion blogger networking party in the stylish space on First Street by Austin City Hall. Meeting fashion bloggers from coast to coast and hearing their perspective on the latest fashion trends was refreshing and reminded me why I have loved reporting on the changes in the fashion business during my career.
Saturday started off with small group discussions led by experts in fashion blogging and an afternoon shopping extravaganza featuring thrift, vintage and one-of-kind pop-up shops. The evening wrapped up with a glizy party and of course, more networking.
Sunday featured top industry professionals at the Social Media Symposium. Topics included Think Local, Go National and Austin’s Matt Swinney from Austin Fashion Week/Launch 787 spoke. Other local speakers were Tolly Moseley from Austin Eavesdropper, and former Austin American-Statesman style writer Jean Scheidnes, who is now with Nieman Marcus. I was asked to be on the Amped up Writing panel with Caroline Waxler, Director of Digital Content for Lucky Magazine, Jessica Amason, Director of Community for Refinery 29, and Ann Colville Somma of Cult of Pretty.
The Texas Style Council event wrapped up on Monday morning with Bloody Marys and manicures at Beauty Bar X.
Time to return home, download pictures and have bloggers write their own recap stories from Austin, Texas….The Fashion Capital…even if it is just during Spring Break.
Click here for a complete list of attendees and find new fashion blogs to love.