Austin Fashion Awards Wrap up Austin Fashion Week 2012

 
Now that Austin Fashion Week is over, its kind of like going through withdrawl.  Every night there were so many events to attend, people to chat with, pictures and video to shoot of the runway shows…then Saturday night it was officially over.  While I can say I think my family is glad to have me back and my stomach is happy to not consume the major good groups…sugar, starch and grease, it was a week that ran super-smoothly, it was organized and fun.  More people attended events this year and it didn’t seem overwhelming to attend each night’s events.  The streamlined schedule was a plus.
The final event to recognize the Austin Fashion Industry (yes we have one folks!!) was the Fourth Annual Austin Fashion Awards held at the Austin Music Hall Saturday night.  This was the night to wear pretty much what you wanted, but most were dressed to the nines to walk the red carpet and be photographed like big time celebrities. This year the award categories changed and recognized the Mash Up Team winner, Photographers Pick Best Photograph, Trailblazers and Rising Stars.  The night was hosted by Sandy McIlree of the JB & Sandy show on Mix 94.7 and he was a great host moving the show along in a timely manner.  Four fashion shows hit the runway;  New York designer Margarita Saplala had  a super high-end show with models wearing matching black cleopatra style wigs.  Ross Bennett’s collection called “The Harvest- the New Beginnings” was a classic twist to Ross’s simple and tailored looks, Jessica Ciarla and Kendra Scott also premiered their Fall 2012 collections.  Award-winning salon Jackson Ruiz Salon provided the make up and hair for the night.
The super popular Mash Up Team competition seems to get more popular every year.  Thirty+ teams comprised of a photographer, model, make up artist, jewelry designer, stylist, designer, hair stylist put together a “look”.  There is a People’s Choice award and a Photographer’s Choice Award called the Timothy WhiteAward.  White is so well-know that it’s difficult to mention the long list the celebrities so for a local photographer to be recognized is quite an accomplishment.  The night started off showing off the models wearing the Mash Up Team outfits and walking the runway,  then the announcement…Fashionably Austin photographer Gregg Cestaro WON!!  Then it was time for the People’s Choice award for the Mash Up Team…again, the team Step Gold walked away with the Golden Boot with Gregg Cestaro as photographer.  Team:  Hair: Joseph Theis; Makeup: Mandy Hernandez; Clothing: 81 Poppies; Jewelry:  BonBon by Micah Yancey;  Stylist: Sandra Antoun;  Model: Britany Walker
Gregg has been in instrumental part taking profession pictures for the Fashionably Austin website.  He has been a loyal,  reliable and a real asset  to the team.   Gregg specializes in fashion, products, culinary, and personality photography and graphic design for magazine editorial and commercial advertising. Gregg also is an accomplished editorial commercial videographer. In 2011 he received an Industry Choice Best Product Photographer at the Austin Fashion Week Awards. You can check out his work at  GreggCestaro.net  and to view his main portfolio AustinTxPhoto.com
I was honored to be a presenter at the awards.  Lauren Polt of chicka-d accepted the Golden Boot for being a Rising Star.  Her Austin-based company creates cute game day sports apparel for primarily college girls in more than 80 colleges in the US and Her collections are in more than 600 stores.  The NBA Mavs, Spurs, Miami Heat and Orlando Magic also have chicka-d designing clothing for their teams.
Here is a complete list of Austin Fashion Award winners:
Trailblazers:  Gail Chovan – Blackmail Boutique;  Patty Hofffpauier – The Garden Room;  Dawn Younger-Smith – Boudoir Queen; Sue Webber – Webber Productions;  Alissa Bayer of milk + honey® spa;
Rising Stars:  Ross Bennett – Ross Bennett Collection; Kiersten Dickerson – Raven + Lily; Christian Ramirez – Model/Stylist/Fashion Host; Lauren Polt – chicka-d; Michelle Weisman – 81 Poppies
Thank you Matt Swinney for a fantastic week and POM PR!  Many thanks to the Fashionably Austin team, Sheridan Butler, Sammantha Johnson, Johnny Cardoza, Sparky Anderson, Gregg Cestaro.  We look forward to covering more fashion events real soon.

To view the pictures below,
Click on the picture, it will take you to our Smug mug gallery, click on the large picture again,  the thumbnails will pop up displaying the entire gallery.
You can save the Austin Fashion Week memory  You can order a print taken by AFW Winner Gregg Cestaro or Sparky Anderson.  (the watermarks will not be shown on ordered prints)
To see the Gallery of Pictures from the entire night, click here  VIDEO BELOW