Austin Fashion Designers Unite – Design Lab is Now OPEN!!

One thing is for sure, the Austin Fashion community has a very strong connection with each other and we’ll show support for our growing fashion scene in just about any way we can.  Fashion supporters attended the launch party for the newly opened Design Lab located at the Oasis in the growing West Austin quadrant.   It is concept boutique of all and only Texas Designers created by Austin’s own 2014 Fashion Trailblazer Linda Asaf.
The retailer store located in a large and eclectic  3,000 sf store showcases a highly curated yet diverse variety of 27 Texas-based fashion designers who are creating collections on a regular basis.  Merchandise ranges from jewelry and eyewear to children’s clothing and women’s apparel.
Richard Cole, of Paelo Denim creates, from scratch, leather and denim items primarily for men and was excited to be a part of Design Lab.   “I’ve known Linda for a few months thru a group dedicated towards promoting manufacturing in Austin so I was excited to get an invitation from Linda to involved in this project.”  said Cole.
Founder Linda Asaf is no stranger to the Austin fashion community.  A successful designer herself and a 2014 Austin Trailblazer winner at the Austin Fashion Awards and has taken a three-year vision to create the Design Lab concept.  “I believe in helping other designers in the community and I think all of us here were looking for an outlet were we could test our products, sell our line, without the headaches of running a store, have sample sales and be able to control our brand,” said Asaf.
Lisa Carpenter from the Lisa LeCroy brand was looking to find a new space to sell her collection of shoes and accessories.  “I came to Austin and met Linda and loved it and I think a lot of designers are going to start working together.  It just makes sense.” said Carpenter.

Participating designers:

•     Black Cross: a women’s apparel line from Midi Soliz, designer to the stars, launching her line first and only at Design Lab
•     Chicka-D: super stylish game day apparel for women and children: http://chicka-d.com
•     Criquet Shirts: fashionable, organic polo shirts and gear for men and boys: http://www.criquetshirts.com/
•     Femailler: creates exquisitely hand-woven chainmaille jewelry with old-world charm: http://www.femailler.com/
•     Hatbox: an Austin-based modern haberdashery, with unique hats for both men and women:http://www.hatbox.com
•     Jacq Jones: classic, modern jewelry handcrafted here in Austin with high quality natural materials:http://jacqjones.com/
•     JBird Jewelry: Luxurious gold and gemstone jewelry elegantly designed with striking simplicity:http://shopjbird.com/
•     Lauren Checchio: creates unique, one of a kind wearable art with her jewelry, which utilizes both vintage pieces and originals    http://www.laurenchecchio.com
•     League of Rebels: crafts epic menswear for the modern-day gentleman: http://www.leagueofrebels.com
•     Lisa Lecroy: convertible footwear; shoes and boots than can be tailored and tweaked to match an outfit, season or mood: http://www.lisalecroy.com
•     Mark Kalen: hand-crafted, locally designed jewelry that’s classic, sophisticated and edgy:http://markkalen.com/site/
•     Nectar/ Linda Asaf: A swimwear and resort line with roots in high fashion alongside Asaf’s classic, timeless and feminine ready-to-wear. http://lindaasaf.com/
•     Nui Organic: children’s clothing, wool & organic cotton apparel for babies & kids: http://www.nuiorganics.com
•     Pearl Southern Couture: a classic clothing collection that represents the rich heritage of the Deep South:http://www.pearlsoutherncouture.com/
•     Revelry Dresses: comfortable, beautiful dresses in game day colors for every occasion:http://www.revelrydresses.com/
•     Sikara: beautiful, handmade modern fusion jewelry inspired from international travels: http://www.sikara.com/
•     Starling Eyewear: a high-quality, fashionable, and customizable alternative to traditional reading eyewearhttp://www.starlingeyewear.com
•     Stripedshirt: super soft, game day color fanwear, for women, kids and babies: http://www.stripedshirt.com
•     Texas Outlaw Boots: fine handmade leather boots at affordable prices: http://www.texasoutlawboots.com
•     United We Art: original art T-shirts, “wear and share” apparel that is 100% American made and also gives back to the community with every sale: http://www.unitedweart.us/
•     Valentina Shoes: fun, colorful and one-of-a-kind shoes, personalized for girls: http://www.valentinashoes.com/
•     9f Knives: creates custom, hand-forged one of a kind knives created from recycled materials which are both art pieces and functional knives: http://www.9fknives.com/

See more pictures from the Design Lab Launch Party – (photos: Cheryl Bemis and Gregg Cestaro)
Design Lab will also host special events including private parties, product launches, fashion camps, fashion shows, concerts and more.
More about Design Lab is available at https://www.facebook.com/designlabaustin or on Twitter: @designlabatx. Web site coming soon: http://www.designlabaustin.com