Texans in the Tents at New York Fashion Week

All our bags are packed and we are almost ready to go to another New York Fashion Week!  After I return each trip, I say is this really worth it? and after a few more hours of catching up on some sleep it’s always a resounding YES!  This trip is special because we get to see several familiar Austin faces in New York to show their collections, work the tents, report from the end of the runway and more. First-timers Bri Thomas and photographer Sparky Anderson will help hold the fashion fort down for Fashionably Austin and I’ll keep you updated on all the exciting coverage as well. Thank you for following and supporting us!
I am excited to announce our gracious and supporting sponsors, The Garden Room, Beauty on the Go, Russ and Company Salon and Blue Glue Bikinis. Your support is so appreciated.
It is quite amazing!   Just look at the list below and see the talented folks who will be covering the runway shows, working backstage, or ARE the designers.   Be sure to follow us on Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest and Instagram.  We have got you covered for fashion week.
(In alphabetical order)
Sparky Anderson
Austin, TX –
Sparky has been shooting for Fashionably Austin for several years and for his own photographer company Digital Fashion Concepts.  He also enjoys shooting professionally for the automotive business.  This will be the first Fashion Week trip for Sparky.
Sparky re-discovered the camera 12 years ago after attending Burning Man in Black Rock City, Nevada. Sparky is always collaborating with artists, models, and clients that want an eclectic or different look for their portfolio or content.  He is currently obtaining an Associates Degree of Photographic Technology in Fashion and he has already earned a business degree, B.B.A. in Marketing.  He has interned under glamour photographers, Arny Freytag, David Mecey, Jarmo Pohjaniemi, and Rolando Gomez.  Sparky is a Canon Professional Services member, Associate photographer for Playboy and member of the National Motorsports Press Association and also serves on boards of several art organizations.
Johnny Cardoza
Texas State University
Johnny attends Texas State University student and is majoring in Fashion Merchandising with a minor in fashion public relations. During New York Fashion Week he will be interning for Mode PR.  Mode PR represents several non-commercial designers such as Bantu, Assembly New York, and Creatures of Comfort.  He will be assisting with the preparation and execution of several presentations and fashion shows throughout the week.  This will be Johnny’s first opportunity at New York Fashion Week and will  soak in all of the knowledge of the professionals.   You may have seen Johnny and Cheryl Bemis on camera working together to cover the many runway shows at Austin Fashion Week.
Melissa d’Attilio
Houston & Austin, TX
A Houston native and former Austinite,  Melissa is the owner of Fly Productions a fashion show production and event company now based in New York.  She works directly with the designer to create the entire concept for their fashion show, from selecting the music, light direction, to the materials for the runway.  It is all on the shoulders of Melissa and her busy Fly team working with clients like Naeem Kahn, Rebecca Taylor, DL 1961, Jill Stuart, Chris Benz, Badgley Mischka and Calvin Klein and more.  Melissa can be seen backstage directing all of the elements of the fashion show to make sure it starts on time (which I consider “fashion” time).   After a sound and light check run thru with the models, she perches herself high in the corner of the tent and calls “lights up, model walk.”  Let the magic of the fashion show begin.
To learn more about Melissa click here.
Cristina Facundo
Austin, TX
Cristina is a leading and accomplished wardrobe stylist and has worked with some of the top-named designers in the industry including, Reem Acra, Zac Posen, Rachel Zoe Vera Wang and more. She will be busy with her top clientele list at New York Fashion Week. Locally, she is the lead wardrobe stylist for Austin Monthly Magazine and styled fashion campaigns for Kendra Scott, on set styling for Nora Jones, look book shoots for local designers and more.
Cesar Galindo
Houston, TX
Now a New York resident this Houston native was destined to be in the fashion business. His creative parents set the path for him and as a young aspiring designer (he is the youngest of 11 children) he made dresses and sold then in Houston area consignment stores. More formal experience came along when Cesar worked as the assistant to Jose Varona at the Miami City Ballet and he was back in his hometown working for the Houston Grand Opera. More doors opened for him working for Dolce & Gabanna, Calvin Klein designing stage costumes for Madonna, Missy Elliot, Mary J. Blige and Chaka Khan wore his costumes at the 1999 world tour with Prince. His CZAR by Cesar Galindo collection launched in October 2011, his secondary collection to the CESAR GALINDO Collection, with rave reviews. His feminine, beautifully constructed dresses accompanied by his signature color always make in a crowd and Texas favorite.
Gerry Hanan 
Round Rock, TX
This Irish-born photographer has many accomplishments under his fashion belt including his most recent Golden Boot award at Austin Fashion Week for Critics Choice – Best Mash Up photo shot by him and created by team EON. He not only is the at the top of the press pit,  typically reserved for the most seasoned photographers.   Gerry stands tall shooting beautiful images and in some cases he will be shooting for top clients like Maybelline New York or the photohouse Corbis. It has been fun to be in the same photography pit with him as he adds a touch of genuine Texas hospitality laced with an Irish accent.  Gerry and business partner Andrea Hanks just launched Fashion Blogger Images which provides Fashion Week images, for a small subscription fee, to use for websites and blogs.
Sherri Hill
 Austin, TX
Sherri Hill recently relocated her corporate headquarters to Austin.  Her designs of opulent red carpet and prom gowns have a huge following. (just check out the million plus followers on Facebook)  As with most designers you have to start somewhere and Sherri’s start began when contestants of the Miss USA, Miss Universe and Miss America contestants won wearing her designs.  More than 800 stores carry her gowns in more than 30 countries.
The Sherri Hill collection shown at New York Fashion Week has had some impressive models walk the runway including,  Kendall and Kylie Jenner , Miss China 2011 Luo Zilin, Miss USA 2011 Alyssa Campanella, Carmen Dell’Orefice, Miss Universe 2008 Dayana Mendoza  .
The red carpet has also been a popular place to see Hill designs. Selena Gomez, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Carmen Electra and Bella Thorne have all been seen wearing her gowns.
We are excited to feature this Austin based designer at Fashion Week in New York.
Laisa Chavez Macias
Austin, TX
Laisa Chavez Macias launched her collection called LaLa in the Spring of 2011 during SXSW with her signature Eco-Friendly Scarf top. After selling out three days in a row she knew she had found her calling. Laisa began sewing at a very young age, mentored by her grandmother who was a seamstress for the military, it wasn’t until about four or five years ago that she actually got re-aquainted with a sewing machine. It didn’t take more than a few of crash course sewing classes, a couple of private lessons in patterning, and a one year internship with a local handbag designer before she knew fashion design was what she wanted to do. With the support of friends and family, and an amazing week long launch at SXSW, LaLa quickly became an Austin favorite. She has been featured in the Austin American Statesman and Austin Monthly magazine and you can find her pieces in small boutiques in Austin. Now a regular participant of Austin Fashion Week, and a RAW Austin Artist, LaLa is going to the New York City for Small Boutique Fashion Week with the debut of her Spring 2014 Collection, Primavera. Inspired by springs rainy and beautiful transitional weather, it’s a collection that is sure to rock any runway! Austin’s Limbo Jewelry Design will be accessorizing Laisa’s collection for her show.
Clifford Pugh
Houston
Cliff has enjoyed a long, successful journalism career at the Houston Post and Houston Chronicle. Clifford Pugh has discovered the joys of the web in creating a unique news and information site that covers Houston in real time for the daily news site Culture Map Houston. His claim to journalism fame came at the Vanity Fair Oscar party, when screenwriter Alexander Payne asked him to hold his Oscar while he went to the bathroom. Cliff is busy jumping from show to show inside the tents at Fashion Week and brings an interesting prospective to the articles he writes. It’s nice to have a man’s opinion in the industry.
Christian Ramirez
Austin, TX
Christian, a 2012 Rising Star reciepent and 2011 People’s Choice Best Male Model at the Austin Fashion Awards is an accomplished stylist, model, fashion television host and reporter. In April 2013 he started working with the Telemundo network and that is where he is using his love of acting, tv and fashion together to build and brand his name. He is a natural on camera and offers amazing fashion advice (I know because he has dress me for the Austin Fashion Awards the last two years) This will be the first time Christian will be headed to Fashion Week in NYC but it won’t be his last. Adios my friend and see you in the Tents!
Lela Rose
Dallas/New York
Lela was raised in Dallas, TX educated in Colorado and continued her fashion education from Parson’s School of Design.  She  graduated in 1993 and worked for two designers prior to launching her own collection in 1998.  Dresses worn by the Bush twins at their father’s presidential inauguration helped put the Lela Rose name on the map.  Her love of feminine fabrics, colorful palettes and keen eye to detail has made the Lela Rose a popular go to brand for classic and beautiful collections.  She has grown her brand in the home decor category and partnered with Payless ShoeSource and designed a collection of affordable footwear.  categories.  Celebrities frequent the front row at her runway shows in New York and is one of my favorites to shoot.  She is an approachable, gracious designer.  The University of Texas Fashion Group has dressed her models for NYFW for several years and has mentioned she loves working with them.
Alan Ruiz 
Austin, TX
In 2007, Latina Magazine deemed Allen as one of the Top 10 Latino Hairdressers in America. A four-time Canadian Mirror Awards nominee for International Hairstylist of the Year, Allen took home the prestigious award in 2011. He has also been the recipient of five North America Hairstyling Awards (NAHA) nominations garnering Hairstylist of the Year honors in 2007 and Salon Team of the Year in 2011. Ruiz, Allen’s award-winning salon located in Austin, Texas has been featured by Salon Today Magazine as one of the Top 200 Salons in the US. Most recently Alan was awarded the highest awards of hair dressing, The North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA). This is presented annually in 14 categories and salute technical excellence and artistic expression in hairdressing. Alan and his team will be styling the New York Fashion Week models for several shows and we’ll bring you the his finished looks too!
Megan Summerville
Austin, TX
Megan Summerville, an accomplished lingerie seamstress and designer began her career in 2003. She was focused to create garments, regardless of shape or size that fit. If you wear anywhere from a 28A to a 52N, Megan has you covered, literally. In 2009, Megan was presented with Texas’ Next top Designer Award. She creates custom bras for breast cancer survivors and is a strongly supports the Austin Fashion Scene. She recently showed her collection at the 2013 Austin Fashion Week. Austin jewelry designer Beth McElhaney of Personal Adornments will be accessorizing Megan’s collection.
Bri Thomas
Austin, TX
Bri Thomas finished up her journalism degree at the University of Texas a semester early to pursue her life-long dream of fashion writing. Though she is currently working for a wellness company on Sixth Street, she spends her spare time blogging about or shopping for the latest trends, hoping to make her way to the Big Apple.  She also will offer her fashion expertise at Blue Glue in the Domain.  Her creative style and extreme organizational skills have landed her work with publications like Austin Home and New York Resident, and she’s excited to see what’s next!  This will be Bri’s first trip to New York Fashion Week.
The University Fashion Group
This talented and fun group will be very busy this Fashion Week working backstage as dressers for several shows.  They will be responsible to get the famous models of Fashion Week dressed, zipped and all buttoned up before they walk the runway.  The Fashion Group will be helping with the Lela Rose, Timo Weiland, Tess Geberson and Trina Turk shows this season.  Past UFG president Angeli Agrula will also be on hand to help.  This Alumnus is working in NYC with the famous design house Custo Barcelona.  Students attending New York Fashion Week: Tedi Infante, Natalie Poche, Zoe Patterson, Demetrius White, Shelby Smith, Jade Watermiller, Kristi Schweigert, Meher Jalal, Olivia Puente, Jenny Cole, Anna Lawson, Victoria Espinoza, Tiffany Pham, Michelle Villa, Noemi Rodriguez, Jibran Siddiqui, Carolina Ramos, Dania Abdi, Jonathan Ochart, Roberta Izquierda.