Texans In The Tents – New York Fashion Week – February 2014

It seems like the September shows just wrapped up and it’s time to head back for another New York Fashion Week!  This time the Fall Collections will be front and center down the runways. This trip, like my many others in February are always weather related. The only issue in the past is it always happens WHILE I’m there not trying to GET to NYC. So I may become a weather reporter for the better part of a day or so. For the folks who are already there, keep the posts coming in for the few of us who will be there soon.
I have to say a big thank you for you following and supporting Fashionably Austin. You all continue to support the brand and lots of new and exciting things are happening for 2014! As Austin grows, we will too.
New York will have to deal with a number of Austinites and Texans this week so take a look below and let’s support our beloved locals.
I am also excited to announce our gracious supporters for this February trip, The Garden Room, Beauty on the Go, Russ and Company Salon and JP Eyewear/Fitovers.   Your support is so appreciated.
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, Tess Geberson and Trina Turk shows this season.  The Tess and Trina shows are produced by former Texan Melissa d’Attilio. (see below) Students attending New York Fashion Week: Meher Jalal, Demetrius White, Max La, Juju Huang, Avani Patel, Jibran Siddiqui, Tedi Infante, Anna Lawson, Shelby Smith, Natalie Poche, Carla Hernandez, Margaret Villamaria, Jean N. Serna-Hincapie
Jessica Faith Marshall
This young (she’s 14), fireball of a designer will be showing her first collection during New York Fashion Week at the PLITZS fashion event. Jessica recently moved to Dallas but we still consider her an Austinite at heart. In October, she won the Project Pink competition to benefit the Austin Susan G. Komen foundation. Her collections have also been featured at Austin Fashion Week been seen during the 2012 and 2013 Austin Fashion Weeks. www.FaithbyJessica.com
Edie Henry 
Edith “Edie” Henry, a leading fashion/personal wardrobe STYLIST-personal shopper in Austin, TX, began as a teenage model, evolved into retail sales, retail management, visual merchandising, and buying, then left the fashion industry for two other “loves”, acting and interior design.
She enjoyed success in both fields while she resided in CA. However, her “passion for fashion” resurfaced when her modeling was re-ignited during a photo shoot for her acting head shots. After a stint as a lifestyle model in her mid 30’s, she turned her attention to “the other side of the camera”.
Makeup artistry was next, but it wasn’t long before her true calling in the fashion industry was revealed!  STYLING!!  www.edithhenry.com
Cristina Facundo
This is Christina’s 9th season of working backstage at Fashion Week with a long list of impressive shows to her credit. Previously she worked backstage during NYFW while attending FIT’s Fashion Styling program and after graduation, her professors extended the invitation, even when she moved back to Austin. She is a wardrobe assistant for designers including Oscar de la Renta, Elie Tahari, Reem Acra, Alexander Wang, Zac Posen, Prabal Gurung, Rachel Zoe, Phillip Lim, Badgley Mischka, and Vera Wang. www.cristinafacundo.com
Cristina will be working six shows this season, but won’t be able to disclose until the shows are done.
Lydia Hutchison
Lydia has been a staple runway and print model here in Austin, but like many successful careers sometimes you have to fly the coop to grow. Currently she has moved is working in New York testing and working to get her model career off the ground in the Big Apple. She will be walking in one reported show on February 6 and if the weather gods are in my favor, I will be a happy photographer to see her walk her first “walk” in NYC.
Sandra Dahdah
An accomplished photographer for more than 10 years, Sandra will brave the international press risers to capture the best of fashion week. As a Photographer, photojournalist, and cinematographer, Sandra covers everything from music, fashion, to photojournalism. Sandra is represented by an international wire agency called Zuma Press and her work has been published, in major editorials as such Time, People, Ebony, Music Radar, etc. www.SandraDahdah.com
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 again 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.  Johnny is now a fashion week veteran.
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.
After a successful run last NYFW S/S14 season Christian is looking forward to his second New York Fashion Week.
As a Fashion Reporter and Wardrobe stylist Christian is inspired and is an expert on the latest trends and most importantly what designers will make its mark this Fall 2014 season.
Christian will be attending many shows such as such as Angel Sanchez, Custo Barcelona, Donna Karan, Carmen Marc Valvo, Pedro del Hierro Madrid and many more.
He is a social media guru and keeps his peeps up to date from the runway.
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. Melissa will be using the help of the UT Fashion Group for two of her shows as backstage dressers.
To learn more about Melissa click here.
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 run Fashion Blogger Images.  This photo wire type service provides high-quality fashion images from all the fashion shows around the world  for a small subscription fee.
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.
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!