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

It is hard to believe Fashionably Austin is celebrating the amazing #5 anniversary attending New York Fashion Week. What wonderful memories I have made from attending the shows at Bryant Park then at Lincoln Center.  Getting credentialed to attend this event has been not only a blessing but certainly been a bucket list item for me, and it has been fun to share the experience with many as well.
I also have to say a big thank you for you following and supporting Fashionably Austin. It has been an amazing growth year for the site and I couldn’t do it without you.
See all the people who will be traveling to New York either working or enjoying New York Fashion Week. It’s a great list of people representing the Lone Star State.
I am also excited to announce our gracious supporters for this trip,  Beauty on the Go, Russ and Company Salon and Retreat Nail Bar.   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  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.
Attending:  Blair Hendrix, Carolina Ramos, Clare Moore, Dania Abdi, Jenny Cole, June Loh, Karinna Lopez, Kevin Lorica, Kristen Hubby, Liliana Rocha, Marissa Adams, Max La Meher, Mong Bui, Paul Ortiz, Shelby Smith, Tiffany Chan,Tiffany Pham, Tré Miles, Valerie Gonzalez, Victoria Espinoza, Whitney Chan, Wilfrido Rodriguez
Isabella Rose Taylor
Isabella will be showing her first collection at the Style 360 event during New York Fashion Week.  She is a popular name in the Austin fashion scene and is vast becoming a household name nation-wide as well.  From her national television appearances, to showing her collections in Austin, we wish her all the best for an amazing show.  Be sure to check out my latest article about Isabella’s September to Remember.
Dina Chavez
This will be the first time for local designer Dina Chavez to show a collection during New York Fashion Week.  She will be showing at Small Boutique Fashion Week, a venue for small boutiques and emerging designers to show their collections.  She is following in the footsteps of previous Austin designers Megan Summerville and Laisa Macias who showed last September.  The collection she will show is the merging of her style with commercialism.  She used simple elements with a unique design mixed with simple silhouettes with mixed prints and bold prints.   The Fashionably Austin team will be there to share the exciting show!  And after the show Dina will be taking in a Yankees game.  This fashion week is somewhat bittersweet for Dina…her beloved sister passed last March and they had always wanted to go to New York for Fashion Week.  I’m sure she will be watching over you Dina and saying how proud she is of you.
Martha Lynn Kale
Martha Lynn and  Whitney Paul from Mirror Mirror Salon will be working the Tess Giberson show.   The will be supporting the  Living Proof education team, with Ward Stegerhoek’s (one of the founders of Living Proof and hair styling legend) with other Living Proof educators.  This will be the first trip to New York Fashion Week for Martha Lynn and Whitney and they are excited to take in all the backstage excitement.
Whitney and Martha Lynn have been working together since Mirror Mirror opened so to attend NYFW together is a dream come true!  Martha Lynn will attend a few work meetings and her husband will also be in the city for work so they plan to spend time exploring and people watching throughout the weekend.  A little work and a little play…perfect trip!  
Be sure to check out   www.MirrorMirrorSalon.com and @MirrorMirrorAtx and Martha Lynn’s blog is www.MarthaLynnKale.com and @MarthaLynnKale 
Cristina Facundo
This is Christina’s 10th season 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 was 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.
This season her duties will take her backstage for Isabella Rose Taylor’s show at the Style 360 event during New York Fashion Week.
www.cristinafacundo.com
Brittany Brooke
Brittany, is an accomplished writer and aspiring photographer.  She will play an important roll of fashion writer and runway photographer for the Fashionably Austin team this season.  She is no stranger to the writing world…she was the Trends editor for the Texas State University newspaper while majoring and graduating with a degree in journalism.  She also hosts her own food blog called Kitchen Candid and is a busy photographer for her own studio, Brittany Brook Photography in Omaha, NE where she photographs engagement and wedding photos.  This is Brittany’s first trip to New York City and what a memorable trip it will be to also attend Fashion Week!  
 Gregg Cestaro
A familiar face to the Austin fashion scene, Gregg is finally making the trek north to the big show.  Gregg has been received many awards during Austin Fashion Week and is an accomplished product and fashion photographer.  He has been with Fashionably Austin for more than four years and brings a special eye and creativity to all his photos.  Welcome to the Fashion Team in NYC Gregg!  www.greggcestaro.net
Diane Keen
Diane will be staying busy taking Street Style photos and attending the shows to get the fun side runway shots for the Fashionably Austin team.  She has been with the Men’s Wearhouse for more than 18 years and has a “keen” eye for menswear fashion.  She is also not only one of Cheryl’s best friends but she also serves as a great editor and video assistant…much like the did when Cheryl was working on television projects in the Dallas market in the late 90’s.  Just be careful when these two get together because the creative ideas are flowing and a glass of wine is always near by.  If you see fun things posted to Facebook during New York Fashion Week, more than likely it will come from Diane!
Johnny Cardoza
Johnny is a recent graduate of Texas State University student and is majoredin Fashion Merchandising with a minor in fashion public relations. During New York Fashion Week last season he interned for Mode PR and after graduation he made the leap, moved to NYC and got hired with the firm.  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.
Christian is excited to attend his third New York Fashion Week! Be on the lookout for some amazing street style from this reporter…he never disappoints.
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.
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.