NWAFW: Elysian Feel

By definition, Elysian is  an adjective  defined as “of, relating to, or characteristic of heaven or paradise.” I headed North to get a feel for the Bentonville boutique. 
Elysian/NWAFW Look #1

Elysian/NWAFW Look #1

Peach Palazzo Pants – Elysian * Cropped Carrot Sweater – Elysian * Handmade Bowtie – Emily OneManBand Smith * Heels – Forever21 * Earrings – Dillards

Elysian/NWAFW Look #2

Elysian/NWAFW Look #2

Kimono – Elysian * Dress – Vintage from Cheap Thrills * Hat – Vintage Metal Belt – 410 Vintage * Heels – Forever21

Make-up: Kory Tyler Simpson /MAC
Photos: Mallory Berry/MGB Photo
Styling/Concept: Payton Bridewell/The Window Shopper
pay and lisa

Lisa & Me, Summer 2013

Lisa Wright opened downtown Bentonville’s Elysian Boutique at the end of 2012. In March 2013, shop moved into its current spot, conveniently located a block from Bentonville’s booming downtown square. When she initially opened, she kept her full-time dental hygienist job while her mom, who retired from WM corporate, worked the store. In the evenings, she would photograph her inventory and post on social sites. At the end of last year, Lisa decided it was finally time to give up on her dual career (as a dental hygienist) to focus on Elysian full-time. Fast-forward to today and the shop is already in the throes of a success story.

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The lovely Lisa Wright, Elysian owner

Women of all ages and incomes shop at Elysian and Lisa aims to please them all. She endeavors to remember details about everyone who shops at Elysian, she credits her customer service for shoppers returning over and over again. Lisa, and in turn Elysian, is style-focused. The shop is stocked with multi-use pieces, items that can be worn a variety of ways. I asked Lisa for her wardrobe staples and she told me “a blazer, a pencil skirt, a pair of pumps and a tunic can get you anywhere.” For Spring, she is looking forward to mixing black & white with pastels.”

Expect whimsy with an edge from Elysian on Saturday night (March 8th) at NWAFW. Check out Elysian’s latest stylings on Instagram, Facebook or ShopElysian.com.  – The Window Shopper

The Window Shopper: Behind The Scenes

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See the original post on NWAFashionWeek.com and {click} for all the photos.

Photography:  Mallory Berry| web | fb | insta | email

Hair: Taylor & Lindsey of Guillotine Hair Lounge| [web | fb | insta | 479.582.8770

MUA: Kory Tyler Simpson @ MAC  | web | insta | email

Stylist: Payton Bridewell | web | fb | insta | email

I was incredibly lucky to find a few really talented people that all got along and liked working together. We were united by love for fashion and community. These wonderful people helped me on many of the shoots.

Mallory & Kory actually worked with me on my wedding day. I was pretty thrilled anyone that dealt with me as a bride wanted to work with me again. I literally cannot say enough about these amazing people. And yet, I don’t have the words. So very thankful.

Guillotine (Taylor + Lindsey)
Guillotine Hair Lounge had literally opened their doors a couple of weeks before we began (January 2013). The first time we worked together, Taylor said to me, “I don’t know you yet but I will love you” and the feeling was mutual. Guillotine is downtown, right by the Striped Pig. It’s easy-going and the fridge is stocked. We drank champagne and sat on the porch. I’m hooked because they fun as hell to hang out with and are also freaking good at doing hair. Lindsey was actually Taylor’s student and T handpicked her when she opened the salon.
Taylor has been doing hair for 13 years, nine of which were spent educating. She was the artistic director for wella usa as well as education leader for the Paul Mitchell school in little rock for the past five. She loved her position teaching, but desperately wanted to get back to nwa and is about to celebrate the year anniversary of being back one year.
Lindsey moved to Fayetteville less than four months ago. She recently finished her classes with imagine: a Paul Mitchell partner school in LR. She then worked at an educational focus salon in Russellville. Both Taylor and Lindsey told me how focused they are on learning, improving and education in general. And they practice that. They’re always describing the steps of what they’re doing.
Taylor told me she’d always wanted to open her own space, “I wanted it to be different from other salons. I wanted natural products but with creative license.” Guillotine carries evo care and pravana color. She wanted the salon to be as much a place to chill out, chat and have a cocktail or read a book. I can tell you that vibe is already prevalent. I’ve turned the place into my dressing room and they didn’t bat an eye. Taylor said, “I want it to be a team atmosphere. I want our clients to feel comfortable going back and forth between everybody that works there. Which is also very different from conventional salons. What this does is it allows us to focus on the client, instead of focusing on our individual paychecks. What’s not to love about that? We love doing any kind of session styling! We also do trainings on everything from extensions, to color formulations and placement, to curly girl cutting and precision cutting. We also do lots of webinars! Our passion is education, first and foremost. We are lucky to be in an industry that promotes learning and growth, why not capitalize on that?”
Kory Tyler
Kory told me his love affair with cosmetics started seven years ago. He picked up an eye shadow brush and hasn’t put it down. There is an absolute art form and an incredible amount of talent involved. The face is the makeup artists’ canvas. Kory works Mac but has been gaining momentum (and a reputation for excellence) enough to outsource / freelance. While k loves sharing a client’s vision for their look on a special occasion, he ultimately wants to create his own cosmetics line.
Interview with MGB
The Window Shopper: Tell me a lil’ about you?
Mallory: I’ve always been heavily involved in the visual arts, inspired by beauty, aesthetic, simplicity and nuance. From playing with my parents’ film cameras and polaroids when I was younger to making friends pose for me during high school, I’ve always been fascinated by the ability to preserve an instant, an expression, even a feeling. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to study beneath two major photographers, Steve Newby from Dallas and Steve Nozicka in Chicago; following this I began my business, seven years ago, primarily in portraits. I try to keep my images organic and airy and I am influenced by the raw qualities of film photography. I approve neither of under-editing nor over-editing, so I strive to present images that contain a hint of ideal while maintaining their core purity and nature. But I’m also no stranger to edgier imagery with artificial lighting if I feel it’s best for the subject or message.
TWS: Why fashion week?
Mallory: In addition to a desire to support local shops and designers, I am enamored with conceptual shoots, stylized sessions, and editorial photography; I knew any involvement in fashion week would be rewarding. Northwest Arkansas has so many incredible and talented individuals, and I was excited to collaborate with some of the best! Plus I love my lil Payton doll.
Mallory, Taylor, Lindsey and Kory have worked their asses off for me and the window shop with a goal of helping people in need in our community and promoting collaboration among local businesses. There is such a wealth of talent in our area.