The #NAMPENCIL c/o NA Martin

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

Nancy Martin has created something wonderful. That something is a slim-fitting pencil skirt for the gal on the go. The skirt can be wadded up, tossed about, even stuffed in a plastic bag then pulled out and worn again…Can it be true?

Nancy Martin is an attorney as well as one of a handful of fashion designers living in Northwest Arkansas. She conceptualized her skirt operation (aka NA Martin) in January of 2012 and took the line to production in June of the same year. Amazing turnaround, right? Nancy is a lovely lady with a timeless look. I don’t know her well enough to say whether it’s her enormously chic eyewear or her gorgeous hair. Nancy is svelte, poised and polished. She describes her personal aesthetic as “the classic prep look with a twist of counter-culture.” She craves contrast in her wardrobe, putting outfits together that are “simple yet elegant; a mix of the extravagant with the down to earth.” That philosophy extends beyond her attire. She prefers the juxtaposition of high end with low or rough around the edges in all things. Nancy references “a velvet chair with unfinished wood, “ as an example. But, there’s nothing rough about her or her line of pencil skirts.

Nancy Martin models her creation c/o NA Martin

She created her functional/fashionable pencil skirt to give the fashion conscious lady a “perfect basic” that could take her from the boardroom to the dining room to the bar and beyond. Nancy explains, “this skirt is designed for women of all ages who have active lives. Women who may work or volunteer during the day but need to attend a dinner or meeting at night. Women who want to be able to always count on this basic in their closet. The style is timeless and ageless because of the fit and length. “ She loves the versatility of her creation. She suggests pairing the pencil with “a mesh top with pumps, a white t-shirt with espadrilles or a starched oxford, belt and ballet flats for work.” I concur. It was with that sense of versatility and contrast that I set out to style her skirt in two ways.

the black NAM Pencil Skirt | by MGB Photo

Look #1: skirt > NAM Pencil in Black hat > Vintage lace top > Plato’s Closet necklace > Beehive heels > MACA Clothe

the NAM Pencil Skirt in Black | by MGB Photo

Look #2 skirt > NAM Pencil in Black fanny pack > Thrifted heels > Vince Camuto headband > Forever21

Nancy goes to NYC to pick out her fabrics/materials/patterns each season and the skirts are made in the USA! This Spring/Summer look for white, cream and pink pencils with an emphasis on texture. Looking forward to Fall ’14, the pencils will be dark gray, ottoman and olive with a quilted texture.

Find the NAM Pencil online, by appointment or at the following retailers as of Feb 2014:

Klothe Bentonville, AR

Town & Country Fayetteville, AR

Grand on Oak Conway, AR

Women’s Exchange St. Louis, MO

NA Martin Designer, Nancy Martin

Nancy on her inspirations: I have always loved fashion and art. I grew up with lots of art in our home and with an appreciation of art and music. I love to look at the photos in fashion magazines and create my look from them. I love to travel and do so whenever I can. I think there is no better way to be inspired. Every time I come back from a vacation, I see the world differently and with new enthusiasm. One of my favorite models is Kate Moss. For me she has the look, versatility and body in which to wear anything.

I truly enjoyed styling the #nampencil skirt and working with Nancy. There’s something incredible about borrowing an item from the actual designer. I think the future looks bright for this jack-of-all-skirts; NA Martin has set the bar high & tight. – The Window Shopper

NWAFW Window Shop: She Said Yes Bridal

February 5, 2014April 3, 2014Leave a comment

So… turns out it’s really fun shopping for a wedding dress when it’s not for your wedding day. Want to play in a beautiful gown for a day and then give it back with no damage done to your pocket book? Yes, please.

I met up with Farron & Deja at the She Said Yes store in Rogers. We easily fell into conversation about fashion and weddings and dresses (oh my!). Farron told me, “Brandi opened the store after shopping for her own wedding. She realized there was nothing in the area that provided the level of customer service or selection that you could find in bigger cities. So, she left her corporate job behind and opened She Said Yes to fill that void.” And fill the void it has for nine years and counting. Since 2004 She Said Yes has helped over hundreds of brides locally and across the country to find the dress that bring them to say “yes”. But they aren’t sure how many exactly…they don’t keep count. They’re too busy focusing on the bride at hand and making sure she finds the dress of her dreams.

I went into the appointment sure that they would let me leave with a couple of formals that I could whip up a situation where I would wear a formal in my everyday life. However, Farron quickly told me that they were only showing bridal on the runway at NWAFW. So, would I be down to be a bride again? Ummmm yes!

I decided that we should find a few dresses that weren’t too bridal. But that was my only qualifier. For my own wedding, I did not want strapless, only because that’s what you see the most of. For this, no such rules. Farron & Deja took me back to the dressing rooms where there were a few gowns left over from a recent sample sale. We ooohed and ahhhed and they quickly beckoned me to strip. You get really close with anyone who helps you in or out of bridal couture – take it from me. Farron & Deja saw me completely nude within moments of our first meeting.

We found a gorgeous Anne Barge ball gown (a blush silk taffeta gown featuring a beautiful rouched drop-waist bodice that softly flows into a full skirt full of romantic pickups) that was so delightful and princess-like. We went back out into the showroom and I began gravitating toward lace. We eventually happened upon a lacy Romona Keveza (blush silk shantung fitted, with Alencion lace overlay; featuring a beautiful lace illusion sweetheart neckline and soft sweep train) that was sweet and perfect in its simplicity. I told the girls I was feeling an “I skipped my wedding because I wanted to party” vibe for the window shop and they were totally down. Seeing so many brides on the regular, they seemed to get excited about the fashion aspect as much of more than the wedding side. Speaking of the fashionable side of things, they have a very cool concept planned for NWAFW 2014. Farron said the goal is to bring the focus back to the beauty of the dress and how a bride will look in it.

Find out more about She said Yes Bridal online & @shesaidyesbridal on Instagram. This post is in honor of Brandi Rushton and dedicated to her recovery.

Beauty by Suzannah Files for Crown Beauty Bar | Photos by Darcy Munoz for Hello Luvvy | Styling/Concept: Payton Bridewell for The Window Shopper | Flowers by Pigmint | The jewels are available for purchase at Cheap Thrills

buy these one-of-a-kind vintage baubles NOW at cheap thrills

The Window Shopper: Behind The Scenes

March 24, 2013April 8, 2015Leave a comment

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.

The Window Shopper Debuts a VERY Dynamic Duo: Mertin’s Eye + Lola Boutique

March 12, 2013April 8, 2015Leave a comment

[CLICKABLES: see the original post + ALL the photos ]

THE WINDOW SHOPPER DEBUTS DYNAMIC DUO…. LOLA BOUTIQUE + MERTIN’S EYE

LOCATION: VETRO 1925 | AN ABANDONED BUILDING | ARSAGA’S DOWNTOWN | CAFÉ RUE ORLEANS ROOFTOP

Daylight savings happened early this morning, which means MORE SUN. Fashion Week commences TOMORROW (with Shop Local Night, LBD Party @ Vetro & 3W/L’Oreal are putting on a swanky affair at Ruth’s Chris in Rogers). Mallory, who so gracefully shot these photos will be capturing “street style” Thursday-Saturday so, you know, bring you’re A-GAME.

When I started planning for Lola + Mertins, I i knew I wanted to do something different from what I had done so far. This was the last window shop we shot (although not the last post!) and so I recruited my favorite team and a new face. My friend Vanessa.

I wanted to change it up a bit this time so I asked Vanessa to ‘help me’. We’ve been posing together since church camp in 1998 (there are photos but they’re classified). Vanessa was amazing and we had a ton of fun at Vetro 1925 {will I see you there on Monday?}, Arsagas Downtown {we got a few stares + I’ll be there Monday, later} and overlooking the city on the roof of the delectable Café Rue Orleans {don’t try it at home}.

Mallory {MGB PHOTO} worked it out as always, she has mad skills with the camera. But she’s 5’nothing so she’s gotta bring her ladder {so cute}. Guillotine has literally been open two months. They have happy hour hair every Tuesday…They are freaking sick at what they do. Taylor and Lindsey tag teamed us – they gave me a faux bob which I’m going to try to get them to recreate for one of the nights I’m hosting. Kory could literally do makeup with his eyes closed. *super secret tip from him – liquid brown liner on your brows I’m going to post more on my buddies who helped me next week.

My friend, Jade Terminella is both the proprietor of Lola BoutiqueAND the co-founder/fearless leader of NWAFW. Jade has always loved animals (she has three dog babies at home). Jade joined the board of Spay Arkansas in 2007 as Fundraising Chair and her first instinct was to bring awareness for their cause through fashion. The girl moves fast and 2007 was the inaugural year of Strut for a Mutt.

Although Strut was a consistent success, Jade had her eye on
the bigger picture. She and Danielle Vaughan conspired to combine all the local fashion for philanthropy events and create an all encompassing “fashion week” in NWA. She recognized that our
community has a heart for helping others and looking fabulous while doing it.

Mertins Eye has been on board since the conception of NWAFW as the official accessory sponsor. Jennifer Esty is the stylist and marketer for the offices and she contacted me about the Window Shop. I asked her about Mertins’ involvement in NWAFW, she told me that last year they “jumped at the chance to be the official eyewear sponsor. Keeping business local, supporting local charities and doing it through fashion??? Can’t think of a better group to be involved with and cause to contribute our time and eyewear to.”

In 2006, Dr. Allyson Mertins opened Mertins Eye Care & Optical. She recognized a need in NWA for a combination of well-appointed, unique eyewear & exceptional eye care. The store expanded to a second location in September of 2011 in the Garland Center on the University of Arkansas campus. Dr. Mertins values impeccable service and has quite a loyal clientele. Her patients constantly compliment her on the eye exam, which is thorough and rather detailed. She stays up to date on the latest research and findings in the optometric industry.

Mertins offers fashion forward eyewear for every budget, recognizable high-end labels {like Alexander McQueen, Tom Ford, Derek Lam, Jason Wu, etc} and exclusive independent lines –
SALT.optics and Mykita, which are handmade. Mertins knows that the sartorially inclined public of our area express their personality through eyewear as much as any other part of their ensemble. Or….perhaps more, after all you don’t change your RX frames daily, so they’re even more important to a look than clothes or jewelry.

Dr. Allyson and the staff of Mertins are thrilled to be
invited back as the official accessory sponsor for NWAFW 2013…this year they will present a runway show!!

THE CLOTHES				THE FRAMES
On Vanessa	LOLA	{Elizabeth And James}	WHITE ‘PARKER’ LAYERED BLAZER	MERTINS	Salt	“FULCEY” RED TORTOISE SHELL FRAMES
On Payton	LOLA	{French Connection}	STELLA’ CREPE CLASSIC BLAZER IN CREAM	MERTINS	3.1 Phillip Lim	“CELIA” EGGSHELL RIMMED CLUBMASTER (ISH) FRAMES
On Vanessa	LOLA	{Nicole Miller}	LONG SLEEVE TUCKED DRESS BLACK	MERTINS	Elizabeth And James	“RIVER” jackie O black oversized sunnies with gold accent
On Payton	LOLA	{Graham And Spencer}	3/4 FITTED MAXI DRESS	MERTINS	{Elizabeth And James}	“KENDALL” white square sunnies
On Payton	LOLA	{Graham And Spencer}	DRAPE TANK DRESS IN VANILLA	MERTINS	Mykita	“DAISY NO 2″ BLUE ANGULAR FRAMES
On Payton	LOLA	{French Connection}	ALMOND STRETCH CAP SLEEVE DRESS – BLACK	MERTINS	Mykita	“GOLDA” black round sunnies
On Vanessa	LOLA	{Velvet}	LEATHER SHOULDER PATCH DRESS BLACK	MERTINS	{Rayban}	CLUBMASTER SUNNIES
On Vanessa	LOLA	{Alc}	HARLAN JUMPSUIT NAVY	MERTINS	Salt	“BRIGGS” SQUARE GRAY FRAMES
On Payton	LOLA	{Riller And Fount}	RITA’ CREW NECK MAXI IN GOLD
On Vanessa	LOLA	{Haute Hippie}	GOLD TWIST FRONT STRAPLESS DRESS

The Window Shopper

PLAY DRESSUP DAILY

Tag: NWA Window Shop

NWAFW: The Perfect Pencil (Skirt)?

NWAFW Window Shop: She Said Yes Bridal

So… turns out it’s really fun shopping for a wedding dress when it’s not for your wedding day. Want to play in a beautiful gown for a day and then give it back with no damage done to your pocket book? Yes, please.

The Window Shopper: Behind The Scenes

The Window Shopper Debuts a VERY Dynamic Duo: Mertin’s Eye + Lola Boutique

Like what you see? Tell your friends!

So… turns out it’s really fun shopping for a wedding dress when it’s not for your wedding day. Want to play in a beautiful gown for a day and then give it back with no damage done to your pocket book? Yes, please.

Like what you see? Tell your friends!

Like what you see? Tell your friends!

Like what you see? Tell your friends!