Today was the annual Block Street Block Party. It was an amazing Spring Saturday.
Sunnies – Grey Dog
Necklace – Vintage via In Retrospect
Tank/Hat – Thrifted
Skirt – Old Navy
Sandals – Maude Boutique
Pup: Birdie
Tag: shop local
NWAFW 2014 Recap
wearing a Mayapple jumper to the Wednesday night party
with the lovely Nancy Martin, designer of the NA Martin Pencil Skirt
Tuesday night @ Lola
LBD night
going hard backstage with my favorite cohost, Bo Counts
front row with my gal Mal
pal-ing around with Ms. Candy
Darcy, Mallory & I pose in sunnies from Mertin’s Eye on Friday night
Backstage Pass Friday night
with the lovely Anna
backstage
Friday’s outfit by MGB Photo
the stunning Mary Semon
the lady of the hour, Jade Terminella
galpals!
with Haylee, who did my hair Friday
with the lovely Leslie & Kasie of 3W
my saturday look by Mallory of MGB Photo
with my guy on Saturday
with Farron & Deja of She Said Yes
my seat!
Dapper Dudes: Donny Hubbard of The Independent & my hubby
Mertin’s flipbook with Mal & Ro
Mertin’s Flipbook with Mal & Darcy
Mertin’s Flipbook with Ro
Ro, Bo & DJ EJ
I’m not going to pretend I didn’t have a fashion-hangover afterwards but all in all it was a ton of fun and quite impressive! I must give a shout out to 3W Magazine/Tres Lifestyle for sending me behind the scenes.
Also, check out Elysian, E. Leigh’s, NA Martin, She Said Yes, SOHO Clothiers, Jodie Franklin, Nicole Shipley in the NWAFW Window Shop! A huge thank you to Mallory Berry, Kory Tyler Simpson, Suzannah Files, Samantha Clark, Darcy Morton Munoz & Celi Birke for their contributions to the Window Shop this year. It was truly a labor of love.
If you STILL need more, here are all the photos I took during NWAFW 2014. And, my buddy Jess Whalen of Truebadours did badass videos for each night.
NWAFW: The Perfect Pencil (Skirt)?
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
btiques
So, I hope you’ll forgive me for seriously slacking on my posts. I’ve recently quit my corporate, cubicle career and joined a brand new start-up company called btiques. It’s a shopping app that allows a shopper to purchase items from their favorite shops directly off their phone, starting in Fayetteville and adding stores all the time.
check it out. I think you’ll dig it.
for an easy download text btiques to 84700
x
oh & download the app by 6/22 & follow @greydogboutique to enter a great giveaway
The Window Shopper: Behind The Scenes
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 