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First Friday's: RVA FASHION WEEKEND FASHION CRAWL

The streets of Richmond were full of art and fashion enthusiasts on Friday Night. Day two of RVA Fall Fashion Weekend also fell on the city’s monthly First Fridays event. Galleries and boutiques left their doors open for all to be enthused during a Fashion Crawl Fashion Crawl . Two major stops on the crawl were FRESH Gallery, and Lou Stevens Glam Squad, for some live art and fashion show festivities. FRESH Gallery, at 213 East Broad Street was our beginning location. Upon approaching the gallery we were welcomed by a DJ mixing dance versions of everyone’s favorite songs from today and 2006 (think “Rolex” by Ayo & Teo and   “Baby Come Back” by Vanessa Hudgens ). The music traveled with us through the open doors and into the gallery. The first thing you saw when you walk through the door was the complimentary bar with a fashion show taping projected behind it. On the other walls were framed prints of runway photography by Michael Hosteler, and couture sketches by Azi Blas. The most eye grabbing element of their gallery show were the models posing in Azi Blas couture designs. One model was decked out in patterns and doused in feathers, while the other stood juxtaposed in a dark, edgy, architectural ensemble that was accessorized with green sunglasses that were giving us serious The Matrix The Matrix vibes. Down the way at Lou Stevens Glam Squad , attendees were given the true “glam gal” experience. The first 20 attendees were treated to free lipstick and lashes before and after the runway show. Downstairs attendees were also welcome to stop by the bar and enjoy drinks provided by Belle Isle Moonshine , while they browsed racks of clothing and accessories from the stores featured in the show. In attendance were Miss RVA and Miss Hanover Abilities . For those of you who don’t know, Miss Hanover Abilities is a beauty pageant dedicating to highlighting special needs. Lou Stevens Glam Squad is proud to say that they provide the pageant with makeup and hair services free of charge. A fashion show that featured brands Trunk Up Trunk Up , ASHBY ASHBY and TAILOR TAILOR concluded the Lou Stevens event. For the show, Trunk Up and TAILOR both showcased their fall womenswear looks. TAILOR featured tons of chic knitwear, all styled or designed to emphasize the cold shoulder trend. The Trunk Up collection gave us super “ “ English-Rose” vibes, but with a twist of confidence and sass; there were petticoat inspired mini dresses, and baby-blue-floral lace bodysuits. All of these looks served as great day-to-night outfits. Richmond’s very own ASHBY , located in Carytown, presented a wonderful show of menswear looks. The collection had a college campus essence; all of the ensembles looked like they belonged in a stylish rural university ad. There were letterman jackets, cropped skinnies, plaid shirts, and tons tons of sunglasses. Leave it up to ASHBY to remind us that sunglasses don’t have to just just be a summertime accessory . click here For those who missed the Fashion Crawl and the Formal Runway show but are still itching to get a taste of RVA Fashion Weekend, don’t worry–we’ve got all the insider details coming your way!

Express Yourself: Back to School with ASHBY

Story by Anna DeBald Art Direction and Photos by Jacynth Serrano Rodriguez Fashion Direction: Aysia Ward and Sarah Elsadig Put away your Triangl bathing suits, high waisted jean shorts, and and your Arizona Birkenstocks. As the humidity in the Richmond area slowly decreases, and the leaves begin to change, the looks you will be seeing around campus and down on Broad Street will be making exciting changes too! To kick off this new season, we at RCFU have collaborated with Ashby , a an eclectic consignment shop located in Carytown, to inspire all your fall fashion proclivities. Ashby offers racks teeming with modern, previously loved clothing in an electric atmosphere. Second-hand shops have made their way to the forefront of fashion recently because of the level of individuality the clothing grants customers, since most of the garments cannot be purchased in store or online anymore. This allowed our models the perfect amount of funk to add to their street style as we shot around VCU’s campus. The colors of the each look are brand new to the year and specific to the season. The reds, blacks, grays and yellows inspire a transition from the greens, whites, pinks and blues of the summer months, all wrapped up into creative prints. We were most inspired by plaids, geometric shapes and stripes. This fall you should not be afraid to mix colors, just check out our stylist, Jerrel Funtilla’s choice of a striped gray jacket and yellow socks. Be bold enough to wear pants all one print, or a bright colored beanie amidst the changing weather. Speaking of beanies, accessories should be a major investment for you this year. Each look from our shoot bursts with a sense of minimalism as the silhouettes of the garments, carefully chosen, are quite effortless. However, it is the accessories that give each look a certain wow factor. Take our model Daniella’s look, styled by Nia Jones, for instance. She wears layered gold necklaces to contrast against her burnt orange, flannel shirt. Our model Michael, also styled by Nia, wears a bright red beanie that matches his red backpack. Accessorizing an outfit makes helps you instantly personalize your look. We all know that the best part about this fall is the layers. Take our model Amber’s look, styled by Solleyha Mathurin, for example. She sports a black bralette under a corduroy jacket, topped off with a double sided maroon scarf. The silhouette of each garment is simple, but when added together each piece produces an overall interesting shape and a distinctive outfit. helpful hints Layering can completely transform a look from basic, to something no one has ever seen or thought of before. Amber’s outfit could have stopped with the corduroy jacket, or even the bralette, but if we all want to be noticeable in between the bustle of people on our way to class, adding the extra layer is the way to do. Plus, it keeps us warm against those James River winds! This year is all about combining fall colors with layers of new prints, mixed with the little details of jewelry and a pair of sunglasses. It is about standing out, and being over the top in a way you think would be subtle, but actually produces a charismatic look. This is why we love fall, for the new things it brings, much like the everyday adventure of embellishing ourselves. Stylists: Ashley Newman, Jerrel Funtilla , Nia Jones , and Solleyha Mathurin Models: Aaron Lai , Amber Welton , Bryce Settles , Daniella Osuna , Michael Attilla , Nia Jones , and Sophia Bain

All Aboard! MamerSass Reinvented Fashions

The vintage clothing industry has undoubtedly seen a shift from purpose to aesthetic over the years as a result of big fashion companies focusing on selling for profit. Despite this, MamerSass Reinvented Fashions stands out by dedicating themselves to bringing people authentic redesigned vintage while also significantly reducing the fashion industry’s carbon  footprint. MamerSass offers their customers complete transparency with their eagerness to share their mission with their customers. The thrift brand prides itself on their sustainability. Co-owner and designer of MamerSass, Jamey Brittingham , studied Fashion Design and Art at Radford University, and later moved to New York to work in the trimmings business. There, she saw first-hand how much product goes into the fashion industry and how much waste comes out of it as a result. Inspired to be different, Jamey, alongside her partner Derek Garrett, materialized a fashion-thrift line that follows an “all of the buffalo” philosophy meaning that everything they deconstruct gets used. Dedicated to lessening the demand for new clothes and minimizing fashion waste, they have completely eliminated their paper and plastic trail by giving their customers shopping bags made out of t-shirts, instead of paper or plastic. Any remaining fabric from the bag pattern gets used to make their label tags and their business cards. Customers seeking to browse their inventory have a plethora of items to choose from. There are four racks stocked outside with all of your favorite fall-season needs like jackets, overalls, and sweatshirts. Inside, the walls of their repurposed bus are lined with t-shirts, blouses, and shorts. In addition to the racks that literally overflow with options, there are still bags full of jackets for sale, not to mention a table full of accessories. Each of their items are not only thrifted, but one of a kind. The MamerSass design team takes nearly every item of clothing that they have, and finds a way to re-invent them using materials from other pieces. Two of MamerSass’ big themes are salvage, salvage, and imagery. imagery. Vintage army jackets from the 60’s have been redesigned with the graphic front of an Eminem t-shirt sewn on the back, and men’s collared shirts from the Y2K style have been re-silhouetted to be worn as off the shoulder dresses. MamerSass will even redesign customer submitted t-shirts into “collage-hoodies” that are guaranteed to be unique and sentimental. The brand aims to be inclusive with the sizing and style of their garments while also maintaining their beachy-bohemian, streetwear roots, with the addition of personalized fashions, they are sure to have something for everyone.   MamerSass Reinvented Fashions spent all of last week parked under the sun, in the parking lot of the VCU Dance Building. Why? Because their brick and mortar store, (originally based out of Chincoteague Virginia), is only openly seasonally. Due to it’s location on the main strip of a small island, the store’s customer traffic usually comes from young visitors during the warm months. When the store is closed, MameSass loads up its “shop on wheels” with merchandise and hits the open road, bringing all of their eclectic and  sustainable pieces directly to their consumers. So check out the magic bus next time it’s parked on somewhere on campus, you won’t regret it. link

Mad Women – A Style Profile for Halcyon Vintage

On an August afternoon, the summer light seems to pour into the shop on North Robinson, bathing everything in sight in a golden glow. A glow that make sense, considering Halycon Vintage’s namesake. From furs to dresses, to the scarves suspended from the ceiling, each piece of clothing begs you to sit silently for a moment, and listen to its story. 1960s Faux leather white hatVintage silver shoes1960s Mod white lace dress1960s Sarah Coventry daisy clip-on earrings 1960s Faux leather white hatVintage silver shoes1960s Mod white lace dress1960s Sarah Coventry daisy clip-on earrings While the line between what is vintage and what isn’t can be a bit fuzzy, according to Didi, it really depends on who you ask. Some Etsy shops consider the early 90s and older to be vintage  while more strict vintage connoisseurs may have more purist ideas when it comes to categorizing the fabrics of our past. While the line between what is vintage and what isn’t isn’t can be a bit fuzzy, according to Didi, it really depends on who you ask. Some Etsy shops consider the early 90s and older to be vintage  while more strict vintage connoisseurs may have more purist ideas when it comes to categorizing the fabrics of our past. Late 1950s Yellow dress1920s Yellow lace gloves1950s Clip on enamel floral clip-on earrings Late 1950s Yellow dress1920s Yellow lace gloves1950s Clip on enamel floral clip-on earringsDidi herself found a passion in vintage as a teen, she loved the thrifted pieces she found so much that aside from wearing them, she began collecting them. Eventually her collection grew so exponentially that she had no choice but to begin selling. Didi herself found a passion in vintage as a teen, she loved the thrifted pieces she found so much that aside from wearing them, she began collecting them. Eventually her collection grew so exponentially that she had no choice but to begin selling. Vintage Butterfly Scarf in Coral1960s Coral Evening Clip-on earrings1960s Pink Striped Dress Vintage Butterfly Scarf in Coral1960s Coral Evening Clip-on earrings1960s Pink Striped Dressbrowse this site Before managing Halcyon, Didi worked with Urban Artifacts, and sold clothing on almost every vintage forum. When asked about her greatest vintage find, Didi was stumped. After a few days of consideration, she settled contently on several Marimekko dresses from the 60s and 70s she rescued from an estate sale. Perhaps what captivates our hearts the most about vintage clothing is the quiet beauty of the ‘lived in’ piece, the stories bound tightly into the seams of dresses, and wrapped around buttons and earrings, the idyllic nature of Halcyon Vintage tugs at something inside all of us. It seems that as long as fashion transcends time, we will find ourselves drawn to the pieces at Halcyon Vintage. Before managing Halcyon, Didi worked with Urban Artifacts, and sold clothing on almost every vintage forum. When asked about her greatest vintage find, Didi was stumped. After a few days of consideration, she settled contently on several Marimekko dresses from the 60s and 70s she rescued from an estate sale. Perhaps what captivates our hearts the most about vintage clothing is the quiet beauty of the ‘lived in’ piece, the stories bound tightly into the seams of dresses, and wrapped around buttons and earrings, the idyllic nature of Halcyon Vintage tugs at something inside all of us. It seems that as long as fashion transcends time, we will find ourselves drawn to the pieces at Halcyon Vintage.

Fantastic Pink Plastic

web This through-line was more than evident as beautiful people in nearly every shape, size and skin tone strutted around the DC gallery dressed to impress. Check out some of our favorite looks:

RVA Fashion Week: Trunk Show

Story by Katelyn O’Neal Photos by Stephen Clatterbuck The 9th Annual RVA Fashion Week ended with the Trunk Show, which took place at Hardywood Craft Brewery. The trunk show featured a variety of items such as clothing, jewelry, art, beauty products and accessories from local RVA vendors. The vendors at the Trunk Show included Miranda Classic Ties, Kiss My Denim, TAILOR, Liberatus, Eddie Johnson, Handmade by Jenny Martos, Spit and Wishes, Glister, LulaRoe, Sweetest Stitch, Art and Ambition, Lora Price, and MischaLee Jewelry. River City Fashion Uprising has worked with a few of these vendors like Liberatus, and the local boutique Sweetest Stitch. The event took place from 1-5 p.m. This event truly showcased RVA fashion and concluded RVA Fashion Week. look what i found 1-5 p.m. 1-5 p.m.