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As our hot summer days segue into hot autumn days, I've found it a tad difficult to wrap my brain around the scads of fall fashions filling the racks. Who can think of wearing tweed when it's still 95 degrees? When I get over that mental hump and am ready to shop, I'll be planning my excursions with Wear to Shop: The Ultimate Guide to Fashionable Shopping in and Around San Antonio in my hand.
Christina Kerford Welch launched her self-published tome during a book-signing soiree at Cementville. The fashion hungry crowd, some who steadfastly refused to remove their Chanel shades even as the sun waned, lined up for autographed copies of the directory. As I scanned the well-dressed crowd, neatly divided between clinging to the last vestiges of summer wardrobes and trotting out the new fall looks, I was frankly horrified to discover several of those put-together ladies were in desperate need of a pedicure. Fortunately, Wear to Shop has a beauty section, too.
Ms. Welch had a great show of support, not only from friends such as designer Parrish Ticer and his wife, Elena, but also from Julian Gold's James Glover, General Growth Properties Marketing Director Mollie Calvert, Camilla Basse from North Star Mall and The Shops at La Cantera, and PR specialist Evie Reichel, who, I hear, will turn her attention full-time to her own public relations firm, EGR Communications, by month's end.
If you haven't been by V Bar lately, you're missing out on a must-see art exhibit. Graffiti artist Victor Zarazua (a.k.a. Supher) paired with mosaic-tile artist Colleen Sorenson Frost to create poignant messages that evoke Supher's story of trouble, redemption and, ultimately, success. That was the first opportunity I had to speak with Frost, and she is refreshingly real. Open, honest and direct, she shared a bit about Askew, her design studio for urban youth.
Also in attendance, and damn hard to miss, was DJ Eric Ross. In a conversation that careened through music, San Antonio's scene, art, religion and politics, Eric took me on a verbal ride that was part diatribe, part amusement-park fun. Apparently this Wall Street trader-turned DJ and producer has been flying under the radar for some time, steadily building a local following — and national sponsor support — of his unique blend of funk, house, and electronica.
As Eric and I grumbled about the lack of dance radio and a true dance scene in San Antonio, I enthusiastically shared my experience at the NICE Collective trunk show-cum-rave at 20Six15, only to discover that Ross knows — and has played for — the store's owners, Steven Sanno and Michael Kelley. Natch. Speaking of Sanno and Kelley, they'll be opening up a new store, Space 13, in Austin?s warehouse district soon, no doubt to a very appreciative audience.
Saks Fifth Avenue is gearing up for a slew of 20th-anniversary celebrations, one of which was the recent Brushes with Greatness event in the store's cosmetics department. Modeled after a similar event held in NYC, Brushes with Greatness featured consultations with makeup artists from all of Saks' 17 cosmetic lines, special prizes, gifts, even a nostalgic photo booth. Adding a dash of panache to the affair were painter Bettie Ward and photographer Dan Borris, who displayed their breathtaking work as a backdrop to the event. The whole area was a beehive of activity, with just as many beauty experts swirling around as guests, which delightfully meant no waiting for assistance (although pre-booking your consultation certainly helped). Look for Saks to host an exclusive Roberto Cavalli fashion event in November. I'm planning my ensemble now. •
