Style X 2011

Last week was the 25th anniversary of South by Southwest, a media and music conference and festival celebrated around the world as one of the great institutions of independent music, film and interactive media and anyone else in search of the next cool thing. 

This year, however, SXSW decided to mix things up and showcase a new fashion event that celebrates the long-standing relationship between music and style, with a sharp focus on emerging talent. Style X (pronounced Style By) was a free two-day style event at the Austin Convention Center that showcased emerging designers, style shows that showcased SXSW musicians turned models and shopping opportunities that could keep fashionistas occupied for hours. Did I mention the American Apparel Flea Market had items that were marked down from 60%-80% off?

Founder of this event, Joah Spearman, made it clear that this was not "New York Fashion Week," and the purpose of this event is to focus on up-and-coming brands, not who sat in the front row and who didn’t. This event was done SXSW style, featuring merchants not only from Austin, but from all over selling really neat stuff.

Just like how SXSW is known for its fair share of celebrity appearances, Style X hosted a few familiar faces of its own with a series of insightful panel discussions on various fashion-related topics. Chloe Dao, Project Runway season two winner and owner of Houston boutique Lot 8 hosted a conversation on fashion vs. style and tips on how to break into the industry. 

Not knowing what to expect for its first year, the turnout for Style X was quite impressive. Maybe next year they could incorporate it more with SXSW and have some live music playing. Overall, I loved seeing this event emerge to bridge the gap between technology and fashion.

Sources:

Pictures from Fashionista.com

New York Times

Style X

Austin-American Statesman