Author: Sophorn Kuoy

I purchased this practical but bold accessory on a whim, but I’m convinced that with its wide brim and eye-catching color, this hat will help tackle my cool-weather woes for seasons to come.

Details
Leather-trimmed rancher, Anthropologie. Blouse and corduroy pants, Urban Outfitters. Shoes, slingback wedges from a Portland boutique. Paper beaded necklace, Bead for Life, beadforlife.org. Vintage carved bangle, yard-sale purchase from vintage jewelry collection by Debbie Cochran.

Photographed in Overton Park’s Old Forest, coincidentally the same location used for the latest Memphis Flyer fall spread by stylist Augusta Campbell and photographer Justin Fox Burks. See it here.

I discovered Mae on a visit to Tamp & Tap, one of Memphis’ newest restaurants/coffee shops. In the middle of downtown, adjacent to urban eyesores and empty retail, it’s a visual oasis, though it would be in any hip city.

And inside the picturesque interior, I caught a glimpse of Mae’s high bun and thick bangs as she dashed past me cleaning the tables. I immediately grabbed my camera.

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Taking a quick break from her shift, Mae walked outside, grabbing her purple-tinted sunglasses and distressed denim bag for a more accurate portrait of her everyday look. Her dress was as far from a purchase as I’ve ever heard. It was a dress her friend pulled from the “lost and found” bin at a local Chinese restaurant. How’s that for resourcefulness?

As a sculptor and performance artist, she presented a quirky but compelling look that I don’t often find in Memphis. Look for her upcoming show at Glitch gallery in Midtown around the first of the year.

Some look to fashion magazines and runway shows for style inspiration. Others find much more inspiration through people around them in an environment where fashion must also function practically. Inspiration comes through seeing a perfect balance between the practical and artistic realm. As an ode to Mary Cashiola’s original intent of Style Sessions, I’m resurrecting the Style Diary series that documents real Memphians and their style solutions to their typical work week.

Today, we feature Fabiana Vazquez, my colleague and a recent graduate of the University of Memphis architecture program, transitioning to the professional but creative office environment of Looney Ricks Kiss, an architecture and interior design firm based in downtown Memphis.

We use the rich architecture of downtown as our backdrop to demonstrate how Fabiana strikes that balance between the comfortable and the stylish with her easy-to-wear pieces inlaid with colors and patterns that perfectly fit her contagiously exuberant personality.

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Monday
I try to wear things that show off my personality and sometimes even brighten my mood, especially on Mondays. I had just gotten these colorful print pants at the Germantown Festival the weekend before, so I felt them to be appropriate enough to liven up my Monday morning. Bold colors and patterns paired with neutrals are always in, and this outfit just felt like the right choice to start out my week.

Tuesday
My work environment is very casual, but Tuesdays are still the beginning of the week, so I try to wear things that are comfortable but still work appropriate. On this day, I wore my favorite jeans from Free People with a casual loose-fitting top from Urban Outfitters and topped it off with a sports coat that I got from Macy’s Bar III. Something about adding a sports coat to a casual outfit makes it more “business-y”. Accessories are always a last-minute thing for me, so I added my favorite necklace from J.Crew to finish the look.

Wednesday
It had been chilly in the office the last couple of days, and with fall being my favorite season, I couldn’t wait to start wearing my scarves again. I kept it pretty monochromatic because I love the color of my scarf and pairing it with my stripped cardigan from New York & Company accentuated it even more. My everyday shoulder-strap purse matched the trim of my flats and my watch, and it played a nice contrast with the black.

Thursday
Thursdays are my “business”-look days. I try to throw one put-together look every week to prove to my mom that I am no longer a student and that I work in an office. I also like monochromatic and neutral colors too much, so most of the clothes in my closet are black, grey, and white. I tucked in a very casual sweater into a form-fitting black skirt and added teal drop earrings from Francesca’s and coordinating bracelet from Dazzle to add a pop of color.

Friday
This is definitely my “I’m Done” look. Fridays are my lazy mornings, so I usually put on a pair of jeans and whatever top matches best, then head out. I wore my favorite brown wedges from Macy’s and my Marc Jacobs watch for some simple accessorizing, and I’m off.

Overall, I try to keep things casual and comfortable. I’m not very big with heavy accessories or make-up so my clothes usually do most of the talking. What’s most important to me when picking an article of clothing is its diversity. I don’t necessarily care about what’s “in” or not. If I really like something, I buy it. I buy things that I can wear multiple times and coordinate to different things.

Photographed at Visible Music College, top of Toyota Plaza, Aldo’s Pizza Pies, and The Mad Earl

Sitting in the audience of a New York fashion show, among the expected fashion writers and photographers, you find illustrator Kris Keys using ink and watercolor to tell the story. In only a few minutes, a vibrant sketch emerges that catches the spirit of the event as it happens.

As a sought-out illustrator, Kris has sketched at fashion week for WGSN, a fashion trend website, while also using her degree in fashion merchandising. In her two years in New York City, she interned with designer Trina Turk and bridal designer Jussara Lee. In 2011, she made a big move to London to take a course in the foundation of fashion, be inspired by another fashion mecca, and continue to create her signature sketches. Many times gracing the audience as an observer, Kris wants her artistry to one day take the stage.

Today, Kris is making another leap in pursuing her dream as a fashion designer. When I finally caught up with her in Memphis, her hometown, she was once again bound for London in less than a week to study Fashion Design and Development at the London College of Fashion.

After missing several live portrait events she organized as part of her effort to fund her tuition, I met Kris for lunch at the Beauty Shop where she also demonstrated her illustration skills between bites of her salad.

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In the setting of the chic restaurant interior, Kris was perched comfortably at the bar in a bold patterned dress by Trina Turk. She talked about her love for color and quality pieces that are “actually designed and not retail mainstream.”

When we were seated at a table, she covered the surface with pencils, markers, an impressive tray of watercolor paints, and examples of her beautiful sketches. Pulling inspiration from different cultures while traveling the world, she also has taken much of her inspiration from Memphis – its rawness, its art and music scene, and its Sunday mornings when women style big hats and matching shoes.

Looking ahead, she sees her clothing collection as vibrant yet soft, fashion-forward, and a straight extension of her illustration work. On her path to building her fashion career, you will still see her sketching, never losing herself as an artist.

You can support Kris by donating to her tuition fund through her gofundme.com page. She is close to reaching her goal.

Find out more about Kris and her work at her website: bykriskeys.com.

It could have been the sparkle of the crystals glimmering from her necklace that drew my eye. Or the bright-red bag swinging as she walked.

I try to dissect the elements of Amanda’s outfit, mostly focusing on how she could wear a basic white tee and look so superb. But I start to see that I’m losing the whole picture.

It wasn’t one key piece or even the ensemble. It was her energetic presence that pulled everything together.

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Traveling through Memphis on business, Amanda exuded high energy. Her outfit: comfortable, professional, and feminine all at the same time. The T-shirt and fitted black pants are closet essentials that she pulls together with some key accessories and classic hair and make-up.

Though I still want to credit her overall look to her unique presence, I have to gaze at that necklace again and just say “wow.”

Shopping Details:
Brass and hand set crystal necklace, We Dream in Colour. Bag, Boden.

www.wedreamincolour.com

(photographed in Harbor Town)

Before we even exchanged names, this fetching couple, Aaron and Bethany, kindly stood for several photos, unaware of the fact that I did a complete 180 when they walked past me and for several minutes waded through the heavy crowd with two other friends before finally catching up with them.

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Aaron and Bethany stood out, demonstrating an ease of style from head to toe. They elevate their look with quality brands and highly treasured designers assembled effortlessly for a comfortable day out.

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On Aaron:
Hat – Fleur de Paris. Shoes – Allen Edmonds, James Davis.

On Bethany:
Dress — H&M. Boots — Frye. Watch — Give Fifty One to end child homelessness. Earrings, MemShop, local artist unknown.

Favorite Memphis shops

James Davis, Urban Outfitters, and Hoot & Louise.

jamesdavisstore.com

www.givefiftyone.org

In the midst of a chaotic few days preparing to launch her second boutique, Alexandra Nicole welcomes the chance to catch her breath and makes the time to meet with me.

“Yesterday, I worked from early morning to past midnight,” she says with a couple of deep yawns, referring to a long day at The Attic, the new clothing boutique opening next week with co-owner Ben Scharff.

There’s a nervous excitement as she talks about how soon opening day will be, an excitement also driven by the fact that it will be the first clothing and accessories concept in the newly energized Overton Square, a place she sees as a significant Memphis landmark.

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In contrast to hustle and bustle of Overton Square, Mud Island’s Harbor Town is where Alexandra’s first boutique The Ivory Closet fits right in, adjacent to multistory residences and other town center amenities. It’s a more tranquil setting where I visit in the middle of a work day and sort of forget I’m downtown anywhere and escape any sense of chaos.

When I step in the boutique, Alexandra immediately greets me, and I’m truly struck with how porcelain smooth her skin looks. With the extra swipe of red to her lips, she’s camera ready. The flawlessness sells her skill as a highly respected make-up artist.

She’s dressed in a perfectly oversized black top, slightly sheer, with fitted black pants and ballet flats. The outfit represents her typical everyday style — timeless, mature, sexy, and classic. “Classic New York chic” much like the concept she describes for The Attic. She switches into a white top to show another representative outfit of her style, also cognizant of her active lifestyle and the lingering summer heat.

Wiping the sweat off my brow, I subconsciously ask about her predictions for fall trends. Her list included several things I could see myself in: colored skinny jeans, red lipstick, gold jewelry, Aztec prints, oversized clothes, and pastels like peachy pinks paired with the traditional brown. Other colors to love for fall include maroon, rust and mustard.

Outfit Details
White top, Beloved. Black pants, Lisette. Flats, Yosi Samra. Bag, Urban Expresssions. Lip color – Rhurbarb, Adel Amor. Gold wrap around bracelet. Gold stone drop necklace with tassel. Most items found at The Ivory Closet. All reasonably priced.

Alexandra hopes to have the Attic open sometime next week. Go to their Facebook page to get the latest news on their opening and upcoming events. In the meantime, visit The Ivory Closet where you can also find her cosmetic line Adel Amor. She also offers make-up classes about every month.

Images: Sophorn Kuoy

As owner of four businesses on South Main and as senior pastor of St. Timothy United Methodist Church, Cynthia Grawemeyer will still routinely take her time looking through her closet and trying on outfits until the right one fits her mood. You will rarely find her in sweats or jeans.

I met up with her at Grawemeyer’s, her restaurant serving her family’s German-American recipes.

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Grawemeyer pegs her love for fashion to her mom’s creativity and skill as a seamstress. “She made my prom dress and it looked so unique and high-end that everyone wanted to know where I bought it,” she says.

She says her love for classic and vintage style developed as a child watching movies and admiring the overall glamour.

With her two boutiques, Sir Samuels and Everleah’s, she hopes to offer Memphis with vintage pieces and more forward-fashion pieces.

She’s wearing a green classic form dress with navy shoes she purchased in Paris. This outfit is what she defines as her typical look, transitioning easily from delivering a sermon to greeting her customers at her two boutique and two restaurants, Grawemeyer’s and Rizzo’s Diner.

Grawemeyer predicted some of the big fall trends: classic prints like houndstooth appearing in modern designs, and classic blazers paired with riding pants as well as hats.

“The items we carry are what I would wear or my daughters would wear,” she says.

Sir Samuels is going through a renovation but be sure to visit Everleah’s boutique on South Main. Both are adjacent to Grawemeyer’s restaurant.

www.grawemeyers.com

www.rizzosdiner.com

Everleah’s and Sir Samuels: sirsamuels.com

One year ago, artist Nicole Phillippe opened up Allie Cat Arts in Cooper-Young to showcase the most diverse collection of local artists and designers Memphis has to offer and has yet to discover. Allie Cat Arts centers around local talent and frequently hosts social events and art openings and classes.

Next to Cafe Ole directly across from the Beauty Shop, this charming little shop indeed features not only art but handmade jewelry, clothing, and the I Love Mi-Me beauty products that first led me there. The fairly small space houses an immense collection. With many pieces reasonably priced, the collection is one you can admire and then afford to take home.

Here are a few “wearable art” pieces that caught my eye, ranging from the colorful felt necklaces to salvaged pocket watches reassembled into jewelry to whimsical earrings of miniaturized desserts. There are even several glass jewelry pieces from Nicole herself. From the wide range of style, I chose a pair of drop earrings by Cindy McKee (shown in last photo) that I thought I would buy as a gift but I ended up claiming them as my own.

Visit Allie Cat Arts to find a handcrafted piece that you will want to claim as your own.

Allie Cat Arts is on Facebook and on Twitter at @AllieCatArts.

Credits:

Felt necklaces by Nikkila Carroll.

Pocket watch “steampunk” pieces by Jan Shivley.

Dessert/food jewelry by Funlola Coker.

Beaded bracelets by Stacy Green.

Andrea Fenise didn’t begin her career in fashion as a designer. In 2005, she sought a way to pursue her lifelong love of fashion and began styling professionally, building a client base in the music and entertainment business. She also reached out to assist women of all backgrounds — not just developing their personal style, but also their self-image.

“In middle school, I was very shy,” Fenise says. Pulling together an outfit was a way for her to express herself. This view of fashion-as-identity aligns pretty closely with the nonprofit Dress for Success where Fenise has volunteered her styling talent. For women from low income backgrounds, fashion conveys strength and optimism, and Fenise’s philosophy is that when you feel confident in how you look, there’s no telling what you can accomplish.

As she continued styling, Fenise also opened up a boutique, Style Junkie, as a means to make fashion more affordable and accessible to women. After teaching herself how to sew and using her instinct for style, Fenise found that any outfit is accessible with some imagination and a few hours at the sewing machine. “My grandmother was an impeccable seamstress,” she says. “It’s in my bones.”

Since it began, Style Junkie has evolved into a new brand, By Andrea Fenise, which includes Fenise’s custom fashion pieces, vintage fashion, and home accessories. This personal brand builds on her experience with styling and encompasses Fenise’s ultimate goal: To design a balanced and stylish lifestyle.

We were able to get a look in her work room and preview her first collection, “Americanah,” named after the novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The novel centers around a confident, self-made single mom from Nigeria making her way in America and “learning what it takes to become a full human being.” Fenise, a young, single mom herself, set out to create a collection that would appeal to other intelligent, resilient women who boast a smart, chic, and simple style with a bit of an edge.

Just a quick peek at her collection below reveals the strength of Fenise’s vision. Bold colors, cultural patterns, and flattering cuts exude confidence.

Keep an eye out for Fenise’s full collection, which will launch soon. For updates and news on her launch party, visit her website. In the meantime, you can shop her etsy shop or request a custom order.

www.byandreafenise.com
www.etsy.com/shop/byandreafenise