Shop Talk: Klepto Blog, Creative Loafing Charlotte

Resilient glassmaker Melissa Beard's jewelry line shines

Alison Angel — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 13:29:00 -0500

When you first meet Melissa Beard, she is quiet and subdued, but the jewelry hanging from her neck speaks volumes. The vibrant and colorful handmade vessels offer a statement all their own: they prove she's come a long way from making beads with a Hobby Lobby startup kit.…

Live free, rock hard: Local designer works on his line Anarke

Web Editor — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 13:52:26 -0400

Polka dots, stripes and plaids? The world of fashion is breaking all the rules.…

Baby I like it raw: Beth Pilger's fall/winter 2011 collection

Kimberly Lawson — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:14:25 -0400

As a writer, whenever I interview fashion designers, one question that comes up a lot is, "What inspired your collection?" And I have to admit, I've gotten some very abstract answers.…

Make your presence known: Hems & Hers online shop

Jennifer Malone — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:07:12 -0500

Do you ever get tired of seeing the same look/outfit in every store? Do ever just crave an original piece?…

Whimsical wonders: Elle VJ Boutique

Kimberly Lawson — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 16:52:55 -0500

Tucked away in a corner of NoDa — the Hart Witzen Gallery on 36th Street, to be exact — is Elle VJ, a boutique that offers flirty party dresses and classy cocktail attire for the chic Charlotte woman. After a year in business, Elle VJ was honored in December at the Queen City Awards and won the 2010 Boutique of the Year award.…

Meet Joey Hewell, stylist/boutique owner

Lauren Blake — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:01:19 -0400

With the finale of Charlotte Fashion Week proving that Charlotte does have indeed a local fashion industry, I thought it was appropriate to interview a local Charlottean who has a lot to do and say about fashion, style and more.

Joey Hewell is a great asset to Charlotte’s local style scene as a man of many talents.…

Avoid 'boutique price tag' at Sparrow Boutique

Victoria Creasy — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:42:07 -0400

Sparrow Boutique owner Tracy Luttrell and her associate, Terra Cass (along with associate Rachel Barker) travel all over the country to find unique pieces of jewelry to offer to their customers. With their different tastes and styles, they have created an eclectic collection of handpicked items without that nasty boutique price tag.…

Meet fashion designer Melissa Davis

Victoria Creasy — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 10:20:58 -0400

Melissa Davis is almost like the Batman of fashion. She’s an executive assistant for Bank of America by day, and the fashion designer/owner of clothing company, Foxx Skynz by Design by night.…

The art of dressing up with designer Beth Pilger

Kimberly Lawson — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:47:30 -0400

No one who reads this blog will argue that fashion isn't art — the colors, the cuts, the designs, the way a fabric accentuates a person's figure? All art.…

Meet fashion designer Emily Morgen

Kimberly Lawson — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:01:00 -0500

Since I started this blog and began getting to know local fashion designers, I've always wondered if I could do what they do. I'd like to think I've got a few ounces of creativity in my blood — fashion, much like writing, stems from the right inspiration.…

Meet Tara Davis, fashion designer

Kimberly Lawson — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:10:43 -0500

Tara Davis believes that your clothes represent you, they represent your self-esteem and your character. Maybe that's why she's been dealing with clothes practically all her life — first as a little girl who designed her Barbie's clothes, then to retail management and now as a local fashion designer.…

Meet Closet of Style's Catherine Horgan

Kimberly Lawson — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:44:45 -0400

Sometimes in the morning when I get ready for work, I stand in my walk-in closet and just look at my clothes. It’s like I’m waiting for an outfit to put itself together magically.…

Meet Joy Randall, owner of Flawless Makeup Art

Ciara Lilly — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:57:34 -0400

The days of ruling out those “hot summer looks” in the Cosmo magazine are over. There is a new makeup artist in town, and her name is Joy Randall.…

'Fashion for your sole': Velocity

Samantha Webster — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:00:47 -0400

Velocity is “fashion for your sole,” and owner Darryl Hines portrays the perfect example of that sole-ful style. He has been working steadfast to bring his urban sneaker boutique into an area of Charlotte that is in desperate need of independent retail presence.…

Meet Jordanos creative director Craig Stephenson

Kimberly Lawson — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:10:57 -0400

You can tell Craig Stephenson loves what he does. When he talks about fashion, his eyes light up, his smile is wide and you can’t help but be distracted by all of his hand motions.…

Dirtball Fashion: No 'Made in China' tags here

Kimberly Lawson — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:36:38 -0400

T-shirts and shorts made out of plastic water bottles? Sounds like something you'd wear to an Earth-Day-themed Purgatory event — many outfits worn at the local bondage and S&M event (that's no more) leave very little to the imagination.…

Meet Kelvin Wright, of Fresh Exclusive Sneakers

Jill Jacobs — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:32:21 -0400

Sporting a shiny silver pair of Supras (that aren’t even scheduled to release for another month), Kelvin Wright, of Fresh Exclusive Sneakers, dishes all about his popular shoe company and, of course, his love of hot kicks.

Creative Loafing: So tell me a little bit about what you do.

Kelvin Wright: I take the latest and greatest sneakers from around the world and bring them to Charlotte.…

Meet Armah Shiancoe, of Lastdays clothing line

Jill Jacobs — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:02:17 -0400

Meet Armah Shiancoe, a senior marketing major at Queens University of Charlotte who has recently partnered up with two close friends (and family members) to launch their very own clothing line. The line, called Lastdays, is a “socially and environmentally conscious line” and is already pretty buzzworthy around Charlotte.…

Meet makeup artist Kymm McLean

Kimberly Lawson — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:32:46 -0400

Meet Kymm McLean. If you're fast enough.…

Meet custom fashion designer Luis Machicao

Kimberly Lawson — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 07:31:02 -0400

Maybe Charlotte doesn't get big names like Armani or Marc Jacobs to color our city personally with their fashion designs, but that certainly doesn't mean we're floating in a fashion black hole. Originally from Peru, Couture Designer Luis Machicao has been in the Charlotte area for eight years.…

Meet the businessman's clothier: William Wilson

Kimberly Lawson — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:55:39 -0400

William Wilson is a businessman's best friend. His suit is finely pressed, his tie is in place and he knows how to make corporate America look good.…

An interview with fashion consultant Michele Roberts

Kimberly Lawson — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:25:10 -0500

This week in our series of interviews with local stylists in Charlotte, check out a Q&A with Michele Roberts, fashion consultant and owner of Tuunique Fashions & Designs.

Creative Loafing: So tell us a little bit about your background.

Michele Roberts: Well, three years ago I was working part time in retail, at S&K Men's.…

An interview with Stylist/Buyer Christy Ward

Kimberly Lawson — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:47:56 -0500

This week in our series of interviews with local stylists in Charlotte, check out a Q&A with Christy Ward, co-owner of Black & Blue and a jewelry maker.

Creative Loafing: So tell us a little about yourself.

Christy Ward: Well, I have a fashion merchandising retail degree from the University of Alabama.…

An interview with Stylist Jennifer Misenheimer

Kimberly Lawson — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 08:00:50 -0500

This week we're starting a new series of interviews with local stylists in Charlotte. Check out this Q&A with Jennifer Misenheimer, a woman who does everything from hair to making outfits.

Creative Loafing: Tell us a little bit about your background.…

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