2011 marked the inaugural launch of Style X, the official fashion showcase of SXSW. In 2012, the 36,000+ people who descend on Austin to experience a week of innovation in music, film and the interactive space will also have the opportunity to attend six fashion panels (up from three last year).
Style X is held on both Friday & Saturday, March 16-17 in the Austin Convention Center from noon to 8 p.m. each day, and features dozens of pop-up booths, runway shows featuring SXSW musicians as the models, panels and interactive, consumer-friendly activations.
SXSW is still accepting new designers through January 31 and more information is available about Style X on the SXSW site.
Initial panelists include:
Marcus Troy
One of the most-influential voices in style amongst men’s and footwear brands, The Marcus Troy Experience, has kept this Montreal resident busy advising companies such as Converse, Levi’s, Nike, Sebago among others since launching his blog in 2008. @marcustroy
Leandra Medine
The founder and editor of
The Man Repeller, a blog that has become a sensation in fashion-forward circles all over the country with
The New York Times, designers Rachel Roy and Kimberly Taylor and
Teen Vogue a few noteworthy fans. @manrepeller
Nora Abousteit
Nora is a co-founder of
BurdaStyle, the largest DIY fashion and sewing community with over half a million members and nearly 7 million pageviews per month. She runs BurdaStyle’s operations. BurdaStyle was described by
The New York Times as “sort of Facebook for sewers”. @BurdaStyle @NoraAbousteit
Jace Lipstein
The man known as
Grungy Gentleman has his hands in several buckets with his site, contributions to
GQ and
Esquire, his fashion collective SINGER22, of which he serves as Men’s Fashion Director. Jace will moderate a lively and insightful discussion on the current state of menswear with Zanerobe, Noble Gentlemen and others. @GrungyGentleman
James Jean
Known to New Yorkers and fashion aficionados alike as
JFK Jean, this blogger-model-personal shopper-stylist-fashion photographer is best known for his work on
The Mod Rockers. His work has been featured on sites and companies ranging from Racked to Ralph Lauren to JC Penney. @JFKJean
Lily Mandelbaum & Elisa Goodkind
The mother-daughter creative team behind
StyleLikeU, a site that goes beyond street style to uncover the interests, roots and passions of some of the most stylish people in the world. StyleLikeU is not a celebrity fashion destination, but a source of inspiration and imagination for designers, musicians, and creatives of all types to share their style. @StyleLikeU
Indiana Adams
The voice of
Adored Austin, the personal, oft-humorous style blog, returns as a panelist after contributing to the Style X panel discussion on the intersection of fashion and technology last year. Her blog is a part of the
Lucky Style Collective and she is also the founder and organizer of the Texas Style Council. @AdoredAustin
Jason Ferro
Jason has led what some pundits have called
Gap’s re-emergence in jeanmaking as its men’s denim director, largely responsible for the look-and-feel of Gap 1969 Jeans. Jason has been written up in AskMen, Billboard, GQ, Rolling Stone, and doubles as the lead singer/guitarist for LA-based band Whitley Heights.
Junior Scott Pence
Junior has worked in the fashion industry with leading brands like Diesel, Levi’s, Polo Group, Tommy Hilfiger and Luxottica for years, and currently works with RayBan. He will be bringing his own line of men’s bags, jewelry and clothing, We Are All Smth,to Style X as a showcasing brand. @WeAreAllSmith
Seth Weisser
Seth and Gerard Maione run
What Goes Around Comes Around, one of the pioneering vintage clothing brands in the world with shops in both SoHo and Hollywood. WGACA houses one of the most extensive vintage clothing and textile libraries in the world, and, since its launch, the collection has been admired by editors, stylists, vintage afionados and celebrities like Brad Pitt, Katy Perry, and Lenny Kravitz. @WGACANY
Kyle Vucko
CEO of Indochino, a made-to-measure clothing company known best for custom suits under $500, got his start when his friend and, now, business partner Heikal Gani couldn’t find a quality suit at an affordable price. If it sounds familiar, it’s probably because it’s a story several successful, fast-growing online businesses have started out. @Indochino @KyleVucko
Leith Testoni
The co-founder of premium menswear line
Zanerobe, the Australian based collection known best for its masculine designs that appear in David Jones, Japan’s Barneys, Nieman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks stores around the world. @ZanerobeAus
Daniel Maynard
One of the principals behind
Noble Gentlemen, Dan has curated a collection of cutting-edge, emerging brands such as Zanerobe, denim label Neuw, eyewear maker CoLab and men’s accessory brand Cheddar Pocket. Dan previously ran the Vancouver-based showroom Young & Affluent. @NobleGentlemen
Mike Lee
Frontman and lead songwriter behind SXSW Showcasing, indie-pop band
Letting Up Despite Great Faults. Letting Up were featured as models in the debut Style X runway shows before releasing their third EP, Paper Crush, last year. The band has picked up positive reviews from Pitchfork,
Rolling Stone and indie blogs from Austin to Tokyo, where the band toured last April @LettingUp
Troupe Gammage
Lead singer of Austin-based pop-rock group
SPEAK, the 2010 recipient of the Austin Music Award for “Best New Band”. The band has been lauded by
The A.V. Club,
Austin Chronicle and last year released their debut album, I Believe In Everything (Modern Art Records/Atlantic). Troupe’s keyboard skills can also be heard on three tracks on Jet’s latest album, Shaka Rock. @hearSPEAKhere
