Diversity Fashion Show

This show was organized to feature local fashion designers in Colorado. Stylistically, it was a truly unique and diverse show I am so proud to have been a part of. Denver really has so many different things to offer no matter what your taste. The whole thing was amazing but my favorite part was getting dressed in the back room among so many Ferrari was really neat. They really do keep it clean, not one grease spot in sight. Not only were our HUMA so cool and collected in spite of having such a tight schedule to work with, I had a really great crew of models who as always, absolutely killed it. This was to date one of my favorite shows I have had the pleasure to be part of. Cos really knows who to invite, and how to put together a slick fashion show. Its still blows me away we had a runway built in a Showroom intended for cars. Most of these pieces are NFS or SOLD but I am happy to discuss custom work with you, just reach out via email or social media.

For more information about the production team visit NUE and Cos Lindstrom

 

No Time For Sleep in Seattle – Grunge Tour

Washington Grunge Tour – street art, squid ink and spooky things…

I love lost history, grunge music, run down old buildings, rusted cars, graffiti, gritty streets and vintage clothes, and of course, beautiful trees…

 

 

So naturally, I decided to go an adventure in Washington…

 

 

I’m not sure where to start so I’ll just share my favorite parts of Seattle…

 

First thing, the food and the drinks at Japonessa were well worth it, we saw a lot of Colorado craft beers on tap in Washington. But this Jalapeno, Chocolate, Squid Ink cocktail was really unique. Plus it was so pretty.

Pikes Market was crazy, but it smelled like fresh everything, it was truly an experience worth having.

 

Street art –

Street art is a form of artwork that is displayed in a community on its surrounding buildings, streets, and other publicly viewed surfaces. Many instances come in the form of guerrilla art, which is composed to make a public statement about the society that the artist lives within. The work has moved from the beginnings of graffiti and vandalism to new modes where artists work to bring messages, or just simple beauty, to an audience.

 

Alice and I decided to take two tours around Seattle’s Pioneer Square. We took the Spooked in Seattle tour first, and learned about various local haunts and visited their Underground Death Museum.

 

While waiting for our next tour we had Dinner at The Merchants Cafe which was absolutely delicious and entertaining, the staff is amazing, and the whole place is really beautiful and a little bit creepy. I really love the purple glass sidewalk skylights from both above, and below.

 

Our second tour was Underground Seattle, in the dark, under the street seeking contact with the paranormal. No seriously, it was really fun and very interesting. If you like old buildings, and a little bit of history these tours are for you.

 

The city of Seattle is immense compared to Denver, and there was so much water everywhere.

 

We took a couple of days and explored some small local spots around Washington. We went to the Twin Peak’s RR Diner, and visited an old boardwalk in Westport.

 

 

 

And of course… We visited as many thrift stores as possible.

 

 

Besides needing an excuse for a vacation, I really wanted the chance to meet and collaborate face to face with Sarah Trickler. I got some really great behind the scenes photos while were out exploring some really beautiful places. Which will be featured in an upcoming blog…So stay tuned for more photos, and new listings later this week.

Style Inspiration – Goth Edition

Welcome to adventures in styling part II: Goth Edition

When I was growing up the Goth scene had already been well established as an underground subculture and was already slowly finding  it’s way into pop culture. T.V. and movies were a formal introduction into another world I had no idea even existed. No matter what kind of a reputation it had, I was immediately hooked. These women commanded attention and respect with nothing but a look, before RBF was even part of our vocabulary.

The Addams family was a classic T.V. show, but once they modernized it, these movies became part of my childhood. As far as I am concerned these two classic beauties are some of the most attractive women in Hollywood.

You have gone too far. You have married Fester, you have destroyed his spirit. You have taken him from us. All that I can forgive. But Debbie…Pastels?

Dress on sale this July.

Before I was an Addams fan…I was a horror fan. I have always had a thing for B movies. I really don’t mind seeing the puppet strings as long as I am entertained, the cheesier the better. That’s how I was introduced to Elvira who introduced Horror movies on Friday nights. I will always connect horror and goth genres, even though they are two different things. Genres tend to bleed into each other, and it sticks around.  There are so many types of goth these days, we even eventually incorporated pastel…

Elvira was so funny, clever and damn sexy. She could always hold her own with the boys, and like Morticia she commanded your attention. Maybe it was the hair, maybe it was her amazing chest. But I would like to think it’s her lovely personality.

I still love me some scream Queens!

As far as shocking cultural icons go. My generation had the one that frightened parents everywhere. I was naturally drawn to his music, and spent a lot of time trying to understand what elements were so shocking.

Marilyn Manson crosses gender lines, and cultural lines and that is what made him so “dangerous”.  Not to say many haven’t done the same before, and after, but to my generation, he is unforgettable and was unwilling to be ignored. I never understood the shock, but now that he’s done everything he could think of to shock us. I can look back at his body of work as a whole and figure it out…

The message I interpreted was, that it’s okay to be different, and while it might make you an outcast, there are other outcasts out there, and we could relate with shared ideals. Whether we disagreed with the mainstream, or became the mainstream. His presence and influence on our culture has been hard to forget.

Just be yourself, and you can figure out the rest as you go along.

Last, but not least… My long time lady crush, who is also a lot of other people’s lady crush, Angelina Jolie.

She has always had mad style, it really doesn’t matter how she’s dressed, it always looks fierce. She’s one of the celebrities that I have always put in a different category than the others. Her lifestyle has always been controversial, but how many beautiful and famous women can say they are Goodwill ambassadors for the UN?

I know a lot of people wouldn’t consider her a goth. But when she puts on dark lipstick you notice.

I’m not sure why goth culture intrigues me so much, because I don’t think it’s about being beautiful as much as it is about commanding attention, and looking fierce. No matter how many people are out in public, unless you are in a crowd of people dressed up like you, a goth sticks out like a sore thumb. A super fantastic sore thumb.

Slowly as “goth” embeds itself in pop culture, new sub-genres form and the style continues to evolve. Subtleties become more noticeable and the culture expands and infuses. I think each generation the youth sets the stage for the next group of kids to pick up where they left off… My teenage self would have been annoyed about this, my adult self is like… ” YES! The floodgates cannot be unopened, carry on.”

Stay tuned because next, I’m heading to Seattle to explore grunge…

Style Inspiration – Everyday Essentials

I realized it’s very easy to just stay in pajamas all day when I’m working from home.

But at some point you gotta ask yourself…

When is the appropriate time to change out of your “day” pajamas and into your “evening” pajamas ?

 

Welcome to Xavia’s adventures in “casual” fashion.

Three questions come to mind when I’m seeking out ideal everyday clothing.

Is it comfortable? ( Is it too tight, to short, or too long?)

Is it versatile? (Can it be styled different ways, or is it a statement piece?)

Is it practical? ( Can I afford it, will I actually wear it?)

 

Some girls collect makeup purses and shoes… I collect old records, scarves and coats…

 

 

timeless
ˈtīmləs/
adjective
  1. not affected by the passage of time or changes in fashion.

Scarves don’t just help keep you warm in the cooler months… They can also help block the sun in the warmer months… Or used to keep your hair out of your face on really windy days.

 

 

SHOP NOW

 
Coats aren’t always practical in the summertime, but I am drawn to stylish outerwear like a moth to a back porch light…  I’m a huge fan of military jackets, because they are usually pretty lightweight, and go with almost anything.

Sometimes I feel like I don’t actually know how to dress casual. I’m either dressed up in costume… Or I am pretty much wearing pajamas.

 

Whether I am wearing it, or making it for someone else to wear, comfort is key.

 

Next Monday I will be featuring another photographer and releasing more pieces from the summer collection.

In the meantime…stay tuned for my next style essentials blog…

Sunglasses not required, but highly recommended.

 

 

Summer Collection – Part 2

I am so excited for this release. Keep checking back, I will be posting the rest of this collection in the next two weeks. I will also admit I am going to miss seeing this dress hanging up in my closet.

 

Ray of Sunshine Summer Sun Dress

 

Purchase

 

Another one of my favorites….

Unicorn Rainbow Princess Hot Pink Mini Dress

Purchase

Sooo many ruffles!!!! <3

 

Red Ruffle Carnival Dress

 


Purchase

 

Stay tuned, I will be featuring another photographer next week, releasing more from this collection and mixing in some extra goodies for you.

Weekend Shenanigans 5280 Style

Sometimes working from home gets boring…

That’s when you need your friends to keep you motivated.

Luckily Sarah helped me BBQ and photography today.


I’ll be updating Etsy all week so check back Monday for updates.

Don’t forget to LIKE Sarah on Facebook, and Follow her on Instagram to see more photos from this set.

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Summer Collection – Feat. Scott Rockbear

I think it goes without saying, the garden party was a success. There was so much talent and creativity in one space, I still haven’t had the chance to look at all of the final shots yet. We had 3 photographers with 3 totally different styles… So I decided to release each photographer’s work individually.

The first Photographer I would like to feature is: Scott Rockbear.

Hair: Nigel Kirk King

MUA: Jenni Pennington

I really loved the way Jenni did Savannah’s freckles…

Model:Savannah Lee

Don’t forget to check out behind the scenes

This orange dress tho…

Model: Raven Trantham

Of course there was a unicorn…

Model: Rebecca Briggs

And sirens too…

Models:
Christina Sachi
Nikki Rae

Denise An was Nikki’s MUA, and those eyebrows are fire!!!

All of the pieces featured will all be on sale this June.

The first group goes on sale Friday June 2nd SHOP NOW

Alien Life Fashion Show

What a journey. From start to finish I knew this experience would be life altering. I was given the honor of being a featured designer in the Alien Life Fashion Show.

Each designer was given a piece of art by Kurt Redeker.

I was given Tetragrammaton.

I created 3 looks to mirror the design elements of Kurt’s original piece. I love the black squid element in the center.

Getting this skirt to light up was the hardest part…

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#sluglife

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That and walking the runway without falling.

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So excited for the Alien Life Fashion show tomorrow!!!

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I was given an amazing team:

Photographer: Robins Photography
Photographer: Suzanne Simone | Poshtography by Simone
Production: Knew Conscious Gallery
Executive Producer: Kurt Redeker
Associate Producer: Erica Silverman
Associate Producer: Nicki Burke
Designer: Xavia Schmidt
Hair Stylist: Alisha Fresquez
MUA: Jordan Hull
Models: Christina Sachi, Rainee Nguyen, Aceilia Parker

Rainee Nguyen

Aceilia Parker

Christina Sachi

Christina Sachi