Something can be said about cavorting in vintage. I wore Julie Wheat’s Vintage Silk Blouse and her Design Sequined Skirt and it upped the ante. I am pretty sure the free spirits that inhabited her fashion finds have left a little of their spirit in it and made me a little more carefree and a little more confident. I went to the Tin Roof with an old friend from college and pretty sure I caught the eye of two bachelors. Needless to say, one was verbose enough to engage me for awhile. That is, until he asked me where my boyfriend was and I panicked and flipped my hair around to say,”He’s right behind me.”
As for fit and function, vintage tops rock! Albeit size is something you should not pay attention because a Large is not a Large. The sequined skirt did not seem to be my typical flair for style, but I was glad to wear it because it really pulled the out fit together and gave the strong color of the blouse an anchor. I’m really excited to cheer on Julie and her clothes full of attitude. I have the hottest leather get-up that really ties in the “Glam Rocks” theme in Marion Square. Be sure to stop by the Style Lounge and meet the Cavortress herself!
——–
Caroline Millard has some inside scoop about this year’s Charleston Fasion Week. “There’s no calm before the storm” is a pretty bold statement since CFW in its festive spirit kicked off on Friday. Julie Wheat of Cavortress launched her 201o collection with Eye Level Art and the [aloft hotel] in North Charleston.
Charleston City Paper gives there praise by invoking the spirit of Bettie Page.
Here’s a roundup photos after the walk through [aloft] by Sully Sullivan.
If you would like to learn more about Julie Wheat and how she advises aspiring designers to “have the guts to be you”, then Shauna Heathman of Mackenzie Image has the scoop on being Cavortress.
My Charleston Fashion has provided a video from the event and behind the scenes.
So has All Over It. And earlier last week, All Over It put together this preview of Bellina in Cavortress prior to the launch.
flickr user chrys (@exposur3)
Yesterday was my first experience in the co-work environment. It was a much smaller group compared to the door-busting crowd that welcomed the movement to the Lowcountry last week. I’m glad it was not too overwhelming because I became better acquainted with my peers and could embrace exactly where the co-working movement was headed. I left Rehava abuzz with so many new million-dollar ideas in my head and with so much electricity to want to do more.
If you are unfamiliar with the co-working concept, then these principles come to mind:
- collaborative community
- sustaining a local economy
- accessible + efficient
Co-working is the best alternative for freelancers, sole proprietors, creatives, and ingenues to be immersed in a homogenous think tank for mobilization. I would happily contribute to keeping this alive with some of the sharpest minds in the Lowcountry than pay rent to work alone. For Ergonomix, co-working enables me to cultivate ideas in a hotbed of my peers + potentially stakeholders. I am able to sharpen my thought process and bounce it off of a different wavelength.
Yesterday, I joined a podcast led by Sean McCambridge of Chucktown Deals. He hosted a round table with Jared Smith, Mike Close, Kenneth Andrews, Steve deGuzman, Chrys Rynerson, and myself. It has been interesting to see how co-work emerged from BarCampCHS and become something like a weekly CHStweetup for this burgeoning “creative class”. If you’ve never read Who’s Your City? by Richard Florida, run to get it, now! (Not just because he RTed me + Ken Hawkins that one day.)
Here’s how I see it…Not-for-profit co-work v. for-profit incubators reinvests interests back into the community. Many of us feel that providing a home for co-work is expense enough. Rehava has been generous enough to share their workspace with the co-work crowd while the City of North Charleston embraces and prepares for a more static home in Park Circle. This is the ultimate gesture of community, not just for our creative class, but toward a sustainable, and inclusive, business culture. The collaboration with Rehava can only enhance the appeal of the Lowcountry as creatives become attracted to our fair Lowcountry and hope to surge our saturated real estate market. To really appreciate this beyond la vie boheme you should read Richard Florida’s books!
For more insight on how co-work got started and what it means to us, spare us 20 minutes, it has posted to Chucktown Deals:
CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) – Whether you have an account or just hear the little bird chirps in line at the store or in a nearby cubicle, chances are you’ve heard of Twitter.
Twitter is a social networking site that allows people all over the world to share updates about themselves and see updates from others.
Since its introduction at the South by Southwest festival in 2007, Twitter has been swelling in popularity. And social media has caught on globally. Now 19 percent of internet users are flocking to sites like Twitter compared to just 11 percent last year.
Live 5 News caught up with some of the Holy City’s top Tweeters and has the scoop on the social media movement to which Charlestonians are flocking.
Update: And the Tweetup made the news.
For those of you Twitter heads who haven’t heard yet, the second @CHStweetup is happening tonight at Taco Boy Downtown.
After the huge success of the first tweetup on October 19th, this one is sure to attract an even larger crowd of people who will most likely respond to your questions in more than 140 characters. The happy hour/networking event will feature talks from both Michael Moran (@mjmfurniture), furniture maker extraordinaire, and Resse (@healthinsgal), a Charleston gal who aims to save people and companies money on their health insurance costs. Rumor has it there will also be a prize giveaway via Twitter afterward.
Untitled from Ergonomix PR on Vimeo.
Largely responding to our 2nd monthly Tweetup, Live 5 News has done a piece on the growing impact of social media and micro-blogging, like Twitter in Charleston.
It’s a little scarce on how it’s impacting, but the mere fact that tweetups are now broadcast news worthy speaks of a culture shift.
If you want to hear still more about Twitter in Charleston, check out TheDigitel’s twitter topic page.
[ Read original ]
Ismael's "Veil" is acrylic and screenprinting on wood panel
When Stacy Pearsall took on ownership of the Charleston Center for Photography this year, she knew it was more than just another job. The two-time National Press Photographers Association Military Photographer of the Year Award-winner saw a need in the community for youth programs, outreach classes, and art therapy for disabled veterans.
“My reason for taking it over wasn’t to make hoards of money,” says Pearsall. “Any profit is turned back into the community. We have free exhibits for young photographers. Whatever the Center doesn’t cover is paid from my own pocket.”
Pearsall’s concern for the community meant that local photographers and businesses rallied around her in September when she announced that the CCforP was struggling financially. Without additional contributions from its customers, the seven-year-old Center would be forced to close.
The day he heard the news, Sean Ferneau started speaking to Pearsall about what could be done. “She’s trying to do something new,” Ferneau, the gallery director of Aster Hall on King Street, says. “She’s trying to appeal to a broad base of artists without many resources, making her time and equipment readily available to them.”
Recognizing a kindred spirit, Ferneau began to plan a benefit show at his gallery.
Many news websites are working to refocus on local news, and often this means turning to automated aggregation. One hyper-local startup in Charleston, S.C., is blending links, community and visuals to try and redefine aggregation by giving it a human context.
TheDigitel.com was launched by Ken Hawkins in June 2008, and recently received its first round of venture capital funding from Palmetto Investments & Exchange Group.
Hawkins and his team are now deciding where to expand next. In keeping with its community philosophy, TheDigitel has even asked readers to vote for its next destination.
Hawkins spoke about the concept of “context aggregation,” using wikis to engage readers, and other topics shortly after the funding was announced in October 2009. Here’s an edited version of my interview with him.
Can you say how much funding you received?
Hawkins: It’s not huge, but it does give us the momentum to ‘break out’ of the test market in Charleston and start expanding.
Talk about the process of finding your investors. How much control will they have?
Hawkins: The investors were pointed our way through a mutual contact at another
local company, BeliefNetworks. I still retain more than a ’super majority’ of [TheDigitel]. However the investors bring not only cash but more of a business background, something journalists are often lacking.
With the reality of small business owners struggling in South Carolina, the art director of Aster Hall is stepping in the void to host a fundraiser to help save The Charleston Center for Photography.
Aster Hall Contemporary Art Space visualizes the potential of The Charleston Center for Photography (CCforP) and the future of Charleston’s emerging, non-traditional art scene.
Sean Ferneau, art director of Aster Hall, responded to Stacy Pearsall’s cry for help when the CCforP declared an emergency need for donations and contributions from previous customers and the general public.
“Stacy provides professional training to photographers throughout the Southeast. She dedicates her life to providing a platform for struggling artists in Charleston,” says Ferneau. Without the recent contributions from supporters of CCofP, the landmark educational center would have had to shut it’s doors.
“After I reached out to the public, not even an hour passed of the email being sent out when Sean Ferneau bursted through the doors of CCforP and declared a fundraiser would be held at Aster Hall,” says Pearsall. “It was an emotional experience for me and for all of us at the CCforP. Knowing we have the support of small local business owners means that we may be able to fight this and keep the doors open to future artists, locally and regionally,” explained Pearsall.
Belated congratulations to Ken Hawkins and his team at TheDigitel for landing their recent investment. TheDigitel is a true asset to the Charleston community, both tech and otherwise; I know that I’ve become better in-tune with my city than ever not only because of the work they do, but because they permit citizens like you and me to directly contribute to the news.
[ Read original ]
Ever wanted to but a human face behind the virtual one on Twitter?
Yeah, me neither. But that doesn’t mean meeting Charleston’s Twitter aficionados in physical form can’t be fun (and a good networking chance.) @CHStweetup will be holding its first gathering on Monday, October 19, at Mount Pleasant’s Bambu at 6 p.m. No word on if conversations will be limited to 140 characters.
Bambu is at 604 Coleman Boulevard. (843) 284-8229.
[ Read original ]