01.22.2024

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Today’s Forecast

56º | Rainy | 77% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:28 a.m. | Sunset 5:42 p.m.

🪡 It’s time to Shop Slow

Have your style, and make it too, with Shop Slow

Rebecca Wright holds her chore coat, a green and white coat made from a vintage quilt, to her left.

Owner + designer Rebecca Wright taught herself to sew at the age of 16 with the hopes of creating her own fashion. | Photo by ATXtoday

When it comes to what you wear, fashion studio Shop Slow wants you to do just that: shop slow.

The upcycling-centered, approachable studio de couture opened in October, just in time for ACL Fest. Since then, the shop has made threads for the likes of producer Benny Blanco, musician Leon Bridges, and SNL comedian Sarah Sherman.

We visited Shop Slow, located at 2058 S. Lamar Blvd., to check out the studio and discuss its vision with owner + designer Rebecca Wright and creative director Mikaela Friedman.

What is “slow fashion?”

In essence, it’s the opposite of fast fashion. Slow fashion is built around a few principles: sustainability, mindful consumption, and respect to both the designer and wearer. Furthermore, a piece of slow fashion is often tailor-made and meant to be worn for years to come.

A quilted chair sitting in front of a screen adorned with hats and bags, and a mannequin wearing a bandanna dress. — City Editor Figi sat in this very chair, also made by the crew, while speaking with Wright and Friedman.
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Photo by ATXtoday

“Slow fashion is not about shopping really, it’s like anti-shopping almost — buying with quality in mind, not quantity,” Wright said. “You’re supporting your community.”

Friedman said they’re trying to foster a space where there are fewer barriers to entry into shopping slow, but also help create fashion that helps you feel good about your unique body.

“You are kind of told what you should be wearing through fast fashion and you don’t really get a choice,” Friedman said. “Whereas with custom [clothes], you really get autonomy over your wardrobe, you get to actually pick things and your body becomes yours again.”

Shop Slow also puts emphasis on breathing new life into your existing fashion, which is why it hosts mending workshops out of their studio.

A fabric sign that reads "Psychic Outlaw" on the wall, with stacks of textiles to the left, a stained glass window to the right, and an iron, ironing board, and sewing machine in front. — Psychic Outlaw’s studio inside Shop Slow is filled to the brim with textiles that will soon become the next fashion design.
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Photo by ATXtoday

Enter Psychic Outlaw

A seamstress by trade, Wright started sewing at the age of 16, when she bought her first sewing machine. After a few years of working as a seamstress for different brands, Wright created her own, called Psychic Outlaw.

Get some custom clothes

Events

Monday, Jan. 22

Three-Course Wine Dinner | Monday, Jan. 22 | 6:30-9:30 p.m. | The Loren Hotel, 1211 W. Riverside Dr., Austin | $150 | Indulge in a intimate, three-course dinner with wine pairings.

Tuesday, Jan. 23

James McMurtry + BettySoo | Tuesday, Jan. 23 | 10 p.m. | The Continental Club, 1315 S. Congress Ave., Austin | $10 | Catch two powerful local musicians under the same roof.

Wednesday, Jan. 24

Trevor Noah: Off The Record | Wednesday, Jan. 24-Sunday, Jan. 28 | Times vary | Bass Concert Hall, 2350 Robert Dedman Dr., Austin | $45-$478 | See this successful comedian and talk show host live on his newest tour.

Thursday, Jan. 25

PrintAustin Invitational Exhibition: Anthony Huang | Thursday, Jan. 25-Sunday, Feb. 11 | Times vary | Link&Pin Gallery, 2235 E. 6th St., Ste. 102, Austin | Free | Reflect on life’s contemporary challenges with this artist, who draws inspiration from Daoist philosophies.

Plan Ahead

OUTsider Festival | Thursday, Feb. 15-Sunday, Feb. 18 | Times vary | Multiple locations, Austin | $109 | Celebrate the 10-year anniversary of this festival with performances by LGBTQ+ artists centered around this year’s theme, “The Swish Up.”

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Weather

Expect moderate temperatures and heavy rain this week, Austinites. The National Weather Service issued a low-level flood warning for today, and Wednesday could bring up to four inches of rain. (Austin American-Statesman)

Development

A change of zoning on a 120-acre piece of land near The Domain could signal a wave of development. Austin City Council approved mixed-use commercial zoning for North Burnet + Gateway, which is expected to prompt new residential and retail opportunities. (Austin Business Journal)

Number

$31.7 million. That’s how much money the City of Austin will invest in preservation and restoration projects via the Historic Preservation Fund for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. Grant awardees include The Broken Spoke, Center for Women & Their Work Inc., and Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar. (Austin Business Journal)

Try This

Ahead of opening in Austin in February, Nashville-based chicken sandwich slinger Hattie B’s Hot Chicken will pop-up at Loro Asian Smokehouse & Bar Thursday, Feb. 1-Sunday, Feb. 4. Expect a limited menu of hot chicken rice bowls, oak-smoked collards, popping sesame noodles, and more.

Ranked

Austin City Hall is one of the coolest city hall buildings in US, according to Daily Passport. Its special features include a 49-ft copper spike known as the “armadillo tail,” a “protest window,” and LEED gold status. Only one other Texas city’s center of operation made the list: Dallas.

Culture

Your 2024 local predictions

Asked: Your 2024 local predictions

The hike and bike trail around Lady Bird Lake offers excellent views of the Austin skyline. | Photo via @ash_theadventurer | Photo via @ash_theadventurer

Gaze into your crystal ball and tell us... what’s in the cards for Austin in 2024?

That’s what we’re asking you, our readers, to tell us. On our list of questions for 2024 predictions, we’re wondering:

Will a new A-list celebrity move to ATX?
How many new skyscrapers will begin construction?
When will our temperatures hit 100° again?
Will Taylor Swift announce a surprise concert here?
Will one of our commodes be a contender for the Best Bathroom awards?

Got any other predictions for us? Take our survey. Regardless of what 2024 has in store, we’re looking forward to seeing what happens. All we know for sure is that we’ll be there to keep you updated on what’s to come.

Asked

When will our temperatures hit the 100s again?

A. May
B. June
C. July
D. August

Put in your predictions

The Buy

The Buy 1.22.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

The perfect sauce to celebrate National Hot Sauce Day today: Sobremesa’s Citrus Habanero Hot Sauce. This small-batch mole and salsa company combined ripe citrus with spicy habanero to make a bright, fiery sauce that tingles the taste buds.

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The Wrap

City Editor Figi poses with an adorable goat.

Today’s edition by:
Figi

From the editor

Cedar Fever has sunk its pollen-dusted teeth in my life for the last few weeks, and I cannot shake it loose. If you’re one of the ~64% of our readers who suffer from cedar allergies, check out these tips.

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