interview
Leave your (bad) attitude at the door: Fashion Freakout celebrates the superfreaks and creeps
Friday night, The Mohawk will play host to the 5th annual street style, rock n' roll vintage extravaganza, Fashion Freakout, helmed by the women behind Prototype Vintage Design. It's a fashion party for all "super freaks and creeps," featuring models and local hot-shots guaranteed "shake their shit" down the runway to the tunes of popular Austin garage-rock babes, A Giant Dog.
This year, the Freakout found its inspiration in a time when fashion inspired music and music inspired fashion, taking direction from a smattering of post-punk female fronted bands. Leave your (bad) attitudes at the door. This party is all about celebrating fierce, independent tastemakers.
We talked to co-owner Audrie San Miguel about what we can expect.
Tell us how Fashion Freakout is different from other fashion happenings — or, sometimes, lack-thereof — in Austin?
Fashion Freakout focuses on Austin street style — there's no emphasis on a specific designer or label. The Freakout has a party atmosphere with stage design inspired by old variety shows like Soul Train, American Bandstand, and Midnight Special, and celebrates the marriage between music and fashion. There is no haute couture attitude of superiority, the Fashion Freakout showcases clothes that are accessible and affordable, and hopefully something that would potentially become a show-stopping statement in your wardrobe.
How did you get the idea — and the guts — to go out on a limb and team up with Emily Larson Orth start your own boutique, Prototype Vintage?
Emily has great personal style and impeccable taste when it comes to decor, and we've always been such good buds a partnership sounded like a solid idea. We schemed and dreamed for a while, then a spot became available in the popular South Congress shopping district, so we decided to take a chance on love and go for it! A few years later, we combined forces with Sarah Evans to form a trifecta of vintage fun!
"The [Fashion Freakout] crowd is a sampling from all of Austin's creative cultures." - Audrie San Miguel
So, are we going to meet some cute/cool cats at the party?
The crowd is equal parts men and women, and we take pride in the fact that they are not your stereotypical fashion snobs. The Freakout welcomes all ages, so it's cool to see kids with a fascination with vintage, and older folks who want to relive it. Austin is home to stylish people from all walks of life, from students, service industry people, artists, musicians, and tech geeks to film nerds... the crowd is a sampling from all of Austin's creative cultures.
Music is clearly a huge part of this event, how does it inspire Prototype in the day-to-day?
Prototype's biggest fashion inspiration comes from music. We love the soul sounds and psychedelic songs of the 60's, the rock-n-roll and punk of the 70's, the heavy metal and new wave of the 80's, and the hip hop of the 90's... all of these genres are represented in the clothing we select day to day... that, combined with the goal of selecting vintage pieces that fit seamlessly into a modern closet, with looks that are current and on trend with what is popular today.
Speaking of, who are some modern designers do you think pair well with Prototype merchandise?
I have several UNIF pieces that go well with my vintage wardrobe, Marc Jacobs has always had an eye for classic design, and celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe's collection is almost all vintage inspired.
What music is it that you've been to listening to on repeat lately, while planning Fashion Freakout?
Oh man, we've been way into The Slits, Delta 5, and Siouxsie and The Banshees, among others.
And last but not least, your personal favorite current fashion statement?
I'm five months pregnant at the moment, so I've been buying a lot of beautiful caftans from the 60s and 70s, paired with bright red lipstick and what I like to call flatforms, platforms that don't have a high arch.
Congrats on the pregnancy! Any particular music inspiration for the bun in the oven?
My baby soundtrack has been The Monkees, The Ramones (I've been singing "Baby, I love Youuuu" for days), The Misfits, The Beach Boys, Beach House and The Cloud Nothings.
Okay, this really is the last question: There are a ton of vintage stores in Austin. Do you guys have relationships or is it each her own? How will you work together at Fashion Freakout?
I think Austin has the best vintage scene in the country...maybe even the world! There are so many awesome vintage stores here, and each has their own look and feel. I am super proud to be a part of the vintage community in Austin. Fashion Freakout has always had a revolving door of participants and hopefully, always will.
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Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door. Doors at 7 p.m., runway show at 9 p.m. sharp.