Sweater Weather

Busy Austin venue for games and drinks debuts a Christmas sweater pop-up

If you're not buying an ugly sweater at 2 am the Saturday before Christmas, are you even celebrating?

Photo courtesy of Punch Bowl Social

It doesn't seem possible, but the first ugly Christmas sweater shop for the 2024 season is about to open: It's The Ugly Christmas Sweater Shop, and it's coming to a surprising location for a sweater shop: inside Punch Bowl Social, the restaurant bowling entertainment destination at The Domain, where it will hold forth as a limited-time pop-up during the holidays.

The Ugly Christmas Sweater Shop will run from Friday, November 15, to Tuesday, December 24, during Punch Bowl Social’s regular hours: Sundays through Thursdays from 11 am to 11 pm, and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 am to 2 am.

Guests can peruse an assortment of upcycled and brand new holiday sweaters, ranging in price from $15 to $40, while sampling seasonal cocktails and shareable dishes, not to mention the venue's holiday décor and games including bowling, karaoke, darts, and arcade games.

Punch Bowl Social drinks sweaters If you can't win at bowling, you can win at finding the weirdest sweater.Photo courtesy of Punch Bowl Social

The Ugly Christmas Sweater Shop was founded in 2013 by Dallas-based vintage clothing guru Jeremy Turner after he noticed a demand at his mobile thrift store. First covered by none other than CultureMap, his shop went on to become national news, influencing hordes of hipsters everywhere to embrace the sweaters in an ironic manner.

Turner took a multi-year hiatus during COVID but relaunched at Punch Bowl Social Dallas in 2023. In 2024, he'll expand to Chicago and Austin for the first time.

“Following the successful launch of the pop-up series last year, we’re excited to continue our partnership with Jeremy and The Ugly Christmas Sweater Shop to spread some holiday cheer in Dallas” said Jencey Keeton, chief marketing officer of Punch Bowl Social. “During this year’s activation, we’ll be showcasing a collection of over-the-top holiday-inspired knits that are guaranteed to bring an extra touch of merriment this season.”

“I’m thrilled to be bringing The Ugly Christmas Sweater Shop back to Punch Bowl Social this year to inspire Dallasites to get into the holiday spirit,” said Turner. “Together, we’ve created a whimsical shopping experience that will be a fun and memorable way to celebrate the holidays.”

Punch Bowl Social Christmas snacks The snacks rival any Christmas party.Photo by Punch Bowl Social

In addition to the sweaters, Punch Bowl Social will be pouring cocktails, zero proof and punch, including To Me, You are Perfect, a fruit-forward punch served by the bowl or single cup; We Slept In!, a twist on the classic margarita; I Triple-Dog-Dare Ya, an old fashioned served with Ralphie glasses and a pickled filthy cherry and Son of a Nutcracker, an espresso martini also available in a N/A version, along with a variety of eats.

games fashion christmas holidays pop-ups

From catwalk to moonwalk

See the Prada spacesuit NASA astronauts will wear on the moon

Photo courtesy of Axiom Space

The Prada suit, which fits men and women, will enable astronauts to perform a spacewalk for at least eight hours.

Fashion met the future as Houston-based Axiom Space and luxury fashion designer Prada revealed the design of the spacesuit that NASA astronauts will wear during their upcoming journey to the moon.

Axiom, a space exploration company, and Prada, a global luxury brand, debuted their design of the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan, Italy.

Set for 2026, NASA’s Artemis III mission will be the first “staffed” lunar landing since Apollo 17 in 1972. Four astronauts have been selected for the 30-day mission.

Components of the white, gray, and red spacesuit include:

Lights
HD camera
Cellular communications
“Endurance athlete”-style nutrition
Backpack with portable life support system
Custom-made gloves
Boots designed to withstand lunar temperatures and rough terrain

Axiom Space Prada spacesuit The spacesuit work is being performed under a nearly $1.3 billion NASA contract.Photo courtesy of Axiom Space

Axiom says the suit, which fits men and women, will enable astronauts to perform a spacewalk for at least eight hours. It’s geared toward lunar missions and low-earth-orbit missions.

“The AxEMU has significant advancements in safety, mobility, sizing, and performance,” the company says.

During development of the suit, Axiom placed a dark cover on the outer layer to conceal the suit’s proprietary technology. However, the suits worn on the lunar surface will be made from a white material that reflects heat, and protects astronauts from extreme high temperatures and lunar dust.

The spacesuit work is being performed under a nearly $1.3 billion NASA contract.

“Going beyond our limits is one of the company’s values that perfectly reflects the spirit of the Prada brand and my parents’ vision. I’m very proud of the result we’re showing today, which is just the first step in a long-term collaboration with Axiom Space,” Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada’s chief marketing officer and head of corporate social responsibility, says in a news release.

Axiom says the suit is near the final stage of development. Already, it has gone through testing by astronauts and engineers at Axiom, NASA, and SpaceX facilities.

Among the tests were reduced-gravity simulations at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and underwater simulations at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, also in Houston.

The suit will undergo an in-depth design review in 2025.

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This story first appeared on our sister site InnovationMap.

fashion design prada nasa space

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From catwalk to moonwalk

See the Prada spacesuit NASA astronauts will wear on the moon