Come on ya’ll, everyone knows what North Carolina is all about…

It’s the oversized mason jars sitting on grandma’s counter, filled to the brim with sweet tea, the
South’s liquid heaven. The scent of freshly cut grass with that ever-playing distant
banjo twangin’ in the background. Even those all too common bible-huggin’
Carolinians perfectly branded by that persistent, slow southern drawl.

But when we really get down to it, everyone already knows what the Carolinas
are known for – its’ sweet southern pearls. These southern beauties, although
once known for their steadfast traditionalism, are quickly becoming the subject of
fashion, and not just for the country club!

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frockOn recommends to mix sweet with funky 

(take country club to the streets...)

try some pearls from Pearl Queen, Carola BUN. www.houseofbun.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charlotte and Raleigh are the sparkling gems of North Carolina – and that’s ALL you need to know. Two cities, two cultures, two fashion powerhouses competing for the ultimate perfection of that quaint southern style. But for this week, Raleigh takes the crown with the help of Amy Gray. Raleigh celebrated local emerging and popular trends this past weekend through the Cocktails and Couture Fashion show hosted by Amy Gray. Amy is currently the store manager at Fab’rik Clothing Boutique of Raleigh.

Saturday, October 22nd marked Amy’s second annual Cocktails and Couture Fashion show…

featuring an array of clothing lines from the heart of the triangle area.
Designers and Clothing Boutiques featured at the show include: Graylee, Swagger,
Sophie & Mollies Boutique, Francesca’s and Fab’rik.

It was a very special night for Amy, as she debuted a sneak peek of her very own
designer line, Graylee. Amy hopes to begin selling her collection in southern
boutiques nationwide starting Fall 2012.

The runway was filled with Raleigh’s most favorite things –patterns, fur, punchy
jewelry, and sparkling sequence. Boots are clearly Raleigh’s favorite fall trend.

From cowboy boots (a Raleigh signature fave and an obvi must have for tailgating)
to suede, and even those darling cutie booties – everyone loves boots of all styles.
Those on NC’s best-dressed list throw plain bright collared shirts to the curb and
live up to the name of “the girl in the fur vest.” If you want to be noticed, it’s because
you have something to say – and that’s “look at me bitches.” Right now, maxi skirts,
sheer tops, bandeaus, prints, feather, glitter, and fur are all the rage. Throw on some
chunky platforms or some bright lipstick and BAM! You’ve gone Raleighwood.

So after I was done doing a little modeling myself at Cocktails and Couture, I got a
chance to sit down and ask Amy a few questions about Raleigh fashion, the show, and
her new line.

What was your inspiration or theme for this year’s show?

We wanted this years’ show to be a little more edgy and hip. We had a lot of fur and
fringe. Nothing classic. Hot fall colors are rust and mustard yellow. We used a lot of
chunky jewelry to offset more simple outfits. And we raised money for the Kay Yow
Cancer Fund, which was good to have it as a charity event too.

How did you get started in fashion and designing?

I went to North Carolina State University and majored in textiles. I knew that one
day I either wanted to open my own store or have my own clothing line. I wasn’t
sure which route I wanted to go. When I got out of school it was hard to find a job
that was just straight designing. Then I got the job at Fab’rik as manager and it
totally opened my eyes to so many business aspects. This has helped me realize that
starting my clothing line would be the route I would take versus opening my own
store.

Tell me more about your designer line, Graylee. 

What are your main influences and your vision for your line?

Well the name…let’s start with that. My middle name is Lee and my last name is
Gray and I just like the way it went together. I wanted my line to be something
personal to me. As for my theme, I eventually decided on overemphasized pieces of
a garment. So one of the dresses at the show had a really big collar. Basically, I’m
taking a simple silhouette and just making one part of it really stand out. My vision
is to have all of my designs be trendy while still appealing to the south since I’m
really looking to sell my line in southern boutiques.

And what’s this I hear about a spring fashion show? Do tell.

Yes! We are going to try and do two shows a year from now on – one spring and one
fall. So my goal is to put on another show this May. And I definitely plan on showing
some more of my collection in May’s show.

 

 

  Article | Ronilyn Osborne

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