Nation’s oldest city gets hip with Big Trunk Show

By Caitlin Brown| gargoyle@flagler.edu

Fashion brought a diverse crowd of people to the beach on Nov. 20 when the St. Johns Cultural Council, Café Eleven, Drift, and The Closet hosted the third annual Big Trunk Show. For the past three years, up-and-coming North Florida fashion designers have come together under one roof at Café Eleven to showcase their apparel, accessories and jewelry.

The local designers had everything from baby clothes to hats for sale, and there was definitely tons of things to pick from.

DJ Dan kept the cool vibe going with his music, fashion films were being played simultaneously, and, of course, there was a wide variety of shopping.

Vintage neckties take a new role in designs by 2004 Flagler graduate Tara Ferreira. The former Fine Arts major takes a very unique approach by hand-sewing pieces of vintage neck ties into clothing designs, and on American Apparel T- shirts. Each vintage chic piece by Tara Ferreira Designs is one of a kind. The adorable bicycle shirt she had took eight hours to sew. She will also do custom orders for shirts.

In addition to Ferreira’s original clothing collection, she designed the costumes for the St. Augustine Amphitheatre Winter Wonderland play “The Quilt Maker’s Gift,” and she does photographic styling. Her paintings, clothing, and jewelry are all online at www.taraferreira.com.

Nowadays, everyone wants to be eco-friendly, and Twisted Sisters Jewelry by Robin Wertz is no exception. All of her pieces come from organic material, giving her collection a very earthy feel.

“Many of these pieces are made from stone or wood. I don’t like plastic,” Wertz said.

She has handmade turquoise earrings, and wooden bracelets that are both natural and stylish. Wertz even sells unique wooden earrings that give the illusion of having gauged ears without stretching your ear lobes.

Twisted Sisters Jewelry can be purchased during the Wednesday Market located at the St. Augustine Pavilion or at www.twistedsistersstaug.etsy.com.

It was the second year at the Big Trunk Show for Jaxleigh Clothing. Greg Schwartzenberger and Sean Steed started Jaxleigh in 2001, deriving the name from the cities Jacksonville and Raleigh. Be sure to check out their “City Scene” tee. Jaxleigh is available locally at The Closet.

Bean Dip has a design in honor of President-elect Barack Obama, with John F. Kennedy’s image overlapped with Obama’s called “Progress.” The description for the shirt on the company’s website calls it “a renewed energy and hope of American politics has arrived again forty-five years later.” Bean Dip is carried in sixteen states and twelve countries. It is available locally at The Closet and The Surf Station, and online at www.beandipclothing.com.

One of the most heart-warming stories comes from Rosa Loves. Known as “clothing with a purpose,” Mike Fretto’s sweatshop-free clothing line donates 60 percent of each story-related T-shirt to someone in need. The new shirt “Simple Machine” pays for the commissioning of recycled bikes, which will be given to people in St. Augustine without means of transportation. Rosa Loves is looking forward to becoming a non-profit organization, with more frequent release of new designs. Their designs are available at The Closet, Simple Gestures, and at www.rosaloves.com.

Be sure to check Café Eleven’s website — www.cafeeleven.com — to find out dates of future design shows and of next year’s Big Trunk Show.