Andi Eaton - New Orleans Style

Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC 29403

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2014 by Andi Eaton

All rights reserved

First published 2014

e-book edition 2014

ISBN 978.1.62585.173.4

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Eaton, Andi.

New Orleans style / Andi Eaton.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

print edition ISBN 978-1-62619-641-4 (paperback)

1. Fashion--Louisiana--New Orleans--History. 2. Design--Louisiana--New Orleans-History. 3. Aesthetics--Social aspects--Louisiana--New Orleans--History. 4. New Orleans (La.)--Social life and customs. 5. Neighborhoods--Louisiana--New Orleans--History. I. Title.

GT617.N33E28 2014

391--dc23

2014034964

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

For my grandparents, Norma Louise Tebeau and Shirley and William Van Dresser.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

It doesnt take long for someone to fall in love with New Orleans. The Victorian architecture, the rich Creole history and the zealous locals all come together to create a spirit that stays with you long after you leave. In no area is that reflected better than in the citys style. This has always been the caseafter all, this is where the seersucker suit, now a staple of a southern gents wardrobe and, in its more feminine tailoring, a southern womans too, was born in the 1900s thanks to Joseph Haspel, whose brand, much like the rest of the city, is in a state of revival. For further proof of NOLAs timeless style factor, just look at images of a rumpled yet elegant Truman Capote walking the streets of his hometown in suit pants with cuffs rolled up, Kitty Carlisle sparkling in pearls and gold gowns well into her nineties or the impossible intricacy of a 1940s Mardi Gras Indian headdress.

Although rooted in the same traditions that make the South distinct, New Orleans style is notably looser, more colorful and deeply personal. The city was recently described to me as an extension of the Caribbean rather than a southern city, and the vibrantly hued, gauzy nature of the residents wardrobes vividly displays this. Although New Orleans has never lacked in style, it was not until the last couple years that the fashion culture, previously overshadowed by the citys food and music, took center stage. What is happening now is a continuation of the chic absurd mixed with classic authenticity that has always made the city beautiful. Fashion insiders around the country are taking notice now more than ever due in large part to a tribe of young entrepreneurs who choose to call NOLA home, such as Sarah Elizabeth Dewey and Jolie Bensen of Jolie & Elizabeth, who refreshed the seersucker dress; the humble yet dynamic Lisa Iacono, who revived the citys textile industry with her factory NOLA Sewn, where she and her crew are responsible for manufacturing pieces for more than thirty American-made brands; Stirling Barrett of Krewe du Optic, an artist who reconfigured his skills to carefully craft whats set to be the next great sunglass companyeach pair promoting the citys heritage with names that take after streets around town; and, of course, Andi Eaton, a powerhouse of a woman who always looks perfectly at ease despite the fact that behind the scenes shes running a blog, a boutique, a clothing brand and the citys twice-annual Fashion Week, a feat made possible and successful due to her genuine love for the city and a drive to keep it moving forward.

When I first met Andi, standing out with green mermaid hair and even brighter threads, I thought she perfectly epitomized that mix of elegant, quirky, feminine and edgy that makes the city unique. We met to discuss Fashion Week, an event that Id heard of and had admittedly pushed aside, having been oversaturated by the influx of fashion weeks that have popped up over the last five years. But I quickly found this event was nothing to snuff at. With its unique slant of promoting regional brands and authenticity, many say it was a catalyst for the rejuvenation of the citys fashion industry. This is why I cannot imagine a person better suited to pen this book. As the city continues to move toward the forefront of our countrys style culture, Andi will no doubt continue to shape and represent the new face of New Orleans.

STEPHANIE GRANADA

Style Editor at Southern Living

PREFACE

Through pestilence, hurricanes, and conflagrations the people continued to sing. They sang through the long oppressive years of conquering the swampland and fortifying the town against the ever threatening Mississippi. They are singing today. An irrepressible joie de vivre maintains the unbroken thread of music through the air.

Lura Robinson, Its An Old New Orleans Custom, 1948

Not so many years ago, if you had asked a typical person on the street of an average American city to describe New Orleans, the picture would likely go something like this: Beads and bare bodies! Throw me something, mister! Hurricanes and hand grenades and Wild nights on Bourbon Street! Or perhaps, the vision would be on the opposite end of the spectrum. Perhaps the vision would be of Hurricane Katrina, certainly the most memorable storm of the last decades and one that local people set time bypre-Katrina versus post-Katrina. And while for quite some time much of the worlds knowledge of the city, built on three hundred years of blended French, Spanish, African and Caribbean influence, may have been overshadowed by the story of the party or that natural disaster, New Orleanians have always known their city holds a much deeper magic.

We dance even if theres no radio. We drink at funerals. We talk too much and laugh too loud and live too large and, frankly, were suspicious of others who dont.

Chris Rose

Spend a little time with the locals and theres a totally different tale to be told. New Orleans is a city founded on music: Ask a little kid what he wants to be and instead of saying I want to be a policeman, or I want to be a fireman, he says, I want to be a musician. Its home to festivities and food, architecture and design and artists of all genres. Theres those who play and show their work in high-end concert halls and galleries and those who are street entrepreneurs. Its a city where artists survive and thrive as an integral part of the community. It has a style uniquely its own, influenced by the sounds, sights, tastes and traditions of the people who built it.

It is a city whose icons have led entire movementsjazz music, civil rights, Mardi Grasand inspired fashions copied by the rest of the world, including festival fashion, flappers, seersucker and tropical style. From the regal and exuberant style of the French to the Spanish sartorial influence to the pride of the Creole and Cajun people, New Orleanians embody their history and their future every day in the clothes they wear.

The people of New Orleans have complete confidence in who they are and have an unshakable dedication to maintaining that identity. This story will take a look at the citys founders from the early explorers to the Kings Daughters and Bellocqs Storyville brothel girls to the Carnival Queens and Kings in their trimmings, as well as the elegance of the jazz musicians both past and present. Discover here the heritage behind the citys most notable and notorious and take a look neighborhood by neighborhood at the style of the city.