Fashion Trends

Clutch this: Fashion magazine and Nine West team up on sexy purses, shoes and more

In the first-of-its-kind collaboration, InStyle magazine has teamed with Nine West to create a line of stylish accessories at reasonable prices. The spring collection includes a "hold-everything" clutch, dressy sandals, a statement cuff and a variety of sexy pumps, slingbacks and wedges, priced from $79 to $129.

"I'm designing the type of things I would want to wear," InStyle accessories editor Leah Karp explained. "It was really important to me to be involved in every aspect of the process, looking at the samples, feeling how they felt in my hand, putting them on. We're bringing InStyle's brand (of) shop-like-an-editor to life with Nine West. It's what an editor would have in their wardrobe, it's what I want in my wardrobe."

"I'm designing the things I would like to wear," InStyle accessories editor Leah Karp explained.

Karp was recently at The Galleria to debut the spring collection at the Nine West boutique. Why Houston?

"One of the things that's so important to both of our brands is we're incredibly ethnically diverse. Houston really represents that for us and allows us to find the most robust group of fans to ensure we're going where they are," said Nine West senior vice president of marketing Erika Szychowski.

Most women are looking for versatile accessories that can carry them from day to night, Karp said. "And I don't think it needs to be a heel. We have a beautiful flat sandal that has a metal piece inspired by a piece of jewelry that I found that elevates it to be wearable for evening as much as it is for day."

So it's OK to wear sandals at night?

"Absolutely," Karp said. "We love a flat with a long skirt and tank top or a little cami for evening. Just dress it up with jewelry. And the jewelry piece that I designed, that's the point of it — you can wear it with blue jeans and a T-shirt as well as an evening dress or a jacket and cami and skirt for going out at night."

In designing the collection, Karp aimed for pieces that won't soon go out of style — a wearable wedge, a clutch big enough to be a day bag and a minimalist bracelet that "gives a lot of look for not a lot of money."

The idea for the collaboration came about over a fashion week dinner in Paris between InStyle editor Ariel Foxman and Jones Apparel Group CEO Richard Dickson last year. (Jones is the parent company of Nine West.) InStyle is the top-selling fashion magazine, with a circulation of nearly two million, but wants to expand its brand beyond print and Nine West jumped at the opportunity to collaborate.

The two companies whipped out a small collection for last fall that was so popular that is has been expanded for spring to include bracelets, clutches in three colors, and shoes in 18 styles.

"This collection is perfect for Texas, in my opinion, because it's so minimal, with a lot of baseline colors that are great with the way women like to dress here, which is in such bright colors and over-the-top accessories that they might want to combine with a few more grounding statement pieces," Szychowski said. "It plays well with a culture that isn't just dying to be in black every day like New York City."

Shoppers compare the Nine West "hold everything" clutch, $129, and statement cuff, $88, designed by InStyle accessories editor Leah Karp.

Purses at the InStyle for Nine West event March 2014

Photo by © Michael Stravato

Shoppers compare the Nine West "hold everything" clutch, $129, and statement cuff, $88, designed by InStyle accessories editor Leah Karp.

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RODEO RUNWAY

Western glam takes over as RodeoHouston fans dress to impress

Photo by Gabi De la Rosa

Brooke Jones, Kiala Cardenas, Brittany Ruggeri, and Franschesca Jones.

Houstonians have dusted off their boots and rhinestones as the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is in full swing. Already one of the largest events in Texas, the crowds are continuing to grow. In 2025, more than 2.7 million people attended RodeoHouston, and this year the event is already on track for record-breaking numbers.

Livestock competitions, carnival rides, deep-fried food, and headlining concerts are the official reasons people come to the rodeo. Unofficially, however, people watching has become a sport all its own. The crowded walkways on RodeoHouston grounds transform into a Western-themed runway, where personal style is just as much of the experience as enjoying deep-fried Oreos or a Ferris wheel ride.

A wide range of outfits is always on display. Some attendees go all in with head-to-toe sequins, fringe on everything, and dramatically decorated hats. Others keep things casual with denim, boots, and graphic t-shirts, while groups of friends will often coordinate themed outfits for concert nights.

Rodeo Fashoin 2026 Emily Duran and Brylie Wagner.Photo by Gabi De la Rosa

No matter the style, there are two must-have accessories: cowboy hats and boots. Hats serve a dual purpose for both fashion and protection from the sun during daytime events. Boots are essential to rodeo style, but sometimes come with a painful learning curve.

Many attendees walk more than a mile from the parking lot to the grounds, and after exploring, they often add more than 20,000 steps. For those who did not properly break in their boots, the end of the day can involve blisters and a slow walk to the car, boots in hand.

“Rodeo fashion is so fun. My friends and I planned out outfits together, and we made sure we broke in our boots before tonight,” Teresa Delgado tells CultureMap. “When you are from Houston, you only make that mistake once.”

Rodeo Fashion 2026 Karson Graves, Reese, Lowery, Mackenzie Lewis, Natalie Doyle, Brandi Hunger, and Jenna Faulkner.Photo by Gabi De la Rosa

Some days have them whether it's official or it's an unspoken trend. When Megan Moroney took the stage, pink was the color of the concert, inspired by Moroney's album Cloud 9. Nearly 70,000 attendees filled the stadium in everything from flouncy pink ruffled outfits to bright neon boots and hats.

“We have really been looking forward to this concert,” said Ashley Little from Cypress. “I didn't think too much about my outfit at first, but my daughter wanted to coordinate, so here we are wearing pink together.”

Between carnival rides, mutton busting, and nightly concerts, the rodeo has plenty to see, but some of the most memorable moments are stopping to notice that fashion is just another part of the show.

Photo by Gabi De la Rosa

Brooke Jones, Kiala Cardenas, Brittany Ruggeri, and Franschesca Jones.

houston rodeo fashion western style