Fashion Houston 2011

Patrick Schwarzenegger & friends learn a lot about fashion — and life — in theirfirst runway show

Models in Project 360 hoodies
Photo by Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
Patrick Schwarzenegger, third from left, Kimberly Barth and Nick Scheinbergsurrounded by models wearing their Project 360 collection
Photo by Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
A look from the Project 360 collection
Photo by Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com

It seems like Fashion Houston is earning a rep as the go-place for young celebrity designers to showcase their clothing lines aimed at saving the planet.

Last year, in its inaugural season, the Houston-based fashion event scored a coup when Lauren Bush showed her first-ever runway collection of scarves and dresses made in an environmentally sensitive way, with proceeds helping to feed hungry children around the world.

On Monday night, at the kickoff of Fashion Houston 2011 at the Wortham Center, Project 360 co-founders Patrick Schwarzenegger, Nick Sheinberg and Kimberly Barth presented their first runway show, featuring T-shirts, sweats and hoodies emblazoned with the words "Truth," "Hope" and "Dream" in recycled leather or cotton, along with red and pink hearts, green and blue hands and more peace symbols than you ever could have found at a 1970s protest rally.

The trio will be selling the Project 360 collection Tuesday from noon until 4 p.m. at a pop up shop at the Galleria (across from the Louis Vuitton store). Prices range from $10-$120.

"Everything has an inspirational message that reflects a global cause that we donate to. It's a fashion statement kind of thing," said Barth, a former member of the R&B girl group MYNX.

"We're just trying to take comfortable, basic, everyday clothing and put a spin on it. You can make a purchase that you feel good about. In this economy, I think everyone wants to make a purchase that gives back. Being socially responsible is the wave of the future."

Schwarzenegger, the movie-star handsome 18-year-old son of estranged couple Arnold Schwarzengger and Maria Shriver, said his parents are supportive of his budding fashion career.

"They are big with the philanthropic side of everything, so the idea that we give back, particularly during these times when giving back is so important, they love the whole idea. We're not only trying to raise money, but spread the word about the message of giving back," said Schwarzenegger, who just returned from Europe where he accompanied his father to the opening of an Austrian museum saluting his dad's life. "What we've learned is that anyone can make a difference."

Project 360 started when Schwarzenegger and Sheinberg, who have been friends since pre-school, sold rubber bracelets with a peace message they created at a women's conference organized by Shriver and expanded into a clothing line after they met Barth. According to Details magazine, the company netted a profit in the mid-five figures last year.

The trio agreed that they had learned a lot about the mechanics of putting on a runway show from their Houston experience.

"Obviously our kind of clothing has a different feel than the more mainstream fashion clothing we see tonight, the very fancy stuff. Our's is more like beachy and in the wintertime very cozy. You could wear it every day," said Sheinberg, whose grandfather was the longtime head of MCA Universal Studios.

"We wanted to show everyone we could give back by showing the videos. And we tried to make our models look as fashionable as possible. We have a crowd out there that came for only very high class fashion. If this were a high school, that's like our crowd."

So what exactly did they pick up from the experience?

"The step-by-step process of how this stuff takes place," Sheinberg said. "I didn't realize how it was done and the behind-the-scenes (work), how the models are sprinting back and forth. Everyone has been so great. It's definitely a plus that it is in Houston."

Both young men will be going to college after graduating from Brentwood (Calif.) High School next spring. But they plan to continue to expand the company with Barth as a partner and believe their college contacts can only help.

In the meantime, Schwarzenegger has embarked on a career as a model. A racy billboard on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles showing him shirtless in a pair of Hudson jeans has turned heads and hearts since it went up in August. Has he been ribbed, at least a little, by his co-partners?

"No," Schwarzenegger said, with a laugh. "It's bringing in the dough. You can't make fun of that."

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The trio will be selling the Project 360 collection Tuesday from noon until 4 p.m. at a pop up shop at the Galleria (across from the Louis Vuitton store). Prices range from $10-$120.

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no more magic of macy's

Macy's to shutter dozens of stores nationwide, including 1 in Houston

Courtesy photo

Macy's said it would be moving forward with closing 66 locations, including Houston's Alameda Mall store.

A major department store name is contracting its presence in Texas: Macy's is planning on closing six of its locations statewide, including a Houston store, by the end of April 2025.

Macy's is the New York-based brand, which includes Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, and Bluemercury.

According to a press release, the company will be closing 66 stores nationwide as a part of its "Bold New Chapter" strategy to make the company profitable again. In all, Macy's is planning on shuttering 150 "underproductive" locations by 2026.

The singular Houston Macy's that is included in the closure is located at Almeda Mall. A clearance sale is expected to begin this month and will last for approximately 8-12 weeks, according to a FAQ on the Macy's website. Shoppers who currently patronize that store will soon have to travel eight miles farther to Macy's Baybrook Mall location in Friendswood, or visit one of the three remaining locations in the city limits.

The five Dallas-Fort Worth stores that are closing include:

Macy's Village, 201 Stacy Rd. in Fairview
Shops at Willow Bend, 6209 W. Park Blvd. in Plano
Southlake Town Square, 321 State St. in Southlake
Market by Macy's WestBend, 1751 River Run #101 in Fort Worth
Highlands of Flower Mound, 6101 Long Prairie Rd. Suite 500 in Flower Mound

Though Texas is losing six stores, California and New York will be hit harder with the loss of nine stores each.

"Closing any store is never easy, but as part of our Bold New Chapter strategy, we are closing underproductive Macy’s stores to allow us to focus our resources and prioritize investments in our go–forward stores, where customers are already responding positively to better product offerings and elevated service," said Tony Spring, chairman and chief executive officer of Macy’s, Inc. in the release.

shopping closings