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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Stepping Up

RodeoHouston teams up with Texas bootmaker for limited edition collab

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Lane Boots

Photo courtesy of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™

Each part of the boots ties back to the key elements of the HLSR.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) concert lineup has been announced, and concert tickets have gone on sale, which can only mean one thing – it is time to get rodeo ready. For 20 days in March, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is taking over the NRG Stadium complex, where Houstonians will display their best Western-inspired attire.

This year, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo collaborated with popular Texas-based brand Lane Boots on a one-of-a-kind limited edition collection. Muffy King, director of marketing for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, designed the boots with help from a team of experts at Lane Boots. Together, they looked at what is trending in existing boot designs and the fashion industry as a whole to come up with a unique look.

"It was important to us that the boot meant to celebrate the 2025 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo be representative of the 'Cowboy Core' aesthetic that is a major influence in fashion right now. These fundamental choices were a natural way for us to incorporate and represent our mission-driven pillar – Western Heritage," King tells CultureMap.

Each part of the boots ties back to the key elements of HLSR. The round braid on the sides represents the ropes used in competitions. The starburst effect around the star and the state of Texas symbolizes the lights on the RodeoHouston stage. The Texas on the back of the boot highlights HLSR's focus on supporting education in the Lone Star State. Departing from Lane's recognizable blue-soled boots, these feature a distinct orange sole with the HLSR logo stamped on the bottom, reflecting the branding seen across Texas ranches.

With designs for both men and women, the boots are exclusively available online. Photo courtesy of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

"We wanted to showcase the unique feature Lane has become known for in Western fashion, but with our own Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo flare," said King. "For both the Rodeo and Lane Boots, this was a real testament to the partnership and collaboration that took place to make these boots a reality."

The boots were released online earlier this month, and according to King, they are "flying off the shelves quickly" and have been met with an overwhelmingly positive response. Lane Boots produced 2,025 pairs of boots at their factory in Leon, Mexico. Each pair has an individual stamp and a special message on the inside of the boot shaft.

"The story behind the boot naturally lends itself to being relatable to many individuals across all walks of life," King says. "It was a very seamless process that resulted in an aesthetic that allows whoever wearing them to incorporate their own story and personality into the boot."

With designs for both men and women, the boots are exclusively available online. If any inventory remains when the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo begins, they will be available at the Lane Boots location in NRG Center.

Photo courtesy of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™

Each part of the boots ties back to the key elements of the HLSR.

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