Austin may be known as the Music Capital of the World, but it’s also home to a thriving fashion and retail industry. Yesterday, on Design Lab Day (as proclaimed by Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell), Design Lab opened its doors at Oasis, Texas. This 3,000 square foot showroom overlooking Lake Travis is the brainchild of Austin’s most well-known designer Linda Asaf. It features over 27 diverse Texas-based fashion designers who are at the top of their game.
Located adjacent to the Oasis Restaurant at Lake Travis, Design Lab has an industrial-vintage theme with ample room to house current Texas designers. It can easily accommodate new lines and seasonal or pop-up collections, which makes it a relevant hub for Texas designers as industry growth continues. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Asaf at various events over the years, so I know if this is her vision it will be impeccable.
Design Lab is LT’s one-stop boutique shop for everything under the fashion umbrella. Beyond Asaf’s own ready to wear and swimwear/resort collections, Design Lab boasts a stylish smorgasbord of merchandise including children’s clothes and apparel for babies — which Lake Travis desperately needs — as well as menswear, jewelry, organic threads, game day wear and more.
Designers include:
- Black Cross: a women’s apparel line from Midi Soliz, designer to the stars, launching her line at Design Lab
- Chicka-D: super stylish game day apparel for women and children
- Criquet Shirts: fashionable, organic polo shirts and gear for men and boys
- Femailler: creates exquisitely hand-woven chainmaille jewelry with old-world charm
- Hatbox: an Austin-based modern haberdashery, with unique hats for both men and women
- Jacq Jones: classic, modern jewelry handcrafted here in Austin with high quality natural materials
- JBird Jewelry: luxurious gold and gemstone jewelry elegantly designed with striking simplicity
- Lauren Checchio: one of a kind wearable art with her jewelry, which utilizes both vintage pieces and originals
- League of Rebels: crafts epic menswear for the modern-day gentleman
- Lisa Lecroy: convertible footwear; shoes and boots than can be tailored and tweaked to match an outfit
- Mark Kalen: hand-crafted, locally designed jewelry that’s classic, sophisticated and edgy
- Nectar/ Linda Asaf: swimwear/resort line alongside Asaf’s classic, timeless and feminine ready-to-wear
- Nui Organic: children’s clothing, wool & organic cotton apparel for babies & kids
- Pearl Southern Couture: a classic clothing collection that represents the rich heritage of the Deep South
- Revelry Dresses: comfortable, beautiful dresses in game day colors for every occasion
- Sikara: beautiful, handmade modern fusion jewelry inspired from international travels
- Starling Eyewear: a high-quality, fashionable, and customizable alternative to traditional reading eyewear
- Stripedshirt: super soft, game day color fanwear, for women, kids and babies
- Texas Outlaw Boots: fine handmade leather boots at affordable prices
- United We Art: original art T-shirts, “wear and share” apparel that is 100% American made
- Valentina Shoes: fun, colorful and one-of-a-kind shoes, personalized for girls
- 9f Knives: creates custom, hand-forged knives created from recycled materials
In addition to normal shopping hours, Design Lab will also host special events throughout the year including private parties, product launches, fashion camps, fashion shows and concerts. The website is still in production, but you can learn more about Design Lab and see photos of the showroom on Facebook.
Photos courtesy of Design Lab
