Nominate a Stylemaker

Help us find the most stylish women and men in Dallas

There are some people for whom style is innate. They know just the right thing to wear, no matter the occasion. They command attention in a room, regardless of the outfit. They mix high and low with ease, prompting the rest of us to wonder, “How do they do that?”

To celebrate the most fashionable women and men in Dallas, we present the first Stylemaker Awards, sponsored by the Plaza at Preston Center. But we need your help to start the party.

From now until September 14, you can nominate your stylish female or male friends (or even yourself) by completing this submission form. From this initial group of nominees, a panel of judges — including yours truly and CultureMap associate editor Diana Oates, Oh So Cynthia’s Cynthia Smoot, lady-about-town Yvonne Crum, FLUENT’s Jackson, and longtime local stylist and fashion writer Stephanie Quadri — will select 12 to move into the first voting round.

On October 2, we will announce the six finalists from round one, and they will move into the final round of public voting to determine the readers’ choice. The editors and judges will also select a favorite.

We will throw a Stylemaker Awards announcement party at Tootsies on October 15, during which we’ll unveil the editors’ choice and readers’ choice winners, who will get a Plaza at Preston Center shopping spree and a styled feature in a Plaza ad campaign.

So if you know some people who fit this fashionable bill, nominate them now. And then please ask them how they do that.

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COUNTRY CACHET

Cirque du Soleil in Dallas boasts Western costumes by Beyonce stylist

Photo courtesy of Cirque du Soleil

Songblazers will be in Houston through August 11.

Entertainment circus tour Cirque du Soleil has mounted a new US tour, one that represents its first foray into an unlikely milieu: country music. CalledSongblazers, it comes to Dallas during the State Fair of Texas with a celebrity behind the scenes: famed stylist Zerina Rosette Akers who created the costumes for the show.

This marks Akers' Cirque du Soleil debut, but she has years of experience in the fashion world. She was Beyonce's personal stylist for nearly a decade and has styled other big names in the entertainment industry, including Houston native Megan Thee Stallion, Chloe and Halle Bailey, and more.

Western influences have taken over mainstream fashion over the past few seasons. Icons in the fashion industry, including Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, Dior, and Chloé, have created entire collections around Western style. With Songblazers, Akers had the opportunity to do the same.

"I was inspired by country fashion and country music past and present. I really dug into a ton of different musicians and artists, but also runway style and fashion and how it's incorporated to have the best of both worlds of fashion and music meet," Akers says.

Cirque de Soleil Akers added to Songblazers by telling the story of country songs and music through her designs. Sketch courtesy of Cirque du Soleil

Cirque costumes are famously flexible and versatile, allowing the performers to move freely during their performances. According to Akers, she worked with the commonly known aspects of country fashion, adding a Cirque du Soleil essence paired with modern Western-influenced fashion. And, of course, spandex. "Everything has to be spandex 'cause we gotta move," she says.

One of Akers' favorite creations for the show was the famed nudie suit. For those unfamiliar with nostalgic country fashion, a nudie suit is a highly embellished stage costume that became a status symbol of country music performers dating back to the 1950s.

Cirque de Soleil Western Akers designed her version of the famous country music nudie suit. Sketch courtesy of Cirque du Soleil

For many, it became a symbol of the American Dream. Akers created her own version for Songblazers.

"My favorite style piece of the country aesthetic is the nudie suit. It's so glam and rooted in culture and performance; it's just gorgeous," she says.

To complement the costumes, Vanessa Ashley, makeup specialist for Cirque du Soleil, says the color palette for the show is vibrant and happy. She pulled from the colors of the costumes to create a palette of blues, oranges, pinks, and purples. The makeup team teaches the artists how to do their makeup and hair by giving them lessons so they can complete their looks on their own weeks prior to the show.

Songblazers runs September 25-October 11 at the Music Hall at Fair Park. Tickets to the show include admission to the State Fair of Texas for the day of the show only, parking not included (does not include September 25-26).

Photo courtesy of Cirque du Soleil

Songblazers will be in Houston through August 11.

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