Lisa Siva | Editorial Assistant, TRIBEZA
When I was ten, my most prized possession was a red coat with a faux fur-trimmed collar. It was a coat fit for a queen, enveloping me in its satiny lining and rich, unmistakable color. Over a decade later, as I have had wonderful opportunities to meet and write about Austin’s vibrant store owners, jewelry makers and clothing designers, I’ve realized that we all have our own red coat of sorts—the pieces that transform us, the pieces that are windows through which our brightest selves shine. Today, that self is a little Françoise Hardy and a little Jenna Lyons, feminine, with a few touches—a bold boot, a tailored blazer—borrowed from the boys. And with Austin’s eclectic array of well-curated local boutiques, from Girl Next Door’s youthful elegance to Fawn + Raven’s speakeasy atmosphere, this city has been the perfect place to discover a style of my own.

Kaidon Ho | Blogger, kaidonjetaime.tumblr.com
In a dream, designer Kaidon Ho found himself in a forest clearing, where a blade of black quartz had erupted from the soil. “It was magical,” he says. “I wanted to capture that visceral reaction.” That dream fueled his senior collection, Rêves Violents, whose garments call to mind both the nightmarish and the beautiful. His collection’s dark, challenging aesthetic trickles into his personal style, which the designer likens to that of Daphne Guinness. As he strolled along South Congress, Ho pulled together looks with an androgynous take on menswear, noting, “I can’t seem to not suffer for fashion!”

Ricardo Hernandez | Blogger, thestyleinquisitor.com
While studying English in his hometown of Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela, Ricardo Hernandez came across a word that would follow him from South America to Texas and ultimately, to New York: “inquisitive.” In 2010, Hernandez launched his blog, The Style Inquisitor, its name evoking the author’s sense of curiosity and exploration, which earned him a seat last year at New York Fashion Week as an Elle Style Correspondent. Though he has a strong pulse on the global fashion world, Hernandez also maintains a personal style section, featuring his “casual and slightly undone” view of traditional menswear—equal parts comfort and timelessness.