New Orleans is a melting pot of culture, overflowing with different styles throughout the years. The city is a reservoir of history. And now, from past to present, the story of its fashion can all be found in one place.
Andi Eaton is the author of “New Orleans Style,” the first in a series of city style books published by History Press.
Eaton is a creator, designer and curator. She’s the founder of NOLA Fashion Week, which is now being rebranded as Southern Design Week. She also writes her own blog, Oui We. And on top of it all, she is the designer behind the clothing line Hazel & Florange.
Eaton said History Press approached her about the first novel, and she immediately started writing. Except for some images and research pieces, she primarily wrote the book in a two-month period during a summer trip to Spain. For someone normally juggling multiple projects, focusing on one project was a change for Eaton.
While Eaton still had to check up on her team and businesses in Louisiana, she took the focused time to research and refine the manuscript.
“I had to put myself through school,” Eaton said.
The novel begins at the founding of the city and follows time to today’s street style. Eaton said she studied New Orleans- based books, movies and blogs to help bring together all the style elements of the city.
Eaton said New Orleans is known for its fashion, so there was plenty to work with when creating the novel. The book breaks down the styles of the different cultures during the founding of the city to the city’s several neighborhoods, and how each section has a contrasting flair. One would be the French Quarter with its distinct European influence. Eaton also discusses the history of the “original fashion destinations,” the giant retailers and department stores who made their mark and influenced what the city’s consumers purchased.
In the novel, New Orleans’ hot climate also gets mentioned, discussing the fabrics and silhouettes that are best for the semi-tropical climate. Eaton said she’s heard the city described as being southern but having a Haitian influence because of its tropical climate. She said she thinks this has greatly influenced the clothing in New Orleans from the patterns to the colors to the fabrics.
And, of course, Eaton couldn’t forget festival season. The styles of Mardi Gras, with its elaborate costumes and jewelry, and the jazz era, with flapper dresses and spiffy suits, are also incorporated into the novel’s history of fashion.
While Eaton is not a New Orleans native, she “fell in love with the city” quickly after working there and has shown that in her numerous projects she’s dedicated to New Orleans.
“[New Orleans is] a melting pot of all of these different cultures… [it’s a] city that has its own distinct flair,” Eaton said.
Currently, “New Orleans Style” can only be ordered online. The book’s release party on Oct. 1 will be at The Hotel Modern’s Bellocq hosted by Garden District Book Shop. In October, the book can be purchased in regional bookstores, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
You can reach Meg Ryan on Twitter @The_MegRyan.