Contemporary Art Month:  Art of Fashion

July 17, 2008 · Angelina Mata Atelier on South Presa is where fashion meets everything from vintage jewelry to hair.  This week she prepares her fall collection for the Art of Fashion Show this Saturday at the Blue Star Contemporary Art Center.

Not only is she creative director for this ninth annual event, she is also a featured designer.  Angelina started out as a hairstylist and taught herself how to sew.

"At that time I had the store on South Alamo where we had the small boutique in the front, so I'd sell my things there and they'd sell and it was just encouraging to keep doing it."

Eventually her made-to-order designs became so successful that they moved to their current location for more space.  She says being in Southtown is a conscious decision and the fact that the Art of Fashion show goes towards revitalizing the neighborhood is an added bonus.

"So I saw early on that this was a good opportunity for local talent it was only right for me to help raise money for an organization I believed in."

And according to Angelina, it's come a long way from the where it started when the catwalk was the parking lot on Saint Mary's Street.  She gets calls months in advance from designers wanting to participate.

"That's a really good feeling because we want it to be that premiere event that designers want to show their work because they know it's going to be seen by the people who need to see it."