Pastiche

Pastiche Spring 2015

Spring 2015

Austin Edition

Get the Inside Scoop on Austin Street Artist

Seve Garza

Get the inside scoop on Austin Street Artist

Seve Garza The SOLUTION to Your Spring Baking Dilemmas

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Awesome Songs for Spring 2015

Contact us at: hello@luckylabcoffee.com (512) 420-6950

Locations: Downtown 242 West 2nd St. South Congress 1300 South Congress Ave. St. Edward’s Campus 3001 South Congress Ave.

Table of Contents 8-9 Austin is full of food trucks and trailers and it can often be overwhelming deciding where to dine. Let the Pastiche team help you decide with these reviews of seven great food trucks to try.

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Learn how and where to check out new and upcoming artists of Austin in this story about the Contemporary Austin Art Museum by Ryland Quirk.

Learn about new artists and songs from this 2015 Spring themed mix tape by Marcella Cannatti.

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If you’re struggling to keep your hair healthy, enjoy these DIY hair masks.

32 As the live music capital of the world, there are hundreds of shows going on every night in Austin.

These six bands will rock your socks off.

Austin’s unique style can be hard to recreate. These five thrift shops can help you find a style and save money doing it.

Learn how the Austin boutique SoLa buys its merchandise and caters to each customer in this profile story by Clarissa Bird.

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Finding a baked good for spring time can be difficult-find out how you can make a delicious treat to enjoy this spring.

Learn all about the baking-biz from the winners of Cupcake Wars over at the Sugar Mama’s bake shop. Story by Isabelle Blaha.

Get an inside look at Seve Garza a street artist in Austin from this fun profile by Marcella Cannatti.

Pastiche|Spring 2015 5

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR When I walked into Seve Garza’s garage studio, I was nervous and excited to see my former camp counselor and an artist who I greatly admire. He was very friendly and greeted me with a hug and immediately started speaking animatedly about his art, at which point I relaxed. There was nothing to worry about. Throughout the interview, Seve was energetic and talkative, and at one point while pulling out a piece of art for me to see, he asked my major. I laughed and corrected him; apparently he thought I was in college. For that I have to thank Ms Harrison. Her specific instructions on how to get in contact with someone you want to interview and how to act during the interview transformed me into someone who seemed so professional that my small stature and the fact that my mom drove me to the interview became insignificant enough that I was perceived as an adult. I had my moment of pride before I corrected him, telling him I was only fifteen. He was shocked.

At the beginning of this semester, our group was split into three completely separate ideas: Clarissa and Isabelle both wanted Art, Ryland wanted anything to do with food, and I wanted to write about internet stars. However after much debate, we were able to agree on the topic of Lifestyle in Austin, because we would know what we were talking about. I can’t speak for the rest of this group, but throughout the making of this magazine, I learned about new places and things in Austin. Before this magazine, I hadn’t ever been to SoLa or even thought of going to SoLa. To be fair. I still haven’t been to SoLa but now I want to. I had never before heard of any of the bands Ryland covered in his ASF and now I have listened to some of their music, but most importantly, at the start of this semester, I had never eaten Gourdough’s, and now I have...twice.

I started this class knowing I would like it more than Sci-Tech, and I was right, but I was more correct than I ever knew. Ms Harrison put me in a group of wonderful people who I enjoyed spending the semester getting to know and working with. I’ll be sad to see her go next year. Thank you for making this class fun and teaching me how to use Adobe products!

Also, special thanks to Taylor Swift for being an inspiration to us all.

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THE PASTICHE TEAM Clarissa Bird Clarissa is so experienced in thrifting, she thrifted her own onesie as an infant so she is a reliable source for solving shopping dilemmas. Her interest in design and fashion began when she watched the show Project Runway for the first time. Her passion for fashion developed even further when she toured the Parson’s School for Design in New York City and met Tim Gunn. She has since taken an interest in graphic design thanks to her incredible Ezine teacher Ms. Harrison and her creative group members, and hopes to pursue more opportunities to design in the future.

Isabelle Blaha Isabelle Blaha started playing soccer after moving to Austin from New Jersey when she was five years old. After several years of the sport, her interests started to switch to baking. For a good three years her dream was to become a baker but that fantasy dissolved after she realized that in order to sell pastries at a reasonable time, they would have to be baked beforehand, and she didn’t want to lose sleep. With that, baking became a fun pastime that she still loves to try every now and then, and she is still looking for her passion.

Marcella Cannatti Marcella is an avid rower, journalist, and photographer who enjoys spending time with her friends and family. She is a sixth year camper at Camp Olympia, which she loves to brag about, and can’t wait to return to at the start of summer every year. Coincidentally, her feature story is about one of her former camp counselors. When she isn’t rushing around taking pictures for yearbook or bossing people in her group for Pastiche around, she can be found blasting music in her room as loudly as she can before her mom yells at her, watching Connor Franta videos, or eating copious amounts of sourpatch watermelons.

Ryland Quirk Ryland Quirk started writing in second grade, and although it started out as stories of a fantasy world, he eventually started writing about events occurring in his world. This led to him taking Newspaper in eighth grade, where he experienced writing about other people. At this point Ryland realized that he loved journalism, and he wrote numerous stories for his school newspaper. Beyond writing, Ryland spends his time listening to music and playing his guitar which he named “Cherry,” after its red color.

Pastiche | Spring 2015 7

Top 7 Austin Food Trucks Story and photos by Marcella Cannatti

Taco trucks: Torchy’s Tacos:

Torchy’s Tacos has been an Austin classic since the creator, Michael Rypka, had the courtesy to open his first food truck here. The menu began with a small selection of fajitas and other classic tex-mex, but has since expanded to include breakfast tacos, waffle tacos, and even tacos made with fried chicken. Their delicious chips and salsa were what brought in the first customers, and they have never stopped being delicious. There are lots of options on the menu, but the one that we recommend? The Trailer Park. Made with fried chicken, green chiles, pico de gallo and cheese with the option of adding queso, this is the perfect meal to spice up your day.

East Side Kings: This fun Asian twist on regular street food has made East Side Kings the true ruler of the East Side trailer park business. Started as a side business for the two founders, this restaurant has now become one of the most popular food trucks in Austin. They serve everything from Thai Fried Chicken to Octopus tacos! Their seven different locations offer a wide range of food options with an emphasis on making their food unique. Few other food trucks make such a variety of foods and so well.

EntrÉes: Ms P’s Electric Cock Fried Chicken: An installment in Austin for four years, Ms P’s Fried Chicken treats every meal like a celebration. Every piece of chicken is made with care, soaked in subtle spices before frying. Every meal comes with a roll and they even sell waffles! When you walk up to the trailer on South Congress, you get the sense of coming home, or coming to a surprise picnic.

The wonderful smells wafting out of the trailer windows make your mouth water. If you go here, we strongly recommend going with a classic: the two piece chicken meal and farm frites. Fun fact: Ryan Gosling once ate here.

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Keith’s BBQ: Keith’s Barbecue is definitely worth waiting all week long to pig out on.

Despite its limited hours, this tiny food truck is one of the best in Austin.

Its menu contains everything a carnivore would need to have a good meal. The best item is their brisket, which is just the right mix of savory and salty. It doesn’t quite have the same level of popularity as places like Franklin’s, but it is a smaller scale version of the exact same thing. The lack of waiting makes the whole experience much more pleasant.

Desserts: Cow Tipping Creamery: Name one other food truck that sells soft serve flavors other than chocolate, vanilla, and swirl; I dare you. That’s right, there isn’t one. Cow Tipping Creamery’s innovation and creativity have led them to great success in the food truck business. It is the perfect snack to have in the afternoon to cool you down, or even in the morning, just because it’s delicious. They offer tons of options for soft serve, even a make your own, and gourmet sodas.

Bananarchy: You may think you’ve tried all of the craziness that Austin has to offer, and you may think you’ve tried frozen bananas, but you’re wrong. You haven’t truly lived until you’ve tried the frozen bananas dipped in delicious chocolate, peanut butter, white chocolate, or even vegan chocolate with your choice of toppings such as sprinkles or crushed oreos. This is the prefect pick-me-up after a hard day at work or at school and it’s easy to get to at an address just off of South 1st. Our personal choice is the classic: just a banana dipped in chocolate, or if you prefer, vegan chocolate, and covered in sprinkles.

Best Overall: Gourdough’s: There are good dessert places in Austin, and there are good dinner or lunch places in Austin, but Gourdough’s has them all beat with is delightfully varied selection of both. You can stop by for lunch and try something like the Mother Clucker, or to try one of their eccentric dessert donuts, like the Heavenly Hash donut. Gourdough’s started as just a restaurant, but it has since expanded to three different locations, all of which are wildly successful. The menus at the Gourdough’s public house, one of the two permanent locations, are even more varied, offering things like donut burgers and sandwiches. The best donut out of them all? The Flying Pig. Pastiche | Spring 2015 9

Photos By: Ryland Quirk Art By: Tom Sachs

Experiencing New Art in Austin Ryland Quirk

Tom Sach’s pieces at The Contemporary Austin’s Jones Cen-

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Art by: Tom Sachs

very angle offers something new, but from only one of the front, this pieces exhibits a huge amount of artistic creativity.

The Technics turntable with a mahogany bottom mounted on top. Under it two DJ mixers, one displaying a picture of a glowing, happy cartoon cat. Further down the speakers reside, emitting the soft sound of indie rock. A Sony™ Walkman juts out from the side, and a red dolly holds the whole contraption together.

Step to the side or shift your gaze over a centimeter or two, and already a whole new view reveals itself.

This piece, one of Tom Sachs’s Boombox Retrospective exhibit, is one of his many currently exhibited at the Jones Center. Unlike the classic visual art, which offers 180 degrees of view, the sculptures and art The Contemporary’s pieces allow you to view it from millions of ways, due to the art being 3 dimensional.

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Miffy Fountain, 2008

Furthermore, a lot of time and effort is put into each piece complementing one another, while also able to thrive on its own. The Contemporary Austin frequently showcases pieces like this and swaps out artists within its Laguna Gloria and Jones Center locations every three to four months. Whether it be a modified boombox or half a football field’s length of braided rope, The Contemporary Austin shies away from nothing.

The Contemporary has been acquiring art since 1961, via their past organization AMOA arthouse, and only recently changed their name in 2013.

The organization has been around since as early as 1911, but the modernization and exhibition of contemporary art at The Contemporary is a more recent change, much like the name.

“We are exhibiting artists that are currently making contemporary art, things that are happening now, and are

relevant now,” Associate educator for teen programs at The Contemporary Austin, Hannah Zurko, said. “[The Contemporary is] encouraging new works, so not just work that’s already been made, but actively supporting and encouraging new works to be made.”

Some of the artists that have been featured at The Contemporary include Liam Gillick, Orly Genger, Do Ho Suh, and more. Gillick, although against the term “contemporary” was the first artist to be featured by The Contemporary after the name change.

Genger made the famous piece Current, formerly featured at Laguna Gloria. Suh showcased common objects and even whole whole rooms made of cloth.

The phrase “contemporary” has many definitions, due to its broad encompassment of many forms of art.

“Contemporary art has a number of different meanings, sometimes one of

the historical references is this kind-of 1960 on, but, the word contemporary pretty much means current.

It’s being re-defined constantly,” Zurko said.

The Contemporary constantly switches out the exhibitions every threefour months. “The hope is that everytime you come here you’ll experience something different,” Louis Grachos, executive director, said.

With this new age of art comes a new form of it. It’s called interactive art. This art incorporates one to all of the senses. “We are seeing artists that are coming up that are not just putting up art for aesthetical purposes. It’s not just something you’re meant to look at, it might be art that’s creating an experience.” Zurko said.

“There are also artists that are looking at their viewer, or the visitor, or whoever would be looking at their art,

and thinking, ‘how can I make that experience different, or how can I change the art,’ or even activate the art in some cases.”

The Jones Center, which opened in 1995 and is celebrating its 20 year anniversary by bringing in more artists from more places around the United States, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. Each of these places has tons of artists, all with more contemporary pieces to be showcased.

The Jones Center is also able to show a form of interactive art via projection.

“There’s the ability to show video in the Jones Center space and projections. I think it just adds some versatility to what we can do.” Zurko said.

“We had one artist take over the whole space and do a whole installation with projectionJones Center,

“The word contemporary pretty much means current. It’s being redefined constantly.”

Phonkey, 2011 Art by: Tom Sachs Pastiche | Spring 2015 13

Guru’s Yardstyle, 1999 Art by: Tom Sachs

projection and put blacklight in the gallery, instead of traditional gallery and it kind-of made it feel like you were in water.” This versatility is shown when an entire blacklight gallery piece can be removed and a traditionally lit set of pieces can all be swapped in one night.

The Contemporary also hosts parties and events within the Jones Center, some reaching onto the rooftop, featuring a great view of downtown Austin. These events range from business gatherings to schoolteachers going to view and study the art for their own classes. A bartering event, called Barter_Station even occurred where people brought what they thought would be worth the most to the artist in exchange for one of the rare cups made by JJ PEET, the artist.

He then assesses which cup is equal to your exchange for one of the rare cups made by JJ PEET, the artist. He then assesses which cup is equal to your gift, and which one is ideal for you.

At Laguna Gloria, one of the two locations owned by The Contemporary, a different project is happening. “We are very excited to begin working on our sculpture park, the Betty and Edwards Merkus sculpture park. We’re looking to continue commissioning and obtaining contemporary sculptures. We are really excited to build that and really establish Laguna as a destination in Austin.” Zurko said. These sculptures can range anywhere from a netting linked by golden and silver men to a large, hello-kitty esc white rabbit crying into a fountain below.

The Laguna Gloria space also offers a lot of opportunity for large projects because of its both indoor and outdoor areas to work. “As is usually the case when working on a large scale piece I am inspired by the specific site and my work responds to it,” artist of Current, Orly Genger, said. It is this type of inspiration that The Contemporary looks for when it searches for artists to feature.

The Contemporary works with the artists to really try to make a positive environment for them, and not just showcase

them for their art. “It was a great experience to work not only with the people at the Museum but also to work in a city that I love. The Austin Contemporary is emerging with very strong exhibitions and I was honored to be a part of it and to be the inaugural show for Laguna Gloria,” Genger said.

The Contemporary is also working with students to expose their inner artists, no matter what their interest is. “Someone who is interested in robotics I don’t see why we couldn’t have a talk about art and how they would have a unique perspective on wiring and could do a really unique piece with something I would not be familiar with,” Zurko said.

12 students are also on The Contemporary’s board, who help advise anywhere from what art should be displayed to what DJ should be hired for a party. “I honestly find that the students that I work with sometimes are more open minded than most adults.” Zurko said.

Since the kids advise the museum on what should be featured, they play a major role in who is featured at the museum, and the museums future. “Contemporary art can be challenging, in the sense that it’s new, just like every art movement is new at some point,” Zurko said.

Those interested could even receive mentorship via The Contemporary Austin. “We have a young artist program, that is free and that is more traditional is the sense of an art portfolio program, but we work with local artists to come and work with students.” Zurko said. This program allows students to work with current artists, and to shape and explore their own skills with art.

“The Contemporary Austin is hoping to show artists on a higher caliber, and to bring in artists who are also exhibiting in larger cities such as Chicago or New York, and be able to bring them to a city as great as Austin,” Zurko said. Some future exhibits include Looking Up by Tom Freidman and Monika Sosnowska’s The Stairs. Grachos said, “[Austin] is the perfect platform for contemporary art, and it needs to be part of the fabric of our city and our experiences here.”

Net-Work , 2010 Art by: Do Ho Suh

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Spring 2015 Mixtape The perfect music to listen to while reading the latest edition of Pastiche. marcella cannatti

1. Reflections by MisterWives 2 . Stressed Out by twenty one pilots 3. Bad Dream by Mowgli’s 4. Trojans by Atlas Genius 5. Sloppy Seconds by Watsky 6. Hero by Family of the Year 7. Mess is Mine by Vance Joy 8. Happy Little Pill by Troye Sivan 9. I Can Talk by Two Door Cinema Club 10. Dreaming by Smallpools 11. Rollercoaster by Bleachers 12 . Texas by Magic Man 13. Say My Name by ODESZA ft Zyra 14. Little Game by Benny 15. ILYSB by LANY 16. Gooey by Glass Animals 17. Morning by Beck 18. Someone New by Hozier

Guitar while the Getting’s Good

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hese bands have all gained thousands of fans, and received praise from all over America. They bring new music to the music capital of the world, and really increase the spectrum of things that make Austin Austin. These are six Austin bands you should check out.

1

Ghostland Observatory

Ghostland Observatory is a “electro-dance rock,” band based on combining two completely different musical visions into one. While one of the two guys in the band is into electronic music, the other is more into rock, creating a sound that can only be made by Ghostland Observatory. “Ghostland have mated inventive electronic beats with glam-rock melodies for a catchy, highly theatrical take on dance music. And they’ve done it their way,” Stacey K. Anderson, writer for Spin magazine said.

2

The Black Angels

This band excels in playing psychedelic rock. Heavy guitar, strong drums accompanying, and a wavy bass line make this band an awesome one to listen to. They love their genre so much, in 2008 they founded the Austin Psych Fest. “Their music is full of reverb and warble,... jangly tambourines and a certain menacing, droning heaviness,” Ryan Bort, writer for Paste Magazine said.

3

The Bright Light Social Hour

This electronic/psychedelic rock band just released their second album, Space Is Still the Place, and are one of the coolest bands in Austin. They create an experience for anyone able to see them, and really brighten up your day.

The Black Angels at Download Festival 2007

Photo By: porcupiny

Ryland Quirk

Photo By: Nan Palmero

Quiet Company playing at The Belmont

Quiet Company

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Critics call them a mix of “The Beatles, Death Cab for Cutie, Arcade Fire and Weezer,” and they have really lived up to these big names, receiving praise from The New York Times, TIME, NPR, Last Call with Carson Daly, Paste Magazine, Houston Chronicle, and the Austin Chronicle. Their indie rock music creates a really great sit back and relax vibe, and their live concert enthusiasm make them great to see in person. Rather than quiet this down, you’ll be turning your stereo up.

Whiskey Shivers

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“There’s no way to watch Whiskey Shivers and not love life,” SonicVault Austin said when talking about this country band. They are known best for making everyone in the room crack a smile. “Whiskey Shivers isn’t just the five of us on stage, it’s everybody in the room,” Bobby Fitzgerald, the band’s frontman said.

The Octopus Project

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“Their live shows highlight their electronic and melodic prowess, making them a must see.” Do512 reported when describing this electronic pop band. The use of video draws the eye and separates them from most other bands, and the melodic sound creates a contrast to the harsh electronica tones being emitted. Their music makes you remember the motto “Keep Austin Weird.”

Photo By: Matt Simon

Whiskey Shivers playing at SXSW 2012

DIY: Hair Mask Figuring out a balanced washing routine for your hair can be extremely complicated. No one wants to go out with hair that looks wet with grease or dried and crisp. These nourishing treatments are affordable-and the best part is you can do it yourself!

For Dry Hai r

2

1

!/2 cup of milk

3

Mix milk and honey then massage into scalp. Pull mixture to tips of wet hair and let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse hair and wash as usual.

1 tablespoons of honey

For Oily Hai r

2

1

Egg whites from 1 egg 18 Pastiche|Spring 2015

3

2 tablespoons of lemon juice 1 tablespoon of salt

Mix egg whites, salt and lemon juice then apply to wet hair and scalp. Let mixture sit for 30 minutes and rinse in shower with lukewarm water.

Wash as usual.

Photo by Clarissa Bird

SoLa-vin’ It

A unique take on the classic boutique clarissa bird

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Models Kendra Ballantyne and Candy Kuo wearing and posing for SoLa’s SXSW collection

Photo by Azfaris Khamsidi (SoLa)

he window contains three mannequins in varying outfits standing next to logs beneath a dream catcher constructed of twigs and fabric strips.

Delicate white lace and sheer chiffon, fringe purses and two-piece sets billow from the mannequins to match the nature theme. Industrial gladiatoresque heels contrast with the almost Native American patterns and layering of bracelets to create a diverse scene.

This quickly draws in someone who appreciates the homemade craft of the props but still wants the clothing’s chicstyle.

SoLa has built a boutique where South Austin women can find unique styles for reasonable prices. By creating a price range in between the average chain store and higher-end boutiques around Austin, SoLa allows shoppers to feel comfortable building their wardrobe, says SoLa owner Coral Smith. Price points within the shop differ to let buyers choose if they want 20 Pastiche|Spring 2015

a cute accessory for $10-$20 or want to leave with a new outfit ranging from $30-$200.

From the front window a shopper can begin to see how SoLa caters to customers who want to remain within a budget. The first thing most people notice when they walk into the South Austin boutique SoLa is the spectrum of affordable jewelry like the delicate, animal themed necklaces dangling from the branches of a small fake tree surrounded by sparkling rings and cuffs. These lower-priced items are a key part of the store’s strategy of attracting South Austin shoppers.

The layout and flow of the store also tailors to South Austinites seeking style on a budget. The first impression is important, says SoLa employee Sarah Duffy, “because sometimes people drive by but don’t come in because they think it’s a boutique that’s too expensive.” Sarah works hard to make sure customers who enter are immediately comforted to

find reasonably priced items. Most customers go to the right side of the shop when they come in, says Duffy.

Customers are instantly introduced to sparkly, over-sized dangling earrings and quirky silver jewelry ranging from $10-$20. From there subtle furniture guides them. Customers move on to the first couple of racks of clothing suspended by recycled pipes. The hanging cotton and rayon casual wear is priced at about $30-$60 compared to the more expensive items on the left wall.

Most of the lower-priced items could be described as bohemian because of the range of tribal and floral prints, wardrobe basics and grunge mesh tops. This lower-price range eases customers over to the more expensive left side of the store with feminine and fitted dresses for a night out. Neon party dresses with a high waist and intricate cut-outs and rompers that look like maxi dresses are not out of the ordinary here. Customers who

have been eased into the store with the lower-priced items may now feel comfortable with possibly splurging or saving for these higher-priced dresses costing $60-$200.

Another window into the store’s style is visible through the unusual accessories and trinkets throughout the store. Narrow bookshelves tucked between clothing racks hold purses that echo the themes embodied by the clothes. Mostly impractical with few pockets and large clasps, these handbags can bring to life any piece in the store. Although the purses vary in size and color they all have either a large buckle or fringe to add to the western feel. More than functional purses, these are conversation starters.

Tables around the store also hold sunglasses in eclectic colors of bright neon, pastel blue and black, and in styles from cat eye to more box-like frames. The one uniformity of these cool shades? The $15 price. Instead of directing customers from cheap sunglasses to $80 designer pairs, SoLa gives the option of choosing solely on style. Without the worry of price the customer can simply pick up a pair of sunglasses as an alternative to paying a more hefty amount for an entirely new outfit.

Similarly, unconventional trinkets along the shelves and sale room can be a are a fun way to leave the store feeling

a way to leave the store feeling whimsical but practical by purchasing an electric guitar-shaped cheese grater or a dish scrubber.

The sale section tucked away in the store’s right corner further reveals the South Austin audience and gives insight into SoLa’s market strategies.

Here you can see the store’s more and less successful merchandise. The less successful items are those that lasted

“Austin has a ton of strong women who are out there just making it all happen.” too long on the floor and ended up in the sale section. Surprisingly the last pieces of popular items also end up here. This is because they’re the last of a “size set,” a group of six items with two pieces for each size (small, medium, large). The store does not like to leave one item alone on the rack so they move the last of a popular item to the sale section.

Last year the store struggled with selling entire size sets because they were sometimes purchasing two to three sets of the same item, Duffy said.

This left them with 12-18 similar items to sell. For a store trying to sell unique items, “[SoLa] struggled with having too many of the same things,” Duffy said. This year they have adjusted the strategy to buying only six copies (one set) of an item. As a result there are more sellouts and more customers who don’t have to worry about owning the same piece as someone else.

Like her customers, owner Smith wants to have a unique style. “One thing about Austin is that pretty much every store has their very own unique aspects. Their own view on what is gonna sell, what their customer likes, and just a vibe and a feel for their store,” Smith said.

Smith started her store with the idea that beauty comes from many different places within and around a person. She wanted the store to empower women in their sense of beauty. When Smith first opened SoLa it did not stand for South Lamar, and she says it still does not. “We derived it from the Spanish word for alone and it’s the feminine sense of the word, so it stands for women’s strength and beauty,” Smith said.

She sees a connection between her store and the independence of women

SoLa was one of the original Austin boutiques to display TOMS shoes Photo by Clarissa Bird

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The first thing a shopper sees upon entering SoLa Photo by Clarissa Bird

in Austin. “Austin has a ton of strong women who are out there just making it all happen,” said Smith, and that “influences what we try to provide.”

Smith tries to provide for her customers every time she goes “to market,” which is a retailers’ phrase for the frequent conventions around Austin and other cities where they buy merchandise. When browsing the thousands of vendors and their booths, 22 Pastiche|Spring 2015

Smith often keeps in mind current trends while asking herself, “What is Austin ready for and what does Austin love?”

“Because, things take a little bit longer to reach Austin,” she said, adding, “everyone in New York has been wearing Converse sneakers for the past ten years.” Smith’s knowledge of trends keeps her on her toes and develops her awareness of the fashion world. She has

to stay on top of fashions so she doesn’t end up with too many items in the sale section. “There’s business involved in staying current and making sure things make fiscal sense,” Smith said.

Smith constantly takes risks in her market decisions but also picks up classic pieces with new twists. When looking for items to stock a store she keeps in mind that “some stuff is gonna be experimental and some stuff is

gonna fill the void.” Trendier items like neon shirts can quickly disappear whereas distressed denim cut-offs are still relevant because they provide a slight adjustment to past classic shorts. slight adjustment to past classic shorts.

These constant trends demand a store owner’s attention at market.

While making difficult decisions, Smith often turns to other members of the SoLa team: “Part of the research is also getting lots of input and collaborating.”

For Smith, differentiating between fads and upcoming trends can be quite enjoyable. “You definitely have to work, think outside the box and that’s what’s good about market.”

Smith also enjoys the risk of “gambling” on different pieces at markets. She described the process of buying an item at market, like their recently popular pant suits, and not knowing whether it will succeed. At first glance some of these unconventional pant suits looked like maxi dresses, but they were actually jumpsuits with flared pants. They came in vividly colored patterns more in line with the hippie-festival look than work attire.

When considering a bold item like this, Smith tries to find something that will fit in the store. Then she decides if the item is trendy enough to draw in customers but unique enough to excite them. Then—and here’s the hard part—“sometimes you have to take the chance on that piece that you ordered not getting cut,” Smith said—

“We derived [SoLa] from the Spanish word for alone and it’s the feminine sense, so it stands for women’s strength and beauty.” ‘cut’ meaning that an item may not be made and shipped to all the boutiques that ordered it if not enough shops are interested.

“So it’s kind of like gambling,” Smith said. She used to gamble playing blackjack, but now as a store owner, she says, “I play a gamble everyday.”

Customers go through this same process trying to figure out if a purchase will fit into their wardrobe. With its range of prices and unique items, SoLa makes it easy to gamble on a new style.

The pant suits? They sold out in 30 days.

A table of snazzy sunglasses all for $15

Photo by Clarissa Bird

Shelves like these hold coordinating accessories

Photo by Clarissa Bird

Coral Smith’s dog Venus hanging out at SoLa

Smith started in jewelry which helps her find great pieces like this

An assortment of glittery rings displayed at SoLa Photo by Clarissa Bird

Photo by a Coral Smith

Photo by Clarissa Bird

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Tip:

If cupcakes turn out dense, add extra milk to the batter to make them more airy

Spring into Baking Isabelle Blaha

Ingredients:

Lemon Cupcakes 1 cup white sugar 1/2 cup butter 2 eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 2/3 cup low-fat milk 1 lemon, juice and Photo by Isabelle Blaha

Tip:

Make sure baking powder is still active, by putting a ½ teaspoon in hot water and checking for bubbles 24 Pastiche| Spring 2015

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here is so much pressure every season to come up with new and exciting flavors. In winter you can often find peppermint and gingerbread. Fall flavors consist of pumpkin and spices. But in spring, the classics run out and you’re left with plain chocolate and vanilla. Contrary to popular belief, there are hundreds of spring-themed recipes that taste delicious. According to delish.com, recipes often use fruit and herbs to achieve that springtime feel. Baking websites such as allrecipies.com and foodnetwork.com are great places to start looking.

zest

Raspberry Frosting 3 cups confectioners’ sugar 1 cup butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream 2 1/2 tablespoons raspberry jam

Photos by Isabelle Blaha

Instructions:

1 2

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit and line cupcake tins with paper liners.

Cream together one cup of sugar and 1/2 cups of butter using a stand or hand mixer until the mixture turns light and fluffy. Then beat in the 2 eggs, adding them slowly, before mixing in the vanilla last.

3

Next, still using the stand or hand mixer, add in the flour and baking powder. The batter should look fairly thick at this point. Then beat in the 2/3 cup of milk as well as the lemon products until the batter is smooth and airy.

4

Scoop the batter into pre-lined muffin tins and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick can come out clean.

5 6

Let the cupcakes cool while you start making the frosting.

First, using a stand or hand mixer, whisk the sugar and butter until they are smooth, and then beat for another 3 minutes.

7 8

Then add in the remaining ingredients until the frosting reaches a good consistency.

Finally, use a piping bag to top off the cool cupcakes for a nice springtime snack.

Pastiche| Spring 2015 25

PRESENTS:

Essential Cinema YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU Thursday, 11 June 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM

6226 Middle Fiskville Rd

MAKE WATCH LOVE FILM

Life Is What You Bake It

Sugar Mama’s Bakery

Photo by Marcella Cannatti

Isabelle Blaha

The Manor Location of Sugar Mama’s plays to a more modern audience with a wall of interesting decor.

Photo by Marcella Cannatti

I

nside Sugar Mama’s bakery, a crowd of Austinites chat at sleek white tables set with vintage black seats, while they read books borrowed from the case tucked away in a corner.

The chocolatey smell of perfectly baked cupcakes and crumbling cookies fills the shop as a stream of customers walk in after enjoying dinner at one of the many nearby restaurants. The employee behind the counter rushes to fulfil orders under brightly decorated chalkboard menus.

On an up and coming street corner in Austin’s East Side sits a not-sohidden gem. In its brand new location, Sugar Mama’s bakeshop gives off a contemporary vibe while sticking to its 28 Pastiche| Spring 2015

retro roots. The old-fashioned cupcakes stand out against the bright and bold, modern background. It’s perfect for

“It’s kind of like Grandma’s kitchen.”

“people coming by for a glass of wine and a cupcake on a date night,” said Olivia O’Neal, the bakery’s owner. ”Even if people don’t love the desserts, we provide them with a good service.

A combination of hard work and big dreams created the Sugar Mama’s Austin knows today. Since childhood,

O’Neal aspired to open her own small business, a process that has proven difficult for even the most organized and put-together people. Every small business owner must find some sort of focus, and Olivia O’Neal’s search for that focus was the first step in the long process of establishing Sugar Mama’s.

Over time O’Neal compiled a short list of things she felt passionate about, “I wanted to open a coffee shop, which is really similar. A bookstore because I love books and I’ve always been a super bookworm,” O’Neal said. “I wanted to open a dog bakery at one point, and an animal sanctuary.”

Although she didn’t lose her interest in animals or books, O’Neal

eventually decided to open a bakery because, “I figured it’s something I can do forever.”

While she might continue to bake outside of work, O’Neal no longer works as the pastry chef for her business. The task of running Sugar Mama’s takes up all of her time. Business owners tend to deal with the job of managing the finances, hiring, and firing employees.

“If there is something you love doing you shouldn’t open a business doing it, you should just work there because you end up doing payroll and sitting behind a desk which is exactly what I didn’t want to do,” O’Neal said.

“Our mission statement is to use high quality ingredients local when possible, and with an oldfashion twist.”

Before a business owner can even think about hiring staff, they must overcome the arduous process of, “saving up the money, taking out the loans and that sort of thing.” According to BusinessFinance.com, it takes $10,000 to $50,000 to start a bakery, depending on the size and location.

Acquiring these loans poses a problem. “If you go to the bank and you’ve never had a business before they don’t want to loan to you.” The long and tedious process involves a lot of, “bureaucratic red tape and paperwork,” O’Neal said. Without good credit and a lot of patience, one cannot establish a successful business.

However; O’Neal succeed. The first Sugar Mama’s bakery opened in 2005.

After a few years, according to O’Neal, people still considered it “new to the neighborhood.” But with its successful appearance on Cupcake Wars and a few prestigious cakes, Sugar Mama’s has a definite foothold in the Austin bakery community.

After years of having only one location, O’Neal wanted a change. “It gets to the point where you’re not as challenged as you’d like to be and so we decided to just change things,” O’Neal said.

With a base establishment already created, expanding seemed like it would be easy. “Even though it was really challenging opening up the first one we kind of thought we knew what we’re doing. We didn’t.” According to O’Neal, the city has a habit of changing rules and regulations frequently and without warning.

“Finding talented people and retaining them,” remains the most

Photo by Marcella Cannatti

difficult part of running a small business. According to the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average Texas baker makes around $17,440 to $22,460 per year. Sugar Mama’s keeps talented workers by paying competitive salaries. Sugar Mama’s has also offered health care for its 10 employees for the past five years.

The employees focus on customer satisfaction and making the best desserts possible. The pastry chefs review each new recipe to get the best flavor and texture possible and only the best ingredients are used. “I definitely would come back because the food was really great, the customer service was great and it’s a cozy little place where you can come and hang out with your friends.” customer, Shruti Prasad said.

O’Neal believes that when push comes to shove, the employees contribute to Sugar Mama’s success the most. “We’re fortunate that we seem to retain good talent,” O’Neal said, but

A small bar lets customers look out at the neighborhood while enjoying their sweets.

Pastiche| Spring 2015 29

getting to the point where she has hired enough good employees has proven a difficult task.

After opening a bakery over a pet shop, O’Neal decided to still support animals by donating to many charities around Austin. Every year, Sugar Mama’s makes a sizable donation to Emancipet, a charity organization that provides free or low cost spay and neuters, as well as preventative medication to keep pets healthy.

Emancipet donates a high percentage of profits to the cause, one of the most important qualities O’Neal looks for when reviewing possible donation recipients.

“We’re fortunate that we seem to retain good talent and that’s what really makes a place sucessful.”

The publicity from the television competition, Cupcake Wars, made the process of opening the second location much less demanding. “What really boosted us was the exposure and that through the exposure we were able to have a lot more business and that extra business is what helped us to expand,” O’Neal said.

As a nationally recognized competition, Cupcake Wars brings good publicity to anyone chosen for the show. The winner receives a $10,000 dollar prize to expand or upgrade their business.

30 Pastiche| Spring 2015

Photos by Isabelle Blaha

O’Neal did not apply for the show.

Instead, Cupcake Wars contacted Sugar Mama’s in an effort to draw them in after hearing about the bakery through many great reviews. Although not interested at first, O’Neal decided, “it was really an opportunity that we couldn’t pass up.” After three rounds of intense baking and judging, O’Neal won with four great ‘Weird Al-Yankovic’ themed cupcakes.

Sugar Mama’s now serves two out of their four winning cupcakes, the Waffle King (a vanilla cupcake with raspberry filling topped with a miniature waffle) and Apocalypse ( a Valrhona cake with spicy chocolate filling and chocolate frosting). Each brings its own character to add to the bakery’s 1950’s theme.

O’Neal designed Sugar Mama’s around the cupcakes she wanted to bake.

“All of our desserts are very retro, yet we don’t use mixes, we have developed all of our own recipes, and so it’s kind of like grandma’s kitchen,” O’Neal said.

The unbleached flour, and nonprocessed ingredients used for every dessert add to the homey atmosphere.

In a time where overly processed and preserved foods can be found everywhere, all natural ingredients

take customers back to a time where everything was homemade and delicious. “Our mission statement is to use high quality ingredients, local when possible and with an old fashioned twist,” O’Neal said.

“All of our desserts are very retro, yet we don’t use mixes, we have developed all of our own recipes.”

With the new location came new products. The Manor Sugar Mama’s contains wine, cheese plates, and has

Photo by Marcella Canatiti

a few changes to the regular dessert menu. They serve, “cakes by the slice, pies, and cheesecakes, so it’s menu is a little bit different and that was just to continue to challenge ourselves and our staff,” O’Neal said.

Each location has its most popular desserts, “at South First it’s the cupcakes, it’s the traditionals. The red velvet, the vanilla-vanilla, and the chocolatechocolate,” O’Neal said. But at Manor, the cakes, pies, and cheesecakes top the charts. Although people might have their favorites, everything on their

menu tastes delicious. “I really liked the mud-pie cupcake because it had chocolate and chocolate icing and I really liked the double chocolate taste to it,” Prasad said.

O’Neal hopes that in the next few years, the Manor location will build its customer base and eventually turn a profit. It takes around two or three years to determine whether a business will achieve success.

Building the Manor Sugar Mama’s took more resources than O’Neal expected. For the next few years, the

bakery plans on doing, “nothing crazy, not taking on some weird new project, that’s my plan. Which is hard for me because it’s kind of not what I’m prone to doing,” O’Neal said.

In the meantime, customers will just have to appease their appetite by gorging on the variety of cool cupcakes and delicious desserts available all week (except on Mondays). As Prasad said, “It’s kind of homey and it’s kind of confined but there’s a lot of customers all the time and it’s in a cute little corner on the street.”

Sugar Mama’s Sugar Bakery at the South proudly displays Location its First favorite new flavors.

Top 5 Austin Thrift Stores

Whether you’re looking to get started in thrifting or just searching for a new place to find great vintage pieces, these stores are for you.

Photos and story by Clarissa Bird

1

Family Thrift Center: Twin Oaks Shopping Center 208 E Oltorf St. Austin 78704 With hundreds of racks it’s easy to become overwhelmed here, but by entering with a game plan and staying focused finding your holy grail item is possible.

2

5222 Burnet Rd #600 Austin, TX 78756

Instead of spending hours sifting through racks of used clothes, try this chain thrift super-store. The organized racks make it easy to blend modern and retro into your own cohesive style.

3

St. Vincent de Paul: 1327 South Congress Ave Austin 78704 This shop is great for beginners because there are only a few racks of clothing guaranteeing an easier search for goods. The low prices also let the shopper feel successful in saving money.

4

Goodwill: 2823 TX-343 Loop, Austin 78704

This Goodwill may seem average compared to others because of its slightly smaller selection. However, the men’s section has a fantastic variety of graphic tees and plaid flannels for all seasons.

5

217 W North Loop, Austin, TX 78751

Suede and fringe jackets, high waisted denim shorts and cat-eye shaped sunglasses are common place in this boutique. The ultimate combination of western and hipster styles.

32 Pastiche|Spring 2015

Seve Garza: A STORY TELLER

marcella cannatti

Photo by Marcella Cannatti

“

Three of Garza’s works at the HOPE Outdoor Gallery.

Photo by Marcella Cannatti

It’s all about working your butt off, but also enjoying it,” says Seve Garza, aka G52. As one of the most notable names in street art, he has been painting in blank spaces and installing his work all over Austin for three years.

Street art has become a popular medium in Austin, but Seve Garza’s pieces make a lasting impression. His are the small painted pieces of wood glued to cell towers and street posts that are constantly drawing your eyes.

G52 also does major installations in places like the HOPE Outdoor Gallery and sells his art to anyone who interested, but his art isn’t the only interesting thing about him.

“I kind of always want to be able to have artwork for sale that everyone can afford because I don’t like the idea of it being exclusive to just an elite few,” Garza says. “I don’t like how someone’s brand name just kind of makes them untouchable and makes them worth 34 Pastiche | Spring 2015

more than anybody else, I’m a big believer in your work should speak for itself. If it’s a good painting, it’s a good painting.” Having lived in Austin his whole life, he has been observing street art for a while, but he decided to move past the limit of temporary art on outdoor walls. Few Austinites have been as successful as him in creating a business around street art. “[…]this guy, who was really, really ill and definitely needed medical help, was asking for help, and my friends

“Your work should speak for itself. If it’s a good painting, it’s a good painting.”

and I, we just passed him and didn’t look back,” Garza says, recalling the first event that inspired him to paint homeless people. “But I felt so appalled at myself because I feel like I’m a pretty good person and I feel like most good people would have seen that he was in extreme need, he needed help, definitely, like he had blood all over his mouth. And that image stuck with me a lot.” Garza’s project, People Over Paint, began in January, 2013. Many of his larger installations have the name of the project written in a notable place on the painting where passers-by will notice it.

The idea behind this project is to draw attention to the subject of the painting rather than the paint with which they are being painted. “I’ve been encouraging my buyers and my followers to seek these people out and buy them lunch and hear their stories,” Garza says. “Some of them are amazing.” He gives ten percent of the profit he makes from the paintings he sells

to the subjects of the paintings. He has made some very close friendships with people he paints, including a man named Mike. Mike passed away a few months ago and when he did, Garza plastered Austin with his illustrations of Mike.

Examples of his art can be found all over Austin; in cafes and restaurants like Amy’s Ice Cream or Kerbey Lane, in galleries like the SprATX Gallery, or on telephone poles or other blank spaces around Austin. Garza has built a good relationship with the people who work where his art hangs. “I always go and talk to the managers,” he says.

“And especially the servers at the restaurants where I hang my work. And it’s more specifically at certain ones, like at Kerbey Lane, everyone [there] usually knows who I am, and I’ll give them stickers and little pieces and I’ll tip them really, really well, even if they give me free food because, all of the sudden, instead of just having your work up on the walls, you’ve got 15

salesmen working for you for free that want you to do well.”

Garza has even left his art on walls in China during his travels there. “I’ve

“I’ll give them stickers and little pieces... [then] you’ve got 15 salesmen working for you for free that want you to do well.”

been all over the world and put my stickers up,” he says. “It’s[...] an awesome little statement that shows you can really do high quality work without having to risk all the time in putting it up. And if someone wants to get your sticker off, it’s a lot easier than spray paint.” Garza makes each of his stickers by hand, step by step. He and his assistants personally spray paint the designs onto vinyl sticker paper and cut them out individually.

Garza’s interest in liberal arts began in high school when he was injured playing football and forced to stay off the field. For lack of anything else to do, he took an interest in art. “If you can focus on something and become really good at it and better at it than other people, you can get paid to do it,” Garza explains. “I focused all my attention on art. After that, I treated it like my sport.”

Garza then attended Chapman University as a business student, where he first started taking pictures. “I started learning how to do photography from

Garza working on his SXSW installation at the HOPE Outdoor Gallery.

One of Garza’s pieces installed on a telephone pole overlooking Duval.

A collection of Garza’s smaller paintings in his workshop.

Photo 1 by Seve Garza, photos 2, 3 by Marcella Cannatti

Pastiche | Spring 2015 35

Garza’s feature panting at SXSW, shown at the HOPE Outdoor Gallery.

Photo by Marcella Cannatti

my film school friends,” he says. “They would take me out every weekend and we’d go on these adventures where we would just take pictures and make little movies and that’s how I learned to do photography.” “[After college,] I moved home and just lived on practically nothing for two years while I built up my presence back in Austin,” Garza says. “After two years of hard work and painting over a thousand paintings, I have now gotten to the point where I’m able to kind of 36 Pastiche | Spring 2015

survive.” His paintings can now be seen all across Austin. His business ethic combined with his artistic talent and location have given him a rare chance, and he has taken advantage of that.

Part of his survival strategy includes extreme thrift. When he started out, he had no money for materials .

Living in Los Angeles at the time, he learned to scavenge at movie sets. “I had to come up with all of these ways to maximize the amount of cash I had,” Garza says. “I couldn’t afford canvas

“I lived on practically nothing while I built up my presence in Austin.”

so I was going around LA looking in dumpsters and I figured out that there’s a lot of really good raw materials outside of film set. I’m a big believer in using everything; I even save the little pieces of wood that I cut off to use.

Same goes with spray paint, I use every can to the absolute max, some of these [paint cans] weren’t completely empty so I emptied them on this one, and this piece will become street art somewhere.”

Another innovative aspect of Garza’s art is that it bridges the gap between the time it takes to produce an original painting and the typically lower price fetched by prints of original work. Using multi layered, hand cut stencils, Garza makes multiple originals in varying colors. “If you really take care of it then you can reuse the stencil,” Garza says. “[You can use it] maybe fifteen or twenty times and that way I’ve got a huge competitive advantage over a lot of other people who can, you know, if they spend twenty hours

Intimidation in Casco Viejo-Magenta on Green

Dean in Thought-Blue

“Austin is becoming a huge hub for street art...in this city, street art has a very, very positive vibe to it, but it depends on where you are and what you’re doing.”

on a piece of art, they’ll only have one piece of art and they’ll have to price it really, really high but if I spend twenty hours, I can actually produce like twenty pieces of art.”

Garza is circumspect about the details of how he puts up his larger street paintings. “Austin is becoming a huge hub for street art,” Garza says.

“I’ve been caught by the cops once, and they’re like, ‘Yeah, you’re that guy. Nice man!’ And then they left. So in this city, street art has a very, very positive vibe to it, but it depends on where you are and what you’re doing.” Over the years street art has changed names and with it, connotations. It started out as graffiti, from the Italian word ‘graffio’ for scratch, which was thought of as vandalism more than art and no one wanted it around. It has since changed to become a hugely popular artistic medium for which there are galleries in Austin. It’s now called street art.

Nugget-Purple on Pink

Look-Red

‘Eyes,’ displayed in Santa Monica.

Photos 1-4 by Marcella Cannatti, photo 5 by Seve Garza

Pastiche | Spring 2015 37

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