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fashion: overview
 Sugarluxe's high gloss
Chandra Michaels, the artist behind hot
luxury brand Sugarluxe held
a trunk show at Austin’s beautiful Blanton Museum of Art. The
artist and her team were on hand to greet fans and answer questions
by M. K. Johnson
Chandra Michaels’ expressive art features
strongly on designer belt buckles, leather belts, mirror compacts,
card cases, valet keys and other accessories
CHANDRA MICHAEL’S
super-hot Sugarluxe, America’s Sweet Art range of belt buckles
and other accessories have been generating media buzz not just in
Texas, but across the nation. Of course these aren’t “sit
on your vanity and be admired” sort of accessories. Sugarluxe
belt buckles, valet key rings, card cases and compacts are sturdy
and made to be used. They hold up beautifully day after of wear.
(I should know, I’m terribly hard on anything that lives in
my purse!)
Chandra Michaels is the image of her brand. She
is a University of Texas graduate and a style darling in a town
that loves fashion and free spirits. A talented artist and gifted
fashionista, she’s also a savvy business women and knows what
it takes to make a brand work. ‘Living in a city that is home
to famous actors, legendary musicians, and of course, a computer
powerhouse like Dell means that I come from a place that nurtures
new talent and new technology. And I’m just so excited to be
part of that!’ she says.
Michaels has felt the growing pains of a booming
business and is in her third design studio in three years. All work
is done in-house, in Austin, Texas. Her three hard working interns
“set the stage” for the event and attested to the passion
that goes into each work and each piece that leaves the studio.
Lindsay Robinson (who is in her fourth semester as an intern for
Sugarluxe), Kimberly Heine, and Elynna Garcia (both in their first
internship semesters) are graduating seniors in public relations.
Michaels is very committed to making sure interns
who enter her programme get real-world experience in building a
brand from the ground up and taking their vision from the drawing
board to the customers’ hands. Her commitment to the student
experience will gain even more momentum from her partnership with
Bed, Bath and Beyond this fall for their back-to-school dorm room
accessories.
The artwork
Sugarluxe artwork has superflat inspired styling with such
vibrant lines and luscious, candy-bright colours, they practically
beg to be touched! Michaels achieves her extraordinary designs by
starting first with sketches and paint, but then transferring that
work onto the computer, creating a scalable graphic design (scalable
vector graphic or SVG) that can be
adapted to a multitude of products. The result is a stunning array
of fashion forward and glamorous accessories that are both versatile
and functional. Her high-gloss, glass-like belt buckles are the
epitome of the trend—something as functional (and ubiquitous
in Texas) as a belt buckle, turned into enchanting, wearable artwork.
As Sugarluxe commemorated its third anniversary
on Valentine’s Day, the brand certainly has a lot to celebrate.
Michaels was invited to début her line during Mercedes-Benz
Fashion Week in 2005 and the buzz hasn’t let up for an instant
since. Sugarluxe has its own coveted (No. 504) Painted Room at the
Hotel des Arts, San Francisco. Chandra Michael’s highly distinctive
works of art have been seen on MTV,
Helio, Playboy, Allure, Spirit of the Brand vodka,
Virgin, and Rare Magazine, T-Mobile's Sidekick ID,
CMT, ColorWare, Brides, LA’s
Daily Front Row magazine, Us Weekly, Fox News, AOL
Hometown Hero, New Era Publishing, XLR8, Hollywood's
Swagtime, Tribeza, among many others. •
M. K. Johnson served as Lucire’s first
beauty editor and now corresponds from her base in Austin, Texas.
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Card holders
Press coverage for Sugarluxe
Rare cover
Chandra Michaels
The author with Chandra Michaels
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