The “Music Row Banker”

~Nashville’s most fashionable banker~

Mrs. Harless is the  Senior Vice President of Regions Bank; she heads the entertainment and sports division. Harless has 28 years under her very stylish black leather belt with silver accents. Harless not only works with the athletes and artists, but the songwriters and agent who are an essential part of Nashville’s music community. She has become part of the invisible movers and shakers of the music city. It was a rainy Monday when I got to meet Mrs. Harless; the sound of her black suede boots on the tile floor announced her arrival. She came bounding around the corner full of energy and excitement. Mrs. Harless took me on a tour of her office; there I discovered rare collections of Beatles memorabilia, priceless autographed guitars and an extensive collection of concert tickets.

As a graduate from Lipscomb University this Nashville native knows this city like the back of her hand. She knows all about the hidden treasures of Nashville. When I had the pleasure of meeting her, we got to discuss a few of her favorite places to shop. For jewelry THE must stop store is Curious Heart in Berry Hill (necklace in picture below was from this store) where she got this unique silver spoon necklace. In Lisa’s, “Curious Heart is the place to find a perfect, exceptional gift for someone who is hard to shop for!” We all know how hard that can be.

This foxy fashionista has a knack for finding bargains that are sure to be worth every cent. She’s a bargain hunter, she found a designer black blazer that retailed for $1,000 for $89, this is just one of the many treasures she has found. (seen below)

Lisa’s style is professional yet practical, which comes with the territory, that her job requires her to have. In this line of work a level of seriousness and professionalism is expected however Mrs. Harless still finds a way to be stylish. Her work attire is mostly dresses and skirts designed by Liz Claiborne, Ann Taylor, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein that she spices up with fun accessories. (The boot bracelet came from Vignette in Brentwood -a cool boutique for clothing, accessories and home furnishings.) She got a kick out of the boot chain by Corello rock fashion!

While her clothes say, “I am traditional” with a hint of “I still like to have fun”, her accessories are where she expresses her personality. Her two favorite accessories are boots and jewelry. The two times I encountered this fox; she was wearing some type of boot. The first time they were a black suede boot and the second time they were black leather, proving that suede never goes out of fashion. What made the leather boots so fun was the boot bracelet she added to make the boot pop. What I admire about her style is that it matches perfectly with her personality, it’s practical, very professional and fashion forward.

Harless is not just a banker; she is a patron of the arts and a philanthropist. Mrs. Harless is hard working woman who recognizes the drive to succeed in others. She helps foster artist talent and aids them in achieving their dreams. She says, “ art is important whether musical or visual” When asked what music does for her, Lisa simply replied “it inspires me”. These answers tell me all I need to know about her work.

Being a banker Lisa know the value of a dollar but she also has a smart philosophy about fashion, she said “if you can wear confidence, don’t worry about the price tag or the designer, because you can’t buy confidence”. Take for example her favorite regional jewelry designer, its Brighton( sold at Katy’s Hallmark in Belle Meade), she has multiple pieces by them that are inspired by the style of jewelry that David Yurman makes. She gets similar fashion without having to sell her guitar. Although she is a highly successful woman she is still budget conscious, Mrs. Harless loves to discover fabulous finds at places like Nashville’s Stein Mart (located on in Brentwood), and Ross (at 100 Oaks) and a store called Goods (in Breckenridge, CO). While she is a smart shopper she also has priceless pieces. Take for example the Crest necklace made by Liz Cain the wife of Jonathan Cain the keyboardist from Journey.

You can truly say that music has inspired almost every aspect of her life; Lisa was the president and now an active board member of W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School. She is also a board member of The Recording Academy and is an active advocate for MusicCares. If you ever have the pleasure of meeting Lisa just know that you are in the presence of Nashville Music’s guardian angel. Until next time music, art and fashion!

The Basic Essentials

 

Black Leather Michael Kors Tote with Gold Chain Strap, Gold Collar Necklace from H&M and Black Woven Lita’s by Jeffery Campbell

People say , navy is the new black or pink is the new black? Well nothing can replace black in my book. These three items are a must have for every fashionista. The tote is big enough to fit anything and everything that your need for a day in the city. The collar necklace can dress up any outfit. And my personal favorite are the Lita’s (me being a midget) they quietly announce to anyone in your path that you take your style seriously so they better watch out. They are sexy and surprisingly comfortable, my one piece of advice when buying them is try them on first! If you are ordering them only I would advise you buy a half a size smaller. Each of these pieces are classic and are not trend followers they are trend setters. With fashion changing as much a Nicki Minaj changes her hair color, these pieces will withstand the test of time. My favorite place to shop is the GULCH in Nashville between Music Row and Downtown it’s got some great restaurants and some great shops! The best deals can be found at Urban Outfitter, for truly unique trinkets and apparel venture next door to Two Old Hippies and for edgy one of a kind fashion check out Bullets n Mullets!!! All there store serve gents and gals alike!

Tip of the day: Check out what sales Urban outfitter has on Jeffery Campbell’s you might be pleasantly surprised! Either at the Gulch location or online!

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/category.jsp?id=SALE_W_SHOES&brand=jeffrey20campbell

Happy Shopping!

“Ride With Me” ~Jer Gregg

For those of you who have had the pleasure of sitting in the crowd for one of Jer Gregg’s performances you know what it is like to become completely intoxicated by this man’s voice and looks.  With the first note out of his mouth you become instantly hooked, instantly intrigued.  Maybe it’s his “I do not give a shit” attitude or the long hair, but it leaves you asking, who is this guy?

Jer, a transplant from Indianapolis, came down to Nashville five years ago soley for music.  He was doing well with the Indianapolis scene and was looking for the next stepping stone for his musical career. Boy, did he find it here!  Since being in Nashville Jer has performed, written, produced, and is sponsored by Breedlove Guitars.  His first album was recorded just at the age of 16 and since has put out a total of 10 records.  He encompasses all things music. When he is not performing in the city of Nashville, he has been fortunate to travel the UK and Australia on musical tours, which he plans to do again in 2013.  In 2012 he released OTIS, which is breathtaking.

As for Jer’s look, it leaves you wondering “what is this guy all about?”  He tells us to “dress how you feel”.  Coming from a style that is all his own he takes dress pieces and likes to dumb them down.  You will be hard lucked to ever find him wearing full length sleeves, for he takes his shirts, wears them out, cuts them up, and alters them to fit his body type.

Jer’s go to pieces and looks you can usually find him in are King Baby, Big Star jeans, and HAV-A-Hank handkerchief.  Jer strives to wear American for he is American born and produces music for the American people.  Lucky for Music City Fashion, many accessories can be found here in Nashville at Two Old Hippies.

If you have not had the chance to meet Jer, let alone hear him play, I suggest you do so…soon!

You can catch him at Two Old Hippies December 28th at 6pm.

Photos by Kristy Blair Photography.

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Eye Stimulation

A little art for your viewing pleasure this Friday, courtesy of the insanely talented Rick Caballo.

“The STATE of Nashville Fashion”

Music City Fashion had the honor of spending an afternoon with Abby Franklin, owner of STATE and co-owner of The Trunk.  Abby’s background in the fashion world is truly intriguing, known as “The Accidental Stylist”, she has been traveling the world for the past decade styling major musical names.

State is an accessory and clothing store located in the new Shoppes on Fatherland.  The Trunk is a mobile fashion truck you can find cruising the streets of Nashville. The Trunk opened its mobile doors January 2011 developing from the ideas of starting a men’s clothing store and from the newly emerging trend of food trucks. On top of that  LA and New York were starting to have designer fashion trucks pop up on neighborhood street corners, Cynthia Rowley being the forerunner.  Abby partnered with Kyah Hillis, creator of Sleeveless, a jewelry line here in Nashville. From this partnership the idea of men’s clothing truck  developed into  an accessory store for men and women.  What is rocking about The Trunk is the mobility of it creating  the opportunities from selling to local festivals and markets to parking at Bridgestone offering high profile musical acts the opportunity to shop the local goods.

From the creation of this mobile truck came the birth of STATE, developed by Abby.  STATE offers a bit different variety of accessories and clothing and does not carry the Sleeveless line.  Items in the store can be found from local and worldwide designers.  They offer everything from leather wrap bracelets, hats, bags, to colognes and custom made ties.  You are sure to find something for everyone on your holiday list this season.

STATE also carries pieces from the clothing line L.G.B, Le Grand Bleu, which they receive from The Label located in Nashville.  L.G.B is a Tokyo based line which is currently only carried in 9 stores.  Musicians from Jack White, Big Kenny, and Bon Jovi can be seen wearing these stellar pieces.

Jack White wearing L.G.B for his Freedom at 21 music video

If you have not stumbled into either of these stores yet and met Abby  you are missing out.  You truly will not be disappointed with these handcrafted gems.

The Trunk can be found this Saturday December 15th posted up at Stone Fox for the Holiday Market selling their amazing goods.

Chain Me Up

I always love a good versatile piece of jewelry, and Corello has given us just that. It is a slamming  shackle chain that can be worn as a necklace, bracelet, or around a boot to add a little something something. Check them out, you will not be disappointed.

“As You Walk Away”

The Decadence… the name says it all. Having moved to the Music City just two years ago, The Decadence have played their music filled with high energy and huge hooks to become one of Nashville’s premiere pop-rock bands. Currently they are recording their debut album, ‘So Long Stella.’ With this record on the way, Drew, Pat, and Matt say they plan on wasting no time getting back on the road in 2013.

Catch The Decadence tonight at 12th and Porter, doors open at 7pm.

Check out their rocking songs at Reverbnation.

“Peace, Love, And Rock N Roll”

Looking for a place that combines your passion for fashion with music. Well Two Old Hippies is that place for you. Two Old Hippies came to Nashville in 2011, and it is the second of the flagship stores. The first was created out West in Aspen.

Here at Two Old Hippies you can find anything from clothing and accessories to musical instruments. They even have a stage in the store which provides an amazing venue for putting on a show.

There is guaranteed almost something going on most days of the week. So get yourself up and check them out in the Gulch.  From the vibrant collections of rock clothing, to the sounds of talented musicians, your senses will not be disappointed.

“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need” ~ Rolling Stones

For the first entry of Music City Fashion I find it fitting to acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the Rolling Stones.  November is a big month for the ole’ chaps, not only did they recently release their greatest hits albums, Grrr from 1962-2012, but they also announced tour dates.  Sadly these dates only will take place in London and New York City.  So for now we will just have to settle for listening to Miss You through the stereo speakers, or if you really have the urge to have a Rolling Stone on you, check out the amazing print tees by Corello. And lucky for us their showroom is in Nashville.