Get the daily email that brings 100% Austin news, info, and entertainment direct to your inbox
(Bob Daemmrich)
The popular Democrat announced a run for governor on Nov. 15 and has since visited San Antonio, the Rio Grande Valley and other Texas cities before stopping in what could be his future home if he wins the November 2022 election.
As a blue city, Austinites showed great support for O'Rourke as he said he would repeal the most recent conservative laws, including abortion restrictions and permitless carry. He also took a jab at Abbott's handling of last February's freeze that affected thousands of Texans.
O'Rourke, a former three-term Democratic congressman from El Paso, gained steam as a political figure back in 2018 when he narrowly lost a race for U.S. Senate against Sen. Ted Cruz; he also ran in the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination before pulling out.
The candidate mentioned how when he ran for Senate, Texas saw the highest voter turnout in a midterm election and encouraged the crowd to get people to vote in the upcoming elections.
A supporter holds a sign in the front row at the rally.
O'Rourke poses with a young fan as many take pictures with him.
O'Rourke is up against Democrats Deirdre Gilbert and Michael Cooper in the primaries in March 2022 and if he wins, he could go up against Abbott in November; other Republicans running include Allen West, Don Huffines and Chad Prather.
In the latest University of Texas and Texas Tribune poll, 37% of respondents said they would vote for O'Rourke and 46% said they would vote for Abbott.
Next on his campaign trail, O'Rourke will stop in Sugar Land, Galveston, and Beaumont.
Popular
Four hipsters are the new target of Leatherface in the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” reboot. (Netflix/Legendary)
The Bulgarian-shot film stars Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Nell Hudson and Jacob Latimore, playing a modern-day group of friends who venture too far away from the city and into the jaws of Leatherface, played by Mark Burnham, and his cannibal family. The movie, “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” is set to be released on Feb. 18, 2022.
Netflix's official synopsis: “Melody (Yarkin), her teenage sister Lila (Fisher), and their friends Dante (Latimore) and Ruth (Hudson), head to the remote town of Harlow, Texas to start an idealistic new business venture. But their dream soon turns into a waking nightmare when they accidentally disrupt the home of Leatherface, the deranged serial killer whose blood-soaked legacy continues to haunt the area’s residents—including Sally Hardesty (Olwen Fouéré), the sole survivor of his infamous 1973 massacre who’s hell-bent on seeking revenge.”
Confirmed: Leatherface is canonically the same character in the new movie. (Netflix/Legendary)
Be prepared for horrifying sights that build on the original. (Bryanston Distributing Company)
“Me and my business partner Dante (Latimore) are these young hip people that come to this ghost town in Texas and try to get other people to come there and make it the next hip place to be,” Yarkin told Entertainment Weekly. “Our fatal flaw is that we ignore the history that came before us.”
The thriller has some horror veterans returning to the set: written and produced by director of 2013’s “Evil Dead” Fede Álvarez and screenwriter Rodo Sayagues, and produced by Kim Henkel, who was a co-writer on the original film.
The new version picks up years after the original, with Leatherface in hiding and “trying to be a good person,” according to Álvarez.
“These people arriving in this town are going to awaken the giant,” Álvarez said.
The movie may not follow all of the host of other sequels made to connect with “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” and producers said that the franchise is a bit messy in terms of continuity, but it does tie directly to the original. Some of the movie may be up to your own interpretation!
- Spotted: Ben Affleck is filming in Downtown Austin - austonia ›
- Ben Affleck, Alice Braga film thriller 'Hypnotic' in Austin - austonia ›
- A trip worth the drive—11 unique places to visit in central Texas ... ›
- 7 scary films shot in Austin to see in October - austonia ›
Austin Fashion Week returns in-person this year. (Austin Fashion Week)
After a lifelong dream of becoming a fashion designer, this will be Brandy Hughes and Brandy Design Studio’s first time showing at AFW. Hughes returns to Austin as a designer’s apprentice after studying design at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. Austin is where she got her start in the bridal sphere.
“Austin's such a weird kind of place—It's very creative and there's a lot of artistic people here,” Hughes said. “I think that it's going to get bigger and the one thing that's really good about doing fashion in Austin is you have a little bit more freedom to do the things that you want to do and be as crazy as you want.”
Hughes is showing her most recent collection on Friday’s 1:30 p.m. show, which officially came out two months ago, and features simple silhouettes for the wedding march.
Meanwhile, hailing from Dallas, Phillip White of Phit Clothing is set to appear for the third time at AFW. Inspired to begin an exercise journey but disappointed by the lack of variety in plus-size men’s activewear, White took matters into his own hands.
“Every brand that I was seeing out there, the fit was not correct and a lot of it was just very basic black and gray,” White said. “I saw everybody was sort of making the same thing. I kind of came up with my own brand of how I wanted activewear to be and it's very colorful and still flattering.”
His featured collection is based around his love of the Spice Girls growing up, which inspired him to create women’s and unisex clothes on top of men’s fashion for the first time in his career.
“I want it to look good on all body types,” White said. “My vision of the Spice Girls kind of represents everybody. For me, this collection was the perfect bridge for me to introduce women's, men's and unisex—there are a lot of pieces that I think are gender fluid and anybody could wear them.”
Designers attending come from all over—not just Austin—including Canada, the Philippines and Egypt. Don’t go alone, take this guide with you to get the most out of your ticket. Tickets for individual runways start at $50 and $135 for the whole weekend.
Here's a breakdown of fashion week.
Friday
1:30 p.m. Show
- Anmarie Design
- Bchwood
- Brandy Design Studio
- Cognition Apparel
- Loka Haus
- The National Bureau of Product Research
- Phit Clothing
- The Salt Nomad
- Sewreffic
3:30 p.m. Show
- Korto Momolu
- AL+LU Apparel
- Ingasilks
- Iris Gil Designs
- Jhay Lawson
- Kneaded Fashion
- Tastalii
- Toshimi Pacumbala
- Unlikely Designs
First up in the morning bracket is Anmarie Design, showing a collection that is two years in the making, and Sewreffic will take the stage last with a ready-to-wear collection.
Bchwood
(AFW)
Saturday
1:30 p.m.
- Ferrah
- AJ Designs
- Arky
- Camicie
- CassandraCollections
- Nine & Beyond
- Onyx d'Or
- Orkaddi
- SA Studio
- Sabiya
- Shahira Lasheen
- Turtle Cay Island Wear
- Yoli & Co.
3:30 p.m.
- Daniel Esquivel
- Any Old Iron
- Art Institute of Austin
- Camille Cannell
- Christina Ward
- Dellkat
- Heirlume Couture
- Joseph Ledesma
- Kweens Royal Tees
- LALA
AJ Designs
(AFW)
Sunday
1:30 p.m.
- Brittany Allen
- Caycee Black
- Bosses in Style
- Chellie Friday
- Dashe
- Hello Kaiya
- Jen Ley Designs
- Vee Rodriguez
3:30 p.m.
- Mysterious by NPN
- Art IV Play
- Diana Boch
- Endia
- FiFi x Fashion House
Brittany Allen
(AFW)
Make it work!
- Here's a complete guide to thrift shopping in Austin - austonia ›
- Austin's Andy Roddick is about to get served, charity style - austonia ›
- Verde fashion Top 10: here's the drippiest moments in Austin FC's ... ›
- Austin Fashion Week goes virtual amid COVID pandemic - austonia ›
