We heard via Art and Seek yesterday that beloved Bryan Street shop-and-studio House of Dang! is closing. No, designers Andrew Bayer and Doug Voisin aren't moving to Brooklyn (pause for long sighs.) They're relocating to DFW's fringe art hub, Oak Cliff, and zooming on their own label, which you can read more about in a wintertime installment of this column.
Before we get to sleuthing other plans for the new studio and showroom, the designer House of Dang! will share space with at 411 Tyler St. is worth more than a mention. Tara Tonini of Tara to the T creates womenswear and literary-steampunk accessories that are wild with references to the '60s, industrial clanging and the Fitzgeraldean '20s. Here are our picks from her Etsy shop:
The deal: Peacock feather fascinator clip, $25. This 6" by 8" presentation is beyond over-the-top; it's something you'd find in an old costume warehouse for much more dough. Tara inspires us to think of this piece not as an accessory to a lavish gown, but a surprise for a night out: nothing more unexpected to top off that little black dress than a flashy bird on your head.
The splurge: Brittany Red Dress, $65. Mod isn't known for being the most comfortable of styles, and this dress is a bright little exception. A muted member of Tara's Sky Girls collection, the cotton-and-spandex number has the big buttons and above-the-knee hemline of the '60s without the dreadful rayon.
P.S. Tara to the T was featured on the cover of the June issue of "Pin Curl" magazine.
