Image by Katie Kozar for TheDigitel

This is the third installment of a behind-the-scenes series with local fashion designer Julie Wheat of Cavortress on her travels to Style X at SXSW in Austin, TX back to Charleston Fashion Week.  To read the first two installments, click over to our Cavortress landing page.

After an impromptu photoshoot with Lucious Liz, we had to dash off to the official Style X "Shop Hop" in downtown Austin.  The organizers had very cleverly arranged a multi-stop tour for all of the designers and media attending Style X to meet and greet with several local store owners.  

Wheat was chosen to speak at By George, a luxury boutique for men and women, followed by Ari Goldberg, owner of Stylecaster.

Other local shops we were able to visit and hear from included Stag, Plain Ivey Jane, and Estilo, amongst others.

However the real sweetner of the evening was walking up to each shop and seeing this:

They had selected a photo of one of Wheat's designs to be an official Style X poster!  Shot by local Charleston photographer Cyle Suesz, tt was plastered all over the city.

The next day, we geared up for the first official day of Style X.  After a few hours of setting up in the morning, the Cavortress booth looked stunning with an array of Wheat's vintage offerings amongst her original swimwear designs.  Wheat herself rocked her own black and white striped dress complete with a vintage red belt.

For two days Wheat showcased her work amongst some of the most talented and promising designers in the country.  We Are the Process, a streetwear company out of Atlanta has been hitting the road showcasing their fresh approaches to streetwear designs.  We were delighted to also find out they would featured at The Big Mix in our hometown the next week.

We were also fortunate enough to meet the lovely ladies of Lumete, who design handcrafted sunglasses and accessories.  Their talents are featured on many of the models in the photos of Wheat's swimwear, and also graced the runway at Charleston Fashion Week.

There is also the Veritas crew, who not only design fantasticly stylish and comfortable clothing and acessories for men and women, they are doing it with a purpose.  With 20% of all proceeds from their products being donated to humanitarian causes,  this year they are traveling over 20,000 miles to 50 different cities to raise awareness and support for an impoverished community in Kenya.  One of their stops will be the Holy City this summer, so be on the lookout for them on the cobblestones soon.

There were so many great folks who were incredibly supportive of Wheat's designs, and appreciate her brand's vision and personality.  Wheat's line (and vintage wares, for that matter) are extremely approachable, appropriate for a large age range (18 - 45) and are accomodating to a wide variety of figures.  Her swimwear boasts classic cuts, slimming lines, and bold coloring and prints that only add to their versatility.  One could easily see one of her bikinis frolicking along the beaches of Miami or LA, and just as easily see one of her super flattering one-pieces at a neighborhood pool.  Their commercial appeal is outstanding, but with a sassy flair and ego-boosting fit that definitely does not make you feel like a one-size-fits-all kinda girl.

After two long days of showcasing, it was time to pack up and head back to Charleston for Charleston Fashion Week.  However we celebrated a week well done with a little live music from some of Austin's best local offerings at The Belmont (sound familiar?) in Austin, whose open-aired venue complete with a breezy side bar and balcony resembled a traditional Charleston single-house.

We packed the van back up, grabbed a Starbucks and headed back home for Wheat's big finale for the spring - Charleston Fashion Week.  She had great reception from Austin and afar, but Charleston's biggest runway was calling her home.

• Follow our adventures with Cavortress on our topic page, and be sure to follow her along on Twitter at @Cavortress, and connect with her on Facebook.  Follow contributor Katie Kozar on twitter at@ktkozar, and @TheDigitelExtra for real-time updates as well.
• Don't forget to get the latest on the fashion week on our topic page