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'Gossip Girl' gives McAllen fashion designer her big break
>>> Festiva's "Hometown Hollywood" tracks down the big names that have emerged from the Rio Grande Valley, as well as the rising stars who are bound to make us proud in the future.
One Austin store's plus-sized vintage garment on super sale was once all the material Laurel St. Romain needed to create a piece for her line, Tokyo Valentine.
Times have changed for the former McAllen resident and University of Texas at Austin graduate.
An internship with Betsey Johnson in New York City and one lucky run-in with an acquaintance later, things have changed. These days, she'd never display anything but her very best, most pristine work, especially when it's featured on TV's Gossip Girl.
St. Romain, now a couture hat designer in the Big Apple, recently got the chance to see her work atop Jenny Humphrey's head on the hit CW TV show.
At the end of her coveted internship in December 2006, St. Romain started working at Kidrobot, a retailer famous for selling limited edition art toys and apparel.
She enjoyed her job in product development for the men's and women's line, but there was something missing, she told herself. So while keeping her day job, St. Romain started a hat line with friend Christopher Garbushian in July 2008.
"We just used to make little headpieces when we'd go out to party, and everybody liked them and we started the line," she remembers. "We had never seen people present headpieces in a couture collection."
The hand-sewn, rare creations were a hit. They accomplished what they set out to do: "Keep it small and keep it fun."
The duo's intention has never been to mass produce, but their line's appearance on the show quickly put the small operation on a big stage. The chance came like most things in Hollywood: as a complete surprise.
"It was just really one of the guys I work with at Kidrobot when I did product development for kids' toys. His fiancé is a propmaster on Gossip Girl," she said.
A last-minute script change that called for a watch and hair piece, but the item needed to look handmade and not be something widely available. It was supposed to be one of character Jenny Humphrey's authentic designs, which the rebellious teen would showcase during an impromptu fashion show at a fancy gala.
St. Romain was more than happy to help her friend and her hat was worked into the scene.
"It was lucky and fortunate," she said. "(Success is) really just being very open to a lot of different opportunities and talking to as many people as you can and let them know what you're doing."
And the end of Jenny Humphrey's surprise fashion show might not be the end of St. Romain's primetime cameos.
"We're still in touch with them and trying to work out another appearance," she said.
Name: Laurel St. Romain
Hometown: McAllen
Where I live now: New York, since July 2006
High School: McAllen High School
Graduated: 2000
Age: 26
Job: hat designer, general fashionista
You saw her (well, my her hats): on Gossip Girls season 2, episode 9, "There might be blood."
Accolades: Was featured in New York magazine, Teen Vogue online, and won an award from popular fashion Web site Daily Candy.
Gossip Girl confession: Before her had made an appearance on the show, the cable TV-less St. Romain had never watched an episode. But "after that one episode I was already hooked," she said.
I'm also working on: a line of men's brooches
On her designs: "I remember my mom used to tell me about my grandmother and how she never used to leave the house without one (a hat). It was like leaving the house without underwear. That kind of got lost in my mom's generation," she said. St. Romain said that her first collection was made with the garden maiden look in mind.
Her long-term goal: "We really want to work with designers during fashion week and make exclusive collections for their runways. ... We really want to get our place in the industry where we have those opportunities to work with some of our favorite designers."
What I miss most about the Valley: "I always miss the food always. I have my go to places, like I really want El Pato. It's so good."
How often she returns: About twice a year. Always for Christmas.
The hardest thing about being in fashion is: "If I didn't have Christopher with me it would be a lot harder because I'm not as outgoing. He's a little mouthpiece. I'm a lot more shy and timid. It's really hard to go out there and sell myself. Working with someone like that is really helpful."
The Valley's influence on her: "Everything that happened to me while I was there nurtured my creativity. Being close to another country and to the beach, a lot of people don't have a lot of opportunities like that. ... My background like no one else's here. A lot of people who born here have abrasive, rough personalities. I think I still have lot of Texas in me. It's always good to not lose your Texas."
What you might not know: Actress Mena Suvari ordered a hat off of her Web site and later sent the designing duo a thank you e-mail.
Check me out at: www.ilovefactorybk.com
Prices: start at $40 and custom orders can go up from there. The two hats featured on Gossip Girls are $175 and $225, respectively. Bridal orders start at $500.
Click the links below to read more Hometown Hollywood profiles. Go back to the top.
* DR. NOEL OLIVEIRA: Edinburg physician finds 2nd career on primetime television
* JOSH WISE: Mission actor starred in films, TV with Hilary Duff, 'Gossip Girl''s Penn Badgley
* SHELBIE BRUCE: Valley girl in 'Spanglish' is now an L.A. woman
* LINDSAY GRAHAM: Sharyland grad helped cast Oscar-nominated film The Wrestler
* CARLOS MORENO: San Juan actor had roles in Transformers, ER
* ENRIQUE CASTILLO: A South Texan who wrote music in Will Smith's new film, Seven Pounds
* VERONICA LOREN: A McAllen actress and singer who's sweeping 2008's indie awards
* LIZ RAMOS: A McAllen dancer who taught Brad Pitt to tango
* ERIC HAHN: A clown at the Nolana IHOP who did stuntwork in 'Platoon,' 'Delta Force'
* MANDO ALVARADO: San Juan actor shared scene with strippers, Doogie Hauser
* RICK DEL CASTILLO: A Brownsville rocker who found a knack for screenwriting
* RAUL CASTILLO: A McHi grad who has acted and studied with Philip Seymour Hoffman
* TANYA SARACHO: A Valley playwright who is hot in Chicago
* DAVID BARRERA: A San Juan native who was in an NYPD Blue episode everybody saw
* MICHAEL RAY ESCAMILLA: A writer, actor, director and producer from Pharr
* MARISA QUINTANILLA: A McAllen Memorial grad who was in Road House 2
* FAUSTO CUEVAS: A Brownsville drummer who has toured with Britney Spears and Stevie Wonder
* GABRIEL PENA: An Edinburg North grad who does Matrix-style stuntwork
