Hair & Make Up

FASHION FORWARD AND LUNATIX & CO. CREATE ART

Model Reneisha shows off make-up work done by Courtney Matthews of Lunatix & Co.
Maverick downtown store owner teams up with Fashion Forward Group to create look for models during Southern Exposure Event
                                                  By ARTHUR L. MACK

OR If people saw the flyer featuring Reneisha, a beautiful young model advertising the fashion show Southern Exposure at Café 615, they’ll have Courtney Matthews of Lunatix & Co. to thank for giving her the right look for the flyer. And if they were fortunate to come to the show, people got the chance to see some of Courtney's work as she prepared the makeup for the models.


           Lunatix & Co. was one of the downtown businesses partnering with Café 615 and the Fashion forward Group in Southern Exposure. “It’s unique that we partnered up,” Courtney said. “We’re a coastal town, and we move at a more relaxed pace, but a lot of people don’t realize what kind of talent is here.”

The inside of Lunatix & Co., located on Dauphin Street
 
          When Courtney worked with the model in the flyer, it was a pleasantly surprising experience. “This was her first modeling job,” said Courtney. “She was sweet, and really fun to work with. Usually, most models are timid during their first shoot, because it’s new to them. But she wasn't timid at all—she loved every minute of it."


Courtney applies makeup to one of the models
       Courtney’s work is a result of a dream that was 12 years in the making.  A few years ago, shewas taking courses for graphic design, but quickly realized that she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life stuck behind a desk. So, she got into modeling, but had to change gears when she gave birth to a child.   
        “I always had a passion for fashion,” Courtney said. “I did a few shows around town, and then I had a baby boy. I wasn’t expecting it. It turned into a different dream.”
         
         That dream would eventually change her life forever, as she wound up selling makeup at a local department store. In addition to doing that for 11 years, she worked for local fashion photographers and magazines. In addition, she also worked as the overnight adventure coordinator for the Exploreum.

          The experience paid off, as she eventually wound up owning Lunatix & Co. The store has been in business for only six months, but has been doing pretty well.

          “We have not had a lot of advertising, but sales have been steady,” Courtney said. “There have been a lot of established places downtown that have not been as successful sales-wise. I always wanted to be downtown, and I have been involved in the music scene and reviving downtown.”

          Lunatix & Co. is an unusual store, to say the least.  It has everything from handmade glass jewelry to wearable art dresses. All of the artists who make items for the store are local, and of the 43 artists that contribute store items, Courtney knows 38 of them personally. “Everything in the store is one of a kind,” Courtney said. “We call it upcycled material—that is, taking something and making it into something new. One dress we have, for example, is 95 percent hand-stitched.”
          
         With the success Courtney has had with her store, she is sure that sooner, rather than later, Mobile will realize that fashion is moving forward.
         
         “I think Mobile has many influences from different places in the world, and there’s a sense of individual style," she said. "It has taken a while for Mobile to realize that there are different fashions, but now people are beginning to be inspired to be what they want to be.”

           
COMING SOON!