Omaha Fashion Week’s passion series The Front Row offers an up-close look at the creators and cultivators that are reshaping Omaha’s fashion and arts community. Heather Hooton is a beloved fashion photographer and stylist who makes up half of Heather and Jameson, Omaha Fashion Week’s runway photography team. Heather sat down with us to talk trends for Spring/Summer 2020, what to wear for fashion week, and how to find your personal style. Heather Hooton’s trend forecast for Spring/Summer 2020 is available to view HERE.

From left to right: Heather Hooton, Morgan Jade, and Andrea Vanderheyden on the Omaha Fashion Week Red Carpet. Photo by Jameson Hooton.

How do you know that an outfit is working for you?

If you can shop with a buddy or send outfit photos back and forth to friends that are honest with you, at least you have some validation before you go out the door. I encourage that. I also tell people to figure out what their body shape is. There are lots of times when you’re trying stuff on and you’re like, "It looks cute on other people but it doesn’t look cute on me." Well, that might be because you have a short torso or you’re pear-shaped. If you don’t know that, you’re just going to feel bad about stuff on your body rather than going, “Oh, well this isn’t the right cut for my shape, so it’s fine.” It could become too emotional. It doesn’t have to be that. The process of finding cool pieces all comes back to basic rules that you can use or break, as long as you know what they are.

Recently, I discovered what my shape is. I’m a pear that leans toward an hourglass, or vice versa. So, I have found that a mom jean and blazer with a big shoulder is my favorite outfit. I feel so good every time I wear it. I didn’t realize that the reason it looks so good on me and I feel more myself is because it’s adding width to my shoulders and balancing out my pear shape. I follow all my rules but I found ways to express myself in those rules. Find your rules. Sometimes it’s good to get rid of some of those options. Your life will be a little easier. It starts to simplify when you know your rules, you know what you want to look like, and what you want to play with.

Everybody has a level of knowing that this thing looks good on me, so they buy that thing all the time. The more knowledge you have, the better equipped you are to go out and try on a bunch of different things and not feel like, “Well, this clothing just doesn’t work for me.” It does, you just don’t know where or how to style it differently so it does. It’s about having the thought behind the right fit and that little thing that makes it more you, more personality.

How do you feel confident wearing pieces that will get you noticed?

No one’s ever going to look at you and tell you you’re not cool enough to wear the thing you’re wearing. They’re just going to think you’re cool. No one is hearing the stuff inside your head; that’s never happening. I’ve never looked at a person and been like, “Oh, you think you’re cool?” I go, “Ugh, I need that.” I think it’s just getting out of your head a little bit and if it makes you feel happy, then wear it. I’ve been desensitized. I don’t know what is normal clothing and crazy clothing anymore because I just wear louder and louder things.

Can you explain the three personal style words and how they help?

The three words are breaking down your personality and how you want to present yourself to the world. Three words are just easier to remember and help you define it better. If it’s always a big concept in your head, it’s very hard to nail down. When you're picking up a piece and you look at it, does it fit any of your words or do you just think it’s fun?

My words are modern, professional, and funky, which is still very broad. Modern. I chose that because I like cleaner lines and a lot of structure. Professional, because I am an entrepreneur. I want to look pretty professional anytime I leave the house in case I run into a client. If I have an outfit and I throw a blazer on it, it’ll be more modern. If I wear a trouser, but then I have a slouchy sweater, there's still a level of professionalism there. The funky bit is just because I love pattern mixing, I love colors, and I love trying out new trends. I leave a little wiggle room for something that is just weird.

It does help me. It keeps me from looking at things that used to work for me or I used to like and reminds me that that’s not who I am anymore, and that’s fine. If I'm thrifting and I find something that’s not me, can I style it in a way that is really funky or is it just a quality, classic piece and I'm having a hard time saying no to it? You have to know what’s for you and what’s not.

When you have your words and your body shape, when you go back and look at the trends you can start to pick out the things that speak to your personality and speak to your rules. It starts to simplify a lot. You can really hone in.

What is your creative process when styling?

I start with either a piece that I really want to wear or where I’m going and what’s appropriate for that thing. For example, I really want to wear my zebra print skirt. I start with my piece, and then I figure out structurally what should go on top of it. So, this is a slouchy sweater that’s a safe bet with the skirt, but do I want to be all black and white? No; I want to have a color or pattern. I usually have something where I’m like, “Oh, that would be easy!” Sometimes easy is great and you go with that, but try on something else that’s a step removed and see if that works better. Maybe add some funk to it.

The easiest way to make something more interesting is to put something under it that would not normally be under it. If you have a pair of overalls, everybody thinks to put a t-shirt under. I would put a big, poufy sweater under there. Try to layer something unexpected under it. Put a turtleneck under something. Put a button-up under a strappy dress. Wear a longer button-up under a short skirt so that it sticks out at the bottom. It’s about layers if you’re trying to be next level with styling. You can wear just a tent dress and that’s cool. If you’re trying to up it, specifically the styling area, try to think about what you normally wouldn’t put with it. It’s a lot of playing dress up in your house in front of your mirror.

How do you accessorize?

I love scarves, underneath a turtleneck even. If you have a cowl or a wider turtleneck, just something underneath. Anywhere that you can think to add an unexpected pop of color or pattern is such a cool idea. I love scarves in the hair. I love the headband situation, but I don’t accessorize much.

Is there a way that you push boundaries when you’re shopping for yourself?

I’ll look for street style in different cities. Once I find a thing that speaks to me, I’ll find a bunch of different ways to do that thing. If there's a trend that I like, I'll look up a bunch of pictures and see how other people are styling it and let that inspire me. I’ll find a style that I like and hone in on all of the examples of that style, try to get it into my brain, and go out thrifting or styling.

I also try to find style muses. Leandra Medine from Man Repeller is my Boho, casual styling inspo. Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen have bomb style. I love them, especially because they wear a lot of baggy things, so I'm really into that. If you can find a fashion muse that also has your body shape, that’s ideal. A lot of it is research and being able to take apart people's outfits, piece apart everything that they're doing. I think that’s the hardest thing for people. What is it about that thing that’s interesting? Here’s an interesting white top under a black dress, maybe I should be looking for white tops to put under everything because I’m seeing people do that and it speaks to me.

How do you know what to look for when thrifting?

I always go in with a list of things that I need in my wardrobe. I always take inventory before I go out because that helps center me. Then, I know where in the store I want to start. The thing that I look for first is the fabric. Touch everything because you don’t want to buy something that is a 70s polyester that doesn’t breathe to wear in the summer. It’s just not going to end well. Just go with lots of time and patience because you do have to look at every single piece. I think that’s why it's so overwhelming. You have to take the time and try everything on. I always take way too much stuff to the dressing room, but you don’t know unless you try, especially with vintage sizing. Weird patterns or a sweater that has stuff sewn on it is easy to pass by, but if it's really weird, just try it on. Especially when you're learning to thrift, just try on a bunch of things. A lot of them are going to be junk but one of them is going to be so crazy and cool.

That’s another thing I do when I’m thrifting, I have my words. I get excited about all fashion and need to know about all fashion since I photograph and style it for shoots, but not all fashion is for me. I’ll find something and think, "I love this," and then think, "Wait, do I love it for a photoshoot or do I love it for me?" I have to remember my words, and then, I know if I can buy it.

What do you do to keep from getting overwhelmed while thrifting?

I find myself pulling up some of the shops that I like when I’m thrifting. I have to refocus myself, essentially. I’ll be going through and I start to lose focus on what I was looking for. So, I’ll stop and look at my pin boards and sometimes that’ll help me go back to weirder things. I will start to get really safe. I have research for how I want to layer things, the different ways to do blazers, I’m a crazy person. I have it all sectioned off so that way when I’m looking for "What type of sweaters are happening right now?" or "How in the world do I wear big sneakers with things?" I’ll just save things here. I spend a lot of time just standing in the aisles looking up inspiration again to re-center myself. I try to push myself in a different direction because my brain does get stuck. Anything that’s in my closet, I’m trying to find inspiration for exactly that piece.

Do you have any favorite spots for thrifting?

Locally, I love to shop at Roland Fitz, Esther’s, Scout, Peaches Vintage Collective, and Lion’s Mane Vintage! I love Thrift World; I feel like they do a really good job. New Life Thrift in Bellevue is dope.

For fashion week, how would you accessorize your looks?

I think it’s more about having one statement thing. All of them or just one of them is the balance. Huge earrings, a big necklace, and a bunch of bracelets. If you do all of those, that’s fine. It’s either mixing all the accesories or having one statement piece.

How do you style bags with your looks?

I think the purse is the biggest accessory. I try to do opposites. If I'm wearing a baggy outfit, then I want to have a smaller or structured bag. It’s dainty and sets it off. If I wear wearing my trousers and something that has a smaller profile, then I’d do a slouchy bag.

If you can pattern mix your bag with your outfit, I’m obsessed with that. When you’re shopping for bags, try to buy things that aren’t black and brown because it’s so limiting. I would play with opposites and try a weird pattern against another pattern or try a black purse against a brown boot.

How much do you play around with looks until you end up wearing them to Omaha Fashion Week?

So much. Very rarely do I just throw a couple of pieces together, try it on, and it works. I don’t think that’s ever happened. You put it on and you’re like, "What else can I do it change it up?" I’ll be inspired by a trend in general, and then once I find my specific piece, I want to find more inspiration for or different ways to style it. It’s a lot of back and forth.

The one thing I’m noticing with the trends is they don’t change that much so it’s not like you have to reinvent the wheel every season. It will come back for sure, so don’t get rid of things. It's not the rule, it's just a way to encourage you to try different things that maybe you didn’t know could be cool and that would spark lots of joy with you. There are things that I never would have tried unless I saw it on a runway. Now, that’s a thing that makes me feel powerful and more like myself that I keep in my wardrobe. It’s letting yourself play or be inspired.

To get creative for Omaha Fashion Week, check out the trends for Spring/Summer 2020. This trend forecast will keep you stylish and inspired all season long.

SPRING/SUMMER 2020 TRENDS

We want to see your style this season at Omaha Fashion Week. Click the link below to buy your tickets now!

buy tickets

Spark your creativity and follow along with Heather Hooton, or contact her directly for personal styling services.