Tag Archives: desert fashion writer

Tucson Fashionista – Cele Peterson

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Black and White Fashion Magazine Cover

It’s only fitting to start my new Tucson Fashionista series with Cele Peterson. History shows that the late Peterson was truly the desert’s grande dame of fashion. According to the Arizona Daily Star, Peterson opened her first fashion boutique during The Great Depression and it would go on to survive World War II and a devastating 1956 fire. Catering to wealthy wives and celebrities, including Lady Astor and Liz Taylor, Peterson would eventually create her own Southwest clothing line, “Station Wagon Togs,” that would not only be featured in Mademoiselle magazine but also find an audience in front of Pop McKale’s daughter, Ruth, among others. Gabrielle Giffords once commented that she always wore a silver pin bought at Peterson’s store to dress up her outfits, according to an article on preservetucson.org. Before her death at age 101 in 2010, Peterson had created a local empire of stores that spanned the city and forever cemented her name as one of city’s true style mavens.

Tucson Fashionista is an occasional and ongoing Zona Girl series on local women with legendary style.

Tod’s in Tucson

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Embed from Getty Images

Tod’s is a luxury brand that seems to go unnoticed in Tucson, especially in resale stores. Yet, its Italian roots are as storied as Ferragamo and Missoni. The brand was founded in 1920 by Filippo Della Valle in his basement but made its way into American department stores by the 1970s. Today, Tod’s still produces handcrafted leather driving shoes and bags made with the highest-quality materials and techniques. Chairman Diego Della Valle—the founder’s grandson– continues to bank on this tradition. Della Valle has also donated millions of euros toward the restoration of the Coliseum in Rome. You can expect Tod’s goods to be of sterling quality and the brand continues to have stores all over the world. So, if you see Tod’s signature shoes and bags in resale stores here, you should snap them up!

Pink + Orange = Magic

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This is my new favorite color combo. Who would have guessed these two sunset hues would pair so nicely together? Now, to find it in this town…..