School is out – it is the weekend before exam week and there is nothing new to occupy your time and distract you from finals, right? Wrong!
On Friday May 1, hot Johnson City nightspot Chrome is hosting an 18-and-up fashion show debuting spring and summer fashions and sleek new hair styles. The fashion show, Old Skool New Skool 2, is the follow-up of the first fashion show hosted by Chrome; Old Skool New Skool previewed fall fashions and hairdos in December 2008. The first was a success. Chrome invited Bettye Jane’s Fashion Exchange vintage clothing and Bang Hair Salon to reunite and collaborate their styles and tastes for the warmer seasons of the year.
“Chrome wanted us to do it again, we had a really good time and it’s really good publicity for us all,” Bettye Jane’s owner, Tim Smith says. Models from the last show are returning along with new editions to the team.
This time, there will be 11 girls and six guys, a sizeable increase from the previous show. The models will be wearing clothing they picked themselves from the racks at Bettye Jayne’s and their hair will be styled by Bang hair salon owner, Laura Altizer and her assistants. The overall style of the show will be different from the last considering the seasonal change from winter to spring.
“We’ll be featuring spring and summer stuff like swimsuits, dresses and T-shirts,” Smith says. “There will be a mixture of vintage and new designer clothes; it won’t be the same as last time.”
The clothing is not all that different; the show is expected to last longer than it did last time since there is more clothing to present and more bodies to wear it. There is also new entertainment; the act, Echotomb is scheduled to play around 10 p.m.
“There are more people going and there is more going on,” Smith says. The doors open at 9 p.m., but the show should start around 10 p.m. (but it’s a good idea to arrive early since the place will be hopping.) The cover is $2 and it may be a good idea to bring a valid college ID since it’s an 18-and-up show.
The bar will be open, for those old enough to drink and there won’t be a lack of entertainment between the band and the runway show. So go out and support these local businesses and your peers for a minimal fee and enjoy your Friday before finals.
Chrome is located at 820 West Walnut St. in Johnson City. And if you want to check out the clothing or hairstyles for yourself, Bettye Jane’s is right up the street at 411 West Walnut St. and Bang Hair Salon is on the corner of Ash and Buffalo Street behind the Shamrock pub.

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