With a wink to the winds of change—both real and poetic—professional dancers (and newlyweds!) JaeLynn and Alonzo Boschulte capture the ebb and flow of fall fashion with a hint of inspiration from the tropics.
Photography by Izzy Hudgins. Styled by Sarah Taylor Asquith. Hair by Nick Gorlesky and makeup by Monica McMasters, both for B Street Salon. 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air courtesy of Luis Sim?n.
Havana’s tropical patterns, cheerful, sun drenched color palette and rooted dance culture have long influenced international fashion—think Karl Lagerfeld’s recent resort collection for Chanel. And with the opening of diplomatic relations with the historic port city, located just 625 miles south of our own port city, the Havana-Savannah ties are imminent.
In fact, this story’s muses, JaeLynn and Alonzo Boschulte—who opened the Savannah Ballroom Dance Studio in 2010—brought three of their students to Havana in January for Patrick Johnson’s Havana Dance Sport Classic, Cuba’s first-ever ballroom dance competition.
“The heart of all Latin dancing is in Cuba,” says Alonzo. “The mambo, the rumba and the son, they all began there.”
He and JaeLynn spent days walking around the city, taking lessons from Cuban salsa maestros, watching dancers and artists perform in Rumba Alley and even hopping onstage at the famous Tropicana club for an impromptu dance party.
“It was so much fun,” says Alonzo. “The Havana community is incredibly proud of its heritage and very hopeful for the nation. They are genuine, life-loving people.”
Sounds a lot like Savannah in that respect.
JaeLynn and Alonzo—who were married just one week before this photo shoot took place—infuse our fall fashion story with the romantic, earthy energy of the tropics, down to the fact that we wear breezy silhouettes long into autumn before that last gasp of steam yields to a faint chill. When we gathered on Savannah’s River Street as the sun rose over the cobblestones, the couple’s joy was palpable. Even as the hours wore on and the heat intensified, their smiles seemed to widen and their giddy love for each other became more and more apparent. — Sarah Taylor Asquith
On her: Pleated top, $169.50 at Club Monaco; velvet skirt, $416 at Thread + Onion; beaded necklace (in hair) from Found Jewelry by Erica Wilson, $135 at The Paris Market; Meredith Anne Sutton sterling silver cuffs, $425 each; vintage shoes, $20 at Wright Square Antique Mall.
On him: Button-down shirt, $128, and pants, $138, both at Tommy Bahama; vintage shoes, $50 at Civvies.
Sweatshirt by Mossimo, $14.99 at Target; vintage pants, $20, and shoes, $50, both at Civvies.
Crop top, $80 at Kathi Rich; pleated skirt by Zero Degrees Celsius, $234 at The Bleu Companies; beaded earrings, $32 at Impeccable Pig; shoes by Loeffler Randall, $250 at Club Monaco.
Lace gown custom designed by Couture Tailoring, $500, and slipdress by 4 Love and Liberty, $65, both at Kathi Rich; Meredith Anne Sutton sterling silver and leather necklace, $45; vintage shoes, $20 at Civvies.
On her: Fringe top by Byron Lars, $289 at The Bleu Companies; wrap skirt by Foxcroft, $125 at Gaucho Too; flower in hair from Urban Poppy.
On him: T-shirt by Mossimo, $9 at Target; vintage pants, $20 at Civvies; vintage tie (worn as belt), $12 at Gypsy World.
On her: Pleated top by English Factory, $72 at Harper; long skirt by Three Eighty Two, $165 at Gaucho Too; vintage shoes, $18 at Wright Square Antique Mall; flowers in hair from Urban Poppy.
On him: Button-down shirt, $98, and pants, $138, at Tommy Bahama; beaded necklace (around wrist) from Found Jewelry by Erica Wilson, $135 at The Paris Market.
Knit dress by Yoana Baraschi, $475 at Kathi Rich; ribbon necklace (worn around wrist) from Found Jewelry by Erica Wilson, $40 at James Gunn; shoes by Loeffler Randall, $250 at Club Monaco; flower in hair from Urban Poppy.
On her: Ombré dress by Filomena Fernandez, $278 at The Bleu Companies; head scarf by Debak, $36 at Kathi Rich; Meredith Anne Sutton brass cuffs, $145 each; shoes by Loeffler Randall, $250 at Club Monaco.
On him: Sweatshirt by Mossimo, $14.99 at Target; vintage pants, $20 at Civvies; sneakers by Vans, $59.99 at Clockwork.
Off-the-shoulder top by Wizard, $68 at Kathi Rich; ruffle skirt by Yahada, $46 at Red Clover; Meredith Anne Sutton brass cuff, $145; necklace (in hand) from Found Jewelry by Erica Wilson, $135 at The Paris Market; vintage shoes, $18 at Wright Square Antique Mall; flower in hair from Urban Poppy.
On her: High-low hem dress, $68 at Impeccable Pig; vintage head scarf, $5 at Gypsy World; beaded necklace from Found Jewelry by Erica Wilson, $65 at The Paris Market; feather necklace by Debak, $98 at Kathi Rich.
On him: Tank top by Mossimo, $9 at Target; seersucker pants by Southern Tide, $125 at John B. Rourke.
Vintage shirt, $15, pants, $20, and shoes, $50, all at Civvies.
On her: Crop top, $80 at Kathi Rich; pleated skirt by Zero Degrees Celsius, $234 at The Bleu Companies; beaded earrings, $32 at Impeccable Pig; shoes by Loeffler Randall, $250 at Club Monaco.
On him: J. Crew scarf (in pocket), $22.50; sneakers by Vans, $59.99 at Clockwork; Alonzo’s own tank and pants.
Where To Buy
Civvies: 14 E. Broughton St., 236-1551, civviesclothes.com
Clockwork: 321 W. Broughton St., 777-7177
Club Monaco: 212 W. Broughton St., 232-2740, clubmonaco.com
Gaucho Too: 251 Bull St., 232-7414, gauchosavannah.com
Gypsy World: 2405 Bull St., 704-2347, gypsyworldsavannah.com
Harper: 118 Bull St., 235-5172, harpersavannah.com
The Impeccable Pig: 226 W. Broughton St., 495-5199, theimpeccablepig.com
Crew: 201 W. Broughton St., 233-4368, jcrew.com
John B. Rourke: Market Walk, 7135 Hodgson Memorial Drive, 355-1211, johnbrourke.comJames Gunn: 8413 Ferguson Ave., Suite C, 335-1887, jamesgunnonline.com
Kathi Rich: 2515 Abercorn St., 236-7424
Meredith Anne Sutton: meredithannesutton.com
The Paris Market: 36 W. Broughton St., 232-1500, theparismarket.com
Red Clover: 244 Bull St., 236-4053, shopredclover.com
Savannah Bleu: 14 W. Jones St., 239-4540, bleucompanies.com
Target: 1907 E. Victory Drive, 644-1600, target.com
Thread + Onion: 412 Whitaker St., 401-7555, threadandonion.com
Tommy Bahama: 108 W. Broughton St., 234-4164, tommybahama.com
Urban Poppy: 2312 Abercorn St., 429-3298, urbanpoppy.com
Wright Square Antique Mall: 14 W. State St., 234-6700, wsantiquemall.wix.com/wrightsquareantiquemall
