You may have heard of Nancy Upton -- a size 12 woman who entered American Apparel's search for "The Next Big Thing" model contest with a series of tongue-in-cheek photographs of herself gorging on pie, fried chicken, and ranch dressing while clad in her underwear. As Upton had suspected might happen, the company has refused to hire her to model even though she won the popular vote, and sent a rather dismissive and defensive e-mail informing her of this.

American Apparel's icky and objectifying call for submissions read, in part: "We're looking for fresh faces (and curvaceous bods) to fill these babies out. If you think you've got what it takes to be the next XLent model, send us photos of you and your junk to back it up." more ›

As the economic slump continues, Austin continues to see casualties in the food and wine business. Having seen the likes of likable upscale concepts like Taste Select, Starlite, and Castle Hill Cafe disappear in the past year, it's not hugely surprising to see the recession hit the retail end of the wine business. Which brings us to Grapevine Market, the one-time king of Austin's wine and beer selection. A store employee confirmed by phone that the Anderson Lane location intends to shutter by December 15, with some in-store discounts beginning as early as next week to close out their inventory. more ›

Home furnishings store west elm, one of the subsidiaries of the Williams-Sonoma Inc. empire, is opening its first Austin location at 5th and Lamar this Wednesday. more ›

Two independent local fashion-related launches on Thursday are daring to buck the dismal trend of retail closures we've seen lately. more ›

After failing to negotiate an affordable lease, Second Street's modern design shop Kirk Gallery will be closing in October. more ›

Bettysport, the locally-owned women's fitness apparel store, has given up on its Domain store after two years of operation. more ›

Some residents of South Austin recently received a letter from Your Living Room, the upscale furniture store on South Congress and Barton Springs, informing them that the store owners have decided to retire. more ›

Parking in the city hall garage has been free since the hall was completed, but the honeymoon is over. Starting June 4, parking at the garage could cost you . . . up to $10 for a full day. more ›

Among the many exciting items on tomorrow's City Council meeting agenda is the fate of CLB Partner's 32-story condominium tower at 7th & Rio Grande. Also on the list are the Retail Retention and Enhancement Program for Congress Avenue and East 6th Street, the Mayor's Climate Protection Plan, the Town Lake Hyatt condo plan, VMU opt-in/opt-out and the Big Box ordinance. more ›

Benchmark Development has supposedly begun sales of the planned 155 condos in what they are now calling "The Austonian" (the website is now up). The current plan is a 700 foot tall, 55 story tower of condo power above what appears to be (and had better be) ground floor retail on the corner of Congress and Second Street (across Congress from the current location of Las Manitas - BTW, word is that Las Mas... more ›

• A woman was attacked on the Hike and Bike Trail on Wednesday morning. Just remember to be safe ; use common sense and be aware of your surroundings when you're out alone.
• As if we needed another reason to live downtown, a new grocery store is coming to the 2nd Street Retail District. That pretty much seals the deal for us.
• Next time you're tempted to open an email promising any kind of free porn, keep in mind that the Kama Sutra Virus is a potential threat and preys on your sexually-curious little mind. It may not be as bad as those computer nerds originally thought, though.
• Yesterday was Groundhog's Day. Mr. Pux Phil predicted a longer winter. Hah!
• Today is Friday. And for that, we are truly grateful.