Dithyramb

Technical Difficulties...

2010-02-14T10:39:00.000-08:00

... if that broad concept covers having NO computer at all. Ah well. Artwalk February 2010!

Spent time traipsing about with the lovely and talented REDACTED. Aside from a few wistful moments, like coming across the SkinGraft Storefront and not really knowing what to say (Rest in Punk-Rock Peace, McQueen- you will be missed.) we had a lovely time.

Of course, I was dressed in my new favorite business card- my paisley-ccino pop part sheathe. No images yet of the detailing, or any of the new pop-print collection I've been toiling away at for the past few weeks, but those are coming- someone is going to shoot them for me when we've both got a spare weekend.

These guys were promoting the Wandering Marionettes Kabinet Theatre Dance and Spectacle- a mouthful AND a lens-full. Check them out.

Oh, the people you'll meet! Jacob here agreed to pose for me with his AWESOME jacket.

Check out the view...

Nice.

Wrapped up at Lot 44 Coffee Shop.

(I have to switch some pictures around, so this post will be a little lopsided.)

New Year's Eve 2010- Feathered Leggings!

2010-01-08T19:09:00.000-08:00

And I don't mean "patterned," either.

Oh, yes.

Well, it all started when I found this magazine

and stumbled across this story,

shot by Glen Luchford (link goes to article on blog Touch Puppet, a beautiful fashion photography blog)

and styled by Panos Yiapanis. (link goes to article on blog Youth Novels, with some of the most spectacular images of Tilda Swinton, a personal hero of mine)

The rose petal leggings"designed by stylist's studio" stuck in my mind for months, and I thought "those would make any normal-shaped person look dumpy, but they seem so... intensely cool."

And then, shopping for textured fabric at my favorite remnant haunt, I saw this dark chocolate feathered fabric, one-way stretch, and the texture reminded me of the RPLs. I thought "Leggings. If they're awful, at least I can go next Halloween as a convincing satyr."

They weren't awful. They were kinda awesome. And while parts of me DID in fact look a bit bigger,

I found I didn't mind so much.

New Years Eve at the Down and Out, DTLA, was more fun than it rightfully should have been, I certainly started the year off right. And what's more, I made a sensation with the leggings. Most repeated comment of the night:

"What the..FEATHERS? Can I touch them?????"

And since I can't possibly take myself seriously as a photographer, next to Luchford or anyone else, I'll just throw this one in.

Portfolio- I'm no photographer

2009-12-26T18:00:00.000-08:00

Well... The dresses are cute, anyways. I'm going to overcome my shyness about showing pictures of myself one step at a time, so for now, here are a few of my creations, made to fit my body. Meanwhile, off to shop for models, Photoshop, and a real cameraperson!

(the birthday dress. oh yes.)

I got tired of seeing plaid everywhere but in my collection. Hello, forecasters? Here's my forwarding address!

Sorry I've been away!

2009-12-03T09:11:00.000-08:00

Been working, working, and working on y portfolio! Also, finding make-up artists and photographers so that I can get it all done correctly. More posts, more clothes, coming soon!

In the mean time, some inspo from my look book:

Surfers Soulies Skinheads & Skaters- The Library

2009-11-18T11:13:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite fashion inspiration books!

Blurb from the inside cover reads that the book "...goes back to the source, charting the circle of street style from the forties to the nineties, and featuring nearly 200 authentic outfits... A fascinating dimension is added as the authors place examples of street fashion alongside the high fashion creations they have influenced, illustrating how these fashions 'trickled up' to inspire top designers including Calvin Klein, Versace, Chanel, and Yves Saint Laurent." There is info about the original designers, the owners of the outfits (who once wore them and put them on display at the exhibit) and the times the outfits were changing. But don't take our word for it... here are a couple of images from this book that changed my life!

Need I say more?

*photography by Danny McGrath

Museum of Neon Art- DTLA

2009-11-18T10:23:00.000-08:00

I think I found the site for my Trouble Line shoot, exploring ArtWalk November last week.

Before I was sewing...

2009-11-15T09:58:00.000-08:00

...or designing patterns, I was making jewelry. These are a few talismans I made to protect my energy while I was going through a rough patch in San Francisco. All with an eastern flair-

Jade dragon.

A mix between the qi bracelets everyone was wearing, made of precious stones, and my desire for something like a strand of pearls, but with a twist. The grey was protection, the red was energy.

Painted Porcelain Tile.

Chorus Girl- Marie Elena from Vicky Christina Barcelona

2009-11-15T09:47:00.000-08:00

Obsession- Ruben Toledo Illustrations

2009-11-12T08:16:00.000-08:00

I collect them from every September Issue vogue, and everywhere else I can find them!

Sweater Leggings- An Epic Tale

2009-11-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

This place has the most interesting wallpaper- I had to feature it. Anyhow, the leggings are super warm, great for a night out eating truffle fries and careening around Downtown Lost Angels in brassy steel colored HHBoots.

The big 20-something!

2009-11-04T10:28:00.000-08:00

Had a lovely birthday yesterday, with good food (which was fancy drinks) good friends (E3rd event, the Association Bar, and my darling pal Gina of Rebellionheirs,) and good graphics.

Or at least, my quick little b-day present to myself; a graphic print dress.

Um... we were a bit distracted taking the photos. I'll have to style a shoot. I should have asked for a tripod... anywho, meet the first member of my new line- Graphic! (or at least, meet a blurry pic of most of it.) Created, of courses, from a badly scarred remnant in the murkiest crevices of the Condo, it was a piece of birthday cake to throw together. Here's to a productive year!

"I very well may be knitting a ranch house!"

2009-11-01T17:11:00.000-08:00

One floor-length black sleeveless dress and a fistful of Mardi Gras pearl beads later, I was a real phony!

Nothing like some nice blue people to help fight away the Mean Reds.

I had a blast on Halloween, and everything in the costume was recycled. The dress I whipped together from a very forgiving, very elastic cotton blend that I bought in remnant pieces at the cardboard condo, my favorite place to shop. Took all of two hours, and although it was hardly a Givenchy, I still felt chic, appropriate, and warm. I even borrowed a orange stuffed tabby for a few pics!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T10:43:00.000-07:00

I never get tired of this image- R. Cavalli as Lagerfeld! It's just amazing.

Fresno Fair Images

2009-10-25T19:28:00.000-07:00

The Shorts- The Trouble Line

2009-10-19T10:18:00.000-07:00

When I came across the fabric, at the Cardboard Condo, of course...

...the first thing I thought to myself was, "Hmmm- sorta... Cavalli, right?" The second thought was, "Why do I already know I'm going to buy that, when I know I'll never be brave enough to wear it?" My third thought was, "Oh, what will my mother say." The last wasn't quite a question, just like it wasn't a question whether or not those chains would become shorts, and the shorts would be mine.

Side zip gold chain print stretch fabric ferociousness.

Oddly enough, my mother thought they were "too cute." She absolutely refuses to be boring, fashion-wise. I'll have to thank her for these genes when I see her this weekend.

Furnished Line- The Vess

2009-10-16T18:03:00.000-07:00

It's Autumn- my favorite and the cruelest time of year. It's the time of my birthday (good) the time of fall fashions (great!) and the season of not-a-single-one-of-these-RTW-pieces-of-fabulous-fit-me. (Cry) So behold; I am creating a line, dozens of lines, completely based around the most important factor anyone could base a line of clothing around- does it fit Me? This, below, is a vest I was playing around with. Or, it started as a vest. The flare ended up being so voluptuous that it’s almost a dress. I haven’t decided if it’s Victorian themed

artsy

or just plain crazy. (My roommate took one look at it, and said “I’ll never understand women’s fashion.” )
This is from my Furnished Line, along with the black and white Baroque flair skirt that makes me think of The Viceroy in Santa Monica (I know, I'm missing the chartreuse- just give me a week!) And for those of you wondering about the shorts- They get their own separate post. Check back with us...

ArtWalk Los Angeles, October 2009

2009-10-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

Spent most of my time at the tents in the park, and at the Blue Canvas showing. There's a write-up in Citizen LA about a gentleman who recycles old book covers into gorgeous and wordly journals. I've put one on hold. Check him out.

Images from the evening...

Paul

Dylan and Tomoe

Mina and Alastair

The Sartorialist Himself will be at the Beverly Center!

2009-10-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

October 22nd at 8 pm.

And now, for picture of some bells, because I'll be there with them on!

Follow my blog with bloglovin

Lucent Dossier Images

2009-10-11T16:23:00.000-07:00

Costuming for this bunch is insane. I try to see them every chance I get.

Lucky Shot

2009-10-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

Project Ethos- Lift Off at the Vanguard, 6.5.09

2009-10-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

my good friend Aaron Davis, modeling

more models, sporting Goci

live-action muses musing...

head to toe accessory domination- these girls were quite willing to let me in on the secrets to their sartorial success, too. Quite generous, I would say...

Michael Warren, stylist. You'll be seeing quite a bit of him around these parts.

Kayley Gable and designer, who she is wearing.

and Bobby Trendy. Oh yeah.

I'll know I've made it...

2009-10-06T15:34:00.000-07:00

...when this young lady agrees to do a shoot for me.

Omahyra Mota Garcia was the first model I specifically decided I would dress one day, no matter what. She is gorgeous and so unique, and I love her attitude.

Paradigm Shift- Dita, Style Monte Carlo

2009-10-06T15:05:00.000-07:00

During one of my strange-new-magazine binges a few years ago, I came across Style Monte Carlo, and it has become a favorite of mine.

(the cover that first caught my eye- Brazillian beauty Fernanda Tavares)

The photography is spectacular, and the photo styling is very consistently High Glamour. But what most struck me about them are their innovative ways of looking at cultural phenomena.

One of my favorite stories ever was of Dita von Teese. The burlesque queen with the alabaster skin is definitely an emblem of glamour, but it's always dark, ornate, barely-clad, nocturnal glamour. So of course, why not shoot her in the bright, blinding coastal sunlight on a boat, backlit by blue sky?

The Dior gown alone is spectacular, but add in the color, and the utter modernity of the dress... this is not your average Dita!

And what is this, if not striking?

This shot is close and cropped, so that you can see her, but the original image was about 75% blue sky, 15 % clean cement ship and white rail, and 10 % oh-heavens-look-at-that-dress-I-want-it. And Dita gleams incandescent in a whole new way, flawless pin-up with a tongue-in-cheek difference from her usual routune. I'm sure she's coated in SPF 9000, but clearly, the sun loves her.

Photography by Amadeo M. Turello

A woman is...

2009-10-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

French New Wave, Jean-Luc Godard, Anna Karina.

The movie Une Femme est Une Femme was utterly silly, as was everyone in it, but the colors were lovely, and the main character Angela was strangely winning. Petulant, flighty, untrue, and childish, but enjoyable to watch. Aqua-blue eyeshadow and one-pin chignons that quickly and artfully unravelled- I might have to look into this style.

I'm hearing she worked for Coco herself. Must keep on the lookout for those images...

Je ne suis pas sage.

Je suis tres cruelle,

mais aucun homme n'enrage,

parce que je suis tres belle!

Music to Work By

2009-10-05T16:08:00.000-07:00

Went to see DJ Bonobo in Hollywood.

Voodoo Window Dressing- Mardi Gras NOLA 2009

2009-10-05T15:54:00.000-07:00

Shoe Shopping aux Champs-Elyses

2009-10-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

This was a card I designed, collaging pictures I took on the trip and overlaying with exactly what the pictures mean. In there somewhere is the Seine, the Eiffel Tower on the hour, the most ornate Starbucks I've ever seen, a view from a plane, and the most special surprise of all... I had no idea there was so much ancient Egyptian art at the Louvre!