tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597030654014960312024-03-05T00:42:54.440-08:00Needle in the EyeTales of an Aspiring Fashion DesignerJeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-31892334379169072662011-11-05T14:51:00.000-07:002011-11-05T19:34:09.031-07:00Bi-annual Update! (from the world's worst blogger)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDogNnxoBA9CqFeEl1mgAUV_dOUb5IQ70BQLjebUEbrnyyun4Agntzby8R7vr8h5-SoQF47qhxmORpP31g4J15e5Im3CHZcDHHv59OLkdR5bCYe0rafqVxK0Ut6Rzi4hF65xMT7sPAw/s1600/Halloween+%252711+sea+rabbit%2521.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">I think I'm actually just going to give up on promising that I will be a better blogger, and everyone will just have to be satisfied with a new post from me when it happens, be it tomorrow, or next year. As sad as it is to say and as ridiculous as it sounds, I am just too busy to ever find time to sit down for an hour or two and focus on blogging! Today I'm working at </span></span></span><a href="http://www.betterthanjamnyc.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;">Better Than Jam</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">, in Bushwick. After hand-basting 6 huge circles of silk organza for a wedding reception dress for a client of a client, I have an hour or two left to do this!!!</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Now, let's get caught up on what I have been doing for the last 11 months. Firstly, I did NOT achieve one of my goals and audition for Project Runway this past season. I have to say that actually turned out to be a great decision. I would not not not have wanted to be on there with that group of people. Most of them were fine, some of them I might have strangled, and the overall scraping-the-barrel lack of talent was really disheartening. I'm not about to start recapping, but suffice it to say that I'm in the group of people with the opinion that this season was extremely disappointing, from start to finish, ESPECIALLY finish. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">I DO plan to still audition for Season 10. I have already started working on updating my portfolio with fresh looks and some new photo shoots. I did a shoot last month with the lovely and fabulous </span></span></span><a href="http://www.daleannclancy.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;">DaleAnn Clancy</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">. We shot with two models on and around the High Line park in the Meat Packing District. Here are a couple of the photos:</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7j1dH0INqtVLVfG_pYrMxi1eHJN4fFhIGiPByd0PQayPIPU-pCCu7BE35acZjJegIKYeW3RN4piRzF3Hp6G_wVtgnM7YKSUd9NjZt-4edvSoNq2-ErBxLuncezjkmbroD3c6qE84iQ/s400/tanya+blue+skirt+from+back.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671643204603217506" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 286px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Model - Tatiana Eurochkina</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Silver metal organza Cloud blouse, navy raw silk Tidal Wave skirt.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); line-height: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7EfpdrUUn77uIzeTbh2lmnXab_WdbPpy4Z3Dt2JKBFkAK3wEeP6lNuPX6yhGJgeFNmZJ8U3RrGpCoXqACag4q3NdKEoa5prj6EqyyzsH-Y_56Ap0VITL-NhwM1dkUX23MTpZ1ZHIkQ/s400/Nelly+dress+%2526+jacket.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671643210332794018" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 272px; height: 400px; " /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); line-height: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Model - Nelly Santiago</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Black silk chiffon and duchess silk strapless dress with metal sequin detail.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Black wool Ruffian jacket with metallic organza detail & gold hardware.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Tatiana is a model whom I worked with previously and Nelly I met via Model Mayhem right before our shoot. A note to fellow independent designers - signing up for Model Mayhem was an AWESOME thing! I wish I had done it years ago. Due to the word 'model' in the name, I never really looked into it as a resource for myself. DaleAnn suggested that I sign up and do a casting call for models via it. I got tons of replies to my posting, and since setting up my account only a month ago I have already had some of my items pulled for a shoot by a stylist and have been contacted by at least 6 photographers requesting to work together. To me it's always seemed like one of the trickiest elements of getting your line up and running was getting good photos from a variety of talented photographers. Model Mayhem seems to want to do all the work for me, and no, I am not a paid spokesperson. I'm collaborating on another shoot with someone I just met through it around the end of the month and hope to have photos from that before the end of the year to post here!</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Another exciting thing that just happened is I was chosen to be in the Better Homes and Gardens Handmade Holiday Gift Guide! You can see my little feature as well as the other handmade items </span></span></span><a href="http://www.bhg.com/christmas/gift-gallery/gifts-to-make/handmade-gifts-26-50/?page=18"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;">here</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">. This is the picture they took of my tie:</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVD4QvMlNL9pi__z42nAxqnfqr7QqiKgSKJ6Rp3zqFVIw-yf9gmbh0PB8HOO6u_uHVi2A3wWpn49Q0I_o50oY351fW-1BRhjK0IW78R2AwM0cypZk6CC3WSHJpUYcOjMf82DDJAYt6Q/s400/BHG+tie.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671649598340586642" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px; " /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 204, 0); line-height: 14px; font-family:'times new roman';"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/56020132/bicycle-silk-tie">Bicycle Silk Tie - Slate Blue shantung w/ black ink</a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> I was hoping for an in-print feature, but I'm pretty sure this was web only. I have not, however, picked up a copy of their December issue and looked yet. I'll get around to it! So far it has not been a huge driver of traffic to my store, by any means. However, I don't think most people are even thinking of perusing gift guides yet. Also, while BHG does feature 3-4 posts on their Twitter and FB daily, I don't think they have started posting this link yet. Crossing my fingers and waiting for the sales to go nuts!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">On of my goals this year has almost come to fruition! I have hired a web designer and my site is under production. I couldn't be more excited. I have had my URL and a place holder page for about FOUR years and it's really just time to get the whole mess in up-and-running order. It should be ready by the end of November. A birthday present to myself! I'll be sure to post a note when it's in place for viewing.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Just this past week I went on a little foray outside the world of serious fashion and whipped myself up a Halloween costume. I was inspired by some beautiful photos of Dia de los Muertos costumes and make-up I had seen around the internet and wanted to do my own interpretation. I spend about 6 solid days working on everything, from the fully boned historical corset (not my design, used a pattern) to the bajillions of gorgeous silk flowers I plastered everywhere. Damn, my little $5 hot glue gun did a fantastic job! Here's a picture of me!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPFlSDmZ87Bcd06Ic_hym-3DYzMKaakE2BCdz7mp2QSp4JamWiUbBSd0N1AKW1L_GMGQGPFg-qEvqxdDCr4yLmFQppnAyR3WbjjFFHRFQansB7iGWG9_VqELLfDrSJ1yc8G2D3vAGGA/s400/Halloween+%252711.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671695018048434114" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 400px; " /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><em style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">fiancé and I went to the NYC Halloween Parade on the 31st. Even though we both love Halloween, we had not attended before and were excited to join the marchers. Nick was Randy Marsh, from South Park. My assistant Dani made his mask and he looked GREAT! People loved him and we were surprised and thrilled by how many people wanted their photo taken with both of us. When the parade ended and we were diverted down a side street, one of the last people to ask me for my picture was Dr. Takeshi Yamada. He's an INCREDIBLE artist who makes all sort of creepy, awesome and fantastical creatures. You can see lots of his work </span></span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/museumofworldwonders/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;">here</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. I had not heard of him prior to meeting him on Halloween and I definitely regret that, I would have been doubly excited! As it was, I was in love with the Sea Rabbit and delighted to get a photo with the Dr. and his furry friend! It was the highlight of my night.</span></span></span></em></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: 16px; "><em style="font-style: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></em></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: 16px; "><em style="font-style: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDogNnxoBA9CqFeEl1mgAUV_dOUb5IQ70BQLjebUEbrnyyun4Agntzby8R7vr8h5-SoQF47qhxmORpP31g4J15e5Im3CHZcDHHv59OLkdR5bCYe0rafqVxK0Ut6Rzi4hF65xMT7sPAw/s1600/Halloween+%252711+sea+rabbit%2521.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDogNnxoBA9CqFeEl1mgAUV_dOUb5IQ70BQLjebUEbrnyyun4Agntzby8R7vr8h5-SoQF47qhxmORpP31g4J15e5Im3CHZcDHHv59OLkdR5bCYe0rafqVxK0Ut6Rzi4hF65xMT7sPAw/s400/Halloween+%252711+sea+rabbit%2521.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671698619880922418" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></span></span></span></em></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: 16px; "><em style="font-style: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Dr. Takeshi Yamada, Seara & I.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: 16px; "><em style="font-style: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><div style="text-align: center; display: inline !important; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div></span></span></em></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: 16px; "><em style="font-style: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><div style="text-align: center; display: inline !important; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';color:#CCCCCC;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Time to wrap it up and got back to work! I just got a bunch of new t-shirts in and I have to sew my labels into ALL of them! It's that time of year where my main focus is prepping inventory for craft shows and online sales and getting all my boutique accounts stocked up for the holidays. That means sewing my own stuff non-stop as well as working on a few freelance projects, like making a wedding reception dress and a plethora of home items for an interior designer I work with. There are simply not enough hours in the day! Keep an eye on my calendar on the right for upcoming events. My first craft show of the season will be in LIC on December 4th. I have also applied for the Bust Holiday Craftacular (Dec 10th & 11th) and the Brooklyn Lyceum Holiday Market (Dec 17th & 18th) but have not confirmed the last two events yet. More information forthcoming. And now, on with the sewing!</span></span></div></span></span></span></em></span></div></span></span></span></em></span></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-63131433011972171862011-01-12T17:56:00.000-08:002011-01-13T07:48:02.612-08:00This year goes to 11 !!!!<div style="text-align: justify;">So, I may be right up there in the world's top laziest bloggers ever, but I have big plans for myself this year. That includes being better about posting updates on my projects. LOTS of time has gone by since last I wrote and I'm not really sure what I have been up to during it all. A little bit of all the usual, I suppose, getting caught up with life and other things.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the major things I did in 2010 was to audition for Project Runway again. I tried out for Season 8. I did much better this time than last! I actually made it to the semi-final auditions, which were held at the Liz Claiborne offices in NYC. I was SO excited! It wasn't any less intimidating than last time, but at least in this interview I got to talk! I waiting for about 2+ hours past my call time for my interview. Other people waiting whom I noticed and then later saw on tv were Jason Troisi (He was exactly the same in real life, there was no special editing to make him look wacko. He talked loudly about himself the ENTIRE time.) and Casanova. I particularly remember that before my interview but after Casanova's I went into the restroom. Two of his models were in there getting changed. One of them kept saying to the other "Wow, that went REALLY badly." I guess we all know talent isn't the only thing they are looking for in those interviews! My interview was ok. I took about 7 or 8 designs with me to show. Tim was one of the interviewers, obviously, as well as Irina Shabayeva. There were at least a dozen or so other people off in the sidelines, producers and whatnot, but I didn't have time to even look at them. Seth Aaron was there also, I saw him walking around, but he didn't sit in on my interview. They made me try on one of my pieces, asked lots of questions about the others, wanted to see and touch a few of them. Tim kept saying that my designs all looked very organic, when in fact I think they are actually very structured and planned. He also kept calling my very intricate seam detailing 'applique' and I kept saying 'no, it's not' and thinking he of all people <i>should</i> know the difference. In hindsight, it's possible he was just trying to get me riled up. He also told me that he didn't get this look:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESYWJzCpMNO7xcL36rVfFJXgwLIIoRxM9RlHMSQPylQ5CRSCuSJmr2s4LBsxnWVmA_YqDldQoGbFJ7dyT7-t5peNJdFoexXbNWj4rc8LLI_GkPHK5fDQ24GhBavfzhHtZsDfD5Erk5w/s400/Azzurra+green+dress+1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561507342024608434" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;">Green & Black dupioni dress. Photo by Azzurra Piccardi</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I told him I didn't know what there was to not get. He said it didn't go with the rest of the pieces and I said they weren't being presented as a collection, just a sampling of my designs. Again, looking back it's most likely he just wanted to get me to start arguing about it, to see if I could get crazy for tv. I should have been MORE crazy! Oh well. There's always next time. Here are a couple other pictures from the portfolio I submitted with my application.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IE8Q-xHUGJeva7FUyFjHWPh25U9Vb9OiL1uNGQXIzjdDjstica-FuW3jk799PHGm-tdYOufYD34hXeaDH14rphIkdGUlWsFbEy_2bzpxhdzLrKZFlVBXarJJR-SOXC83uixt9dhd2Q/s400/Silver+Organza+puff+sleeve+blouse+%2526+26+gore+raw+silk+skirt+-+on+model" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561508104333579298" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;">Silk Organza Cloud blouse and one-of-a-kind 26 gore raw silk skirt.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1fSxtEoSoLBpBb3oMpsX_Dsf6iiQLP8aUDxSpBiC7-s1F8OrD8EDdjpQuyVtdbTZ-vjxheRmeWtW5m5Gs_toGxYnuHuLJShHG6QfDMUCoGf8QYzxpMlauwMNTv3D9MvHH-K51pGA9Zw/s400/Pleated+dupioni+blouse+%2526+black+wool+lightening+skirt+-+on+model%252C+back.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561508675910847170" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;">Pleated dupioni blouse and black metallic wool Lightning skirt</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">I have NO idea when Lifetime will be casting for Season 9 of PR, though I am almost positive they are signed to do 7 more seasons. Any day now I should start getting my act together and creating some new portfolio pieces so I can apply again! 7 more seasons, how could I NOT get there eventually? The question is do I <i>really </i>want to? Ha!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On another note, I am excited to say that I ended last year with 25 boutiques carrying varied assortments of my ties, t-shirts and bags. I shipped out 928 ties total to all of those stores in 2010! I'm so excited to think that there are literally thousands of my ties being worn all around the world!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8ZckWp5BXa3BkB0e0XcMjjs1oCpufTj4g-qYV3ks_ffOboT4qKUZ29m4ZxjCDPTnEugZ2-EF_zDxTxWcxBAil4XgrHrMgKaqJBfwEEojp8Bz9TJd0KjypNUOhamaOdsQbzW49jgixQ/s400/8th+shipment+photo.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561490002425232754" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Some of the PILES of ties I shipped out last year.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Some of my goals for this year along those lines include sending out MORE ties than that, as well as acquiring at least 10 new consignment or wholesale accounts. A few months ago I set up my wholesale page for my ties on Trunkt, which you can see </span><a href="http://jesswitajties.trunkt.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. Just today I set up a separate linesheet for my silkscreened t-shirts, which is </span><a href="http://jesswitajtshirts.trunkt.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. I only have a couple (literally) t-shirt designs right now. Getting these things to happen is harder than it seems, especially when it's just ME trying to make it happen. I plan to have at least two more designs and several more color options by the end of March. Just this week I got my first batch of </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/jesswitaj/search?search_query=bike+t-shirt&search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_5120188&shopname=jesswitaj"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Bicycle t-shirts</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. Super excited about those and already sent out about a dozen to some accounts, </span><a href="http://www.sacredartstore.com/index.shtml"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sacred Art</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> in Chicago, and </span><a href="http://www.thefoolonthehill.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Fool on the Hill</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> in Jerome, AZ. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqG7gGX_qlebYR_uNOhSY8ZhSIBQ-LBwtYLXk-D7EjwrmjiFCfWRz2VCnYrYLYCrazO8O82M_NvARXc2bI_gk9qErkha9VbrYABcywrsuiQ-vBZrVRsnTGFkXqXxjYmwbbAFWIAHUvg/s400/M+Concrete+Bike+Tee+1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561491547952449426" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 305px; height: 400px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;">My men's Bicycle t-shirt in Concrete gray.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another big thing on my t0-do list for this year is to get my <a href="http://www.jesswitaj.com/">personal website</a> up and running and not looking ridiculously out of date. Fall 2009 collection??? BWAHAHAHA! Well, that certainly didn't happen. That's ok, because we'll discuss Spring 2012 in a second. Geez! Where does the time go? I have simple goals for my website. I want a portfolio, a functioning store with shopping cart, a list of all the places I sell to, including addresses and live website links and a bio. This can't be TOO hard, can it? I'm more worried about it being too expensive. I have a referral for a web designer, but haven't contacted them yet. If anyone knows someone in NYC or Brooklyn who does good work at a reasonable cost, please let me know!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yes, one of the other plans I have for my website is to FINALLY feature an actual collection, mini though it may be. I really really want to get my act together this year and do a very small collection for Spring 2012. It would be for sale through my site, hopefully somewhere locally and wholesale as well. I'm thinking 2 dresses, 2 skirts, 2 blouses, a jacket and some bags. I CAN do this! I am actually going to use this dress as part of the collection, in this colorway. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHplT4vRtUG8VnLBF34sF437JbVEy817IEtFwxh4oAOdV1UuuDSN3d2-271uGeC7EOc0ueZDdT26_EATtIhWm6LzhcK5nnKH1ygfTcIgNfJjMMgiO-SZCo4wWm-Qil7bQWIXWEZ8K4Vg/s400/Green+Wool+dress+-+on+model.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561494289367326706" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;">Pale green wool sheath dress with silk charmeuse trim and lining</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">This is actually an older design, but it's never been for sale before. I'm quite fond of it and think it's a perfect color for spring! I love getting colorful with my designs, I don't feel there's often enough color in fashion. Walking down the street in Manhattan in the winter almost EVERY single person is wearing a black coat. I'm usually wearing my camel-colored coat, because it has a hood, and I feel like I stand out. When I wear my bright blue vintage Harris Tweed coat I REALLY look like I am not melancholy enough to live in this city. Fine by me! Anyway, the other colors I am leaning towards for my spring collection will be burgundy and possibly a little golden yellow or metallic gold. I also plan to offer some limited edition purses, most likely of existing style designs but in custom colors and fabrics.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">I am also thrilled to say that I am going to attempt to do a couple of local craft fairs this year! I did one very small show over the holiday last year and it went rather well. I plan to apply for the <a href="http://www.renegadecraft.com/">Renegade Craft Fair</a> in Brooklyn this summer! This involves much planning, like table display, packaging, advertising, labeling and of course MASS production of inventory. I have none of these things. Thank goodness one of the awesomest things that happened to me last year was the acquisition of my fabulous and talented new assistant, Dani! I definitely without a doubt could not have made it through the '10 holiday season without her. Looking forward to another great year too!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyK-WeKXs5zs122Ii0bOJwvv0rzUFgFyRxdarG5i3h4etiH-U-9X-NnwwsgjJffazBPpm_W91mtovaAaD7W_9cUrSxQBp8JhYwTNCptL6NzZp0QvOjbwfHeayBKgbyOyzlXCgeXfxcg/s400/Dani+%2526+I+NYE+2010.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561500577399910370" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 369px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;">Dani & I having fun on NYE, after months of hard work.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So, these are my seemingly small, but time and money consuming goals for 2011. I will do my very best to keep an update of my adventures here, with lots of pictures of course! Check back soon for more highlights of the insanity!</div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-41988467638130694182009-12-12T13:27:00.001-08:002009-12-13T07:34:17.770-08:00Don't Stop The Press!<div style="text-align: justify;">Recently I have been lucky enough to have my work featured in some very exciting places! The first was the Fall 2009 Weddings issue of New York Magazine! The article was online and I'm still not sure if it made it into the print issue. I have to order one eventually and find out. The write-up was about Etsy items in the local area perfect for weddings. Here is the <a href="http://nymag.com/weddings/planner/2009/winter/etsy/">link</a> to the story. They featured my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36543635">Wallpaper Heart Damask print silk neckties</a>. I sent them three pieces several months prior, upon their request. They used two of the ties and shot this AMAZING photo! That's one hell of a props stylist.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI89Qa5hlIyTZAVGHobpsQJaZupuui8D_6pVWnwm1yzJJ5rwK5a55N2KJTylDL1dC6QqalHX8SNBtMe5eUzhvlWxBfpbk1JMXVxHyRQALhRvmwL3pq9i_P9R8A0sA2mM0X9WCZEhmc6w/s400/NY+Mag+ties.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414465771601316450" /></div><div><br /></div><div>The other day when I got home from HOURS of sewing in my freezing cold studio, I got a card in the mail. It was from Mara, owner of the absolutely amazing <a href="http://boutiquefabulous.com/">Boutique Fabulous</a> in Cambridge, MA. They carry my neckties, and she had sent me this press clipping from a local paper, the <a href="http://weeklydig.com/">Weekly Dig</a>. They featured my Shark necktie in their holiday gift guide! You can read the <a href="http://www.weeklydig.com/department-commerce/200912/holiday-gift-guide-2009">article</a> here. This is the photo they used online:</div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigC8jI4r-2rgU7-EBrPFtjUls_yNdeGM9suRFdQ0BWCKeEwCbCS3M3nV9KK0QQXYL2dmFYf7w01ODbdU2NlAKU83humoZHDNLI4J_0oTDUxhm12HZaeAmAr9vHls5VKmJvkAyz4JSmUA/s400/Weekly+Dig+online+photo.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414467172467270082" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 101px; " /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is the actual clipping she sent me. It totally made my day! And the paper's little review is HILARIOUS! I loved it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46dJQAwG4Z4_shrsTkLAjZiFUL7FlL8lzycLZzgVmhiop0tJcb6l6R5dKATAJ32VCIu0sGs_KQRG9BrAkvLdmWPnwtaQAHrDoIabfMK4VxZUtukn8RJGQtILIsETymhKytUcvhDAv5A/s1600-h/Weekly+Dig+actual+clipping.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46dJQAwG4Z4_shrsTkLAjZiFUL7FlL8lzycLZzgVmhiop0tJcb6l6R5dKATAJ32VCIu0sGs_KQRG9BrAkvLdmWPnwtaQAHrDoIabfMK4VxZUtukn8RJGQtILIsETymhKytUcvhDAv5A/s400/Weekly+Dig+actual+clipping.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414472250783949170" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 230px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lastly, my good friend and amazing jewelry designer <a href="http://kennethfron.com/">Kenneth Fron</a> did an interview with me recently which he featured on his <a href="http://kennethfron.blogspot.com/">blog</a>. Of course, he used a photo of me where I'm making a RIDICULOUS face, though wearing one of his fantastic necklaces, but I forgive him. :-) Please take a sec to read the interview <a href="http://kennethfron.blogspot.com/2009/12/people-are-talking-about-designer-jes.html">here</a>!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That's about it for now! Have to get back to sewing. I just bought a TON of awesome fabric to make more bags in <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_list_1&listing_id=34306152&ga_search_query=dalla&ga_search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_14288">this style</a>. (Named after my BFF I've known since I was 3). I'll be making the new bags in gorgeous upholstery weight large-patterned pixelated houndstooth check in brown & cream, red & black and celadon & slate blue with matching faux leather detailing. Vegan! Check my Etsy shop soon to see these, they will be to die for!</div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-1359864405798599082009-11-29T15:47:00.000-08:002009-11-29T15:55:39.001-08:00I Moonlight as a Reporter<div style="text-align: justify;">Well, not really..... but occasionally I do get to go out and cover some great events for <a href="http://bloggingprojectrunway.blogspot.com/">Blogging Project Runway</a>! Most recently it was the Season 6 Finale Party! BPR posted my little write-up and some photos from the event. Check it out <a href="http://bloggingprojectrunway.blogspot.com/2009/11/season-six-finale-party.html">here</a>! Since Season 7 starts in January, I'm hoping to have some new stuff to cover really soon, so keep posted!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB2XrnJs70p7w4xUUv5t-SELUsAdQm2TH8nZBWTU1GDfyes6OXF8JM_WHgK0zbFCq3g214XpqJHWPQb-xdfG1fTyir9_WzobhhxECjSSZjkHZwD1ZTpme7WdBZ-RFD0f7M0dUKQGDH7A/s1600/IMG_9835.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB2XrnJs70p7w4xUUv5t-SELUsAdQm2TH8nZBWTU1GDfyes6OXF8JM_WHgK0zbFCq3g214XpqJHWPQb-xdfG1fTyir9_WzobhhxECjSSZjkHZwD1ZTpme7WdBZ-RFD0f7M0dUKQGDH7A/s400/IMG_9835.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409677749613621234" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 347px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Carol Hannah Whitfield, myself & Althea Harper</span></span></div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-14037127670776958302009-07-27T18:33:00.000-07:002009-07-27T18:48:17.767-07:00Ain't Life Grand!<div style="text-align: justify;">It sure is!  And lately, for the most part, it's getting better and better every day!  In most recent news, my ties are now available for sale in Grand Central Station!  How cool is that? The lovely ladies behind <a href="http://www.locallabels.com/">Local Labels</a>, Loren and Jean, are showcasing their wares at a kiosk in the <a href="http://grandcentralterminal.com/retaildirectory.pdf">Graybar Passage</a> from now until the end of August.  Local Labels is the purveyor of many fabulous products, from pickles to perfume, which are all made right here in NYC!  This, obviously, includes my ties!  <br /></div><div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhszFB0q17uc9qmvq_rlF3hUSjpOK6D876dsX3uBdMRy8PCAsCObQwzvUjRvGwPSCm9VCf2qH0308ADmyoF9ysiHDj9DdfzlUvUZt3LBn9FPeGemePJ-oVtDdMNjqGg9dB4N3jTCqqLvg/s400/Final-card-LL.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363320322659586306" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">To read more about Local Label's escapades at Grand Central, and to learn more about some of the featured artisans, be sure to check out their <a href="http://locallabels.blogspot.com/">blog</a>!  If you live in the city or are traveling through, don't pass up a chance to stop by, say hello and support your local artists!</div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-71973760646351755682009-07-13T16:27:00.000-07:002009-07-13T17:09:49.193-07:00Jenn Logue - Extra Pretty!<div style="text-align: justify;">Earlier this year I had the great pleasure of meeting the talented singer/songwriter Jenn Logue.  We actually met at the after-party for Malan's fashion show while waiting at the bar.  Actually, she first started talking to my mom, whom I left at the bar to go say hi to someone else. (I know, I'm horrible!) When I came back we all started chatting because my mom had discovered that Jenn ALSO was originally from Pennsylvania.  I gave her my info and told her to call me if I could ever make her anything to wear.  I talked with her shortly after that and loaned her several items to use for a photoshoot.  I haven't seen the photos from that yet, but when I do I'll post some here.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jenn just recently had a party for the release of her new EP.  The party was at Mad 46, on the roof of the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan.  It was a fantastic evening, and I was ecstatic to have been able to make the dress that Jenn wore to the event.  She and I went fabric shopping, and I let her pick out what she wanted, while offering my opinion when needed.  The dress is made from a gorgeous royal blue silk charmeuse and a printed silk chiffon.  Jenn wanted something glamorous, young, fun and pretty, but also something she could move easily in while playing.  Since we had very minimal time to complete the dress, and only time for one fitting, I decided to go with a basic halter top dress, and let the fabric speak for itself.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVKV1UpTUe9stOnEZM1KBqmJphdHh1HQsib88wgZFqBq7pAfjTMcvaZLcozqsRWg7qWHQezbRW8AGL2FFPPkKMNRc_W6riWwyvi_X86Vdl3LdZsfD_LiLxH2CbCF0a1NMLZbuj9kuiQ/s1600-h/IMG_8481.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVKV1UpTUe9stOnEZM1KBqmJphdHh1HQsib88wgZFqBq7pAfjTMcvaZLcozqsRWg7qWHQezbRW8AGL2FFPPkKMNRc_W6riWwyvi_X86Vdl3LdZsfD_LiLxH2CbCF0a1NMLZbuj9kuiQ/s400/IMG_8481.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358094545376284818" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTwbjJTQo5Q2s1RodhAxwvo2tNyAV7UyCoHNKa9BmnGILsYlgAhCuc07xLGrAeGeiYbzDDAC4iMsA79aO1JZJVJ9LCH-RhhJjc8kDcjM4a59ceDSdcMRkMllHlWp1Fb2FZE2_GAbXsQ/s1600-h/IMG_8484.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTwbjJTQo5Q2s1RodhAxwvo2tNyAV7UyCoHNKa9BmnGILsYlgAhCuc07xLGrAeGeiYbzDDAC4iMsA79aO1JZJVJ9LCH-RhhJjc8kDcjM4a59ceDSdcMRkMllHlWp1Fb2FZE2_GAbXsQ/s400/IMG_8484.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358095069761121458" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 276px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jenn's latest release is called the "Pretty EP"  You can check it out on her <a href="http://www.myspace.com/jenniferlogue">myspace</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-Logue/8353174451?ref=ts">facebook</a>, or <a href="http://www.jenniferloguemusic.com/">website</a>.  She's going to be starting a US and European tour very soon, so be sure to check her out if she comes to your town, she's fantastic!</div><div><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_4z8C39YMVZSx4iNVMxAKKDufu3UDKPmCj6l5GApxDSWE3P5HNuH5XswoFvrzxeIPzEEb7VH0riHQ4o7u1To-Bo41_ZS62rgx55hYZ3K4kGhAF9V_qMhZifx5jYVBQ_cIkU60VRhOA/s400/IMG_8497.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358096988944168098" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 362px; height: 400px; " /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-size:13px;">I love the way the skirt was rippling!</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72VlCa-XDEQOldXEGqiqwYvnUodqpCoiWPNqPZ-XesCYyU6mQ3n49h4IoU5nkqhMZww5rigIcHnVStE9RFOKIBGJdeh2XHm9StxHe-EZ-gD0DMnQw2FJUXnLBGR5dud0FuDZvY2lSHQ/s1600-h/IMG_8493.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72VlCa-XDEQOldXEGqiqwYvnUodqpCoiWPNqPZ-XesCYyU6mQ3n49h4IoU5nkqhMZww5rigIcHnVStE9RFOKIBGJdeh2XHm9StxHe-EZ-gD0DMnQw2FJUXnLBGR5dud0FuDZvY2lSHQ/s400/IMG_8493.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358096330789551778" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 339px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); "><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Jenn and I.  I had WAY too much free pink champagne by the end of the night, but this wasn't then.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">  I came straight to the party from work and got soaked in the pouring rain that day. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:13px;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div></span></div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-26790721208256150772009-03-23T17:35:00.000-07:002009-03-24T09:04:39.612-07:00Malan, Fashion Week and I<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-RDt-zWi48OfnVnexU7XdUHsQ6MpfIOtaxYnqHcAH7iJ0rFJ9xxGilNDBI_ZUNJreyENWsgqcG0RANI75DdCWNCNYsQYLOScl8mEqPt8C1mUT2lds0YgyciQef98JxON8nDMvo_BxIQ/s1600-h/stella+%26+I.jpg"></a><div style="text-align: justify;">Although this post has been sitting on the back burner and getting dusty, since Fashion Week is past and we're already thinking Spring '10, I swear it's only because I've been so busy I haven't had time to sit down and write a good bit about it all.  So for those who have been pestering me (in a nice way) I offer you something here to suffice until I can post again, hopefully much sooner than a 5 month gap.  Geez, I'm a slacker.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So, the 8 or so months I've been in NYC now have just been a complete whirlwind. And some of the most recent exciting news is that I was able to work with the fabulous <a href="http://malanbreton.com/">Malan Breton</a>.  Malan, if you don't know (and shame on you if you don't!) was a contestant of season 3 of Project Runway.  He's been designing his own collection for 6 or 7 years. Shame on me, because I can't say for absolute certain, but I'll find out and correct!  I had been put in touch with Malan through a small chain of friends.  Laura Kluvo, from <a href="http://bloggingprojectrunway.blogspot.com/">BPR</a> introduced me (online) to <a href="http://www.myspace.com/cmerry">Christian</a>, an AMAZING artist and good friend of Malan.  She encouraged me to write him and ask if there was anything I could help with, as if was right before Fall fashion week.  I did, and he wrote me back but as it was only about a week away from the Bryant Park shows we never had time to get in touch.  In January, I saw a post from Malan looking for interns to help with his Fall 09 collection.  I responded immediately and he called me the very next day.  </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I don't want to talk TOO much about what I helped out with.  I'd rather let the pieces speak for themselves.  I'd like to make it clear that I did not design ANY of the items that are shown here, I only constructed them.  Malan does every bit of his design work on his own.  On February 13th, a special showing was held at the Eli Klein Gallery in Soho.  Here are some pictures from the event of pieces I made and people I met, with details:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfgYqXiYlXJksAHR-mKFwjNPV7LmrYHKS_XgK6EqFcboPyffAI1AOOiqYIUsTmEVD8h2brB3FRIrwKH2S1-XKoQtrThO8VKSKkp9oxbTn-V2H7z0SXT7_w-QAr_tKeaV4UWKoMTH7qw/s400/Malan+09+red+vneck+dress.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316574045946933202" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 400px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Ruby Silk Faille & Black Silk Organza V-neck Dress</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0); font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 173px; height: 165px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7X_s_cwZgxK0WE2IZ_F-4Pue8m2jideDlg4PP_p3CZ0tORx9LsJTqxA2_9_kEKYuzcEMdzxbQop0GEaN-zQNdsV2W4sI2XqSfvwmei9J7u6R9M5YBl_ZIY_gEgT_41cYJz4c6hUHcg/s400/malan+%26+i+better.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316576164064564786" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Malan & I</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZiYbSgR7OmKkhBtUB88mToV6grkqkb7tJOW3mxLZ4v_NaMpgKjj2R0GzIT3XIC0v9rzFOsHAo3fIGjKWo6xhP4pQhrS56NUDNFsR3SM73dpEGswk38FQevLUWFNgMigNMYJboo5QTwA/s400/Malan+09+red+brocade+jacket.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316576074314892754" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 224px; height: 400px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> Ruby Silk Jacquard Gibson Jacket</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXJhF6_Wc8u42M6iLgOef7HTTGARzDdfCUIqiExFXXjU3Kn70R3tPv4S0L_9ZgWXqrFhy5wh0dOlrAttEv9-slgz3H4BwAsTBBI_T6PORWa0ZD1Z2NHOYC3mcxhms9Tjw8iBYdKyiTA/s400/Malan+09+long+red+coat.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316575831158349490" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 240px; " /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Garnet Silk Jacquard Long Wrap Coat</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xlh-Zki_eZr60cQpsXpsdkxCXiGtnj9FeK7u_RgYMgsvAbd-63aoiYBPsmNtB6wb9jz-DHyGILnmeHQG3NmP28TnJ23G0R5K1cEvCSYJvjaLgNV63e0on1cjiW1tGEhyphenhyphenWaf-R05caw/s400/Diana+%26+I.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316576430374010146" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 176px; " /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">PR Alum <a href="http://home.comcast.net/~populartransit/poptrans/newframeset.htm">Diana Eng</a> and I</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6h68mwyDwyn_379aMvn8_EdnLysxe94VSYY5fejgvYVKY9Xm99urguNtevT4bjRpsQalOG7JPwMzjuRQ_hTRTLOBIhfJNtFyQVzPOWjzkmsXlxTJshr_LSa_mVCOgzBeJt5_maf8u7Q/s400/Malan+09+black+tulle+caped+shirt.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316575619267747090" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 400px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Onyx Tulle & Silk Organza Capelet Blouse.  Tulle lined in tulle, whoo that was tricky! I LOVE the cape!  And I have to say, I think this was the prettiest model of the night.  I hope that doesn't cause a catfight somewhere!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For now I'm taking a little break and focusing on working on my own collection.  It will be more everyday wear, as opposed to eveningwear. It will be ready for Fall 09, and available online sometime this summer.  My color palette is rich, deep blues, purples and greens, with a hint of grey and black (and maybe a fab coat with hot pink lining!) thrown in for good measure. My pieces will be mainly wool and silk combinations, my two favorite fabrics!  All designs will be very limited edition, some there will be no more than 5-10 pieces available, some even less. Several pieces will be one of a kind.  My size run will be 2-20.  I'm just now in the middle stages (sewing and patternmaking) of getting all this worked out.  Will be sure to post more details as I go along!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I definitely hope and expect to be working more with Malan in the future.  I think we work great together, and I couldn't ask for a kinder, more inspiring designer to be learning from.  I'm sure we'll be starting Spring '10 soon enough!  And there may just be some side projects underway already.  </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That's all for now!  Hope that will tide everyone over in the meantime.  I'm in the process of getting more and better photos from the event.  Expect those to be updated in the next day or so.  If you can't wait, there are some other great photos from this show as well as Malan's Spring '09 show <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happylolday/sets/72157606012141110/">here</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">More soon!  Another post in the works too.  Stay tuned!  Thank you Malan!  And thank you BPR for linking this, what a nice surprise this morning!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-89390866467660231442008-10-18T18:25:00.000-07:002008-10-18T18:51:22.645-07:00New York - The 1st Two MonthsAh yes, here I go with a challenge. Trying to fit everything about my first two months living in NYC into a post that doesn't get too long and boring. Deep breath...<br /><br />Moving here was one of the most miserable experiences of my life!!! Packing took seriously over 2 weeks. It's actually so awful I don't really want to relive it here. Suffice it to say, if you ever hire a moving truck. PAY FOR THE INSURANCE! We paid a shipper to send everything here and then flew nonstop with two cats. Moving day we arrived at the airport, cats have been properly drugged so as to stay calm and sleeeeep. Airline announces there will be a 5 hour delay! Because of "weather" in NYC. Meaning: Phoenix pilots don't know how to fly through a raincloud. We made it though and pulled up in a cab in front of our apt. we had never seen at about 11:30pm. I won't talk about our neighborhood more than to say it's DIRTY, in a bad way. We have a 3 month sublet, the only thing we could find since we hadn't secured jobs here before we move, and we will be moving to a nicer area at the end of October. Enough about that.<br /><br />Monday, August 2nd, two days after we arrive. I had an interview for an internship with a small, luxury fashion design company of Cynthia Rose. The VP, who interviewed me, told me I was overqualified and that she thought I would be bored working as an intern. I insisted I wouldn't and I was so excited when she wanted me to start the following Monday! Nick (my boyfriend) was waiting for me at Bryant Park, right up the street, and I was walking on air when I went to meet him there, so proud of myself! Things have evolved (or devolved) at the internship rather quickly. For the first two weeks I was excited to be there, but I <span style="font-style: italic;">was</span> a little bored and wished that they would require more from me so I could show what I could do. Then the VP decided she wanted me to work mainly with the Production Manager (she was the only person running that entire area of the company). I was fine with that as it was something that I didn't know about and I felt that it would definitely give me skills, information and contacts I would need in order to start producing my own line in the future. I didn't get to spend a lot of time with this person, as the designer's personal assistant quit after my second week of work, and I ended up taking on a lot of her responsibilities, only working for free. After about another week or so, the VP started asking me if I thought I could do the Production Manager's job. I told her probably, as long as I would be trained and knew what I was doing. It didn't seem <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> hard. Boy was I wrong. Shortly after that the P.M. quit and I sort of got bumped into her position, temporarily or permanently was yet to be determined. Keep in mind that I have ZERO experience or training in production, but I am very organized and this is what they thought would make me good for this job. I didn't make it more than 3 weeks. In reality, I was doing a job, single-handedly (trying anyway) that there need to be 2-3 people handling; full time and on the payroll. I got so overwhelmed right away, that I knew there was just no way I could continue without crashing and burning. On top of that, it was taking up ALL of my time (I was there from 9-7 many days). I know that's typical of lots of jobs, but I originally took the internship to help me learn things to forward my own career and my own design work, not make me a personal slave for someone else's profit. There are many other reasons why I did not stay with the company, but on a professional level it's mainly because I'm not qualified for the position and I was SO stressed out about it's all I could think about all the time. I just moved to New York! I love it here. I don't want to spend all my time hating it. I would have made a GREAT production assistant, and they NEED one, but they don't want to have to pay for one, and it's just too much work for me to offer to do for free.<br /><br />On to some more exciting and upbeat news! I've had several Project Runway sightings since I've been here. I almost ran into Suede on the street a few weeks ago, literally! He was talking on the phone and walking with his head down and we nearly collided. Also, right before fashion week I had to take some pieces to have buttonholes sewn in to a nearby embroidery shop, and <a href="http://www.redflyusa.com/Joe_Faris/Joe_Faris.html">Joe Faris</a> was there having buttonholes put in those gold and pink pants he showed at Bryant Park. He looked tired and a little older than on the show, and I wasn't sure it was him. About two weeks ago I SWEAR I saw Keith, who was kicked off in season...3? I can't even remember. It looked JUST like him, but I'm not positive he even lives in NY. I also met <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=86067968">Annida Greenkard</a>, one of the models on the drag episode on season 5. She was awesome! And looked even better than on the show. And she was SO mad at Daniel for making her that boring dress! She's amazing. I'm hoping she and I can work together on a project, but haven't had time to discuss since I've been with everything else. And the biggest one of all, Nina Garcia! During fashion week I was lucky enough to get to go to one show! The assistant designer at Cynthia Rose got us on the list for the designer she worked for previous, <a href="http://www.douglashannant.com/">Douglas Hannant</a>, and Nina was one of the guests at the show. I somewhat candidly snapped a few photos of her while the models were walking. Unfortunately none of them were that great. Sorry Nina! If you go to the Douglas Hannant website and look at the Spring 2009 photos, you can actually see me with my sunglasses on on the right side of the very first image. I didn't want to steal it off their page and post it here though, so you'll have to go see for yourself.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNIDywLE3-iZ5Jaed9Z0I5SGJI58VR7rwAZcvAOc4fqj8Gxrw5NxEm3g0MikjzCptgZ7PovR1AKC9mYaVX9yKQKKdAOPhkotAdGEJXPVgjBvvL_mZiY9NLWVksY-NfIUi2v5-UcFuWg/s1600-h/Nina.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNIDywLE3-iZ5Jaed9Z0I5SGJI58VR7rwAZcvAOc4fqj8Gxrw5NxEm3g0MikjzCptgZ7PovR1AKC9mYaVX9yKQKKdAOPhkotAdGEJXPVgjBvvL_mZiY9NLWVksY-NfIUi2v5-UcFuWg/s400/Nina.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258673441216150514" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span style="font-size:78%;">Nina Garcia having some coffee at the Douglas Hannant Spring 09 show.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"></span>Many other exciting things have happened since we got to NYC and I'm sure there are many more to come! I'll save what I have for now for another post, this is getting plenty wordy as it is. Check back soon for more!<br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"></span></div></div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-55789530038483429832008-09-07T20:10:00.001-07:002008-09-07T22:14:25.668-07:00New Ties Galore!Haven't posted in a while, and although I have about 4 or 5 different things in mind that I want to write about, I thought I would start by sharing some of my new creations! I have 3 new tie designs available for sale, two of which were listed in my Etsy shop for the first time this week. Let's start the roll call!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Bicycle tie! This one has been super popular so far! Cause who doesn't love a good bike? This was originally designed as a custom request to be used for a wedding, and my wonderful customer was so kind as to allow me to continue to use their design. Now anyone can have this awesome tie! Shown here in Cerulean Blue, Beige and Baby Blue. ALL of my tie designs can be printed in ANY color of silk you can imagine and custom colors don't cost extra!!!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPEixJzOzSTqjH59M56PDCRChsWncWzbuNX_hw7sb85EOq2hrBNK1fCj6-TUrWiFkuJi4jvU3HBTat1aHfCW8pJGDk4D4XFOB6k9JM2jzP81dq9fm_Rs91j0bcx9lDt9gVP_3tQxuPw/s1600-h/Bicycle+tie+-+cerulean+beige+sky+blue.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPEixJzOzSTqjH59M56PDCRChsWncWzbuNX_hw7sb85EOq2hrBNK1fCj6-TUrWiFkuJi4jvU3HBTat1aHfCW8pJGDk4D4XFOB6k9JM2jzP81dq9fm_Rs91j0bcx9lDt9gVP_3tQxuPw/s400/Bicycle+tie+-+cerulean+beige+sky+blue.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243484359569488242" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Next up is the Fan Coral tie! I think I need to put together an Ocean tie set. I've got an octopus, a seahorse and now coral! And *spoiler alert* there is an awesome new squid design on the way in the next few months. Definitely before the holidays! And it's enough different from the octopus that if you like one, you'll need both! So, yes, fan coral. This design was also made as a custom request for a wedding. The wonderful Chris and Katherine, now happily married, gave me a photograph of what they wanted their tie to look like.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqm8WJsGi5pKhTAUnZOBTWJX-q0DStC2TTGGam6-I3ZCfd-LGx-uMVyS2XjRReVSkLrLX3NzfQ5CFRSPovIWOevql0K8g0sqW1B-1QKoSmfAIHQSHa97qQYKw1fazWcmQVR4GFh2pVQ/s1600-h/coral+photograph.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqm8WJsGi5pKhTAUnZOBTWJX-q0DStC2TTGGam6-I3ZCfd-LGx-uMVyS2XjRReVSkLrLX3NzfQ5CFRSPovIWOevql0K8g0sqW1B-1QKoSmfAIHQSHa97qQYKw1fazWcmQVR4GFh2pVQ/s320/coral+photograph.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243485586050600610" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">Beginning photo for fan coral tie design<br /></span></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I then drew the coral illustration by hand and had it turned into a screen. Here are Chris and Katherine on their wedding day! (and a close-up of the tie) The tie was printed with silver ink on sky blue. It's a little hard to see in the photo, but looked great in person!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmuHMUChFEC7ZhKsjaL0i9XZMvZRIxIDlHscDS-fMXoEu9RhCturxRgJPhfdj-KhKSrYx9OrzPKYp-ZscETZjYrUkQZYd_y-5wJwx-z8j7xDCuuiBNb4D7zeauAyOSA5z0OWjuZF31w/s1600-h/chris+%26+katherine+wedding.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmuHMUChFEC7ZhKsjaL0i9XZMvZRIxIDlHscDS-fMXoEu9RhCturxRgJPhfdj-KhKSrYx9OrzPKYp-ZscETZjYrUkQZYd_y-5wJwx-z8j7xDCuuiBNb4D7zeauAyOSA5z0OWjuZF31w/s400/chris+%26+katherine+wedding.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243498623687487218" border="0" /></a></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1cAqQR-ClkjcircjD1xlPhPQ-g-b9eQPznXFiJ3qdZZvUbM6VlpCl0k_P2_LDcAt277uIocadMQGhUfFK7rVqvxx2aEO7QdCvbxf_8RmuDz61JqsYl0PqEoi-Yq0J4lyyFQD5mqn9VQ/s1600-h/chris+%26+katherine+close-up.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1cAqQR-ClkjcircjD1xlPhPQ-g-b9eQPznXFiJ3qdZZvUbM6VlpCl0k_P2_LDcAt277uIocadMQGhUfFK7rVqvxx2aEO7QdCvbxf_8RmuDz61JqsYl0PqEoi-Yq0J4lyyFQD5mqn9VQ/s400/chris+%26+katherine+close-up.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243499131468162706" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">And here are the ties available in my Etsy shop! Shown here in Royal Blue, Seafoam and Sky Blue.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKfpOOrKzBLFVlPfRYt65ngtTZZfhPfCtqsjqYObTilNDktj4BV1qCbI7mh-YSeslGXVL9B61uZJIAXmjrhCiNUttJxCHbRQD2bM5fcUuzAVEOKrjKs8jvoWR3vQSXpsazE5CmS_n4Q/s1600-h/Coral+ties+-+royal+blue,+seafoam,+sky+blue.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKfpOOrKzBLFVlPfRYt65ngtTZZfhPfCtqsjqYObTilNDktj4BV1qCbI7mh-YSeslGXVL9B61uZJIAXmjrhCiNUttJxCHbRQD2bM5fcUuzAVEOKrjKs8jvoWR3vQSXpsazE5CmS_n4Q/s320/Coral+ties+-+royal+blue,+seafoam,+sky+blue.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243488152264196338" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Both of the above designs were finished before I left Phoenix. This next one is my first new creation since moving to NYC! I've been saving this moth design for a while, not knowing what to do with it. I just recently had a silkscreen made with some other custom images done for weddings. There was room left on the layout and I needed something to fill the space! So I created this flight of moths design. I like it. Hope you do! Shown here in Autumn Gold, Turquoise and Red Grape.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnvGmivsOAAidxIk0jm41kGfTyKV0UTDUPOAYm5zB0NanDAj9NsDXNGMdbrahFzeSeej2Ikh2OjYahudEB1ifFV7NX2SVPmx_0dxl6wWxQcvRn3wgLct3W-f_GNiAR2v4xzka_zOSkw/s1600-h/Moths+tie+gold+turquoise+purple.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnvGmivsOAAidxIk0jm41kGfTyKV0UTDUPOAYm5zB0NanDAj9NsDXNGMdbrahFzeSeej2Ikh2OjYahudEB1ifFV7NX2SVPmx_0dxl6wWxQcvRn3wgLct3W-f_GNiAR2v4xzka_zOSkw/s400/Moths+tie+gold+turquoise+purple.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243493066634560322" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">These following two ties are designs that were created as custom images for weddings which I will NOT be offering for sale in my shop. The reason for this is that the customers purchased the artwork specifically for use with their order. For both of these I worked with the amazingly talented Beth of <a href="http://wildemoon.etsy.com/">wildemoon.etsy.com</a> She and the customer conspired to create their ideal design and when she was done she sent it to me to have made into a screen. Beth was fantastic, lightening fast and very personable and professional. She and I are collaborating on a few designs right now and I would recommend her to ANY of my future customers who are looking for an original design. She can create screen-printable artwork from just about anything! Art for the first tie shown here was created from an illustration, while art for the second tie was created from a set of photographs! Amazing!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoeETXkhEi6U2GJK3xLHG2zvb1XngY2pGoZpfn_fTr7ZlSy65D4drHGjav4TAVgam6hr5bBInnszl8FI7UwvmFPS9GCYs14OqrBwkxZaeNZlcwLFpN9Wbi_8CkbbxNExse0sL0xepPQ/s1600-h/peacock+ties+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoeETXkhEi6U2GJK3xLHG2zvb1XngY2pGoZpfn_fTr7ZlSy65D4drHGjav4TAVgam6hr5bBInnszl8FI7UwvmFPS9GCYs14OqrBwkxZaeNZlcwLFpN9Wbi_8CkbbxNExse0sL0xepPQ/s400/peacock+ties+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243493388284770770" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">Custom Peacock Feather tie design created for Greg & Noel's wedding. Aren't the colors they chose just gorgeous?!<br /><br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwc7YPrFgWpAB8T_H7RzlLJcXZShylILXNPhE7CbGqmYtlOL-M2HG-ay_q8vuLhCKKzXVR5YyLamOv51VR28AiOnRPHhnx-t_zbDJV9ItQsz1AVinsrs6KSGiNIhLhxG3iBl-8LNo0w/s1600-h/wendy+richman+ties.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwc7YPrFgWpAB8T_H7RzlLJcXZShylILXNPhE7CbGqmYtlOL-M2HG-ay_q8vuLhCKKzXVR5YyLamOv51VR28AiOnRPHhnx-t_zbDJV9ItQsz1AVinsrs6KSGiNIhLhxG3iBl-8LNo0w/s400/wendy+richman+ties.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243494161906368210" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">Custom ties for Wendy & Tim's wedding. She's a violist (I think that's what you would call it) and he plays percussion, so their design incorporated fiddlehead ferns and drumstick Allium. Fun! We are also printing a larger version of this on silk shawls I'm making for her bridesmaids.</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">That's all the tie fun for now! Hit me up with your custom requests and send your engaged friends my way!</span><br /></div></div></div></div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-32739142561541488412008-07-20T18:09:00.000-07:002011-03-18T17:01:40.464-07:00Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-7348715937198558612008-07-06T23:17:00.000-07:002008-07-09T16:16:12.739-07:00No More Fashion Shows!That's right! I have just completed the third and final show in a long round for fashion shows over the course of a month. It's SO great to be able to finally relax! I haven't any idea how many new pieces I actually came up with for these shows, but it was A LOT! I think all of them were successful, the last show at <a href="http://smoca.org/">SMoCA</a> being the most so, of course, and had a really great time doing them. But I definitely need a break. Especially that now most of my attention if going to be focused one trying to find somewhere to live and work in NYC in a month's time.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgelQvp_UNiO7kk-auFhifhceirM3h-chWInbxt6PZCgeoZz142e_sgFjF3d2RNWuI8uuW611s6ZiUk5tyGMg9X16jHcoH6IWClugPXHsvZ5YTIHmShkJFg1-mrUxkqMuuZnFay1rwXlw/s1600-h/smoca.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgelQvp_UNiO7kk-auFhifhceirM3h-chWInbxt6PZCgeoZz142e_sgFjF3d2RNWuI8uuW611s6ZiUk5tyGMg9X16jHcoH6IWClugPXHsvZ5YTIHmShkJFg1-mrUxkqMuuZnFay1rwXlw/s400/smoca.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220152846172795922" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">Lucky me, I got to have my hair and makeup done for the SMoCA show too!!<br /></span></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">There were pile of fantastic photographers at the event, and there are a whole lot of photos online for to check out. There are some <a href="http://fourwhitewalls.smugmug.com/gallery/5212572_4Suuy#316433160_fifDh">here</a>, courtesy of Gary Millard and Four White Walls Photography. My pieces start on the bottom of page four from that link.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xM5tpb05QEp8e6WEL5gdi2T4ZvcWBxmIaCee17opnkFdB9RV9g4vqwMB1uojQRhBVzqPAIEyx2AGeE4ZgW5gDlIvJifrQy_L10jbB7tIipHMI0_FawavWqhWzyclfH4TYbgzE7ZLdQ/s1600-h/Alyssa+-+cropped+-+Nicky+HZ.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xM5tpb05QEp8e6WEL5gdi2T4ZvcWBxmIaCee17opnkFdB9RV9g4vqwMB1uojQRhBVzqPAIEyx2AGeE4ZgW5gDlIvJifrQy_L10jbB7tIipHMI0_FawavWqhWzyclfH4TYbgzE7ZLdQ/s400/Alyssa+-+cropped+-+Nicky+HZ.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220153378123626322" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">One of my designs at SMoCA Nights, modeled by Alyssa la Fortune Holt.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></span></span>Another link for good photos is <a href="http://www.kodeb.com/shoot/06-19-08_SMoCA/">here</a>. There were taken by Kevin Burgess of <a href="http://www.kodeb.com/">KODE b</a> Photography. Here my pieces start on page 6, image # 113.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FxyqGenLkY8KU1TYBg4WYiTnapBs9iFsfutAxXzL4V33UcMWyRSoHhHnPjsuqbaTs2wSJ2EMWJG_LjOKWJMmYf6rr4TU_BPTS44Y4x3pp2ATOp9-MpKpz746gb3f0p1yqzfisUB5vQ/s1600-h/Chasity+cropped+%26+edited+NHZ.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FxyqGenLkY8KU1TYBg4WYiTnapBs9iFsfutAxXzL4V33UcMWyRSoHhHnPjsuqbaTs2wSJ2EMWJG_LjOKWJMmYf6rr4TU_BPTS44Y4x3pp2ATOp9-MpKpz746gb3f0p1yqzfisUB5vQ/s400/Chasity+cropped+%26+edited+NHZ.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220156218396187410" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">The gorgeous & glamorous Chasity Kenny, modeling a dress made just for this show.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There were also several shots taken from <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/">azcentral.com</a>, the online extension of the Arizona Republic newspaper. Mine are mixed in with a bunch of other photos from that night, but you can definitely tell which are my outfits. Click <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/php-bin/commphotos/show.php?colid=6679&slide_nbr=1&go=1&HTTP_REFERER=http://www.azcentral.com/">here</a> to see those. There are also a few images <a href="http://www.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com/afm-gallery,142,0,SMoCA-Nights.html">here</a>, on the Arizona Foothills Magazine website.<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyPOlVAkHZWpi7LQ7Eow6QiwtNKtOAwOn2Hn9I9rq72e0QCJnmG-fqaCuKUfXMwa6z8V6HJodeq-r4kvYjj3IRi4P3-XZfToD9kWTWwgWFZZa3mhFskVBPPTdCHPwVLyktPz1rrXMBQ/s1600-h/amaparo+cropped.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyPOlVAkHZWpi7LQ7Eow6QiwtNKtOAwOn2Hn9I9rq72e0QCJnmG-fqaCuKUfXMwa6z8V6HJodeq-r4kvYjj3IRi4P3-XZfToD9kWTWwgWFZZa3mhFskVBPPTdCHPwVLyktPz1rrXMBQ/s400/amaparo+cropped.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220157940265248386" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">The always beautiful and never camera-shy Amparo Elizabeth, wearing a wool and silk 2-piece.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">All of the photos show in this post were taken by the amazingly talented and ever generous <a href="http://www.myspace.com/mintvintage">Nicky Hedayat-Zadeh</a>. Nicky and her friend Chadwick came to the event with an entire setup and took some incredible photos backstage. She took so many fantastic shots of some of my new designs that I just had to post a LOT here. Hope you'll enjoy viewing these pieces as much as I loved making them!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG10l4suHGPDNf-GFWP4jclpcAkZHAZmByFSlxu0FM9Pui9aAfIuqD-G_-o5lu807u6LzrnOegvCqHZt2im0ptkjUH6TRVYas_OjSADZEQqatLuRz5c_4ndtNfQHHeROBJvRhk3PUVhQ/s1600-h/Erica+cropped+zipper+skirt+NHZ.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG10l4suHGPDNf-GFWP4jclpcAkZHAZmByFSlxu0FM9Pui9aAfIuqD-G_-o5lu807u6LzrnOegvCqHZt2im0ptkjUH6TRVYas_OjSADZEQqatLuRz5c_4ndtNfQHHeROBJvRhk3PUVhQ/s400/Erica+cropped+zipper+skirt+NHZ.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220161683101034658" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">The skirt of this outfit is trimmed in rows and rows of zippers. It weighs a ton, but looks great on the runway!<br /><br /><br /></span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynnUEJojvdndSqJmeTAuVGnCvPQtqIYwZxwT93MqhdEdq9Mxz2wDG_TAq3q_nrQnBVhezHx82bH_B4uJdxRd6W11YBStylZCp1mpFFXX-NJli4GbOOp2qH8gmZpDo1ez686Tup7DNhQ/s1600-h/daynalyn+brown+cropped+NHZ.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynnUEJojvdndSqJmeTAuVGnCvPQtqIYwZxwT93MqhdEdq9Mxz2wDG_TAq3q_nrQnBVhezHx82bH_B4uJdxRd6W11YBStylZCp1mpFFXX-NJli4GbOOp2qH8gmZpDo1ez686Tup7DNhQ/s400/daynalyn+brown+cropped+NHZ.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220160587971114338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">One of my favorite dresses, made of wool tweed and silk charmeuse, modeled by the enchanting Daynalyn Wain.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhho3QurwZldCuoU-owuoldwDRJM8dpF_uc1QE5waezErko8xg_0oYfF1Dn0V4HaAQuiDL_irmtRWJUvYcFsmcotn8jlHFG3hBLaOj8W8gkEi6sFYlcq4yB2ptBR3M09SQwTyvT0v9FSw/s1600-h/megan+cityscape+cropped+NHZ.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhho3QurwZldCuoU-owuoldwDRJM8dpF_uc1QE5waezErko8xg_0oYfF1Dn0V4HaAQuiDL_irmtRWJUvYcFsmcotn8jlHFG3hBLaOj8W8gkEi6sFYlcq4yB2ptBR3M09SQwTyvT0v9FSw/s400/megan+cityscape+cropped+NHZ.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220162832023720818" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">This piece was definitely the star of the show. Made from an amazing print silk, and modeled by the lovely Megan Accordino. This dress sold that very night, but luckily I have JUST enough fabric to make one more to keep for my own.</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">P.S. Most of these are still for sale if anyone is interested!!!<br /></div></div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-87169671027192778622008-06-10T13:22:00.001-07:002008-06-10T21:26:12.202-07:00SMoCA Nights, my last fashion show in Phoenix!<div style="text-align: justify;">The Herberger Theater show is tonight, and after that comes SMoCA!!! It will be my last fashion show in Phoenix before I get ready to move to NYC, so don't miss it! It may be your last chance to actually see me before I leave, cause I'm going to be crazy busy packing and cleaning after that. I don't think I could possibly word this better, so here's the scoop, as per the press release:<br /></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >WHAT:</span></b><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Summer SMoCA Nights</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >To Celebrate the Opening of the exhibition <i style="">Branded and On Display</i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >WHERE:</span></b><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Scottsdale</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Museum</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > of Contemporary Art [SMoCA]</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >7374 </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >East Second Street</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Downtown </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Scottsdale</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >WHEN:</span></b><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >June 19, Thursday</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >9:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >midnight</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >ADVANCE TICKETS:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;color:black;" >$15 ($10 for members)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;color:black;" >$45 VIP runway seats<br /><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1213129538_1">480-994-ARTS</span> (2787)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > </span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >SUMMER FASHION, MUSIC & CUTTING-EDGE VALLEY CULTURE @ SUMMER SMoCA NIGHTS</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > </span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >(</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Scottsdale</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >, </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >AZ</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >) The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art [SMoCA] presents<b style=""> the 2008 Summer SMoCA Nights on Thursday, June 19, from </b></span><b style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >9:00 p.m.</span></b><b style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > to </span></b><b style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >midnight</span></b><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >. SMoCA Nights is the exclusive tri-annual nightlife event where the Museum is transformed into the ultimate art party, complete with artists, fashion, DJs, bands and performers, for an eclectic evening of cutting-edge culture. This summer event launches the premiere of SMoCA's new exhibition <b style=""><i style="">Branded and On Display</i></b>. To accompany this opening, SMoCA is tipping its hat to all things that revolve around how </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:9;" >culture defines itself with marketing and advertising and the consumerism that colors our lives and leisure time. The Museum encourages those in attendance to embrace our media-infused world by flaunting favorite brands and logos during the event. </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >The evening's fashion show will feature Phoenix-based designers <b style="">Jes Switaj </b>and <b style="">Devani Weaver </b>with wearable art by <b style="">artist</b> <b style="">Bobby Castaneda</b> and dynamic hair and make-up styling by <b style="">Dolce Salon & DoCo Damask</b>. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Among the event's highlights will be a live outdoor performance by Valley favorites, <b style="">Peachcake-</b>the band that takes costumed antics on the stage and happy indie-pop revelry to the next level. Peachcake will be followed by a mesmerizing <b style="">fire dance by </b></span><b style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Mali</span></b><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >, a former <i style="">Cirque du Soleil</i> performer and new transplant to the city, straight from </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Spain</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >. Inside the Museum, <b style="">DJ d'strick</b> will hone his fusion of organic and tech elements to get the crowd charged up for the fashion show. d'strick, best known for spinning groovy blends of deep and funky house, will synthesize an eclectic mix to best communicate the pulse of the runway fashion show. <strong><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Arial;" ></span></strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > </span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Guests can mingle and cool off in SMoCA's galleries while glimpsing into their future with expert <b style="">tarot readings</b> by the famed clairvoyant, <b style="">OZMA</b> and seeing all three new summer exhibitions: <i style="">Branded and On Display, Pae White: "Lisa, Bright & Dark,"</i> and <i style="">Pushing Paint Around: selections from the permanent collection</i></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:9;" >. *[<i style="">Lisa, Bright and Dark</i>, a novel by John Neufeld, 1969 ©SG Phillips.]</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >As always, SMoCA Nights features free appetizers, a cash bar, prizes and other unexpected guests and happenings. Visitors can catch a satirical feature on consumerism and brand choices by </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Portland</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >'s own <b style="">Modern Conditions of Production</b> <b style="">(MCOP),</b> on view in the Museum lobby, along with other surprise artist appearances. And, for all those who love to shop, the event will also boast <b style="">one-of-a-kind products</b> in the Museum Store specially created by the evening's guest fashion designers and artists including silk-screened ties, bags and hand-painted, graffiti-inspired shoes. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Advance tickets are highly recommended to avoid long lines and a sold-out event: $10 members; $15 nonmembers. ($45 for VIP runway seating) Call<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"> 480-994-ARTS (2787). </span></span></strong><strong><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ></span></strong></p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;color:black;" > </span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >SMoCA's LOCATION </span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art [SMoCA] is located at 7374 </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >East Second Street</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > in downtown </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Scottsdale</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >, four blocks south of </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Indian School Road</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > and just east of </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Scottsdale Road</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >. Free parking is available in the public parking garage located to the west of </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Scottsdale</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Center</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > for the Performing Arts and directly behind <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1213129538_3">Los Olivos restaurant</span> on </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Wells Fargo Avenue</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >. Additional free parking is available at the Old Town Parking Corral at </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >East Second Street</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > and </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Brown Avenue</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > and at the library parking garage located on </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Drinkwater Boulevard</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > at </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >East Second Street</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >.</span></p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.smoca.org/images/SMoCA_BrandedYellow_000.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.smoca.org/images/SMoCA_BrandedYellow_000.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />If you're still left with any questions after all that, just contact me! Hope to see you there. Feel free to bring flowers, chocolates, etc. ;-)Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-22711968214562502322008-05-27T13:35:00.000-07:002008-06-02T21:30:37.517-07:00Herberger Theater Second Act Fashion ShowThis is the next big event that I have coming up in my future! I already mentioned a little bit about the show and the other designers involved. Lots more information about the event can be found <a href="http://www.herbergertheater.org/second_act">here</a>. Also see the flyer below. (Double click it for a larger image you can actually read). The event Tuesday June 10th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Tickets are $10, $5 if you have a student ID, and you can see more info about purchasing them through that link. There will be food, music, art and also lots of goodies for sale! I even believe that we'll be able to sell a lot of the fashions and accessories we made for the show, so now is a good time to snag a one-of-a-kind Jes Switaj original at a great price! You know you want one to call your very own.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguRAIGtMjaI-5qRKho30ESqxsj5SlpS3PPumqBVyJFIov4xy2Ry8BoBS3lMq9Zh7fcW9L0rDSfz4RAg0IZGEVc924q-HyMfkEJySBg09-9z5apLiDNguBj3wg-It_IZXSNL8TI0vkxag/s1600-h/Herberger+show+array.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguRAIGtMjaI-5qRKho30ESqxsj5SlpS3PPumqBVyJFIov4xy2Ry8BoBS3lMq9Zh7fcW9L0rDSfz4RAg0IZGEVc924q-HyMfkEJySBg09-9z5apLiDNguBj3wg-It_IZXSNL8TI0vkxag/s400/Herberger+show+array.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207074073161550546" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">Starting to organize the pieces and color scheme of what I'll be showing at the Herberger on June 10th<br /><br /></span></span></div>If you're in Phoenix, definitely pencil this in to your calendar. If you know someone in Phoenix, be sure to pass this info along to them. If you can't make it out, don't fret. My next show will be June 19th at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. More info about that one really soon!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSqNmz4cW6YhroDqFT451KL1Ns5bnI9pAUIj6W-crcEji2DRL1jb8-0fDhGyS_shg4HTG02LdTDoLq2oRJeFK6OzbvsgKlR_eOMgx2gnGRls1LjxlldmJADW2S0zr79a34o_WVqvnAw/s1600-h/herberge+invite+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSqNmz4cW6YhroDqFT451KL1Ns5bnI9pAUIj6W-crcEji2DRL1jb8-0fDhGyS_shg4HTG02LdTDoLq2oRJeFK6OzbvsgKlR_eOMgx2gnGRls1LjxlldmJADW2S0zr79a34o_WVqvnAw/s400/herberge+invite+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207507253277147250" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-71133248432338364092008-05-19T13:10:00.000-07:002008-05-24T11:18:30.588-07:00One Down, Two to GoThe 5th Annual Frock n Roll for charity event was this past Saturday night, and it was a big success! The location was changed at the last minute and although the venue was smaller than originally intended, I think it was actually better than the previous year at Alice Cooperstown.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Designers included myself, <a href="http://www.angelajohnsondesigns.com/index.html">Angela Johnson</a>, <a href="http://www.jennyvi.com/">Jennyvi Dizon</a>, <a href="http://paulleehazlettexclusives.goods.officelive.com/default.aspx">Paul Hazlett</a>, Sommer Christine and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/rhondazayas">Rhonda Zayas</a>. Here are a few photos of some of the pieces I showed.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilqt48BuZXG_gNBcQFEucVpR4UfNCR3ZgTKndDjjBeZabUIwbKuWMvp-FGX3ieG-s2kMG2889AKkoAcAwqyta1xNa9TiwX_Xn780p2xe6vvIAIomrCSTK3zWzvrEVx8rgvf-S6FfSsOw/s1600-h/FROCK+b+w+polka+dot+dress.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilqt48BuZXG_gNBcQFEucVpR4UfNCR3ZgTKndDjjBeZabUIwbKuWMvp-FGX3ieG-s2kMG2889AKkoAcAwqyta1xNa9TiwX_Xn780p2xe6vvIAIomrCSTK3zWzvrEVx8rgvf-S6FfSsOw/s400/FROCK+b+w+polka+dot+dress.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202249770529072338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">Modeled by Amparo Elizabeth. Photo by Nick Moore</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg11V9Ke-elVMNHHPm19O_6lNDcR0QRDyQ83yzAeakE8XHzuWc3b8QJo-pgzrLNYzZRMKeG4Sq5-uFD3LIpbKk69e1Y98_kBuy-PToSKsTS_juaGhydnmRyKyfPRB_5WW0QBDt7BtaSw/s1600-h/Lava+Dress+-+photo+by+Nick.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg11V9Ke-elVMNHHPm19O_6lNDcR0QRDyQ83yzAeakE8XHzuWc3b8QJo-pgzrLNYzZRMKeG4Sq5-uFD3LIpbKk69e1Y98_kBuy-PToSKsTS_juaGhydnmRyKyfPRB_5WW0QBDt7BtaSw/s400/Lava+Dress+-+photo+by+Nick.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202250449133905122" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">Photo by Nick Moore<br /></span></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">There was also at least one professional photographer at the event, <a href="http://www.cashakmagazine.com/">Christopher Cashak</a>, who attends ALL of the local fashion events. He hasn't put photos up on his site yet from this show, but as soon as he does I'll post some here and post a link to the rest as well.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GTY1gH9MpFEO9h7qjevRStp4n-FJ0r9yRk3ajkzZYtnQZoYgR2SW9YSW-BeQKof69SPMDZV7H739Zg4c4C13r7FlGFey8R250VcwYc1Q0fcIeo-6rdULFT0yjQhDgxZHtz5btGfsjw/s1600-h/Red+corset+photo+Christine+Johnson+azcentral.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GTY1gH9MpFEO9h7qjevRStp4n-FJ0r9yRk3ajkzZYtnQZoYgR2SW9YSW-BeQKof69SPMDZV7H739Zg4c4C13r7FlGFey8R250VcwYc1Q0fcIeo-6rdULFT0yjQhDgxZHtz5btGfsjw/s400/Red+corset+photo+Christine+Johnson+azcentral.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204009491290436754" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">Red duchesse silk satin corset and matching skirt. Can you tell that corset works?!<br />Photo by Christine Johnson for azcentral.com Modeled by Bella.<br /><br /></span></span></div>So, now that Frock n Roll is over it's time to start thinking about the NEXT show! This will be the Second Act Fashion Show at the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.herbergertheater.org">Herberger Theater</a> on June 10th. I still don't know very much about the show at all, but some of the other designers who I know are participating are Angela Johnson, <a href="http://arte-puro.com/">Arte Puro</a>, <a href="http://www.debradavenport.com/">Debra Davenport</a> and <span id="1_messageHeaderRecipient" class="headerRecipient">Olga Ptashnyuk. My collection for this show is going to be pretty much entirely new things, or things that haven't been show before. It's going to be very dressy, but not TOO formal, with the color scheme being mostly brown, cream, orange and maybe a little deep red. Most photos of that to come as soon as I get some sewing done. Have to go design some new things now!<br /></span></div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-29772259533013770662008-05-11T09:29:00.000-07:002008-05-13T20:14:43.061-07:00Frock 'n Roll Location Change!Anyone in Phoenix who is planning on attending this year's Frock 'n Roll event or who has already purchased a ticket should know that the event is changing location! Currently Alice Cooperstown is having some big fight with the city and is not allowed to have any live music. That's about all I know. So, Frock 'n Roll 2008 will now be held at <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=98295730">Club Mardi Gras</a> in south Scottsdale. The address is 8040 East McDowell road and you can click <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=8040+e+mcdowell+scottsdale+az&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.038806,77.519531&ie=UTF8&ll=33.466765,-111.907167&spn=0.008753,0.018926&z=16&iwloc=addr">HERE</a> to view a map of the location.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0iuTYvLuu0aSGnCIJeVlc9wmeinp5siu2lnlA7mAMxcErn0L7eBdHUFfTxRvNF8USBWoiAKfObQoo8-VZKGjJwqd-67ZcdYJn58WvQi8MfRiOMf4BFA-xdNLiBVzdw_Oz2gd91vDDg/s1600-h/lightening+outfit+working.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0iuTYvLuu0aSGnCIJeVlc9wmeinp5siu2lnlA7mAMxcErn0L7eBdHUFfTxRvNF8USBWoiAKfObQoo8-VZKGjJwqd-67ZcdYJn58WvQi8MfRiOMf4BFA-xdNLiBVzdw_Oz2gd91vDDg/s400/lightening+outfit+working.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199163467159708818" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span style="font-size:78%;">A piece I hope to have ready in time for this show!<br />Dupioni silk, the top will have lots more zigzags.<br /><br /></span></span></div>Tickets will be available at the door for $12, and if you already purchased and printed tickets from the internet, those of course will still be valid. Keep an eye on the <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=47045683">Frock 'n Roll website</a> for more and probably better information than I'll have about the event, since I'm pretty much in the dark right now. Feel free to email me if you have any questions you think I can answer. Hope to see you there!!!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">UPDATE!!!</span><br />Just got a digital flyer for this with more info. Here it is:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrl3StRW7SD9Yl8AkW3T3rMrEhYB8Ys6ZoK7XeJFaytDSkXO9PwsJjwiUa_HkyZLhwrrHjoWviptAYxax65ChPoAZJLaTYNADfKHgwhLGLcObQt_EVLV9rF5l7iym2MZw6do1YfIV-w/s1600-h/frock+n+roll+flyer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrl3StRW7SD9Yl8AkW3T3rMrEhYB8Ys6ZoK7XeJFaytDSkXO9PwsJjwiUa_HkyZLhwrrHjoWviptAYxax65ChPoAZJLaTYNADfKHgwhLGLcObQt_EVLV9rF5l7iym2MZw6do1YfIV-w/s400/frock+n+roll+flyer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200066449673954482" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-71345367528816556702008-05-08T19:35:00.000-07:002008-05-08T19:55:04.929-07:00I'm graduating!!!<div style="text-align: justify;">Tonight was my last night of class! Hooray! It's been a long time coming, and I am SO glad to be done, at least for the time being. Who knows if I'll be attending school again in the distant future. I can't even remember how long ago I began my college education. I got an associates in general studies from another community college several years ago, and started working on my AAS in Fashion Design at <a href="http://www.pc.maricopa.edu/">Phoenix College</a> probably about 3 years ago. This is the first time in about a year and a half that I've even had a class. It was the only one I had left to take before I graduated, it was required and it hadn't been offered for 3 semesters. So I was just waiting and waiting and assistant teaching and waiting some more.<br /><br />The class I just finished was Computer Assisted Design. It focused on using PhotoShop (a little) and Illustrator (mostly) to create fashion designs. I had a little bit of experience using Illustrator from my previous job at <a href="http://www.antigua.com/antigua.htm">Antigua</a>, but I hadn't used it in a while. I did actually learn a LOT from this class and I'm glad I took it at the end of my school career rather than the beginning because I probably would have forgotten it by now. Hopefully I'll actually be able to use it in a job in the near future so I get more practice and experience.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21JVDq5BqqD8REwVUYrHGxvuljRkEDoEp-x0atpE5yFJzl2etjpuMXrfheWEvAl-M2U5NJ6Pom3Mz4Xyh83NNRIjDdKbFpwaTmm8Kxrphz3pa7In9Unl0zCbft84eMeE9I0VT45gdUg/s1600-h/green-flapper-dress-cropped.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21JVDq5BqqD8REwVUYrHGxvuljRkEDoEp-x0atpE5yFJzl2etjpuMXrfheWEvAl-M2U5NJ6Pom3Mz4Xyh83NNRIjDdKbFpwaTmm8Kxrphz3pa7In9Unl0zCbft84eMeE9I0VT45gdUg/s400/green-flapper-dress-cropped.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198205219679171330" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span style="font-size:78%;">One of the designs I created in class<br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Graduation is tomorrow night, but I'm not walking or even going at all. It's HOT out and I am perfectly fine to just have them send me my diploma in the mail. Besides, I live literally across the street from the school and I can see the fireworks from there. That's the only fun part. So, that's all really. Time for me to go kick back and relax before I dive into a full day of work tomorrow and all weekend. It never REALLY ends, does it?</div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-25233971529857873752008-04-20T11:23:00.000-07:002008-04-20T17:55:41.185-07:00Fabric is My HeroinI could shop for fabric 24 hours a day, just about every day. It is definitely an addiction. In fact, I think I nearly OD'd on fabric this week. My mom was just in town visiting and she's into quilting, so we hit up a bunch of fabric shops as well as a few awesome estate sales and rounded up quite a pile of lovely material.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsEwV5bQZS03qR3bUwGjeN5lGO4oXqa8onujKzF-PqCL0TS48SbO1ISM2n4sJlZn4zf7iLb9jSnUqxwwO8L7HtqmrJLd7llo5FpTb96OI53zO32OI_Vyy6x9WDHz8T7_wBy0iY_oVbA/s1600-h/silks+from+tempe+sales.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsEwV5bQZS03qR3bUwGjeN5lGO4oXqa8onujKzF-PqCL0TS48SbO1ISM2n4sJlZn4zf7iLb9jSnUqxwwO8L7HtqmrJLd7llo5FpTb96OI53zO32OI_Vyy6x9WDHz8T7_wBy0iY_oVbA/s400/silks+from+tempe+sales.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191396849330137698" border="0" /></a>A big pile of gorgeous dupioni silk! The brown, yellow and lilac purple came from a discount upholstery shop and were only $3 a yard!!! I bought whatever they had left. The bluish-purple iridescent piece on the far right my mom bought for me when she was in NYC recently.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZvYeZQ8A2GsSloZ5Mrq4LBQ85DdJl0UM10hZh33iDCIQuqeMRuDD4hagO10igH06Xkd39CuTgzj3O4CqpHZKsM-v-CaZhfLCteyUacXg-ToJDh8CP1UuH8L08xtN9dS0yrUt4R7Usw/s1600-h/$1+estate+sale+pile.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZvYeZQ8A2GsSloZ5Mrq4LBQ85DdJl0UM10hZh33iDCIQuqeMRuDD4hagO10igH06Xkd39CuTgzj3O4CqpHZKsM-v-CaZhfLCteyUacXg-ToJDh8CP1UuH8L08xtN9dS0yrUt4R7Usw/s400/$1+estate+sale+pile.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191400092030446194" border="0" /></a>This whole entire group only cost $1! I got all five of these pieces at the same estate sale. From left to right: 1. A LARGE piece of white faux fur. Not sure what I'll do with it, but for 20¢ I couldn't just leave it there! 2. A piece of nice red cotton, I'll use it to line some tote bags I'm working on. 3. An absolutely GORGEOUS piece of very old silk satin. It's pale steel blue in color and feels amazing! Still has a tiny tag on it with writing in Japanese, I'm guessing from when it was purchased originally. 4. An awesome black and white poly knit. Something fun waiting to happen, I know it! 5. Several yards of bright pink corduroy. Good for bags and an obvious addition to my massive corduroy collection.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOCqG_umeI5ofgJb_uQAPOJOjkOaNp0nH8Z15gNSvGZrYXnXhFqiGR4VddScgtesO_jUoCVDMx-hd3YXiVXYmq18kY2r3ktlRzqCMnWr6RPEr5dUHEBhzZm6lBvz6W5Ve-55OkdEpzQ/s1600-h/new+purse+fabrics.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOCqG_umeI5ofgJb_uQAPOJOjkOaNp0nH8Z15gNSvGZrYXnXhFqiGR4VddScgtesO_jUoCVDMx-hd3YXiVXYmq18kY2r3ktlRzqCMnWr6RPEr5dUHEBhzZm6lBvz6W5Ve-55OkdEpzQ/s400/new+purse+fabrics.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191401174362204802" border="0" /></a>All the above pieces came from a local discount fabric shop. They sell a lot of factory ends and older pieces. From left: 1. Two yards of a nice fuschia corduroy. 2. A funky paisley print for tote bags. 3. A fantastic floral print which I'll also use for making bags. 4. Really fun blue and brown floral, I've already started making a tote out of this and it should be ready and listed in <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=14288">my Etsy shop</a> tomorrow! 5. Super cute ladybug print cotton. I'm going to make my boyfriend some boxers out of this. I LOVE getting cute prints and making him shorts.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9D4cA-8bFI4u9OA3mKxzJPRtzQXDY8C-E03GSZLaFBs2b2sstdGUPwbjLoGrkz0pfd15qloZz8hiHH2bxdrHEPW5CHY6f4aKyX2RoDFrTLA_JJlWSHMwgHw4OHe33hQEXoa9UvQ5Tg/s1600-h/poly+and+wool.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9D4cA-8bFI4u9OA3mKxzJPRtzQXDY8C-E03GSZLaFBs2b2sstdGUPwbjLoGrkz0pfd15qloZz8hiHH2bxdrHEPW5CHY6f4aKyX2RoDFrTLA_JJlWSHMwgHw4OHe33hQEXoa9UvQ5Tg/s400/poly+and+wool.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191403583838857874" border="0" /></a>Some really nice fabrics I can't wait to make some clothes with! These all came from the same discount place as the pieces above. From left: 1 & 2 - I don't usually use polyester, but these prints were so gorgeous, the price was right and the fabric so soft! I'm going to make up a basic halter pattern and then bust out a bunch of cute dresses to be for sale just in time for summer! 3. Beautiful maroon herringbone wool blend. If you look really really close the threads are 4 or 5 different colors of purple and red. It's awesome! I'm going to make some pants with this, someday... 4. Nice black and white wool tweed with little rainbow specs. It'll make a great coat. 5. I thought this one was wool when I bought it, and it was in the wool section at the store, but when I got it home and did a burn test it melted and dripped all over my finger. It STILL hurts. I'm guessing it's acrylic. It's still really nice looking and I'm thinking of using it for a cute matching skirt and jacket combo.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9WzR0rUPfctNhw2sp1tPP56G_aq6HXXn4cf1Z2uXwTHlUYUJBNp48riuMgzhcbae-iieFc-ebYjgzjAO9ruH7IgrJIJeB7pEPPKpKM6tRrlA5QDP9AD173w98x0DG27R5NuBZy6gwg/s1600-h/NYC+chiffon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9WzR0rUPfctNhw2sp1tPP56G_aq6HXXn4cf1Z2uXwTHlUYUJBNp48riuMgzhcbae-iieFc-ebYjgzjAO9ruH7IgrJIJeB7pEPPKpKM6tRrlA5QDP9AD173w98x0DG27R5NuBZy6gwg/s400/NYC+chiffon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191405808631917218" border="0" /></a>This last piece is my favorite one I got all week! It's a to-die-for silk chiffon, mostly black an printed as a repeat panel with the NYC skyline, including the WTC, so this one is obviously at least a few years old. I got everything that was left, which was about 8 yards, and it was only $2.99 a yard. CRAZY deal! They definitely didn't know what they had, which is usually the advantage at this place. Most of the people working there couldn't tell poly from silk with their eyes open. Anyway, I'm going to use it to make a floor length gown with the design as a border along the bottom and the rest of the dress in black, so you can only really see the image if you look close or if the dress is spread out.<br /><br />I got one more piece of silk this week, a slate blue dupioni, and I haven't actually seen it since I got it home. I'm wondering if my mom accidentally took it home with her. No time to wonder! I need to dive right in and start turning all this fabric into its intended forms. Partially to sell some of the things I create and make back all the money we spent, but mostly so I can make room for more fabric!!! I'm off to the sewing machine!<br /><br /><br /></div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-9598324064342230882008-04-11T15:09:00.000-07:002008-04-11T20:08:15.098-07:00Construction Zone!My sewing room always looks like a tornado just rolled through, I find it difficult to allot time for designing AND cleaning. Of course making new clothing comes first! Cleaning can wait til it's absolutely necessary. Anyway, right now it no exception. Half finished garments, pattern pieces, thread, fabric and notions are EVERYWHERE! But at least it's a fun and constructive mess.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRdkQsI0yqeZ7ROHCCx35frJ5rb-xUx61N5cg5GVLWEDuRvN6O4YQo1_snQaM1y4QbMZuSL0uBbYvlINgH8vhLEjSGf2SxphL45guuv280V7bYF2bMdxV6kMy0SIu3T5w08ok24B58g/s1600-h/My+room+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRdkQsI0yqeZ7ROHCCx35frJ5rb-xUx61N5cg5GVLWEDuRvN6O4YQo1_snQaM1y4QbMZuSL0uBbYvlINgH8vhLEjSGf2SxphL45guuv280V7bYF2bMdxV6kMy0SIu3T5w08ok24B58g/s400/My+room+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188183659824752354" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);">Part of my sewing room and its lovely mess<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Here's a little bit of what I've been up to since I got back from Chicago. I started this black and white plaid dupioni silk dress yesterday. I've had this fabric for nearly as long as I have been designing. It's just been sitting around waiting and waiting for the right pattern to come its way, and I think I have finally found the thing that it was meant to be used for. Good thing I have about 10 more yards just in case! Yesterday I draped the pattern for the top and made a quick fit sample. Today I sewed all the body fabric together. Right now I'm working on cutting out and piecing the lining together. It will be lined with black silk satin. Tomorrow I need to get a zipper for it and sew in the lining and then voila, a cute dress ready in 3 days! I'm thinking of using a brightly colored petticoat underneath it and then making some kind of sash belt in the same color for contrast. Any color suggestions? I'm leaning towards daffodil yellow, mostly because I already have a petticoat and silk fabric in that color. That petticoat is on underneath it in the second photo and I definitely like the way it helps the dress poof.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcees7LORT7a9y9i9LPLwnM2VYlEommks3b93ddkw4cjNLOTkchNCcNbemhPnOITu89XU2Ac85Ds4m2cej1gHordb2JvUoX8QQ3SvYoH-glbVHo4NGrrBMcvpf029BdDtt5L_an11PHQ/s1600-h/bw+dress+double+photo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcees7LORT7a9y9i9LPLwnM2VYlEommks3b93ddkw4cjNLOTkchNCcNbemhPnOITu89XU2Ac85Ds4m2cej1gHordb2JvUoX8QQ3SvYoH-glbVHo4NGrrBMcvpf029BdDtt5L_an11PHQ/s400/bw+dress+double+photo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188188830965376770" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);">On the left is a photo from earlier today of just the bodice sewn and being checked for fit.<br />On the right the dress is almost complete! Just needs lining and a zipper. Also, it will have<br />tiny black spaghetti straps when it's finished.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I actually started making this dress with a <a href="http://www.thaisilks.com/images/print/lg/011B-7164.jpg">completely different fabric</a> in mind. I can't afford to buy that fabric just yet, unless a mysterious large amount of money suddenly falls from the sky and lands in my paypal account, so I decided to make a test dress. The plaid one is actually a little different style-wise in the skirt than the forthcoming dress will be. Also, the 2nd dress will have a super cute cropped jacket with petal sleeves. I'm still working out the pattern right now cause it's going have some crazy details and style lines. It'll be lined with and have accent pieces of the fabric the dress will be made from. Here's a little illustration I've made of the jacket:<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdb5Uu5izQvQQUBpBlZ2s-zRxHCb3xP9x3HaQYk_amdPAn1rtIcIhGu5-SLCyH9gVHc68Ho83KWX3bVtuKv73h69IbxuCzkYV6ip__kKr3bEyKM5vWV2o04dbvBvzVAvnQadjiPx5a6Q/s1600-h/Cropped-Jacket.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdb5Uu5izQvQQUBpBlZ2s-zRxHCb3xP9x3HaQYk_amdPAn1rtIcIhGu5-SLCyH9gVHc68Ho83KWX3bVtuKv73h69IbxuCzkYV6ip__kKr3bEyKM5vWV2o04dbvBvzVAvnQadjiPx5a6Q/s400/Cropped-Jacket.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188136900515800786" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);">Soon-to-be real cropped jacket, my original design. The body will be silk noile<br />and the lining and accents will be printed silk charmeuse. Yummy!<br /></span></span></div><br />Both of these outfits and many more will be shown at Frock n Roll, a fashion show featuring local designers being held on May 17th. See my past post about the event <a href="http://jesswitaj.blogspot.com/2008/03/frock-n-roll-only-2-months-away.html">here</a>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">So, I guess it's time to get back to work! Will post more photos and fun details when this dress is done and I start working on the jacket!<br /></div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-55170118694244107772008-04-01T15:17:00.000-07:002008-04-11T11:24:08.276-07:00Project Runway AuditionsSo, I just got back from Project Runway Auditions only minutes ago. I was done at the audition 2 hours ago, but just made the track back to my friend's apartment where I am staying in Chicago.<br /><div align="justify"><br />What a long day! I got up at about 6 am, left the house at 7, took a train and then a taxi to get there and arrived at the W Hotel around 8:10 am. Auditions started at 9 and we and we waited around in line for a LONG, cold and windy time. I took three pieces with me to show the judges. Two of them are pictured in this post and the third was the plaid skirt in fall colors with silk trim that's shown in two of my other posts. My friend <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=38856700&MyToken=8333ce07-75d7-44c8-a1f0-e105768f8271">Dalla</a> went with me and patiently waited out the whole day. I was 52nd in line and didn't get inside to the holding room until around 1 o'clock. Then we waited around for another really long time, because when we got in there they were only interviewing #30, but at least it was warm inside, and we could feel our toes and fingers again. Did I mention I was wearing heels? I wanted to look nice but I knew it was going to suck.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgTNRS9rDhXTKoAfbgYeE5IvlNv6-5dL46MeEn40c5oipGXUUDujrzyLeR6QnjcY7ndHBzOuMJXx12hSr9oa-zVNmNvZK5hl5qOw0yEN-M5k4FAepkPW-xH7alAyiur8xnbLTDMF-3A/s1600-h/In+line+at+PR+auditions.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgTNRS9rDhXTKoAfbgYeE5IvlNv6-5dL46MeEn40c5oipGXUUDujrzyLeR6QnjcY7ndHBzOuMJXx12hSr9oa-zVNmNvZK5hl5qOw0yEN-M5k4FAepkPW-xH7alAyiur8xnbLTDMF-3A/s400/In+line+at+PR+auditions.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185062860432809106" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);">Me, in line at PR auditions, on a blustery Chicago morning<br /></span></span></div><br />So, we waited around in the holding room for almost another two hours, watching person after person come back upset and clearly having been turned away. There were large clothing racks set up throughout the room and you could see everything that everyone else had brought with them to show to the judges. There was an awful lot of really costume-y and unrefined types of things that you didn't have to be a judge to know that that person was going to be shot down. The more I saw the more I felt confident in the pieces I had brought with me.<br /><br />Dalla took a break at one point to go and try to find some coffee and ran into Nick Verreos (he was the guest past-competitor judge in Chicago) in the elevator. She didn't talk to him as he was talking with someone who just auditioned and telling him that his (the guy who was auditioning )personality AND designs were just amazing. Other than that we didn't see anyone who looked like they had been moved on to the next stage until the very end.<br /><br />The whole time we really only talked to two other people, the designer in front of us, <a href="http://www.joysimpression.com/home.html">Lia Joy</a> and her significant other, (whose name I somehow managed to not catch the entire time I was there), who was there as moral support and to help carry large clothing items.<br /><br />At around 2:50 it was FINALLY my turn to go in and talk to the judges. I was sooo nervous but I don't think it was showing too much. I went down the hall to the audition room, they put a mic on me then sent me it. As I walked in they all said hello and asked how I was doing. I put my three pieces up on the clothing rack and Tim asked me to spread them out so they could see them, right as I was doing just that. Tim said that everything looked excellently constructed, Nick agreed. Then Tim said "But it's just to basic." To which Nick agreed, but I didn't! I know that of all the tips online about auditioning for the show it always says stick up for yourself against the judges. I was totally prepared to defend my work but Tim says "We're going to have to pass, thank you" before I can even get a syllable out of my mouth. Honestly, I was really surprised. They didn't even ask to look at my portfolio, which has much stranger things in it. I couldn't even manage to say thank you as I took my designs off the rack and walked out of the room, I was too shocked. I kind of felt a little bad about that, but whatever. I'm sure that's just a second of time I saved them to talk to someone else.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGfk9jcj4vk92hNrCOfgyiVtA1TQM8RIjPXJv1G2XUaymV85kp9KaUjGj_WJ-933fp2HGsn2VaWM3txXkv2iIRSbQGw3L0fy8QvZi1ZMIyXCTnpSDceUJ7pf9ALqrjk1osEgdcc-xdA/s1600-h/brown+wool+dress.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGfk9jcj4vk92hNrCOfgyiVtA1TQM8RIjPXJv1G2XUaymV85kp9KaUjGj_WJ-933fp2HGsn2VaWM3txXkv2iIRSbQGw3L0fy8QvZi1ZMIyXCTnpSDceUJ7pf9ALqrjk1osEgdcc-xdA/s400/brown+wool+dress.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188052414214121122" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);">This dress made from brown and cream wool tweed fabric and lined and trimmed with a nude colored silk charmeuse. I gave it some interested style lines which I thought were really unique. It's hard to see in the photo, and I'll take a better one later of me wearing it and replace this one with that. It came out gorgeous, fits like a glove and I couldn't have been happier with it.<br /><br /></span></span></div>So, yeah. I'm a little bit upset right now, but I went into this knowing that there was only a SLIM chance that I would be moved on to the next round, and also knowing how to-the-point the judges are in these auditions, so I wasn't totally unprepared. Holy run-on sentence! I felt that the work I took with me WAS really good, and maybe if they had actually taken a second to ask me about it I could have explained to them why it WASN'T basic and what made it special that maybe they couldn't see in the 30 seconds they looked at it before sending me away. Literally, I was in that room for less than a minute. I wanted the pieces I took to the audition to look like they came from the same collection and also to look like something that every woman would want to wear every single day. They are by no means plain, but they also aren't over the top crazy either, because that's not what's going to sell to the general market. They were flawlessly constructed by the way, so that must count for something and at least they were nice enough to compliment that. I think that the judges and producers were so caught up about how "couture" the 4th season was that that was all they were looking for. The girl that came out of the audition room 3 or 4 people before me got passed on to the next round. Her clothes weren't interesting, they were made using horrible fabrics and they weren't constructed nicely at all. However, one of her pieces had layers upon layers of the same fabric and looked EXACTLY like something that Christian would have made, just not as nice. Really people, it's not new, hard or exciting to sew a million layers, it just takes freaking forever. Note to self - take pieces to audition that you copied from the previous season's winner.<br /><br />Also, advise to any future hopefuls - stay away from the sequins!!! I only saw ONE person all day long be asked to leave before she even made it to the holding room. She had brought store-bought jeans which she hand-sewed sequins all over. Frightening, to say the least. And people, please! That does not make you a fashion designer. It might make you crafty and handy with a needle but don't waste your time. Especially to stand in 40 degree weather for 5 hours.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzaYBKl8O-N0GapQQNFGIzaW1wHBWpeZ4QQjGKlafLXGaCPcHXtPWVLlxrdT4n8kO0z1laxK3JDmpiaQDlB6MDIIZGKfx4nLgi1QNDVnpyR53YoUiHaE8wBiP3xJe2HDp5zngCscXIA/s1600-h/Gold+Dupioni+Blouse.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzaYBKl8O-N0GapQQNFGIzaW1wHBWpeZ4QQjGKlafLXGaCPcHXtPWVLlxrdT4n8kO0z1laxK3JDmpiaQDlB6MDIIZGKfx4nLgi1QNDVnpyR53YoUiHaE8wBiP3xJe2HDp5zngCscXIA/s400/Gold+Dupioni+Blouse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185145212135742626" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);">One of the pieces I took with me to the audition. it's made entirely from the same piece of dupioni silk. The silk the body was cut from was washed about 5 times and the fabric used for the collar, cuffs and bottom trim wasn't washed at all. There are tucks at the front neckline to create that extra fullness, and stitched down tucks up center bag that add more interesting detail to the piece. I made this in one day!<br /><br /></span></span></div>So, I guess that's all really. I am a little disappointed but I'm certainly not going to freak out and say "I quit designing because Tim Gunn says my stuff is too basic!" He's not the only opinion that matters in the fashion world, just one of them. And it must be really difficult for them to actually evaluate you thoroughly when there are 150 more people waiting in line that they need to at least try and audition as well. I've had friends who auditioned be told MUCH worse things so I'm not losing sleep over it. If there is a 6th season I will absolutely audition again and this time I'll be even more prepared and have WAY more stuff added to my portfolio (should they decide to actually look at it).<br /><br />In the meantime, I have something that might be a little more exciting and DEFINITELY less stressful, up my sleeve, but I won't know more about that til the end of this month. Happy April Fool's Day everyone! I must have definitely played a joke on myself thinking I had this one nailed. :-/</div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-75195507217281156182008-03-27T15:22:00.000-07:002008-03-28T12:25:43.076-07:00Prepping for PR TryoutsThe past few weeks since the Project Runway Season 5 casting information was posting have been likely the most hectic weeks of my life. As we neared the Season 4 finale I knew that if there was going to be a Season 5 it would be announced soon, but I didn't expect to have less than a month to get ready for it. Yikes! Good thing I work best under pressure.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />So, I've been sewing like a mad woman since then trying to figure out what I am going to take with me to show the judges. Since it's only days away, good news is I have at least decided. I'll be taking two pieces that I've made this month and one that I made at the end of last year. I'll post photos of the new stuff later, I think these three will be nice and cohesive. I actually started about 3 other pieces that I thought I wanted to take with me, got about halfway done and decided that they wouldn't be what the judges are looking for. Not that they weren't good or interesting, just maybe not good ENOUGH. I am planning on finishing them all and showing them at <a href="http://www.myspace.com/frocknroll">Frock n Roll</a> in May.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EPmiiwEs7uaq1ABxidFq1V4d_TlH84muXOm2Mlu78HCMKCyhbFcpxSrSfyOYlbelyFq47OIzbYbGzjji8VrWsaFEUSWYGYqKU-Z19y3moZtFGaFqW8ald2Vhs2bqirSPPdnIWdfNPw/s1600-h/Autumn+plaid+closeup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EPmiiwEs7uaq1ABxidFq1V4d_TlH84muXOm2Mlu78HCMKCyhbFcpxSrSfyOYlbelyFq47OIzbYbGzjji8VrWsaFEUSWYGYqKU-Z19y3moZtFGaFqW8ald2Vhs2bqirSPPdnIWdfNPw/s400/Autumn+plaid+closeup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182712349385759842" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">Close-up of one of my designs. Modeled by KT Mayer<br /></span></span></div><br />On Easter Sunday I did a photo shoot with an amazing local photographer, <a href="http://www.iheartmint.com/">Nicky Hedayat-Zadeh</a>. She was featured in the March 2008 issue of Java Magazine. You can view the article <a href="http://javamagaz.com/Page12and13.html">here</a>. I needed to get some updated photos for my portfolio and there's no better time than now. We shot at Nicky's studio in downtown Phoenix and the shoot lasted about 6 hours and showcased 10 of my pieces. The photos came out GORGEOUSLY! I was so excited I could hardly wait to get home so I could start sewing new stuff to do another shoot with.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-FRM0cVQpRRc2Of9e4SZKInpakq10CjWz8YxF_s-1CcPPlN0MvwTDmqO0m5wcrCVd96eFCDnFNZXQm9rkRyT2VEE7be0I5Ft8iQ7SS1ZZr43_XtMm4DEiRvx-8fVDNINpJsYZjc3Qg/s1600-h/Green+polka+dots+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-FRM0cVQpRRc2Of9e4SZKInpakq10CjWz8YxF_s-1CcPPlN0MvwTDmqO0m5wcrCVd96eFCDnFNZXQm9rkRyT2VEE7be0I5Ft8iQ7SS1ZZr43_XtMm4DEiRvx-8fVDNINpJsYZjc3Qg/s400/Green+polka+dots+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182875729941699714" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);">My design. Modeled by Amparo Elizabeth<br /></span></span></div><br />Will wrap this one up in the morning... getting sleepy...<br /></div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-52218164221983313042008-03-13T12:45:00.000-07:002008-04-08T14:03:50.028-07:00Frock n Roll - Only 2 Months Away!<span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >The 5th annual Frock N' Roll benefit fashion show is being held at at Alice Cooperstown on May 17th in downtown Phoenix! </span>Anyone familiar with the Phoenix fashion scene knows that this is one of the biggest local fashion events of the year!<br /><div style="text-align: justify;font-family:times new roman;"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Phoenix residents! You can purchase your tickets to this one of a kind show </span><a href="http://www.alicecooperstown.com/store/show.php?id=112"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">here</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Make sure that when you are making your purchase you select my name from the drop-down menu so that my charity, </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://youthetc.org/home.htm">YouthEtc</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, will receive credit for the purchase. Each designer needs to sell at least 50 tickets by April 17th in order for their charity to be eligible to receive donations from the event, so help us out!<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBoYVyd17bYL26UFZ3_1XT3XqgHs4PqxiUAuj4TxpGdYPO_8eOJ34gkQ8q4rQvLIvsbpUI_J9nTsTZRGkCj29b2_yA5l99K9g6eCZPgzKk9qghzLiRHrV2RuK8qJhxiUM3E6EL82Fp5Q/s1600-h/Frock_n_Roll_grey.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBoYVyd17bYL26UFZ3_1XT3XqgHs4PqxiUAuj4TxpGdYPO_8eOJ34gkQ8q4rQvLIvsbpUI_J9nTsTZRGkCj29b2_yA5l99K9g6eCZPgzKk9qghzLiRHrV2RuK8qJhxiUM3E6EL82Fp5Q/s400/Frock_n_Roll_grey.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179177530789834514" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);">One of my designs at Frock 'n Roll 2007<br /><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This will be my second year participating in this fantastic event, and I plan on showing all brand new designs! I'll have about 10 pieces total, and most will be for sale online after the event through </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=14288">my Etsy</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> store.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">In addition, the </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.phoenixcraftmafia.com/">Phoenix Craft Mafia</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> will probably also be participating in the event, selling amazing handmade goods. A percent of the profits from each sale will also be donated to my charity. This hasn't been confirmed yet, but we're planning on having this awesome local craft group there and are just waiting for the go ahead.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJfx0KeMOl6I4cZXTw4Tw_rly_yYNpY_PZrXkHEBVXiE0WJOAobewGP4YhOWqam0LwA7jxMqwQl5Y9g9SriipFpXEuqe8wp8jF-kYRDGba8FRTWseoLw9DTMFdCNqazRUtwYPhUcZRA/s1600-h/Frock_n_Roll_yellow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJfx0KeMOl6I4cZXTw4Tw_rly_yYNpY_PZrXkHEBVXiE0WJOAobewGP4YhOWqam0LwA7jxMqwQl5Y9g9SriipFpXEuqe8wp8jF-kYRDGba8FRTWseoLw9DTMFdCNqazRUtwYPhUcZRA/s400/Frock_n_Roll_yellow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179178175034928930" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);">One of my designs at Frock 'n Roll 2007<br /><br /></span></span></div><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >See local bands, designers and models come together to support local charities in this annual fashion and music party! Make sure you purchase your tickets ASAP as there are a limited amount and once they're gone they're gone!<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Address of the venue is: 101 E. Jackson Street Phoenix, AZ 85004.</span></div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-76670527429335574572008-02-28T12:36:00.000-08:002008-02-28T13:14:42.975-08:00Old Hobbies Die Hard<div style="text-align: justify;">The last few months have been rather difficult financially. Sales on and off the internet had been slow, school started again and I am there 3 nights a week so I have a little less time to work and produce inventory. I'm working a "normal job" in the mornings, but only about 12-15 hours a week. Not enough to make ends meet and they don't need me there any more than that. All of this is not by any means helping the bills get paid.<br /><br />Since we will be moving out of state at the end of this summer, what I've been doing lately is looking around the house and trying to figure out what I don't need to take with me, what I can sell now and what I can sell later. I'm currently trying to get rid of a few large musical instruments, to no avail, and I've been weeding through my cd collection and taking the not-often-listened-to albums, burning them to iTunes and selling the cds. That still left me with only $100 for March rent. I need $700.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZar562XoBHgJJvJZTCIzAQOPRx6pyAoJhwKgs7hnIkxrXTJGlch9daHkp7wa8rCF5mXAir0Vw5FrupNJZCNnLnu2rQcuKlIpDNyaja0QtrJK9pysam5435he-wVWOWkwZUMF-Z3Jmpg/s1600-h/winter+garden.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZar562XoBHgJJvJZTCIzAQOPRx6pyAoJhwKgs7hnIkxrXTJGlch9daHkp7wa8rCF5mXAir0Vw5FrupNJZCNnLnu2rQcuKlIpDNyaja0QtrJK9pysam5435he-wVWOWkwZUMF-Z3Jmpg/s400/winter+garden.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172139361135994882" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span style="font-size:78%;">Winter Garden - oil painting, finished about 4 years ago</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">So, two days ago I decided that I would try and sell off most of my art supplies. I'm keeping all the drawing stuff that I can use for fashion design, but I had a LOT of paints, oils and acrylics, and a bunch of canvas, etc. I used to really like to paint. I wasn't the world's greatest or anything, and I was slooooow at it, but I haven't touched any of those things in at least 3 years. Fashion has consumed all of my creating time. I declared to my boyfriend that I was going to get rid of all that stuff and he said it made him sad. I'm not entirely sure why, since he doesn't paint, but I think it's because he thought I was doing it ONLY because I needed money. That's a big part of the reason, but also because lots of awesome paints and supplies are going to waste and honestly I'll probably never ever have time to touch them again.<br /><br />I sent a text to one of my friends who is in school for fine art and asked if she wanted to come check out what I was trying to sell. Her reply was simply "Throwing in the towel?" Um, noooo... I'm just trying to focus on ONE thing and get really good at it and eventually make it my career. I'm not really sure if she meant it snidely, but that's the joy of text messaging and it kind of made me mad.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVZO3Z1jwButaipEYd-hJ0JA0LxNH4x9XM9OsoyQpajAPQYqRiXfvWbY8mXSGbbAS7xy9IDgkyVN_5W_a6YCrQWXVxF2MJRAk1MWLPmR_Qhf8oyE8DExrb7iPv2EmDqtn8aLmgp__MA/s1600-h/rocket.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVZO3Z1jwButaipEYd-hJ0JA0LxNH4x9XM9OsoyQpajAPQYqRiXfvWbY8mXSGbbAS7xy9IDgkyVN_5W_a6YCrQWXVxF2MJRAk1MWLPmR_Qhf8oyE8DExrb7iPv2EmDqtn8aLmgp__MA/s400/rocket.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172139739093116946" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">Untitled acrylic painting, started about 7 years ago and finished about 5 years ago<br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So, I sent a message to another friend, who isn't in school and is actually painting and showing his work constantly. And who also is never rude to me. He came over right away, took everything I had and gave me a decent amount of money for it too. While I was unearthing all the boxes of paint to show to him I was a little sad about getting rid of it. I really liked painting, I just wasn't nearly as serious about it was I am about fashion. I knew deep in my heart that if I kept any of it, it would still be sitting around untouched this time next year and the year after, etc.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLZpHPORs8hQhXT-PjtzIa9tuncDJkov1Z01PG3PF_WUVh244WbiJiopUcZgn_3VSYU5U68ABIj3d0R8tqXdc6jnrMk0wcMWczdBQww01BSgkm1gBewIV10c2umoP7VJ86vwfPTf_dQ/s1600-h/Fools+rush+in.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLZpHPORs8hQhXT-PjtzIa9tuncDJkov1Z01PG3PF_WUVh244WbiJiopUcZgn_3VSYU5U68ABIj3d0R8tqXdc6jnrMk0wcMWczdBQww01BSgkm1gBewIV10c2umoP7VJ86vwfPTf_dQ/s400/Fools+rush+in.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172140804245006370" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">Only Fools Rush In - oil painting finished about 3.5 years ago, the last painting I've done<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;">I told this friend, whose art you can see more of <a href="http://www.fortoulpresents.com/id5.html">here</a>, what my art-school friend had said. His reply was "What! Throwing in the towel? No, you are REINVENTING the towel, that's why you don't have extra time." Really funny and it cheered me up. I knew my paints were going to a good home where they would be used and loved. That was last night and I don't feel bad about it today. Plus, as a bonus, I've got a whole lot of extra closet space now.<br /></div></div></div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-20173126575140536642008-02-21T20:32:00.000-08:002008-03-04T14:23:57.385-08:00Persimmons Boutique<div style="text-align: justify;">Starting this week my ties can now be purchased in another fantastic, locally owned and operated boutique. It's <a href="http://http//www.persimmonsgal54220.blogspot.com/">Persimmons</a>, in Wisconsin!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8Gp5xH-IY27uJfys10A72ENCJOveOur2Elc8YeCrH9hIbnlSr2uUyVlPwCK1BJkDfsDUotLbujKb68kaDVc61MCTZYIIx4kHZJrU6alBMys3WTPF9068vluYW_yFZQVi6lNmN4dFqA/s1600-h/storefront+photo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8Gp5xH-IY27uJfys10A72ENCJOveOur2Elc8YeCrH9hIbnlSr2uUyVlPwCK1BJkDfsDUotLbujKb68kaDVc61MCTZYIIx4kHZJrU6alBMys3WTPF9068vluYW_yFZQVi6lNmN4dFqA/s400/storefront+photo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169659154961508178" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-size:78%;" > Located at <span class="caption">314 N 8th Street </span><span class="caption"> Manitowoc Wisconsin 54220</span> </span> </div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I haven't been there personally, unfortunately, but it looks awesome from the photos! So I let the lovely owner, Kim Geiser, say a few words about her store for me:<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">"Persimmons is an eclectic oasis of inspiration and memories. Featuring over 100 local and national artists and designers you can find everything from fine art for your home to unique funky handmade clothing. Collage, crochet items, indie crafts, raku pottery, fused glass, and handcrafted jewelry are just a few of the one-of-a-kind offerings that make Persimmons the most unique shop in Northeastern Wisconsin. </div><div> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">For the artsy types we offer a fun little selection of supplies and would love to teach you to how to use them at the kitchen table! Join us Thursday nights for art night and create a project and hang out with friends. Often with a recycled art theme we are proud to teach people how to help the enviroment by re-using rather than filling the landfills. </div><div> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another great way to recycle is to buy vintage...we have that too. You can find a great selection of useable glassware, fantastic fabrics, old books, fun games, and beautiful hankies! </div><div> </div>If you enjoy living an artful life you will enjoy your trip to Persimmons. <div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div> </div> <div>Oh and if you every find a store just like Persimmons...they copied us."<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMtrm4f9omjKsy9YgkV59MaqTkyND6ohhQhcWvSnW7WiuqxBfYetAvTieVzzWy8X9evvJLSkTyCfhLnEbVePsc1GNvV7I18Sc2qkBUp5HqZTnBmRaqvbs7NGArmdXW0s3pPTUxhAu8EQ/s1600-h/Persimmons+1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMtrm4f9omjKsy9YgkV59MaqTkyND6ohhQhcWvSnW7WiuqxBfYetAvTieVzzWy8X9evvJLSkTyCfhLnEbVePsc1GNvV7I18Sc2qkBUp5HqZTnBmRaqvbs7NGArmdXW0s3pPTUxhAu8EQ/s400/Persimmons+1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169902001002358626" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">My printed silk ties on display in Persimmons<br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm totally excited to be working with this shop! If you're in Wisconsin or will be in the future, make sure you drop in and check it out!<br /></div></div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-74126645075924923882008-02-18T21:15:00.000-08:002008-03-04T14:21:46.683-08:00Old News<div style="text-align: justify;">Ok, so seeing as has this happened in November, it's not exactly the most exciting thing at this exact moment. However, since I didn't even start my blog until January, I think this is at least newsworthy enough to still mention.<br /><br />In November the first ever <a href="http://www.scottsdalefashionweek.com/">Scottsdale Fashion Week</a> was held in, where else, Scottsdale AZ. I was lucky enough to be part of this event as a participant in the SFA Designer of the Year contest. The contest was sponsored by a local TV channel and <a href="http://www.smoca.org/">SMoCA</a>. I submitted photos and descriptions of three designs and was chosen as one of 8 semi-finalists. The contestants where narrowed down to 4 finalists through internet voting and I made it to the final 4! You can watch a <a href="http://www.azfamily.com/video/?z=y&nvid=187043">video</a> from the news broadcast that was filmed once the final 4 were chosen. They had us get up at 5 in the morning to drive to the grand opening of some huge mall way on the edge of town. We thought they were going to actually interview the designers, but all that really happened was the models walked through the shot once or twice wearing our designs. My model is the one in the grey corduroy and velvet number with feathers. I think you can see me lurking, sleepily, in the background in some of the shots.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GCFNhZSRwjOMcZuGXCDVgE4tNtAt4enieuuHd97ZFOhreWeINd46F4CPCQ4angaVHxbyZ5yXgD-FeCG1fGfS558rM79wlofH7VlIv2scURgt_4n_3czoBpDL4rSBSCx1d6zgdk930Q/s1600-h/Fashion+Week+DOY+Asian+cropped.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GCFNhZSRwjOMcZuGXCDVgE4tNtAt4enieuuHd97ZFOhreWeINd46F4CPCQ4angaVHxbyZ5yXgD-FeCG1fGfS558rM79wlofH7VlIv2scURgt_4n_3czoBpDL4rSBSCx1d6zgdk930Q/s400/Fashion+Week+DOY+Asian+cropped.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168560562456733474" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">One of my designs on the runway at Scottsdale Fashion Week<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">So, after all that it was time for MORE internet voting to determine the winner of the competition. Don't even get me started about internet voting. Voting, voting, voting then waiting, waiting, waiting to see who wins. It's so agonizing! The morning the contest was over, I was just sitting around the house waiting for the phone call that would reveal the results. I was so anxious and nervous and excited that I literally couldn't do anything but sit there and wait. I had NO idea what the outcome would be and I could hardly keep still, much less focus and get some work done. When the call finally came, I could hardly believe what they were telling me, I had won! This was followed by a whirlwind of joyful tears and phone calls to friends and relatives to tell them the good news and say thanks for supporting me. I had to do one more crazy early news segment, but I couldn't find a video clip of that online. In addition, there was a small but cool article and photo in the local paper, and you can read that <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/style/articles/110307designer.html">here</a>.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8x91aUNHD7RsOvXnft9qju7qFK0lzHqa3NTcxIju94uH74Q7UVmgwDUHJy_L4luiAtFuDYe_aceYcX_xal6GeuUfe0Ut0BUQCyhAdJeU2O5R4BtrqlQ4ugzdnWp1xBZVnzAoJB3kQQ/s1600-h/Fashion+Week+DOY+Fall.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8x91aUNHD7RsOvXnft9qju7qFK0lzHqa3NTcxIju94uH74Q7UVmgwDUHJy_L4luiAtFuDYe_aceYcX_xal6GeuUfe0Ut0BUQCyhAdJeU2O5R4BtrqlQ4ugzdnWp1xBZVnzAoJB3kQQ/s400/Fashion+Week+DOY+Fall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168565029222721330" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">One of my designs on the runway at Scottsdale Fashion Week<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">The show itself was really exciting. 6 designers showed, myself and the 3 other finalist and 2 of the original semifinalists. I showed last and as the winner was the only designer to walk down the runway. It was a huge runway! 60 feet or so, about 4 feet off the ground and lit from inside. In that moment I could definitely see how someone could want to be a model, it was so exhilarating being up there.<br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />After the runway show I was supposed to have an arranged meeting with several owners of local boutiques, as part of the "prize" but for one reason or another, that unfortunately never happened. I guess that's ok really though because I don't have an actual line in production, not just yet. Currently all of my pieces are one-of-a-kind and more couture based. I would really love to start manufacturing small runs of limited edition pieces that are more retail-marketable, but getting started involves a reasonable chunk of money and I just don't have it right now. So, for the time I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing and focusing on what I want to be doing in the future.<br /><br />That's about it really. I'm hoping to get to come back to SFAand show at this year's event, but I'll have to get in touch with the coordinators sometime. Maybe I could have a small runway show to open and intro the contest for Designer of the Year 2008 and then announce the winner or something, if they have one. Better get off the computer and start sewing!!!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEe4o1mR591jYcSkUK7iE1aFjt4WyKKVNjzWSxi9IuY_T1HEcEJPsjn7-HA34_zXlOp7unb_beFDohBvf83HtaxtVV2Afi-kSk18xLry77KYEuH8uO0SKQcL8bi6BfYGCEzsGwmij8A/s1600-h/Fashion+Week+group+photo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEe4o1mR591jYcSkUK7iE1aFjt4WyKKVNjzWSxi9IuY_T1HEcEJPsjn7-HA34_zXlOp7unb_beFDohBvf83HtaxtVV2Afi-kSk18xLry77KYEuH8uO0SKQcL8bi6BfYGCEzsGwmij8A/s400/Fashion+Week+group+photo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168765342202439490" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span style="font-size:78%;">My models Alyssa, Chasity, Maritsa and I offstage after the show</span><br /></span></div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59703065401496031.post-27923545779715513952008-02-10T18:17:00.000-08:002008-03-04T14:24:52.909-08:00stylemob<div style="text-align: justify;">I just signed up for stylemob today. It looks pretty cool and I think that it will be a good promotional tool once I have more photos of my work ready for posting. I signed up initially to vote for <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=4043">tiinateaspoon</a>, awesome fashion designer, photographer and Etsy friend. She entered the stylemob<a href="http://www.stylemob.com/index.php?category=MadeItMyself"> Made It Myself Contest</a>. Click <a href="http://www.stylemob.com/index.php?category=MadeItMyself&selectId=442561">here</a> to vote for her entry!<br /><br />I checked out the site, found it to be neat, and decided to start a profile and put an entry into the contest myself. Below is a photo of the dress I entered, taken at Scottsdale Fashion Week 2007. The dress is worn here by my good friend and ever-devoted and dependable model Alyssa La Fortune Holt. Click <a href="http://www.stylemob.com/index.php?selectId=541281&category=MadeItMyself&justsubmitted=1#app=pagesize%3D9%26page%3D10%26category%3DMadeItMyself%26justsubmitted%3D1%26doAjax%3D1%26rand%3D909673578%26selectId%3D541281">here</a> to vote on my entry in the contest. You can view my public profile on stylemob <a href="http://www.stylemob.com/user.php?login=jesswitaj&public=yes">here</a>.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pY3EY3wbFzDXKUCypaJxS2NrhqWJ0lGMtuvqH7JDUNOHee0e4DVCKEN_jrucJ1T3I9Y11H_pOiQ3S6wFXdsozawkmHvhOiJU4Fo70vn2JlR7e_7VWJAxxLkFMZiJpsW5az22tD6Pag/s1600-h/Fashion+Week+DOY+Octopus.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pY3EY3wbFzDXKUCypaJxS2NrhqWJ0lGMtuvqH7JDUNOHee0e4DVCKEN_jrucJ1T3I9Y11H_pOiQ3S6wFXdsozawkmHvhOiJU4Fo70vn2JlR7e_7VWJAxxLkFMZiJpsW5az22tD6Pag/s400/Fashion+Week+DOY+Octopus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165545216242067218" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This dress is made from lilac purple and black dupioni silk. The inside of the dress has 4 layers of interlining, two of which are hair canvas and two are black cotton broadcloth. The dress is boned with spiral steel and completely lined with black silk satin. The octopus detail on the outside was hand-embroidered by me with black laceweight silk yarn and took over 40 hours to complete. In the end it came out looking pretty fantastic and it's one of my favorite pieces that I have made. So that's all... now go vote!</div>Jeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682692068893979191noreply@blogger.com1