Hiss and Hearse

“Believe that you can do it, even if it is ‘a dream job’. Someone has to do it, so it might as well be you!”
-Leanne Ford

Name: Leanne Ford
Location: Nashville TN! . .. .and NY . . .and LA. . .. and Pittsburgh
Occupation: Wardrobe Stylist

Ten things that describe who you are.
Creative, A good time, Kind, Carefree, Gypsy, Open, Loving, Tomato-lover, Dance maniac, Sing-a-longer.

Tell me about your personal style.
Fashionably Scrubby? If grandma used to be a hippie rocker chick, I am the grandma.

Do you have a favorite artist? Photographer?
Hmm, I have favorite writers: Dorothy Parker, Jack Kerouac, CS Lewis. I really love photography, but not the kind I am involved in. I love documentary photography, getting life and people and places and showing them beautifully without changing anything about what you are shooting. And I love love love music! All kinds, but to sum up my style of music, I would say anything from Lost Highway Records.

When did you realize that styling could be a viable career choice?
It was pretty much a fluke. I realized I could and should be a stylist when people started calling me and asking me to style for them! I was working in PR for Roxy, and the VP of Design and I had a mutual admiration club going, so she would ask me to come on the shoots and style. I was so excited because it was in Palm Desert, which is so fun. Then, a magazine in California, FOAM, that I worked with called and asked me if I was interested in being their Fashion Editor. So for two years I conceptualized, produced, and styled three shoots an issue. When I moved back to New York, I realized I had a huge portfolio of work and could style full time. It really worked out perfectly for me.

When did you decide to become a freelancer?
When I realized I could! It is perfect for me. I am able to be where I want, when I want. I do not have to call off for my two weeks vacation, and I can make a nice amount of money to have a nice life. And the sky is the limit, the options are totally open. Those are all great things for me as a person.

Today is the anniversary of the day my favorite cowboy Richard Wayne Brown arrived into the world. Our long convoluted tale brings us both together in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I thought it would be fitting to interview the man of my heart about his job as a ModCloth fashion writer, style, Star Wars, music, and himself.

Name: Richard Wayne Brown, the Sequel
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Occupation: Fashion Writer for ModCloth.com

Ten words that describe you?

After much deliberation, I’ve decided upon the following words, in no particular order: neo-luddite, considerate, nostalgic, soft-spoken, thrifty, small, tuneful, sartorial, corny, principled.

You are making me a mix tape. What are three songs you would put on it?

Who would make a mix tape with only three songs on it? Haha. I suppose, right now, the first three songs I’d put on it might be “Rare as the Yeti” by Kid Congo and the Pink Monkeybirds, “Mother of Earth” by the Gun Club, and “Sad Waters” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Funny, Kid Congo is/was in all of these bands!

Tell me about the daily activities of a ModCloth fashion writer.

On a typical day, as soon as I get to the office, I check email and catch up on the new products and blogs that have been posted to our site. Then, at about 10:30, the writers get together to brainstorm names for products that haven’t been launched yet. For the rest of the day, we write descriptions for those products and work on copy for any blogs, newsletters, etc. that we’ve been assigned. Sometimes we have meetings interspersed throughout the day, and usually we have quite a bit of fun cracking jokes.

How do you get inspired?

At work, we’re sometimes writing so much that we can hit a creative wall, or we can get to the point where we feel like we’re writing the same things over and over again. Personally, when that happens to me, I find inspiration by going onto the site and reading the descriptions the other writers on my team have authored. They’re such a highly talented group of women (yes, I’m the only male writer at ModCloth) that it’s hard not to feel invigorated by their compositions.

Which Star Wars character best describes you and why?

Han Solo has been a lifelong hero of mine, and so I’d like to answer with his name. But I think we often admire people who carry the characteristics that we only wish we could possess. I’d like to be more like a rogue-ish space pirate with a flashy ride and a devil-may-care attitude, but that personality falls nearer to the opposite side of the spectrum as mine. When I think hard about it, I’m probably a combination of Luke Skywalker and C-3PO – a callow young fellow from a small town who dreams of bigger things for himself and also finds it generally easier to follow protocol.

Tell me about your style – has it evolved? Is it still changing?

Oh gosh, it has definitely evolved. My friends Tiffany and Rachel, with all the photos they have between them, could probably put together a whole catalog of looks I’ve sported over the years, from glam to garage, from nautical to mod, and so on. But I feel like I’ve pretty much settled into my current style, which I’ve had going on for the past several years or so. If pressed to describe my look, I’d probably say that it’s what would happen if a cowboy hitched a ride with a biker and they bumped into a southern preacher on an Indian reservation.

Do you a favorite item in your closet?

This is a tough choice to make. I’m pretty fond of each of the nearly two dozen western shirts I own, but I think I’m going to go with my vintage, black leather jacket for its sheer versatility and dependability. It’s basically impossible to look bad in a well-fitted, black leather jacket. It goes just as well with jeans and a T-shirt as it does with a nice button-up shirt and slacks.

Not everyone knows that you are a musician as well. How did this start? Do you think song writing has affected the writing you do at ModCloth?

I never feel very comfortable calling myself a musician because I worry it would devalue the contributions made to the art form by people far more talented and dedicated than me. But I’ve been interested in music for as long as I can remember. I took cello lessons for the duration of third grade, then I switched to the alto saxophone in fourth and played it for several more years in school bands (and it still lives at my parents’ house). Music always came pretty easy to me – I’d make honors band with little-to-no practice outside of rehearsals in school. I also picked up some guitar chords from music class in middle school and was able to recall that information when I bought my first guitar at age 21. Pianos always somehow made sense to me, too, even though I never had any lessons until I took a beginners course for a semester in college. Eventually it just seemed to make sense to me to start writing songs and putting together bands!

I don’t really think my songwriting affects my writing at ModCloth. In fact, it’s probably the other way around. Being ‘forced’ to write on a daily basis really does wonders for getting your creative juices flowing.

Advice for other aspiring fashion writers?

I’m not sure I’m the best person to ask since I didn’t necessarily set out to acquire a job writing for fashion. But if you’re a writer applying for jobs in general, your best weapon is your cover letter. As a writer, you SHOULD be able write a good one, right? So, employers are going to be judging you from the start of your first sentence. Make sure the grammar, spelling, and sentence structures are impeccable, and make sure its a dazzling piece of work!

Kat and Duck are a hot, New York-based photography duo. I met them each separately, in California, and both in different circumstances. I met the striking Kat a couple of years ago in San Francisco when I was trying to find someone to rent out my part of a photography studio share. At the time, she had the blackest hair and was wearing a long black skirt, boots, and the reddest of red lips. She has a slight English accent (her mother is from England) and we instantly bonded over art, fashion, and photography!

I met Duck through my talented hairdresser friend, Amithyst, over a cocktail at the now extinct Jupiter Room in San Francisco. Duck has always had a mowhawk, a thick Jersey accent, and we bonded over lighting and punk rock. He taught me a lot about studio lighting, actually, and even helped me once at one of my shoots. When he moved away to New York, I was bummed. And then, when Kat moved to New York, the idea hit me that they should meet.

I think you all know how this ended up. Kat and Duck, visited Richard Wayne and me over the summer when they came to California to retrieve Kat’s car. We laughed over sushi, and I promised to visit them in New York. Will that ever happen? I hope so – to be a guest in The Pudding Factory sounds divine. With Kat’s cooking, and Duck’s sense of humor, I know it would be a fantastic time.

We try to split things evenly. It’s really the best way so no one person feels ownership. It’s a partnership. We both have our own strengths that we bring to the metaphoric table, and we try to utilize that as much as possible.”
-Kat+Duck

Name: Kat+Duck
Location: New York
Occupation: fashion photographers

What were you guys doing right before you started this interview?
Retouching, retouching, and more retouching. Catching up on all our shoots so we can update the site (www.katandduck.com), blog about it, and then maybe some marketing.

Tell me about Kat + Duck, how did this partnership begin?
K: Well, some chick suggested that I meet her friend Duck when I got to NYC, and it’s been downhill ever since.
D: When Kat first got to NYC, I decided to be nice and digi-tech for her on a shoot with a designer friend of hers. I think I convinced her to buy me whiskey in trade or something like that. I was checking the numbers on the captures coming in and calling out lighting direction when it dawned on me: Our styles would be awesome if we could figure out a way to mesh them together a bit – we should collaborate on something! Totally downhill, ever since.
K: Mmmmm that was a good shoot, indeed.

Do you split the work evenly? Does one person light/and one shoot? Tell me about your work process.
K: We try to split things evenly. It’s really the best way so no one person feels ownership. It’s a partnership. We both have our own strengths that we bring to the metaphoric table, and we try to utilize that as much as possible. We both shoot. We have different perspectives. And plus, when one is shooting, the other can look at the monitor and see if there is something that needs to be changed or a new angle that should be tried.
D: I’m the crazy one. I love every aspect of lighting. But I totally obsess and can fall into trying to perfect something for hours, if it was up to me. It’s cool to be able to pass the camera off to Kitty and sit back and look at the shoot with a fresh pair of eyes and see what’s working and what’s not. It’s like having an AD on set for every shoot, even tests. We both produce, light, shoot, and retouch. With 2 of us, we get things done twice as fast.
K: But end up with twice as many images to edit through!

Digital or film?
Actually both! Just did a shoot with a Holga! A lot of digital, of course, as the industry commands, but I still hold on to my Mumiya Rz67 with a fondness that comes only from film. People do not form those sorts of attachments to digital cameras.

Favorite photographer?
K: Pierre et Gilles, Irwin Olaf, Joel Peter Witkin, Duck
D: Guy Bourdin, Eugenio Recuenco, Kat, and every photo booth in existence.
K: That’s what we need for the studio – a photobooth! Can we take credit for all it produces?

Do you listen to music when you shoot?
K: Yes, but normally models choice. But you can never go wrong with a little welcome to the jungle!
D: You forgot the essentials: loud punk rock and a touch of Faith No More
K: Oh, and whatever we can find on our MUA’s (Daniel K) iPod, which is usually is a mix of Britney, Foxy Brown, and the “Repo” soundtrack.

Anything that you are currently obsessing over?
K: Those McQueen knuckle dusters, the new 1ds mark IV, video, rye toast with peanut butter, and trying to get ONI to wear a chicken suit
D: An H4D, maybe a Phase Back; sour kids, a retoucher, and the patience to learn Final Cut. Oh, and I’m only slightly obsessing over cool textures, color palettes, and mixed-lighting. But it’s growing.

Tell me about your personal style, does this transcend into your photography?
K: Oh man, personal style. I have never been one to categorize myself that way, since it’s just not something I think about. Personal style just happens -  it’s not really a conscious effort. I do like things bright with a darkness to them, if that makes any sense at all. I like images that on the surface are beautiful, but then you look again and think, “Oh wait, there is something not quite right.”
D: If my personal style ever leaked in to our work, it would ring of a slight disaster of sorts.
K: How very true

What are the plans for Kat + Duck?
K: World domination, preceded today with some retouching and lunch. More magazines, more look books, hopefully some ads. I definitely would LOVE to do a music video sometime soon.

Any last words?
K: Toast
D: I think we need a stripper pole and a permanent heated pool in the studio. And photographers should be the next pop stars.

Kat+Duck
@ The Pudding Factory Studios
kat.and.duck@gmail.com
www.katandduck.com
blog.katandduck.com

“You have to make your own way. Set concrete goals for yourself. Send your work out constantly and Illustrate what interests you.”
-Ryan Casey

Name: Ryan Casey
Location: Oakland, CA
Occupation: Illustrator and Graphic Designer

I spent an idyllic eight months working with Ryan Casey, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania transplant, doing corporate graphic design. We sat right next to each other, and during that span, we spent large chunks of that time laughing. I think to actually get work done, one of us had to put on headphones. Sometimes didn’t help, though, because he is sometimes too hilarious to ignore. I will never forget how Ryan took me out to lunch for my 27th birthday. If it weren’t for him, I would have spent the day alone. He lives in Oakland with his adorable dog Murphy, and I like to imagine him dancing to Kanye West, drinking wine, and creating these amazing illustrations. Ryan’s so talented that I honestly don’t know why he has a day job – why has he not taken over the world already?

Tell us the history of you, how did your style evolve?
Well, I was always into drawing and making art. Through grade school and high school, I was always painting and taking art classes, but no one ever told me you could make a career as an artist, which is really sad. I went to “normal” college for a year in D.C., and when everyone started picking majors such as political science, I knew I had to get the hell out of there. So I took a semester off, lived in the desert for a month, then decided to go to art school. I attended The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. It was a great experience, and I started out thinking I wanted to be a painter. But to cover my bases, I tried every medium possible until an instructor told me to check out the illustration floor. It was amazing, and the range of styles of the artists who were studying illustration was really inspiring. By my sophomore year, I discovered digital illustration. In this field, I could focus on my drawing skills without having to deal with mixing paint by hand, which was a major bonus.

Do you remember the first thing you ever drew?
I use to watch T.V. when I was little and draw the people I saw on the screen. I swear to God, I think I use to draw Luke and Laura on General Hospital when my mom use to watch.

Do you listen to music when you illustrate?
Always. If I find myself dancing in the middle I know I’ve hit on something.

Favorite clients? Why?
I have done some really fun work for Philadelphia CITYPAPER. Our relationship has grown and we have developed a trust. I need to find a west coast publication I can do the same with…

Would you ever illustrate a children’s book? I think your style would be perfect.
I actually wrote and illustrated my own children’s book entitled: “Marjorie, Please Let It Bee”. You can check it out here!

Things that inspire you-
BIG personalities, prints and patterns, ridiculousness

Three songs that you love right now-
“Blind”-Hercules and Love Affair
“Can You Discover”-Discovery
“Million Dollar Bill”-Whitney Houston

What are you wearing as you answer these interview questions?
I’ve turned into a total GAP guy. I want to keep it classic. I’m wearing a summer plaid shirt with khakis and some gray slip ons from Urban Outfitters.

Your art future, where are you going from here?
I would love for my comic strip to become syndicated on blogs, magazines and newspapers…maybe even a book.

Do you have a mentor or favorite artist?
I love Picasso and the illustrator Pablo Lobato.

Tell me about your personal style, how would you describe it? Does this style transfer over into your art?
I’m not sure how to describe my personal style but I think my comic strip sums up my personality. People have told me my sense of humor is a little off-color…and mean? I don’t think so…but we’ll let other’s judge.

Favorite blogs?
Dlisted, Techno Tuesday, The Unknown Hipster

Anything you are wishing for right now?
For a great year! I turn 28 in September!

Advice to aspiring Illustrators?
You have to make your own way. Set concrete goals for yourself. Send your work out constantly and Illustrate what interests you.

Links:
GoRyanGo (Ryan’s Portfolio)
ButYoureLikeReallyPretty (Ryan’s comic, where each week he meets a new celebrity!)

Photo by Carla Francis, in Bows and Arrows, 2009

“Really, just getting dressed every morning to live my life is an art form. It is the piece of art that I make every day: Me.”
-Olivia Coelho

Name: Olivia Coelho
Location: Sacramento, California
Occupation: Co-owner, Bows & Arrows Vintage Boutique

Olivia Coelho is an amazing woman and is very dear to my heart. Without her love and support, I would not be the graphic designer and photographer that I am today. Back in 2003, right after graduating from college, she found my work on the internet and contacted me to ask if I would like to design a flyer for her tri-monthly sale event, Sellout/Buyout, in exchange for garments from her vintage store, Olipom. To a vintage clothing-loving 22 year old who was fresh out of school and eager to gain creative experience, this was a dream come true. And so our friendship began.

Over the last several years, I’ve had the privilege of working with and getting to know this woman through countless photo shoots (my favorite one involving twenty ceramic rabbits) and by frequenting her stores (her first store, Olipom, and now her new store, Bows and Arrows). It was an honor when she asked me to design her wedding invitations and photograph the event too, which I did with zeal. I have spent countless nights at her house and enjoyed our long, insightful conversations in the morning over her delicious french press coffee, and I am absolutely enamored with her Pomeranian. Olivia is a warm, intelligent, inspiring woman, and I’m proud to call her my friend.

When did you know that you wanted your own business? Tell me how it all started!
It was a series of walking through open doors and settling in. It sounds simplistic but there was a lot of hard work, too. I just kept being in these situations where I would think, “Someone should open a store like this,” or, “Someone should start a fashion bazaar that would run like this .” I am also naturally frugal, and I always squirrel money away, so when it was time to start Olipom (my first boutique), I had enough money to go ahead when a good cheap lease opened up. I am not a gambler. I wait until the perfect moment, and then I pounce.

What are you wearing as you respond to these interview questions? Tell me about your personal style!
Electric Blue swishy harem pants circa 1989 rolled up to my knees, a tie-dyed and hand screened tee that artist Daniel White made me, Sam Edelman brown leather sandals I found super cheap at Marshall’s, a big tiered wooden necklace, and a vintage silver and abalone cuff. I always wear my wedding band and a silver winding snake ring. I have this really pretty patchwork leather purse with me, too. It is large and the colors are muted turquoise, mauve, mustard, burgundy, navy – really all the best colors.

I am really open-minded about fashion. To me, it is okay to try things that are new, but I will always have a little hippie in me, no matter what. I love my bell sleeve sweaters! I love eclectic jewelry, and you know I have my ridiculously long brown hair. I just enjoy being pretty natural. I have a garden, I shop at the farmer’s market, I ride my bike, I grew up with parents who were loving and healthy and open-minded. The textures of things are important to me. I am always drawn to silk, wood, silver, well worn cotton, 70’s denim, leather, and early 90’s rayon.

Life as your own boss?
Well I am in a partnership right now and I love it. I found my business soulmate in Trisha Rhomberg. We have known each other for years. She used to sell her line, Pretty Trashy, at Olipom. We started talking two years ago about how fun it would be to open a large buy/sell/trade vintage store. Then, next thing you know, we found a building, signed a lease, and opened up shop. It took like three months from our first conversation to our opening day. It has been almost two years and we couldn’t be happier! We both put Bows first. We want to be successful, and we are always working, thinking of how we can make it better. She is the only person I have met that has the same drive that I do. We really keep each other motivated and excited about what’s next.

Favorite/worst things about having your own business?
Well the best thing is living up to your potential. You really get to see how hard you can work and what you can get when you work hard. For us, our income is directly proportionate to how hard we work. That can get obsessive. We are trying now to rely more on interns and to form new business relationships with mutual gratification. I mean, sometimes it is just nice to have a real day off to go jump in the river and read a book.

You have a passion for vintage. Tell me about it.
I love it on so many different levels. I love the thrill of the hunt. I love the search, the score. I love the affordability and the idea of re-using and recycling and, most of all, I love respecting the makers of things and the journey of the things themselves. In ancient cultures, it was called Animism. It is basically a belief that things have their own life force and soul. Some people hate the idea of “used” things, which I think is basically the most spoiled bullshit. You have got to live in a pretty privileged world to believe that something is gross if it has come in contact with another human being before you.

You are also a talented artist and painter. Tell me what inspires you.
Hot Babes. Does that sound shallow? I just love beautiful women, and they inspire me in my artwork. I have a great appreciation for the female form. That is part of what drew me to fashion and my love of fashion photography. I love that line between being ravishing or alluring and being sleazy. My paintings are very Guy Bourdin meets Botticelli meets Nagel. My mother is an amazing sculptor and painter, and I grew up with nudity in artwork all around me, mainly classical realism, Baroque and Byzantine classics. I am so grateful for that because I don’t have any hang ups about nudity. Art was always respected in my home. I got my bachelor’s of Fine Art at UCSC, and that was an amazing experience. I think in college they want you to be more cognitive, have more meaning, and be more political in your art, but my art is about beauty. I don’t think of it as being political, but with the conservative religious movement, I guess it is. I haven’t been painting as much, but I have been having so much fun styling and taking photos and sewing that I feel really artistically fulfilled. Really just getting dressed every morning to live my life is an art form. It is the piece of art that I make every day: Me.

What are your three current favorite songs?
“This is my Love” by Hercules & Love Affair
“Red Hot Drops” by Chad Vangaalen
“Leaders of Men” by Joy Division

Do you have a favorite vintage item that you own?
Oh god, I could never pick just one. I have two 70s shirts that belonged to my best friend’s mother. They are thin polyester disco shirts, but they are really delicate. One has nature scenes on it, and the other has a bunch of flappers at a soiree in neutral tones, mauve, tan, burgundy, and slate grey. She gave them to me when I was fifteen, and I have worn them about twice a month ever since. I love that she wore them when she was a disco fox in the 70s, and I am still wearing them now. Some things cycle out of my life really quickly and other things just always work. I also have a small destroyed Fendi purse that I wear almost everyday. Nice vintage pieces are so sturdy.

What are your customers wearing?
We have so many different kinds of customers. We’ve got a lot of off the wall party kids that love all the wild gear: the neon, the acid wash, the bandage dresses. There are a lot of natural beauties who like the flowy floral dresses and well worn leather bags. Then we have a bunch of professional ladies and gents who like the slim 40s dresses, and the 80’s silk tops,  blazers, and the slim button ups. It is all about having the right balance of flair and basics. I am just happy that our regular customers are so varied, and that they can all find something that was meant for them, every time they come in. I want the pieces in our store to carry on their journey and go to the next loving home.

I’ve known you for a long time, and you have been wearing pantsuits way before the pantsuit trend started. How do you feel about it? Do you still want to wear them now that everyone is?
Jumpsuits just make my ass look great. Nothing can stop that. Every awesome period had a pantsuit associated with it. There were the high-powered “Dynasty” 80s pantsuits, 90s “Fly Girl” stretch pantsuits, 70s slinky Studio 54 pantsuits, 60s beehive cocktail queen pantsuits. I ain’t skerrrd.

Personally, I am not terribly concerned with what is trendy. Style is about longevity. Sometimes I put stuff in the back of the closet and give it a break when it gets too popular, but anything really amazing will resurface. I do have fun with fashion, though. I like to see all the new lines by the big designers and I love tearing through the fashion mags as they come out. The new trends are always easy to piece with vintage, or you can even find vintage versions of them. So much of fashion is just a reference to the past. People can be such sticks in the mud – “I’m not wearing that! I will not wear harem pants, or high-waisted denim, or crop tops, or skinny jeans, or over-sized.” I just think it is fun to try it all out and have fun with all sorts of styles. Some people are just going to wear the same shit year after year. I like to be adventurous.

Tell me about the future of Bows and Arrows?
Bows & Arrows is just exploding right now. We have such an awesome store jam-packed with radness. We have a good team of interns. Trisha and I have an amazing relationship. We have our new partnership with on eBay with HOLD MY GOLD, which is awesome. Erica has such a great eye for choosing pieces and styling them. Trisha and I have a sewing station set up in the store, and that is where you will most likely find us. We have been sewing so much that we are about to launch our house brand MISS CHIEF OF CALIFORNIA, exclusively for Bows & Arrows. We make our clothes from vintage fabrics. Each piece is one of a kind. We are always trying to plan fun parties, fashion shows, art shows, and sales. There are just never enough hours in the day!

Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
I say go for it! Just don’t risk more money than you would comfortably burn in a pit. Take a risk! It is the same for investing money. You are betting on yourself and your dreams, so make it happen! If you fail, then so what? It is not a big deal, you just move on to what is next and learn from it. I don’t think being an entrepreneur is for everyone. You may just learn that you don’t like working for yourself, and then you can stop fantasizing about it. I don’t take out loans and I don’t gamble, so if I have real money that I am going to put down for start up costs, you better believe I am going to do everything in my power to make it work. You’ve got to always remember that business is about selling a product for money. It has to make sense financially. You may have some radical ideas, but if you’re not making money, it is a hobby, not a business.

Olivia has agreed to give-away the above gorgeous Miss Chief of California skirt! Please submit a comment here by Friday 9/4 at midnight and we will choose a winner at random. The winner will be notified by email!

Note from Olivia: It is a size small, but the elastic waist should fit an XS/M!

Links:
Hold My Gold
Bows and Arrows Vintage
Bows and Arrows Blog

“People, art, movies, music and moods. I’m inspired by things that define a specific era, then I take those things and mix them together. And I’ve always had a soft spot for anything punk rock. It just doesn’t go away – black, silver jewelry, metal studs, you name it! So there is always a bit of that somewhere in my creations.”
-Vanessa Moore

I discovered Vanessa Moore’s Etsy collection by searching “black and white stripes”. Her shop is my dream come true, full of red, black, and white creations, fringe, stripes, bats, feathers and cute tops made out of comfortable looking fabrics. We started a conversation, and I am happy that she agreed to not only make me TWO of her gorgeous puff sleeve tops (one black and one black and white stripes of course) but to be interviewed as well!

Name: Vanessa Moore
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada soon to be London, UK!!!
Occupation: Designer + Artist

Why fashion?
Because I love art, and clothing is wearable art. You can dress to suit your mood or to define it.

How did the love affair begin?
When I was three years old I made a princess costume (hat included) out of construction paper. My father even has this event on tape!

I then discovered my mother’s closet. She would dress me up and take pictures. There was also my grandmother, who showed me what a sewing machine was and what could be done with it. A few years later, when I was in high school, I learned how to use a sewing machine in my home ec. classes, and THAT’s where the love really began!

Photo by Marie-Claude Hamel

Did you go to school?
I am a fashion design school dropout!  I studied for one semester and decided that I wasn’t learning fast enough. After that I studied fine arts for three years then went back to fashion by studying sewing, pattern making, and technical drawing at an independent school in my hometown.

Is your jewelry design a different thing?
I started making jewelry when I was about thirteen or fourteen, when my dad brought me to an outdoor market during a business trip to Arizona.There I found everything necessary to get started. From there I played around with different types of jewelry making. I then left that aside for a while and then started again when I started making clothes.

Do you love designing one more than the other?
I think I love them both equally, as long as I’m making something – anything – I’m happy! I also make sculptures and paintings, and I love taking pictures!

How long have you been selling on Etsy?
I’ve been selling on Etsy on the side for about two and a half years, but starting in September I will be selling on Etsy full-time.

Do you find it to be a useful website for designers?
Extremely useful! But you do have to work at it. I’ve been learning so much about sales and marketing since I’m on Etsy, it’s great!

Is that you modeling in all the photos? (You are gorgeous!)
Yes that’s me! Thanks, I’m blushing! It’s a bit tricky taking pictures of yourself. I think my next purchase is a remote control for my camera!

What kinds of things influence you?
People, art, movies, music, and moods. I’m inspired by things that define a specific era, then I take those things and mix them together. And I’ve always had a soft spot for anything punk rock. It just doesn’t go away – black, silver jewelry, metal studs, you name it! So there is always a bit of that somewhere in my creations.

Photo by Stéphanie Lefebvre

Do you have a favorite artist or designer?
I admire many, many artists and designers, but one of my top favorite designers would be Alexander McQueen.

If you made me a mix, what are three songs you would put on it?
These days, “Shoes” by TIGA , “Colourless Colour” by LaRoux, and “Red Eyes and Tears” by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

Have you been able to make your line a full-time job?
Yes, my line has been a full time job since 2004 with a little help, and then completely on my own since the middle of 2007! Yay!

Any tips for others who want to make art their job?
Start small, have discipline, which is not easy. Barter when possible, talk about what you do, post pictures of what you do, take breaks, make mistakes, and when you have something that works make more and crank the stuff out!

Any favorite websites?
For inspiration I love to browse blogs like BleachBlack, Coilhouse, Kingdom of Style, Outsapop Trashion, , just to name but a few!  Online shops like Pixie Market, Oak, Opening Ceremony, Seven New York, and so on.

Future plans for Vanessa Moore?
My boyfriend was offered a job in London, England. So you can imagine how excited I am to be going there with him!! There I will be able to focus on what I’ve been wanting to do for a while now, and that is focus completely on my internet sales. I want to be able to work from anywhere in the world! I also have been planning a higher end collection of eccentric but still very wearable pieces that will be available in the fall. So stay tuned!

Vanessa has agreed to giveaway one of her fabulous laser cut necklaces (the winner will be able to choose either The Teenie Tiny Mustache Necklace or The Baby Bat Necklace!) Please submit a comment here by Sunday 8/9 at Midnight and we will choose a winner at random. The winner will be notified by email!

Links:
Vanessa Moore’s Etsy
Vanessa Moore Blog
Vanessa Moore Flickr
Vanessa Moore Twitter

Photo by Ryan Brett Puckett, 2009

“I recommend that everybody dig deep to find their passion and strive to be the best doing that thing that drives you.”
-Amithyst

Five years ago, I met this lady when I lived in Sacramento and not only needed a fantastic hairdresser, but a photography partner, too. It all started with a desk lamp and gold light disk- we’d make art in her bathroom with the light reflecting on a model! Many nights have been spent drinking cocktails and philosophizing about life and fashion. Perhaps we are friends because both of us have an undying love for Betsey Johnson, polka dots, red lipstick and champagne. Recently Amithyst opened up her own salon, and it just made perfect sense in her career. She has come a long way and I am excited to see where she will go.

Name: Amithyst
Location: Amithyst Boutique Salon, Midtown Sacramento
Occupation: Salon Owner, Art/Creative Director, Architect of Hair

Who is the lady behind the hair? Why hair? Any secrets you want to share with us?
I graduated high school early and so all of my friends who were still in school would come to my house for me to do their hair and make up for the dances. They would get money from their parents to get it done professionally, but the parents never knew that I was really the one doing it! I guess it just came as a natural passion for me. My mom and grandmother would pay me to brush and play with their hair since I can remember. I never got my hair professionally coloured until I worked in a salon. I used to do bleach highlights painted on with a toothbrush, which actually turns out to be a very current process in colouring hair, and I use that technique now, just with a brush meant for color.

Photo by Kristin Cofer, 2009

Inspirations?
Odile Gilbert. She is an amazing French Hairdresser who does all of the high fashion hair for Gaultier, Galliano, and so many more. I would love to learn from her. My boyfriend photographer Ryan Brett Puckett is an inspiration to me because I love the way he sees things and he makes the most beautiful images. I try not to look at too many fashion based websites and magazines, though, because I don’t want to be too influenced and inspired by images I have already seen. I feel like I am more true to myself when I don’t have someone else’s photographs stuck in my head. I don’t ever want to be so inspired that I copy someone, even subconsciously.

Tell us about owning your own business? Is this the best thing you’ve ever done? Any advice for other people who want to do their own thing?
I am enjoying having my very own salon so far. At first it was lonely because I came from working with a large group of people at Spanish Fly Hair Garage*. Now that I am finally getting used to being alone, another hairdresser, Karli, is starting this week, so I will now have to adjust to having someone else always there. Having to do all of the little things I took for granted is interesting for sure, like laundry, and trash, and dishes. I really enjoy all of the little special things I can do for my clients now that I am in control of those kinds of things. I stock either strawberries or raspberries for each client’s beverage, which is usually champagne! Also I stock popcicles now that it’s summer, chocolates, sour patch straws, and perfume in the restroom for the clients to use before they exit the salon with their beautiful, shiny hair! I will be converting my other room into two more stations, so four of us in my space should be an adventure. I recommend that everybody dig deep to find their passion and strive to be the best doing that thing that drives you.

Photo by Ryan Brett Puckett, 2009

Favorite products?
Bumble and Bumble, of course. I am enjoying my Difiaba but do not know if I can carry it any longer. I think I am going to be carrying a mixture of things: Moroccan Oil Products, Pravana, possibly Davines. On myself, I use Bumble Surf Spray on towel dried hair and then blow dry.

When did you start collaborating with photographers? What do you love about fashion photography?
I started seeking out models and photographers about 7 years ago. I would go to the thrift stores to put together wardrobe, and it was so cheesy. I had to do this for a while to realize what models and photographers I could work with and how hair and make up read in photographs. I still hate my work, but I am hoping to hate it less and less. I am so very critical about my own work. I pick apart everything. Now, though, after years of these processes, I have been able to pass the information that I’ve garnered on to people I have worked with in the salons I have worked at. I really enjoy being an Art/Creative Director in the photoshoot process. I am not just there to do hair–I want more control and input into the making of these images I attach my name to. Luckily, I think that my boyfriend (Ryan Brett Puckett) is the most amazing photographer I have ever met, so I plan on restarting my whole portfolio with his help.

If you made me a mix tape, what are three songs you would put on it?
Any songs from these three artists:
Thelonious Monk
Billie Holiday
Nat King Cole Trio

What is the future of “Amithyst”?
Hopefully success and happiness for all involved and invested in this new salon! Someday I would love to make a book, but I think that is years down the road. Personally? My goal is to have an agent that will do the work of hooking me up with high fashion models, photographers and designers, so I will continue to aim and focus my energy in that direction. In the meantime, come get your hair done and have some champagne and chocolate!!!

*(Editors Note: A Sacramento Salon that was featured on the Hit Reality TV Show Split Ends!)

Links:
Amithyst

“Try to find your own look, one that has room to evolve but that means something to you. That is the most important thing.”
-Chloe Aftel

After stumbling across Chloe Aftel’s gorgeous photography portfolio, I was immediately drawn to her surreal digital and Polaroid fashion imagery. I wrote her to tell her how amazing she was, and a meeting was arranged one afternoon at Crixa Cakes . We sat for an hour and talked about life, photography, puppies, being in love, and just making it.

Name: Chloe Aftel
Location: Los Angeles & San Francisco
Occupation: Photographer

Why do you love photography?
Good question! I thought that I might be able to take what I loved about movies and put it into still pictures. I love telling stories visually, but to my surprise photography offered me even more satisfying elements.

I found that the quick turn around of photography, the fact that I can have multiple projects going at once and that all of them can be finalized in a matter of days works well with my personality.  I look forward to the surprises that photography provides, mistakes that sometimes turn out to be a lot better than the correct results I intended. As well, I love getting a ‘real’ or unguarded moment. It feels great when you shoot one.

Do you consider yourself to have a style?
Yes, I like to shoot film and Polaroid, which seems to distinguish me a bit off the bat. As well, I am drawn towards subjects with a kind of sensuality and ease, a feeling of intimacy that makes them approachable.

When did you start doing it as your job? Have you ever had a “day job”?
Yes! I have had many a day job and they can be very hard to slog through. As challenging as they can be, they did give me the chance to do my own thing, for which I will always be grateful.

Did you go to school for photography?
No, I taught myself through trial and error, which I feel is the way to go, as I found ways to do things I don’t think I would have learned in school. I really enjoy figuring it out myself.

How do you find inspiration?
Lots of magazines, blogs, movies, driving around, research, books, anything and everything I can find. It’s a good thing to carry a little notepad so you can write down anything that strikes you.

Any recommendations for other aspiring photographers?
Honestly, take everything that comes your way and always be on the grind for work, be it emailing, calling, pitching, nothing is too small. Try to find your own look, one that has room to evolve, but that means something to you. That is the most important thing.

Do you have a favorite shoot?
Actually no. I have least favorite shoots, but not one that matters more than all the others…

What do you shoot with?
Polaroid 690, Hasselblad, Polaroid backs, Holga, Diana.

Prefer film or digital?
Film.

Can you copyright an idea?
I don’t think you can copyright an idea but i think there are unspoken rules and manners about shooting, meaning that you don’t literally copy someone else’s shot. You can use a shot as inspiration, draw upon, make it your own, but to have the same concept, lighting, composition, etc. is ripping someone off literally and that is wrong.

Three songs you would put on a mix tape
Gun Street Girl by Tom Waits
Kashmir by Led Zeppelin
Beethoven No. 9

Chloe Aftel Studio

Photography collaboration with other creative individuals is how I like to spend all of my free seconds, and meeting the incredibly cute Amber Mortensen from PainfullyHip.com, was like meeting a long lost stylist soulmate. After a Sunday afternoon photographing a red haired Stevie Nicks look alike, and then most recently three cute girls with balloons, I had to ask some questions and get a peek inside her creative brain.

Name: Amber Mortensen
Location: Everywhere but here (Sacramento, CA)
Occupation: Wardrobe Stylist / Fashion Blogger / Graphic Designer

Why do you love fashion?
Fashion is a way of expressing yourself on a daily basis. Being creative with the way you dress makes everything more fun. A cute outfit makes a bad day better. What’s not to love?

Earliest memory of you and fashion? What were you wearing?
Me and my twin sister used to claw each other viciously over this white sweatshirt with animals on it. We loved it. I used to wear it with my hot pink stretch ribbed pencil skirt, 2 different colors of scrunched up socks and hot pink converse. I thought I looked amazing. I was 8.

Why did you start PainfullyHip?
I started Painfully Hip when I was living in Vancouver BC, working a reception job at a sound studio for film and TV. It was a great job, but sometimes really slow. I started my blog to occupy me in my boredom while I was waiting on Jean Claude Van Damme and Evangeline Lily. It was the best thing I ever did.

Did you go to school or how did you become a stylist?
I took a few fashion design courses in college until I realized I hate to sew. I don’t have the patience for it. I just really love doing alterations and putting outfits together. I wanted to be a stylist, but I had no time for school. When the News & Review asked me to write a big winter fashion story for them, I stipulated that I wanted to be the stylist of the accompanying photoshoot. Once I did that, I was hooked. I needed a portfolio.

That’s why I started The Painfully Hip Design Collective. I brought all my talented friends in the fashion industry together to collaborate on professional fashion editorials to add a splash of style to their portfolios and give everyone a bit of online exposure via Painfully Hip.

We’ve made some great art and most of the clothing and accessories in the photos can be found for sale on the participating boutiques’ websites, on the Collective’s Etsy store, or for auction on the new (and amazing) vintage auction site, Market Publique. I’ve met so many talented people doing this, and I love the enthusiasm everyone has been putting into it!

I’ve already started landing some paid stylist work as a result. I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Favorite fashion trends? Anything you hate?
This is always changing. I tend to shun trends when possible because these days, once its been done, its over. That’s why I love vintage most. No one will be wearing exactly the same thing and you can make it your own just by working against it with unusual accessories and modern shoes.

I hate flip flops. They have their time and place, but not on the street! I feel like the shoes should be the climax of the outfit, not a big fat juicy let down. Oh and platform flip flops? Were invented by Satan when figuring out how to best torture me.

Anything else to add?
Tomorrow we leave on our Painfully Hip Roadtrip! Its going to be no less than epic. Three weeks of thrifting and rubbing elbows with bloggers, blog readers, vintage shop owners… We’ll be throwing clothing swaps, doing photoshoots, and just generally adventuring away. Our readers have been so kind in offering to show us a good time! We also have a contest brewing. The reader who suggests the best place to thrift in the southwest Unitedd States will win a prize!

Thank you to Hiss and Hearse for being so endlessly awesome!

* Phoenix, AZ – June 25, 26
* Sedona, AZ (and the surrounding Prescott/Flagstaff area) – June 26, 27, 28
* Santa Fe, NM – June 30
* Amarillo, TX – July 2
* Fayetteville, AR – July 4,5
* Austin, TX – July 7,8,
* Corpus Christi, TX – July 9
* El Paso, TX – July 11
* Tucson, AZ – July 12, 13
* San Diego, CA – July 15
* Los Angeles, CA – July 17
* Sacramento, CA – July 18
* Fresno, CA – July 20

Links:
Hiss and Hearse collaborate with PainfullyHip
PainfullyHip.com
PainfullyHip Etsy store

Danielle Garrabrants photographed by me, 2008.

Last year through mutual friends, I was lucky enough to meet San Francisco fashion designer Danielle Garrabrants. Since that glorious day, we have done two photo shoots together and both of have were completely successful. Danielle is a hilarious, creative force (the most random things come out of her mouth like, ” I need to sell some clothes. Or start dealing drugs.”) and I love her unique fashion sense. After the success of our most recent photo shoot, (Due Citta Fall 2009) I asked her some questions about fashion, her life, and why she loves what she does.

Name: Danielle Garrabrants & Cadi Storm (Danielle’s Due Citta NY counterpart)
Location: San Francisco & NYC
Occupation: Pattern Maker & Fashion stylist

Fashion design? How did it happen?
I was a frustrated youth (weren’t we all?). Frustrated with my naturally anorexic figure, which has since blossomed, I had to make things to fit me. I also had to make things that said “fuck you, I’m bad ass.” I think that’s why Cadi and I work so well together–we are both kind of Dadaist with fashion. Sometimes we want to make something pretty, sometimes times we want to make people think, and sometimes we just want to make a joke.

Where did the name “Due Citta” come from?
Cadi and I worked together in San Francisco for years. When she moved to New York, we decided to change our label to Due Citta, which means “Two Cities.”

What is your favorite thing to make and why?
I love making dresses. I feel so locked up at work, since I have to stick to patterns and follow rules. But if you give me a dressform and five yards of crappy fabric, I feel free. We like to go with the flow and do what works best, which is maybe not always exactly what we sketched.

Any good Due Citta stories?
All our shows are outrageous. I love having them, despite what they do to me. I get super nervous, everyone is calling me for directions, there are a million things to oversee, and all the while we still have to add finishing touches. I basically turn into a mega-bitch, and Cadi kinda runs shit. We get pretty wasted during our shows. I know that’s not professional. Maybe we should have been rock stars.

What are your favorite things besides making beautiful clothes?
I’m happy participating in any crafting or art related endeavors. Being outside, the beach, the park, or a road trip.

What is the plan for your line?
I’m planning on winning the lottery to fund our entrance into the market place. Until then, we will keep doing our shows and displaying our art. We have done eight shows in the Bay Area, so now I think It’s time to paint the east coast red.

I’m also working on a line of vintage-inspired pieces with my friend Courney Olsson, called “Det Sätt Vi”. We are using recycled materials like sheets, so every piece still maintains that one of a kind flare. See you at Indie Mart soon?

Links:
Due Citta Myspace