UPDATE!

I'm transferring this blog over to a new one, so please follow me there!
http://vauntd.blogspot.com/
New posts to come soon there, promise :)

this blog will self destruct in t-minus 30 days.

Cone Boobs & Cut-Outs

Introducing my new mini-collection: RETROSITY!
Featuring deliciously sinful latex goodies with sock/thigh garter details, cone boobs & cut-outs, this has been a long time in the making. I’ve struggled with almost every one of the 6 pieces, and damn it feels good to be done. There is still some tweaking to be done, but they are pretty solid.
Photographed beautifully by Corwin (of course) even though he greatly dislikes doing lookbook/commerical-esque stuff, and strutted by Mosh (of course):





BUY IT HERE! Etsy
I will be honest, the shoot day was exceedingly stressful. I am already a naturally high-strung, type-A person when it comes to my work, and delays and disinertia freak me out. Thankfully everything got shot and in the end I had no complaints, but I can safely say that I am glad I won’t need to do anything like it anytime soon.
So what’s next? Well I plan on pimping this out SO HARD. I’ve started to contact magazines about potential features/covers and yes, even some advertising. I think the time has come, now that I have a pattern base that I can easily pull from and alter, that I need to do a fashion & fetish “VauntD blizkreig.” Has a nice ring to it, eh?
If you have thoughts as to what online blogs and physical indie fashion mags I should contact, let me know.


Other than the blood, sweat & tears I expelled this past month on the above, I made plans to change tactics and work with a performance group called The BAAD (Bicycle Awesome Adventure Dance) Collective:


This and the title pretty much sums it up.
I’ve done one dance piece before but this will be a whole new ball game for me. I’m traveling to Alfred, NY for the next week to work one-on-one with the dancers and make custom pieces for them. I bought some insanely bright and patterned stretch spandex and it is going to be so fun. Not a money making thing, but I’m excited to dive in and collaborate with artists again. I don’t know if I’ll be able to blog while I’m gone, but rest assured I will have some crazy stories when I return.


Random link of the day: http://phrontistery.info/fabric.html
One of the most helpful sites I've ever come across.


And lastly, some personal visual inspiration:



I found both of these on deviantArt, by a photographer named Arthur Sysoev. The are mind-blowing amazing. The wardrobe definitely makes the shots, although the beautiful faces don’t hurt, and I for one know that I must make something similar to that huge green cotton organdy headpiece. Simple but exaggerated shapes are the way to my heart.



Manicorn.
I don’t know if you really need to know anything else.
Except for, of course, that I am going to have to make a huge rhinestone ball gag as soon as possible.

It is very difficult to sum up a long trip.
Even more so when I did almost no design work.
However, I did bust my ass finishing a custom piece that I think is one of my best right before I left, traded a hat for a custom pottery piece (trading with other artists is one of the BEST things about being one), and shipped a load of stuff to a stylist in Canada. So really, my vacation was a much needed sojourn.
But I'm back and ready to work!


Corwin shot my newest hood on the lovely and fascinating (overused word, I know, but really the only accurate one) Scar:


I have been trying to find ways to push these into more fetishistic realms without being cliche, and I think this mouth spreader version is a good solution. Pretty sure I'm done making hoods for the moment, although my next step is going to be making men's versions. There is something to explore there (gender, sterotypes, floral fantasies, etc, ad infinum) so I'm going to let it percolate and then see what happens.


ALSO, you know my website is now 100% live, right? If you haven't already bookmarked http://www.vauntdesigns.com, go do it now! Almost everything on the site is for sale, and one of my plans for this week is to put it all up on etsy. I will make an announcement here and elsewhere as soon as I do so so you can buy things :D


What to do in these next two weeks: solidify the patterns I have for my ready-to-wear collection and start to make some. It's going to be small - micro sized in relation to most designers - but I want to focus on making the 3 or 4 pieces as awesome and unique as possible. Custom work is still my favorite thing to do, but these will be a great way for me to speed up my work process and get my products out there for people to buy off-the-shelf (ie. off the internet through etsy). I'm going to use the Honey colored latex I ordered from RadicalRubber and didn't like to make all the samples...who knows, maybe they'll become more than just samples with other colors added to them.
(For future reference, all the pieces in the collection are going to be dual-toned unless specifically requested.)


And lastly, some personal visual inspiration:

Liu Wen by Bruno Dayan

I love the tones, the way the blacks are blue and are set off by the pink/fuschia lipstick, and the bondage is intricate without moving into a fetishistic realm. Hard thing to pull off, but beautifully done.


Creepy and amazing sculpture, not sure who it's by but was part of an exhibit here in Philly. It's incredibly made, down to the very last leaf, and I love that it references both classical Greek sculptures and that culture's mythology. I <3 a well executed craft.


These sleeves are hands-down awesome. Was flipping though a pattern book on medieval costuming, and these just stood out. A separate undershirt with large billowy sleeves would usually be worn underneath, but I want to make just this out of latex. Keep your eyes peeled :)

Fetholstery For All!

Been having quite the productive week! Made four more of my “Fetholstery” hoods, and I am very very pleased with how they came out. Much can be said for having a reliable pattern and taking your time to do it right.

(you know that if you click they get bigger, right?)

Top left: Cream with birds and nose strap, as well as tie/snap neck.
Top right: Sheer black & white with visor type covering over the face.
Bottom left: Silky baby pink with top ruffle and long neck straps.
Bottom right: Dark blue & green with eye holes and snap neck.


I’m also working on a pattern for a shoot at the end of April…I found this GORGEOUS sheer yellow fabric that looks like an incredible textile version of transparent latex. I bought a bunch of this puppy, so expect to see lots o’ stuff made out of it.


Since I don’t sketch I just drape and drape until I like it, then use permanent marker to dictate what needs to be done where.


Some peeps we know in Philly, Bell & Jerry Bennett, took this sweet picture of my puffy Nostalgia for Nothing jacket in our stairway. Looks neat, I like how it came out.



And lastly, some personal visual inspiration:


Photo of Georgie Bee, taken by Peter Ashworth. I love the color combination, the juxtaposition of digital graphics and digital photograph, and of course the pointe shoes.


Similar in color scheme is this bathing suit I almost got off eBay a long while ago. It was deadstock from some 80’s company, and I wish I’d bought it. Ah, well, I think I’ll replicate the design on some latex.

Laz

It’s been one of those kind of lazy weeks.
Dealing with roof leaks & postal mix-ups.
Sheeting should be here early next week, so I can finally start working again.

Finishing this client piece today. I like how it looks…what can I say, it’s fun to destroy something, break it down, then rebuild it. We shall call it CLOTHINGCYBORG. (Yes, it has matching pants.)



Corwin shot my lookbook (basically a portfolio of boring, on white background pics of all my pieces) on the lovely Sophie Nova…they will be posted on my upcoming website by the end of the month. Thankfully he managed to also take a couple awesome shots like this one so he didn’t die of boredom:


What this also means for you is that ALL MY OLDER PIECES ARE NOW FOR SALE. They are prototypes, so they have some minor flaws, but they are fun nonetheless. If you want anything you’ve seen on here, please email me at vaunt designs@gmail.com.


Mosh posted this cute & creepy pic on her blog of her wearing the bunny hood. So excited to see pictures.


Depressing point: the glue that I was attempting to mix together to make my own formula failed miserably. Thankfully I only used it on some decorative pieces since I had a feeling it wouldn’t work, but now I’m back to square one. Sigh. Another endless quest.


And lastly, some personal visual inspiration:


Inka Essenhigh has been one of my favorite artists for a long time. Everything she paints looks like it’s being pulled apart but never breaking, stretching but filled with some inhuman viscous substance that never pops. The organic shapes look like natural themes but distorted like fingers in a river. I’d love to take inspiration from them and do a huge liquid latex & applique on a transparent latex piece.
Ok, enough art babble, ha.


Picture by Barry Goyette…my favorite of the work he’s posted. Lovely texture in both the water and the shirt, combining. And I have a thing for floral upholstery type print, as you well know.


Saw this on deviantArt last summer- the illustrator is Laura Bifano. Looks like a song somehow, or a dream.

YES.

My first real tear- oh the excitement!! 4PM Magazine, based out of Milwaukee. Go get a copy if you're in the area! (High quality scans coming soon- these are just the digital snap shots.)
All wardrobe designed, made, and styled by me.
I also did the hair, but it's nothing too crazy to speak of.

*(if you click it gets much bigger)*

Shot by TH Taylor, with lovely models whose names I will add in later.
Thanks to everybody, you were all so awesome to work with!

Here's to 2010 being the year of professional editorial tears & being a real business.

5 Week Wish

These are the days when I attempt to stop freaking out.
To stop stressing about the move, which is now past.
To stop trying to control all of my situations.

I’m having a 50% success rate.

My extended break from the blog was not at all intended and I have missed it, gotta admit. So much traveling, so much packing, so much goings-on, it would take just as long to tell and as it did to live. So I will try not to barrage your eyes with it all, but enjoy the picture heavy posting.


When we stopped in the Ozarks to see my favorite people Amanda & Chase, she was nice enough to pose in my 2nd “Fetholstery” hood:


More thrift store fabric, this time a floral curtain. The mouth guard attaches on the left side with a garter clip, ‘cause it just wasn’t QUITE feminine enough.
I like how it came out a lot, although I hate cameras I decided.


Viva Van Story + Mosh is a pretty killer combo, and I love how the pics they created with my sock garter girdle prototype came out. Damn girl is so bendy it’s hard to get a normal head on shot, haha.


This one is now in the trash because it wasn’t right (wrong gage, some mis-gluing, what can I say it was made before I apprenticed with Vex and became AWESOME), but I’ve perfected it and the design will be for sale soon.

I also made Mosh another goodie for a super incredible photographer, Marla Rutherford.


Bunnybunnybunny.
Latex sock garter leotard with hood combo.
It was just shot today, and I’m anxiously awaiting the final edits. I almost killed myself trying to finish it before the move to Philly- I’m talking almost 12 straight hours of work. I was so mentally and physically drained but it was certainly worth it. The ears inflate(!) and though they aren’t perfect I sort of feel like it’s the first truly professional piece I’ve made. It’ll be on sale soon, so if you’re on MM keep checking the market.
Did you know that putting something inflatable underwater and then squeezing lets you find exactly where the air leaks are coming from???? Yeah, now ya do.


Corwin also shot my Valkyrie and Moulfon hoods on the stunning and fucking hilarious Jade Vixen:



As you can tell, we are a great team ;) The Valkyrie one is supposed to be in a column in Marquis this coming month, but we’ll see if it actually happens. I sure hope so!


I bought this magazine at an antique store the other day. No words can describe its glory.
[The second one was a drawing inside- I love that she’s wearing heels on her feet. Next project: make high-heel-ending gloves. There must be a way to do it.]



It’s now hanging on my wall above my work table. My parents though it was…interesting. Ha. They’re never surprised by any of my antics anymore. I'm sure my sisters will just looooove it when they come to visit. Double HaHa.


Now enjoy my badly sketched, but going to be amazing custom pieces that I’m working on:


"Industrial apocalypse" suit modification for a smoking hot local guy. I’m going to be distressing it and adding chain and metal and leather.
[If you can’t afford to buy something custom from me, I also do modifications of ready made garments like this- contact me for more info! (vauntdesigns@gmail.com)


Futuresex nurse for Sophie Nova.


Gothic Lolita inspired latex jacket & ruffled skirt. Not my usual style, but I’m making it for a photographer’s lovely wife as a birthday present and I’m really excited to work on it. All pewter & black latex goodness.


And lastly, some personal visual inspiration:


If you don’t think a gigantic bunny made out of mattress is cool, you have no soul.
(or sense of humor)

Ruff & Ready

This past week was all about preparing for the weekend's shoot. I didn't want to say too much out loud because I didn't want to jinx it, but I'm excited to share all the details now!

I had contacted TH Taylor to see if he would be interested in shooting my humble self (ie. ass), yet being as how it was early in the morning before work I accidentally sent it from my designer account. This worked to my benefit, as he was currently searching for someone to supply wardrobe & style a cover and 6-page layout for a magazine! He is the creative director for 4PM Mag based out of Milwaukee, and while their distribution is small the print quality is pretty good, and I'm not about to complain about my first real tear!

TH wanted something fresh and very "Spring," which was difficult because my penchant for dead animals pieces and rich tones is decidedly "Autumn." I decided to make 2 pieces using white/cream as the base color, and then use bright yellow and kelly green for the accents. They came out quite nicely I think:



Ruffleize leotard, latex.
The top ruffles popped off when putting it on the model, so I forced the poor dear to stay in it for over 2 hrs while hair/make-up was getting done and another outfit was getting shot. Hopefully she doesn't hate me.
I need to add reinforcements on the top today so that doesn't happen again.



Circlecut dress, latex.
This is just the top half of it, but I love the shoulder detailing so much. I based it off a runway piece that I saw in a magazine, but I can't for the life of me remember the name or season.

I also made a matching hat (named Monacle En Green) which I quite like (I think this is going to be on the cover, whoohoo!):

Has glass ornaments, chain, metal hoops, latex, feathers, and my favorite pleated rufle-y goodness. The glass is RIDICULOUSLY fragile, I had to completely redo it once because they broke.

And lastly, some personal visual inspiration:

Photo by Grainpusher.

Photo of Her Highness Lady Gaga at the Grammy's.

Outfit by Armani Prive.

Mess Up, Modify

Just got an image back from Corwin of the colorful '80s-style leotards I made at the beginning of the year! Model is the lovely and epic-ly wonderful Sophie King.


The back part of the neckline gaped a bit so I had to put in a dart and some extra detailing. (The bottoms also needed to be cut slightly higher.) That’s the secret to good design though: WHEN YOU MESS UP, MODIFY.
I had pretty huge scare along those lines at work last week. I was trying to take apart some seams on a custom dress, which was A. a couple years old and B. had already been worn, so they were really fragile. Try as I might to be careful, I succeeded in ripping not once twice but three times before I had to hand it to Laura and admit my defeat…sometimes you just have to know your limits. The wonderful part was we did some reworking and managed to both make the adjustments needed and keep it looking awesome. Thank fucking god or I probably would have cried. I’m bad with failure, what can I say. I’m kind of an Type-A like that.

So I’m fairly certain I’ve mentioned I’m kind of obsessed with sex. Not sure why, but have been since I was little, sneaking looks at Playboy and telling BDSM stories at slumber parties(no joke). Because of this, and because they are awesome, my friends sometimes send me these kinds of things:


In case you can’t tell from the lousy cell phone pic, it says “Forbidden Frankenstein” and the plot is straight up b&w drawn porn, HUGE franken-dick included. It's pretty magical. Yet another thing to love about the early '90s!

Random note: I am continuing my discovery and love of “M” named bands. This week it is Murder by Death & (the) Mars Volta. My music obsessed ex would have a heart attack at the fact that I’m expanding my musical boundaries.

And lastly, some personal visual inspiration:


Damn you Viktor & Rolf, for stealing all the neat ideas before anyone else can think of it/get the funds and labor needed to do so.
The first questions that came to my head when I saw this were: was the petticoat dyed before or after the cutting? And what machine did the cutting? I’m pretty sure it was done after, and with a laser cutter, but who knows.


I’ve always loved this piece by Beth Church. I must analyze and find a way to do something similar, but with my own twist of course. I love the layer-ing, the chunky-ness, and the ornate-ness of it all.

Trajectory

A day late, I know, but it’s a big one to make up for it!

My man and I (aka Corwin Prescott) are going to be guest bloggers on Late Night Feelings (FLGS) for the next 10 days! Some posts will be individual, some will be joint, but never doubt that it will be entertaining and full of naked goodies. We even got our own wizards drawn! Every time I look at it I fucking die of laughter:


I’ve been working on 2 latex hoods for a shoot with Jade Vixen at the end of February. I’m making a transparent pink one with 3-D blue wings and this pink & green ram horn one:


Thanks so much to Vex for letting me use their pattern :)
I can’t describe how much I love making headgear. Truly, so much fun. And now that I have my latex technique almost down pat, things go so much faster as well!



I saw the above painting at the Chicago Art Instutite, can‘t remember the artist and the colors aren't true to life but I love them together . The shape makes me happy too and reminds me of this dress I made for Mosh (photo by Beguiling Images):


So I finally updated my resume and put together my portfolio into a PDF so I could apply to another internship. I’m in the talks with someone in Philly (so exciting & nerve-wracking) I’ll let you know if/when it’s definite. Since I can’t go interview with her, she asked me a bunch of questions that I found really thought provoking and I thought I’d share a couple.

What are your goals as a designer?
My goals are hard to pinpoint since I've found that I work best when I let life flow organically. My pieces just sort of come out, make themselves made in a way. Part of me just wants to keep creating and living off artists grants and selling the works to people who see them as art. I crave structure though, so I would like to somehow be involved in a creative group that has a purpose. This sounds silly but being part of Lady Gaga's creative/design team is the best example of what I'd like to be involved in. I love performance and performers, I love making what is outside of the everyday. I also want to be involved in what I see as the "new craft"- the community of people who are pushing traditional fields such as knitting and DIY and embroidery to new, fresh, modern levels. I think there is still a division between "craft" and "art" and I want to be able to straddle the two with apparel, which I think is the perfect medium to do so with.

Do you see your future in fetish apparel, art for the body or high end fashion or somewhere in between? Truly, somewhere in between. Fetish & fashion have co-existed and intertwined for ages, it just hasn't been as apparent (ie. on the runway) as it has been in the last 20-30 years. My sexuality & fetishes are things that are both important to me and what I draw inspiration from, but again I don't want to be boxed into one category (talk about boring). I just want to make work that is honestly and authentically me, and I don't want to be bored. I don't want to bore others. It is another reason why I want to work with more fabrics besides latex, so I can combine them. There is a big trend for latex designers to aim for high fashion, and I feel lucky that I'm starting out with that in mind from the get-go.

And lastly, some personal visual inspiration:


Ad for SPORTMAX. The chest panel in insane, I’m so jealous I didn’t think of it.



A friend sent me this a while ago, the design is so awesome. By Erte.