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.

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.

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.

This is not a New Year's resolution

Well, in some ways it is but I’d rather not call it such. But I am pledging to be a more active blogger, if not for you lovelies than for my awful memory. So let us begin (again)!

As I’ve mentioned before, I am in a state of flux. I feel myself gradually becoming more stable as my technical skills increase, but I still feel dissatisfied. While being comfortable is often the death of creativity, it would be nice to be happier.

On to more positive things!
Two of the four new pieces I’ve made to start this decade off right:


Black & transparent latex top with big glittery bows. What can I say, I’ve been listening to and watching Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” constantly. She’s getting’ in my subconscious!
I’ve been playing around with adding glitter to latex, and what I’ve discovered is that it works best on accents and not on the body of a piece. It has a tendency to come off with the application of lube and rubbing/stretching, but when on little things like these I’m able to put a protective shellac on top.
I made it with the gorgeous Lily Hex in mind, but her boobs were just too big! So I need to find a hot dark haired model in the Chicago area for Corwin to shoot it on.


Pleated neckpiece.
Sometimes I feel like a sculptor when I work with fabric. I put it on the dress form and try to “listen” to what it wants to do, and then I manipulate it. The only problem with this process is that it can take weeks and weeks to finish something. I love where this one is going, but I’m unhappy with it. It’s not resolved. It needs something more…more bulk around the top I think. And maybe some velvet embellished accents. Don’t know, I’ll have to see. Corwin just finished shooting it but I wasn’t sure…I have to stop getting things shot when they aren’t 100% yet. Oh well, looked cool anyways.

The other two pieces I finished are pretty 80’s, I won’t lie. They are brightly colored leotards with crazy mutli-colored straps and “tails.” They are really cute & really funny. I also made a Goth-y-er version for Apnea to wear for Steve Prue as a feature on Haute Macabe (one of my favorite blogs). All of them have been photographed but I’m just waiting to get the files back. Will share when I have them.

And lastly, some personal visual inspiration:

Photo by Chase Lisbon:

Screenprint by Danielle Lange:

I’m going to try to update at least once a week, hopefully 2x a week. See you then!

"Finished" is the most beautiful word in the human language.

I've been so busy it's almost too much. I say almost because in all honesty I would much rather be busy than not. One of my biggest pet peeves (and there are quite a few, let me tell you) is when people are bored and/or say they are bored. There is no excuse for boredom! Go do something! Sitting and whining is not going to fulfill you or improve your current situation. Everyone has the potential to be creative and everyone can carve out satisfaction for themselves if they try hard enough. It's not as easy as complaining, but as I realized yet again today while getting exceedingly angry at my sewing machine and my elementary skills at using it, nothing worthwhile is easy. You know it's sad but true. 

Don't be comfortable. 

Don't stop striving for perfection. 

But give yourself a break if you aren't quite there yet. 

In light of that, let us now share recently completed projects:

"Nostalgia for Nothing" jacket. Polyester lining, bamboo batting, poly fiber stuffing, polyester white mesh & black organza. 

Getting shipped to Planet Hair in Witchita, KS for their annual hair show/fundraiser.

Black semi-stretch weave with silver vinyl cut-out detailing hat-lette. I love the shape of this one, will definitely have to experiment with it some more. 

This and the matching dress were a request by Mosh for her upcoming red carpet & shoot with Lithium Picnic. 

Silver & fushia latex w/ silver netting hat-lette. Matches a super secret design & pasties, available soon! 

Going to Mosh to shoot with Viva Van Story. 

Rubber & knit drip dress. Done a long while ago, finally finished the last bits.

Going to Mosh to shoot with Lithium Picnic.

Raw edged cream silk & blue velvet dress with muslin mis-prints by my good friend Danielle Lange. The velvet part is actually an old jacket from Jet Rag thrift in LA that I chopped up. DIYwin!

I also do modifications of pre-existing latex. I did the bow & line detailing on these gloves as per Anna Evans's request to match a design I made for her. 

Black velvet & plastic mesh dress. 

Getting shipped to Planet Hair in Witchita, KS for their annual hair show/fundraiser.

Orange fun fur top. There's something to be said for ugly. 

Getting shipped to Planet Hair in Witchita, KS for their annual hair show/fundraiser.

And a little peak at two upcoming projects, which will be done by the weekend:

Shite-ton of latex bows. (Next to my favorite leopard spotted grandma coat.)

For "The Welcome Home Party" on Saturday at a friend's studio. 

Yellow tracks collar. Was a super ugly thrifted foam hat until I got my grubby paws on it. 

Getting shipped to Planet Hair in Witchita, KS for their annual hair show/fundraiser.

That is all.

Share.

Discuss.

Chicago Stat

It's been a long while, I know. I have been remiss in my duties! But I swear I have a good excuse. Moving is never easy, and it is especially difficult when moving over a thousand miles away and having miscommunication mess up what was promised & expected. In any case, I am now settled in Chicago (finally)!

But to recap:

Philly was great for the most part. I really fell in the love with the city and am highly thinking of going back after my apprenticeship here is done at the end of February. I wasn't as productive as I would have liked, but I got to fit & create three custom pieces (including the Goth-iest fascinator hat ever) for Anna Evans and fit Jade Vixen for a dress I will be making soon. Excitement! Will post pictures as I have them.

SIDE NOTE: Speaking of Goth, I'm 100% certain it is making a comeback in a big way. Not just in fashion since black & deathly has always been an inspiration, I'm talking more about lifestyle and look. The last serious resurgence died in 1999/2000 so it's so awesome to see it returning! Check out my favorite fashionista blog for all things Haute Macabre. 

Photo break:

I started doing a self portrait/poetry collaboration project with Corwin Prescott a few weeks ago and this is one of my favs so far:

like birch. (you could taste)

To see the rest, go to my DeviantArt. 

He also took an amazing photo of a top I made:

Model: Poses

Silver & black leather, black silk organza.

We are mutually obsessed with each other's work :D

Also re-edited an older photo of an head piece I made ages ago:

I need to rework it because it didn't quite fit but I love the big bow! Sheer black pleated polyester, leather, huge rhinestone. 

And my beautiful friend Najy posed for me in the old elevator in my building wearing a GORGEOUS late 50's/early 60's dress:

SIDE NOTE: Do NOT put vintage in the washing machine! Do NOT go to a dry-cleaner that has no idea what they're doing and puts vintage in a washing machine! It will RUIN the garment! I had to perform emergency surgery and resuscitation on this piece because of someone else's fuck up. It was a crime what was done to it. The fabric had shattered on the inside hem & cuffs, the belt became detached, the beading is much weaker and some had to be re-sewn, and it shrunk a half size. 

WHEN IN DOUBT, HAND WASH! Directions. 

Sliver of Grey

Well, more like a huge swatch of it. 

Just finished working on this:

I picked up this lovely blue/grey tablecloth at the Salvation Army. I'm a sucker for the shine & matte combo so there was no way I was leaving with out it.

It's going to need some boning to make it all stick out the way it's supposed to, and I think there will be black accents but I can't decide. Maybe red? Thoughts?

I'm not sure which side is the front either...will have to see how it looks on a body. 

Also just got this image of titwillow in the hat I made for her, by RedRum Collaboration:

Sweet. I thought her hair was going to be dark blue hence the pale pink satin but *shrug*.

Also. I really really like mexican wrestling masks. Especially gold ones. Especially when I'm wearing them in a park while homeless men talk to me. Yes. 

And just 'cause he's such a cutie and I am completely, 100% in love with my new Nikkor 50mm 1.4 lens.

(I know it's blurry, sorry, technique goes out the window when I'm just trying to capture.) 

CorWIN.