Vagadu

Pictures of the wedding dress....

2011-10-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

The wedding veil

2011-10-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

I wanted a vintage style veil, but I was struggling with it not looking like a shower cap. Finally I found the solution, to have the tule come from under my hairstyle instead of over it and it solved the problem.
In the image here, I am testing my hair and make up. I made my veil with creating a headband from silk organza overlaid with lace, and then hand sewn flowers and trims from different types of silks. Then I created snaps for the tule to attach below and be able to snap off so that I was free to dance after the ceremony.

I finally got married! A breakdown of the gown...

2011-10-27T13:03:00.001-07:00

I really won't go into much wording on this, what I want to do is show pictures and progress of how things turned out. First off, to see a beautiful photo summary of the day go to this link: Andrew and Joui's Wedding

First things first, let's start off with my wedding dress. First, I tried on some dresses and each dress got me in a different mood. Here are some images...I was very tempted by some gowns that I mentioned before that I was convinced not to buy, but rather make something myself, so I starte d draping at my friends studio. Here were some of the e the dresse s the drapes that resulted. T he y were nice but they felt too old fashioned, even though I liked the feel of vintage, what was coming out of me wasn't quite right. I also realized that I didn't have time or energy to make the entire dress, and what would end up taking me a long time would be creating the silhouette.

So I decided I would find a vintage dress and then embellish it and make i t my own (which is the part I love most of all.) The first dress with the bedazzlements is what I almost bought as my dress.
The second dress in a true white, was a 1920's inspired silk charmeuse with a four foot train. I was so excited by the train, since I had envisioned it for my wedding!

These next pics are of the dress with the first drape of the embellishments. I copied the Lazaro dress I loved so much because I realized it would help me keep on target, yet because it was me copying it, it would inherently be different and unique. And it was.
In the image to the right, I have sewn on I can't tell you how many pounds of hand pleated silk organza ruffles. Then most of them had to be hand sewn as well. With the long train, at moments I had to hang the dress from my chandelier while I sewed!
In this next image I have added a lot more of the fun, funky stuff. Trims and laces from fancy donations, lace from friends grandmothers, lace from designers etc. All my years of collecting fabric came to use! The dress to the right is the final version.
Here I am in the final dress. Next post will talk about the veil!

More Fabulous Wedding Dresses

2011-05-04T11:19:00.001-07:00

Looking up images of Grace Kelly's wedding dress had a site appear with the images in this blog. I especially love the use by this designer with veils.

Since my dress is almost done....I am thinking about veils.

So many ideas and possibilities.

Will start posting photos of the dress except my photos are so bad...they don't do it justice.

Bridal party colors coming together!

2011-04-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

Exciting... as I finally put together whole 'vision' of the bridal party. Color, it is so important. For me, without the color scheme handled I can't get anything done!!!

As you see to the left, the bridesmaids will be wearing unique and different shades of pinks/reds.

As you can see from this image, we have hot pinks to dusty rose to red.

Marc J. is doing a great job of linking together uniformity without conformity.

That is the theme of the wedding....

My hope is that everything

goes together yet feels alive and unique.

For the family; mom, dad, mom-in-law, dad-in-law and sister-in-law I want them to wear shades of purple. Ideally deeper shades of purple, but I also open to mixing and matching.

Here are inspirational ideas for the men to incorporate purple into their look.

This next image shows off how the purple

will 'pop' against green and yellow of the natural landscape that we are to be married against. In other

words, we are getting married on a hill looking over the valley in Calistoga.

My florist and I are discussing the possibility of yellow

s in the bouquets, and we already chose green and orange table linens!

This last image represents Andrew and I. Bride and Groom.

Amongst all the color we will remain in a classic white and black with only our bouquets and boutonnieres to tie us into the rest of the bridal party.

When I Grow Up.

2011-04-07T08:44:00.000-07:00

This Video shows what the world would look like if I were God. Sometimes it takes getting old to finally free yourself to have fun with fashion. I am trying to do it now, while I still can pull off anything ;-).

Advanced Style: Age and Beauty on Nowness.com.

Wedding Decoration ideas from St. Louis

2011-03-23T13:23:00.000-07:00

I recently got back from St. Louis, MO and came across this amazing store/workshop called SKIF. In their window displays were the most inventive, whimsical and lovely paper and found object decorations. I was inspired immediately by the works for my wedding. I particularly love the mish-mash of elements. The way the twigs and paper and lights create instant texture. I love the hand-made feel of the decorations too, it creates easy comfort.
I also love how accessible this will be to make. All I have to do is get paper and friends together to make lots of flowers, papelito, and other fun designs we will probably come up with on our own.

More Wedding Dress Inspiration

2011-03-13T20:29:00.001-07:00

Today was the third day of trying on more gowns. Yesterday, my friend Linda and I went and tried on much more expensive gowns than my first trial run.
The image with the purple background is a Lazaro dress that I absolutely fell in love with, except the price!
However, what I got clearer on was that I want something that shows off my figure (you're only young once!) and yet has a vintage feel and is long with a train.
We decided after the 5K dress experience to go to some fancy vintage stores and see what we could come up with....I am a designer and I specialize in reworking things, why can't I do that for my own gown?
I just can't justify spending thousands of dollars on a dress that I will only wear once especially when that money could go for other things like -- travel!
So, I think we found a wonderful embroidered dress that fits like a glove. It needs some length and shoulder straps (I refuse to wear a strapless...a girl has to eat!)
and some more pizazz. But other than that, this vintage dress really fits the bill, and my budget!

These other gowns I am displaying are by Maria Karin and I think they are fabulous! I am inspired to add similar elements to the vintage dress in the way Karina uses texture and form.

Inspirations for the Wedding Dress

2011-03-02T17:29:00.001-08:00

A lot changed since I first started putting together my inspirations for the wedding dress. I have since gone out and tried some on which has altered my mindset on everything.
Which is making me think I may need two dresses. The ceremonial dress feels like I want it to be more virginal, Mary-like. More soft, more like my princess Ozma fantasy. Perhaps the reception dress will be more vixen, more queen-like and fun. The dresses I have put here fall into each category. Still not sure if I will design the dress entirely or if I will alter a dress now. Decisions!!!

Colors for Wedding....Update!

2011-02-25T11:25:00.000-08:00

After meeting with Alex I realized that simpler is better. As a designer I am one of those who loves to overdo it. I just want more and more. In my personal artwork there is never enough saturation, print and color. However, Alex reminded me that for a wedding, it is about the people, and especially me.
If I am going to make a fabulous gown, I need to stand out from the background and not be overwhelmed by the setting.

The picture here demonstrates the results from our meeting. (I purposfully posted the image upside down so you can focus on colors, not content).

Lower the saturation of the overall color scheme and make sure they are warm hues. He says that everyone looks good against warm tones, and you want everyone to look and feel good, and warm tones make people have stronger appetites.
In the photo you can see that we have soft beige, creams, browns, oranges and golds. Light blues and silvers can also be mixed in as long as the majority of colors are on the warmer side.
Since my dress is going to have a rich royal blue and turquoise with cream--as demonstrated by the 'pop' of the blue in the image--against the pastels, they will definitely stand out. Also, reds or pinks of darker saturation will also be accent colors for bridesmaids and groom and they too also 'pop' against the softer background.

For decor, the blues can be sprinkled into the setting with little details like vases, ornaments or random objects to pull the dress into the scheme without it being too much.

So there you have it! The latest colors. More to come on the dress and other things!

Ring the Bells....first blog dedicated to Designing my Wedding

2011-02-23T10:45:00.000-08:00

The dust has (mainly) settled. Since moving out of my studio, there has been non-stop work to reorganize our home so that my stuff fits! Luckily all things have found a place, and now I get to focus on the fun things in life like .... planning my wedding!
Today I will be meeting with a friend Alex who is going to help me create the 'mood and look' of the wedding. Alex is a an interior designer extraordinaire, especially in the sense that he knows how to create luxury on the cheap. This is my kind of man because I tell you, I never DREAMED I would spend this much on my wedding as we are having
to shell out. Yet, Andrew and I are dedicated to having a beautiful wedding and that seems to mean spending some decent $$$.

Now time for visuals. In prepping for my design meeting with Alex I have been collecting images of things and places and other weddings that have incorporated elements that I like.
I decided for the overall themes what inspire me is the following: Moulin Rouge, Morocco, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Shabby Chic, mixed with a little Bollywood.
The Ima ges I have shown here are all 'inspirational i mages that will guide us in the right direction. To give us the look and feel of the wedding.

The reason I chose this diverse set of themes is each of them have a emotional quality that I desire to have at the wedding.Moulin Rouge if you have ever seen the film, is a treat for the eyes. Such a visual experience that is breathtaking. I want my guests and myself to be totally moved by the beauty of the wedding. Also, MR is glamorous, and sexy. I know I want to feel sexy and my bridesmaids do too! Last, MR is about life a la bohemian. I come from bohemian roots, lots of artists and creators of expressive living. I want that element to be expressed in the wedding too. Old mixed with new, creative ways to create gorgeous aesthetic without being ostentatious.

I chose Morocco interiors because I just adore the sumptuous beauty in the architecture and home decor. The culture seems to put a priority on lounging and being comfortable physically and visually. The use of color and mixing textures is done exquisitely.

Art Nouveau has always been one of my favorite design eras. There was an appreciation for the organic, unfinished, and flow of art with nature we have yet to appreciate again. The craftsmanship too is remarkable. I know for my dress and my bridesmaids (not to forget the groom) will definitely have the attention to detail and quality that is so evident in AN.

Art Deco is included just because it is similar to AN but more people seem to relate to it. Art Deco came right after AN and incorporates harder lines and more symmetry while still maintaining high design concepts and quality.

Last, let's talk Bollywood. Andrew and I are totally fans of the films. The color, the music the unabashed celebration of life. Coming from India, the colors and vibrancy is similar to Morocco. However, I chose Bollywood for the idea that I want everyone at the wedding to fully enjoy themselves as if it were their last day on this earth; sing, dance and be merry like never before!

Looking at these images will help us come up with the most important first step of the wedding...our color palette. So far the colors I know for sure are; royal blue, cream, turquoise, gold/brown, pink and black.

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The next few images I will show are to illustrate different components that I would like to have incorporated in the wedding. These images are more literal and will give Alex some solid examples of what is possible for decor.

Streamers and more streamers! I love anything that hangs from above. I think these images show some great ways to play with the concept.

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Table settings. I want something unique and comfortable. Here are some images that display aspects of beauty and creativity that I enjoy.

I love personalized elements in decoration. I know I will achieve this because my maid of honor Ahna, is the queen of little notes and signage that are quirky and fabulous.

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Fun Details!
These are just some images of things that I like that create extra 'funness' to an event.

I haven't made a special section for flowers yet...but for now, I do appreciate the image to the left and the huge tree-like flowers framing the ceremony. I think it is a cool variation of the trellis altar.
Or for example, since we have a 'themed' wedding (sort of) it would be great to have a table that offered easy dress-up accessories to those who just couldn't find something festive in their wardrobe. The image with the cowboy hat table is a great example of how to set up an area for wardrobe help.

How To Wear Vagadu

2010-12-06T13:35:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon everyone!

This post today is going to be a fun one! We've added images of Vagadu vests onto fashion spreads to show you all how you could possibly wear on the vests! Wouldn't it be wonderful if on a student living I could afford to dress myself in wonderful dresses made by Louis Vuitton!

I hope that everyone in enjoys this! The purple vest is on a Donna Karan outfit. The navy and red vest isplaced on a model

wearing J Brand jeans. The yellow Louis Vuitton dress has a scraptec flowering vest over it. And the purple slip dress has a sleeve vest over it. Don't they all look great?!

Also I wanted to wish everyone Happy Holiday for whatever holiday that you might celebrate! Keep your family close and have a great time! This is going to be my last blog for Vagadu but keep an eye out for "Love & Fashion" because I will always be around!

Love & Fashion,

Kelley signing off for Vagadu

Pillow Talk

2010-11-29T10:41:00.000-08:00

Hello darlings!

I hope that everyone is having a great day and that everything is going how they hoped their day would go.

Things are going wonderfully here at Vagadu because we've been working on new ideas and the final product is here! We've been experimenting with making pillows out of older fabric pieces that were too small to use for any of our large projects like the blazer vests and dresses. And these pillows have turned out great!

They are Scraptec Pillows made using a base pillow cover and then we've added the Vagadu touch! Like the blazer vests these pillows have the most wonderful fabrics on them like Italian silks in very beautiful patterns.

I know how hard it can be to find accent pieces for new homes or maybe an older couch that you wanted to spice up. Instead of spending loads of money getting it reupholstered or trying to find a slip that doesn't make the couch look dumpy you can buy a Vagadu Scraptec Pillow!

This is a great option because through the practices that Vagadu upholds, you too can be green. At Vagadu our products are made from 90% recycled materials, and everything is made by hand so there isn't any environmental damage caused by all of our products!

Don't hesitate to participate in some pillow talk tonight because that is the green thing to do!

Love & Fashion,

Kelley for Vagadu

Greenwashing: Beware!

2010-11-15T11:23:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone.

I hope things are going well. And that everyone is having a good week and enjoyed their weekend.

Today I wanted to write about something kind of shocking that happens at some fashion events all over the world and that is "green washing". Green washing is when a company temporarily changes the way that they produce their product in order to gain good press from someone who honors green fashion.

Green washing isn't limited to the fashion world either, it happens in large corporations all over the world. An example of what a corporation could do is change all of the light bulbs in their corporate headquarters and then they call themselves "green".

Both fashion companies and other companies are then able to take advantage of tax reductions, good press and a new customer base. This is crazy that some people are doing this because they are taking advantage of people and also taking away

business from people who are truly green!

Fashion designers "green wash" their company through producing a new articles of clothing just for a certain event. After those clothes are donated or sold the company resorts back to how they were before.

Before investing your hard earned money in a new

company, even if you are just buying a "green" T-shirt, you should research the company! Make sure if they are saying that they are "green" that they truly are "green" all year round.

Don't making buying clothing a chore though, this should be an activity that you love to do! Just be aware that some companies are not 100% honest with who they are!

Love & Fashion,

Kelley for Vagadu

Sleeve What's Up At Vagadu!

2010-11-08T11:24:00.000-08:00

Hey!

I'm not sure if any of you have wondered what happened to all of the blazer sleeves from the blazer vests that we create but if you have then today I'll answer!

We reuse those sleeves!

And we do this through some of the newer pieces that we're currently creating! One of the pieces is going to become a blazer sleeve blazer/jacket. Isn't that cool? We're reusing old blazer sleeves from past blazers and turning them back into their original form only better!

This piece blends fabrics together through the use of the blazer sleeves. These sleeves flow through the garment, creating a touchable blend of neutrals and patterned fabric. The blazer/jacket has 3/4 length sleeves and falls at waist level making this look ideal for flattering any body type.

Another way that we reuse the blazer sleeves is to use them

in the creation of the blazer vest that the sleeves just came off of. The sleeves become an elaborate collar or a new waist line but they stay within the original garment, how great is that?

Love & Fashion,

Kelley for Vagadu

Worker Bees at the Vagadu Hive

2010-11-01T13:36:00.001-07:00

Hey! How is everyone's day so far?

This post is going to be all about the design interns here at Vagadu who work hard to make the wonderful items that you guys enjoy reading about! It is going to be a "Thank You" post and you'll get to learn a little about the behind the seams action.

Without the work that everyone at Vagadu puts in then things wouldn't get done nearly as fast which is always annoying! American culture is all about instant satisfaction and we know that, so we're working extra hard to make sure that can happen for all customers who are interested in Vagadu.

One thing that these women don't do is rush on the projects that they are working on. Each garment or accessory that they create, they work with until they completely understand the piece. They work with the garment making sure that everything lays correctly and that the colors all work together in a effortless way. The women make sure that they are putting their best work forward, so that you in turn get the best product.

It is great to work with these women because I know that

we all share a great passion for the clothing industry and for green fashion. The other women are all design interns at one of the design schools in San Francisco and some of them have already done their first fashion show (through their school)! Isn't that super cool? I am not a design intern, I am a marketing intern. I love seeing them work because I don't know very much about the behind-the-scenes part of the clothing industry but now I'm learning!

Love & Fashion,

Kelley for Vagadu

Why Vagadu?!

2010-10-25T12:11:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone!

Isn't is cold right now in San Francisco?! When I looked at the weather for this week it said that it was going to rain more, which means that it is nearing a San Francisco winter! San Francisco is finally starting to act like San Francisco, horray! I hope that you guys like this weather as well.

As I'm sure you guys all know, here at Vagadu we rework clothing items using older vintage already constructed clothing pieces. What we do is deconstruct the item, breaking it down to the very basics. Then we rebuild the piece creating a blazer, vest, dress, or Obi-Belt using other fabrics that have been previously donated to Vagadu from many different places. Sometimes the fabrics come all the way from France or Italy!

We believe that buying items that have been reworked or recreated from previous garments is the best thing to do!

This is because those prices have already gone through the entire (lengthy) fabric treatment process and aren't causing any further environmental damage. Instead of following in our culture's past habit of abandoning clothing that is out of season or has fallen out of style Vagadu takes those items and breaths a new life. We work to create new unique pieces that are designed so that it will continue to be current even after the

current trends pass.

Buying organic clothing is a great step that can be taken to "green" up your closet but even organic fabrics have to be sent through a treatment process. This process is long and uses a lot of coal burning energy thus making the organic fabrics very controversial. There are many people

within the clothing industry that believe that buying organic and buying nonorganic fabric is the same thing. This is because of the environmentally harmful steps that both fabric types go through before they are able to be turned into the garment that we buy.

Another thing that Vagadu does which helps make our clothing surpass the current trends is that we use vintage pieces as the

base for our blazer vests. Vintage pieces are constructed at a higher standard than what most mass production clothing company currently have today. This means that those vintage base items are going to last longer and look better longer

because of the work that was put into the item. Vagadu then steps in and rebirths the item making it current with detailing and wonderful other fabrics!

I believe that everyone should try and do their part to help counteract the damage that has been already caused to the environment! If you do this through buying green (clothing, food, anything!), through donating old clothing or recycling and composting then GREAT!

Keep up the good work! Your planet thanks you!

Love & Fashion,

Kelley for Vagadu

Accessories For Every Location

2010-10-11T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! We cannot believe that it is already almost the middle of October! This year is moving so quickly! We hope that everyone in San Francisco is loving this Indian Summer as much as we are.

At Vagadu we've made these great new hair pieces! And this blog is going to focus on how many different ways you can wear them modeled on one of the interns at Vagadu. The hair pieces are super fun because there are many different shades of each color within the accessory making it so that you can wear these with any shade of color! The intern is modeling one of the pink ones, but there are many different colors like blues, golds, multi-colors, and neutrals!

One of our favorite things about these pieces is that we've made them using old scrap pieces that we have around the studio. Before we thought of this idea, the scraps were being used but often were too small for bigger projects like the vests. Now there is no scrap piece that is too small for these Scrap Hairpieces! Yet another way that Vagadu is staying green and making eco friendly clothing.

Anywhere that you could think of wearing one of these pieces, you can really wear it there! As a hair piece? Obviously! As a chocker or neckaccent? Yes! On your belt, blouse, shoe?! Of course! On your wrist? You Bet! You can pin it, clip it, add a headband to it, put a belt through it

and tie it anywhere that you think looks good!

Love & Fashion,

Kelley for Vagadu

Marguerite's Purple Recreation

2010-10-04T16:22:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I hope that everything is going well for you!

Recently we created this beautiful blazer vest for Marguerite. Before the blazer went through it's wonderful

transformation it was a solid purple blazer by Donna Karen. It was designed sometime during the early 90s and had become a bit d

ated. Marguerite wanted to change the blazer into something that she could wear because the blazer was currently just sitting in her closet.

This is when Marguerite decided to contact

Vagadu and we set about the repurposing process. This blazer was already such a bright bold color so we decided not to add any dark accents onto the piece. We wanted to keep the bright purple the main focus, as per Marguerite's wishes.

To accent the collar of the blazer we used hand dyed silks in yellow and silver in order to make the purple pop even more! The flower was made from leftover fabric pieces from one of the couture gowns that we'd created previously.

To balance out the other side we added beadwork to look like someone had just tossed the beads onto the blazer. Marguerite was very pleased with the result of the blazer and she planned to wear it with a rust orange colored top underneath.

This is another great example of what custom can do for the old favorite or well loved pieces in your wardrobe!

Love & Fashion,

Kelley for Vagadu

Obi Belt The Vagadu Way

2010-09-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! How are all of you?

We're all really happy here at Vagadu because of these new belts that we have been creating this month! They are the Vagadu take on the popular Obi Belt!

What is really cool about these belts is that we've made them to fit into our current collection! So there are Navy& Red belts, Neutral belts, and belts that are mix of all different blues! Isn't that a cool idea?! Soon there will belts

that will contain the pop color of our collection, we're making them this month!

Within these belts there are shapes that we haven't seen on any other Obi Belts, like really interesting geometric matters. Thebelts are all different, some are flowing from one side to another while some are totally different on both sides. We've used hand dyed silks, laces and velvets to add texture to these pieces and those textures make them pop!

We love the Obi Belts because they are an accessory that can be worked

in an outfit in such a wonderful way. Wearing them with a plain colored T-shirt or oversized shirt would create a totally different look than whenever you had previously worn that same top!

Another reason why these belts are great is that they are at a lower price point than some of the other Vagadu items

(under $150!!). This is great news for those of you who want to own

something by Vagadu but haven't found anything for your price point.

Love & Fashion,

Kelley for Vagadu

A Perfect Rose Reworked

2010-09-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

Bonjour everyone!

One of the projects that I was really excited about reworking

was a vest that we'd come to call the Prefect Rose. The Prefect Rose was a blazer that we had already reworked into a blazer vest but people were not responding to this item the way that we thought they would be.

The idea came about to rework the Prefect Rose into an even better blazer vest than the first time. If a blazer vest is created and does not successfully sell then the next option is coming up with ideas on how we can make the vest even more flattering than how it currently is.

You can tell from the previous picture where I'm wearing the blazer vest what we've changed in the final product. But to explain, we unpicked the bottom drape and flattened out the way the blazer vest fell at the waist. Also we trimmed the bottom by about 3 inches so that it sat in a different location, we also dropped the bottom down creating a larger waist. We took material that we had cut off of the bottom and added it onto opposite the roses to create balance in the neck line.

Recently this blazer vest was wrote by a friend of Vagadu at a Gala in San Francisco and the vest was a great success. The woman wearing it was complimented throughout the evening, proving that a little reworking goes a long way!

Love & Fashion,

Kelley for Vagadu

New Creations Are Blooming at Vagadu

2010-09-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

Good morning!

Right now we're really excited about a flowering vest that we recently created. This vest is a good accent piece to be worn over a long or short sleeve T-shirt depending on your climate.

We really love this piece because it is so versatile, we have it shown on the model worn with a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt. The flowering vest is something that can turn an outfit from low key into a one of a kind creation.

The flowering vest could be worn as shown or as a going out item paired with a tank and a high waisted skirt or trousers. This is one of those types of items that would get frequent wear because of the different looks that you can create with this flowering vest.

The multiple colors that were used for this item allow the item to both blend in and stand out depending on what color you pair the vest with. With a darker color the fuschia in the background would really pop where as with a lighter color the flowers would pop more.

Please don't hesitate to ask any questions! Have a great day!

Love & Fashion,

Kelley for Vagadu

Not Just Any Old Wedding Gift

2010-09-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

Hey! How is everyone doing today?!

This blazer was first created as a pop color item that would bring color to any wardrobe since it is made from all different shades of purple. But this product ended up becoming something much more.

My cousin was getting married and after speaking to family members, they all agreed that I should make her a blazer specifically for her instead of a traditional wedding gift. My cousin loves colors that are bold and bright like reds.

We had already created this purple blazer, but to make it something that my cousin would like even more we decided to add red accent points to it. We did this through adding in red bead work, and fun red fabrics made from satin charmeuse to the neck line. This made the final product more flamboyant and exactly what my cousin wanted!

What was unique about this item is that we were able to rework the blazer for a second time to create the final end product. It shows that these blazers can be even further enhanced to make something that is even more liked.

Love & Fashion,

Kelley for Vagadu

The "New" Vest, Bunnies Not Included

2010-08-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Today Carol came in to pick up her new vests that she commissioned us to breathe a new life into. These items Carol had hanging in her closet, getting no use but she couldn't part with them either. The idea to change them into something more functional came about, so we set about this new task.

The idea was to create a new vest that would flatter her figure and would be able to be worn in multiple setting including a more formal atmosphere. The two vests created looked best falling at mid hip level. The creation of this item, along with Carol's extremely pleased reaction has spurred the idea to create more vests falling at the same length in different patterns and styles.

What was great about this project was that the pieces we worked with were brought in by the person who was having the items created. This is a great opportunity to bring in an item that holds sentimental value but just doesn't quite fit anymore, like your father's old blazer.

This project was also challenging because this was the first time creating a vest that would fall longer than waist level. The end product turned out wonderful and everyone walked away happy with the new vests.

In the case of the bunny vest, it has previously been a track jacket with a zipper up the very center of the jacket. This zipper was reworked into a decorative item along both sides of the vest that worked well with the silk along the neck line. A button allows the vest to still be closed.

Love & Fashion,

Kelley for Vagadu

T-Shirt Fun

2010-06-29T17:05:00.001-07:00

I normally don't create from T-shirts but for an event for Global Action through Fashion (at which I spoke about the importance of Green Fashion), I was asked to create a design a la VAGADU in a t-shirt form. The idea behind creating a t-shirt was that they would be teaching people how to rework their old t-shirts into something great. Therefore, I went to work to show how I would do it.

At first I was unenthusiastic, mainly because I am sick of t-shirts and the fabric that is used in most ready-to-wear. To me, t-shirt fabric is cheap and ugly and doesn't last. So, I don't work in it. However, in honor of the event I decided to participate.

To my surprise, I actually had fun and created a design I was proud of. As you can see in the image my reworked tee turned out pretty well.

So, what did I do?

1. Cut the sleeves and bottom off the dark green tee. Took the sleeves and and rouged them into the flower on the front. In order to get the shape I hand sewed it. Yes...using my couture techniques that I use on the very high end VAGADU pieces. As I know, couture is appropriate for almost ALL DESIGNS!!!

2. Took the bottom of the shirt and used it to created a mini ruffle and trim around the neckline. Again, applied through laborious hand-sewing.

3. I had another tee that was falling apart, and so I used it to create the cascading ruffles. This was accomplished by simply cutting spiraling circles into the green fabric and then letting them unwind creating the effect you see in the image. Next, I stitched them to the shoulder.

Voila! You have a couture-inspired tee!!! Amazing!

The Vagadu Man Emerges...

2010-06-16T15:19:00.000-07:00

In just the last couple months I have surprisingly gotten very inspired by menswear. This is a very unexpected development, yet it has come about so naturally that somehow it just feels right!

A little back end tidbit....besides creating clothing I have branched out into image consulting and my primary clients have been men. Through the research and development of how to create great style for men, my creative juices started to expand as I got more and more requests for custom clothing. Given my flair for the unusual , it has been a fun journey to find the sweet spot between striking and over-the-top. Granted my idea of striking is probably much bolder than most, but still, I am find that avant-guard men's clothing is a very up-and-coming market and men are just plain AWESOME clients.

The other day I got a commission for a special b-day shirt. The man was an artist and so I wanted to tie the shirt in with his artwork. My client's art is photography where he essentially collages different bits of the image so that it has depth and texture and has you rethink the entire image. I wanted to apply that same concept to his shirt...which you see--in the image to the left--is a reconstruction or a collage of several shirts in one garment.

Another concept I conceived for a shirt is using my "scrap technology" (as seen in the scrap tech vests in previous post) and applied to a masculine design. In the end, it became more of what I consider to be a new take on the tuxedo shirt... or in other words, a reinterpretation of the classic ruffle. In the image pictured here, the gentleman is also sporting one of my custom ascots...a great variation on the classic tie.

Flowering Scraptec Vest...how the idea was born!

2010-05-10T14:29:00.000-07:00

I love my 'Flowering Scraptec Vests' made from the remnants of the 'Varda's Women Gowns'.

I never blogged about how the idea was created. So I thought I would finally do it!

As a woman with a small bosom, I was noticing that I wanted some attention to the chest region--an area on me that often goes unnoticed. I have always been a fan of designs that exploit this area creatively. Starting back when Jean Paul Gautier was doing cone-breasts.

The flowering idea came with the fact I had a million scraps left over from the gown collection and I couldn't stand to throw them away...they were too beautiful! So the flowering effect was a perfect way to utilize the scraps.

Before I decided to make the idea into a vest, it was first part of a dress that I reworked from the Rex Floodstrom collection (as seen below).

Since the Rex dresses were very long, I hacked them in two pieces and used the bottom as the skirt part of the dress and created the flowering part for the top (as seen in the image below left).

I am wearing the dress to an art show at Gray Area Gallery. It was the perfect dress to wear to an art show. In my mind, one must wear art when viewing it!

Latest Brainstorm for the leftover Sleeves....

2010-04-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

I have created another idea of how to use the sleeves that are discarded from the Blazer Vests.

If you haven't seen the Sleeve Vests here is picture to show you how one of them looks. I love using sleeves as a vest, but the idea hasn't caught on as fast as I would like.
Therefore, I thought in the meantime I would find some other concepts for those fun little sleeves..

Thus....the Sleeve Dress #1!
I love this dress for many reasons. Soon I will show it on an actual human, but for the meantime you will just have to imagine. I love the way the sleeves make easy bulk in the skirt...no need for a bustle, the sleeve just keeps its fluff! I also having the sleeves enter on different sections of the upper part of the dress, which keeps it a bit unexpected.

I also had to throw in a bit of plaid...which according to the top designers is going to be the next thing for fall, although for me, plaid is always in.
Just ask Vivienne Westwood.

The only drawback for the dress is it requires a heck of a lot more sleeves....I think around 10 were used for this piece.

Inspiration for the next collection of Blazer Vests!

2010-03-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

This will be the first collection of Blazer Vests where I am trying to create color ways that are in-step with the current fashion trends. In the past, I hadn't really thought about what colors are "in" when making the vests and--moving forward-- I see it much making the vests more marketable without loosing the special VAGADU touch! Actually, having strict colors restrictions has allowed for a resurgence of creative growth...fun!!!!

Here are a couple of tears from magazines that show the current color trends I will be playing with and next to them is a simple photoshop mock-up of how they might look on my darling vests. I already have four of them finished .... but they will be released
at a special date TBA. *Note* the pictures of the vests are not real...it is just to give you a taste of how it all will translate.

Dark Blue
Navy Blue and Red! This is from Vogue and I am warning you that you will be seeing this combo around all this Fall. Tans
Also in Tans and Neutrals mixed together! As you know I love bold colors so it has been a fun challenge to work in softer shades, but I have been loving it none the less.
Bold Accent: Green
Every collection needs its stand out pieces. I pulled a tear from a Lanvin ad, and I am having fun mixing beads and other textures into bright green fabric.

Good Straps: An easy way to improve your dress!

2010-03-18T16:01:00.000-07:00

I recently bought a dress from Free People. I love the brand for their fun fabrics and unique way of creating garments. Even still, as a designer, almost nothing I buy is perfect as is. In this case the dress was great--besides the straps.
In my opinion, because the straps were this cheap shoe-lace material it down graded the overall feel.
Solution! Change the straps! So, I cut them off and made thicker straps from a really nice black Tar Poly (like lycra).
As you can see from the picture below the simple adjustment makes all the difference. It raises the quality on the dress noticeably.

Shoulder Pad Skirt

2010-03-05T16:29:00.001-08:00

Just thought I would share one of my latest little projects. This is my Shoulder Pad Skirt. A combination of at least 30 shoulder pads from all the Blazer Vests I have been making. I would definitely call this a deconstructionist look. That is why I paired it with one the sleeve vests on my intern and model-du-jour Celia.

One thing for sure about this skirt is it would be perfect for going to the ball-park. You wouldn't need to bring a seat cushion!!!!

Wedding Bells

2010-01-19T14:25:00.000-08:00

What is pictured here is an ascot/neck wrap that I made for friends celebrating their 1 year anniversary. It is a gift that validates my pack rat mentality....because I had these two bride and groom little dingy things that used to be filled with breath mints, that I had been keeping forever! I loved them because they were so kitsch, and I knew...one day I would be able to use them for something, and when I did use them it would be absolutely perfect. And it was!!!! What better way to celebrate both people in a relationship than with a neck wrap that brings a little white dress and a tuxedo together?

And then, if they get sick of the little symbols of matrimony then they can always remove them and they still have a stylish scarf.

This is what I want to look like!

2009-12-22T16:27:00.000-08:00

This couple was found wandering the De Young Museum in SF. My friend took their picture and sent it to me because she knew I would enjoy seeing people so joyously dressed. And she was soooo right!
This couple really embody the idea of clothing as artistic expression! I am moved and inspired by this couple and hope you are too. And, yet, don't wait for your golden years to enjoy being an eccentric, you could start today....

The Leftover Dress

2009-12-15T16:15:00.001-08:00

This is just a little draping brainstorm that has yet to be created. The idea behind this is that it would be the dress which is all the leftovers and mistakes of the "Varda's Women" gown collection. This dress ideally would be worn at my 'official' fashion-show runway event of the collection.

To see where the scraps came from...or in other words to see the "Varda's Women" collection click here

A Pineapple a Day

2009-12-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we get sick of dressing humans and we decide we must start decorating our much ignored friends...fruit!

I decided to decorate a pineapple for a friend as an edible gift. It was a fun and eco way of using the present as the wrapping :-)))

From a design standpoint I must admit that pineapples are one of the most interesting fruits out there. I just adore the shape of the oval body juxtaposed to the jutting plumage of the stem. If I were to design clothing inspired by edibles, a pineapple would one of the first...followed next by a star fruit, then perhaps by deformed lemons!

In many ways this posting is much more of a Martha Stewart moment, but sometimes we must seek inspiration outside of our normal boundaries and seek it in prickly objects!

Underbelly Inspiration

2009-11-16T14:58:00.000-08:00

Today I am displaying another example of unintentional beauty. The design of different colored threads are the backside of a new type of vest-like garment I am experimenting with. I like how the hand stitches create a simple, almost childlike expression on the back of this fabric.

The front side is very complex and busy, so it is a nice juxtaposition to think about what is created below the busyness!

Here is a pic of what the front-side texture is like. Although the pic here isn't actually the finished garment of the piece that is pictured above. But almost.....

Collage, Collage, Collage

2009-11-03T12:59:00.000-08:00

Besides creating clothing, collage is probably my next favorite artistic medium. In many ways I approach clothing design much like making a collage....except that it must be made of materials that you want to put on the body. This creates fun constraints--for me! However,in the end the freedom allowed in collage is very rejuvenating.

A little side note about me is that I almost never--might I dare say NEVER---buy greeting cards. I have almost always made them myself, and use birthday, holiday greetings as a great excuse to get to collaging.

Therefore, I thought I would post one of my most recent letters. This one was made for the artist Nick Cave (one of my personal heroes) and I decided to finally write him to tell him how much I appreciate what he brings to the world.

Pictured here is the front and back of the card. I ended up writing on it, but I photographed it in its pure form.

I also had a great deal of fun creating the envelope. I used a pair of denim pants as the container and I used my sewing machine to embroider the addresses. It was a bit tedious, but I really like the result. For the name "Nick Cave" I used a freestyle sewing foot which allowed me to create the name in a more organic form, in comparison to the the programed address part.

If you like what you see click HERE to see other collages by me.

Inspiration in Texture and Color

2009-10-20T15:17:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share some images I took from one of the projects I am working on. Every so often--or perhaps more often than I admit-- I get inspiration from a garment as it evolves. Or in other words, in the act of creating a garment, the garment itself takes on its own surprising identity. That is, you really never know how something will be until it "is". And often, it "is" very different than imagined, and often even better than originally designed.

If you haven't gotten the gist yet, I like to philosophize about the creation process!!!

Anyway, back to the images at hand. The first image is a picture of a an acordian sleeve of a mini bolero jacket. The fabric is hand dyed silk by Ana Lisa Hedstrom and it is backed by a blue metallic silk organza. As I sewing it I was so taken by the inside of the jacket that I had to take a photo. I love how the organza adds a hue and a stiffness to the silk below and gives it a painterly feel when seen up-close.

The second pic is a pile of seam allowances that were trimmed from the same jacket, and I love how all the colors blend together in this little pile.

The Latest Blazer Vests Cont....

2009-10-02T16:58:00.001-07:00

As usual I am posting one of the next vests to be created, plus an awkward photo of me wearing it. It is hard to take a good photo of yourself without any help!

Varda's Women to Debut at the W Hotel SF!

2009-09-15T18:06:00.000-07:00

New Vagadu Labels

2009-09-01T18:09:00.000-07:00

Been away for a while because I was working on my Aug. 30th deadline for the photoshoot for the "Varda's Women" fall gown collection. The last two weeks have been really intense working at least 10-12 hour days to get the dresses ready! But now that it happened and went well (photos to come soon) I am working on the little details for the dresses.One of these details being the all-important LABEL!!!!

I mean, without a label who are you?
So, I got crafty and came up with an idea for the next series of Vagadu tags. I may have mentioned this before but I love working with the heat press and doing dye transfer with it. The heat press is often used for T-shirts, but Ana Lisa Hedstrom and I have been playing with this machine using shibori techniques for months now and having some real fun!

I needed a Vagadu stencil so the easiest solution was to use one of my hangtags that have the Vagadu stamp on it (these tags are great because they are made of a nice heavy duty stock) and use an exacto knifee to cut the letters out of it.

Then, I used it a bizzilion ways on my fabric (which once was a little girl's bridal dress). You can see in the pic how much fun I had. And, so the next step will be to cut the individual labes out and seal the edges ..... although if I were a label-whore I might have to make these Vagadu fabrics into a bag or hotpants ;-)))) !!!!

The Latest Blazer Vests

2009-08-13T17:55:00.000-07:00

Here are two more of the ever-so-popular blazer vests.

This time I am modeling them on the roof of my studio...it was a bit breezy and sunny so I am squinting a lot, but other than that you can see that these vests are totally fun to wear.

The tan vest I got a tad 'western' on it and added fringe (which seems to be the craze right now). For me, the fringe was a fu n departure from the usual look of these cuties.

As usual they are both for sale so if you are interested email me to set up a fitting!

Work in Progress...

2009-08-03T11:05:00.000-07:00

As you know I love reworking garments that need a little "pick-me-up" or a special something to take it out from being just good, and turn it into great or interesting!

The example I have for this week is a vest that I have been working on for a friend of mine. It has been a challenge of a piece because we didn't want to change any of the outer structure of the garment. Except for removing the puffy collar as seen to the right. The reason we removed it was it was a dirty white, but the kind of dirty that instead of looking like a color choice, it just looked ....dirty. And, although in concept the puffy collar with a puffy fashion vest would seem like a fun design element, in practice it just doesn't do it for me. I think the reason I don't like it is that it is too much softness on an already soft piece, it doesn't add needed contrast or interest. For me, having a different texture or structure to butt up against the dominating element--is key. For example: lace with denim, leather with silk, corduroy and satin, etc.

So, below are a series of shots I took with my favorite embellishments and applique options for the piece. I haven't decided which one is the favorite, depending on feedback from the community I will make a choice. Feel free to drop a line and say which version you like! I am partial to flowers, but lace is good too!

P.S. The applique flowers have several arrangement options, so you can see which version of the is most appealing

IQ tops....the latest versions!

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

I have decided to name the Ana Lisa Hedstrom silk crepe scrap blouses "IQ tops" because these garments are like the Rubik's cube for fashion. The combination's of how to wear them are countless the depending on the creative the mind of the wearer. One of the reasons this is true is silk crepe has the best drape of almost any fabric and practically any way it hangs looks good.

Another bonus in showing off the latest of the tops is that you can see my latest haircut which I call "boyband meets Joui!" Go and look up young Justin Timberlake and you will see what I mean. And my boyfriend mentioned that we both have the acronym JT!!!

*Note* each strip of photos represent one blouse...yes it is true just one blouse! It is my way of showing you the tip of the iceberg of the 1,000 ways to wear these tops! And YES! they are for sale, email me if interested.

Click on images to enlarge

Easy Shoulder-Strap Closing Technique (for lined garments)

2009-07-08T13:36:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Lauren showed me this strap technique. It is hard to explain yet I think is so important to know that we decided to create a pictured online reference for all the fanatic sewers out there to utilize. In fact, having this useful posting will be a great resource to send my colleagues every time I try to poorly explain the technique, they can just look to this! YAY!

Step 1
Make sure your strap's seams are open about 3 inches on either side. The lining (as seen in black) shoulder seam is connected while the fashion fabric (in yellow) remains open.

Step 2
Sew the shoulder closed of the fashion fabric (yellow) . As you can see in the picture to the right, she is holding the yellow fabric together to indicate the need to sew it closed.

Step 2a
You can see how the top strap is being sewn closed.

Step 3
As pictured here you see the recently sewn shoulder seam. The next move is tricky and is better explained with pictures.

The goal is to sew one of the side shoulder strap seams by moving it through the opposite strap opening which allows you to sew with the right sides together.

3a
In the picture to the right you can see the fabric being pinched and getting ready to be pulled through the other side.

3b
In this picture you see the fabric being being
pulled through to the other side and
ready to be sewn.

3c
As pictured the side seam is being held
flat so you can see where you will sew.

Step 4
Pull the fabric back through so you can admire
your first nicely sewn side strap seam.

Step 5
Pull the strap through the opening in the bottom
of the lining. Your hand is coming in from below and pulling the strap down so it comes out the bottom.

Here is another picture of the strap coming out of the bottom opening of the lining.

Step 4
Sew the last remaining side strap opening.
Be sure that it is clear from any bulk from
the other seams before you sew. Once it is flat, line up your seams and sew.

Step 5
Pull the strap back through the lining to its proper place.

There it is! You have a lovely strap!

Creative Headgear for Priceless

2009-06-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

It's summer, and in the Bay Area that means countless festivals/gatherings/costume events. Since Burning Man is not in the cards this year we are costuming-up for Priceless...this weekend!

So, I thought I would share some of the headgear I have been creating for me and my man.

Priceless has a theme each year and this year it is "Midsummer Night's Dream". Therefore, we are going as our versions of Oberon and Titania (king and queen of the fairies).

We almost spent a couple $$$ on some fancy vintage headdresses but opted for the "lets-find-out-what-Joui-can-come-up-with" choice. Which as you can see is a collection of scraps and random material that I horde for occasions just like this!

For instance, fake ferns!??? They are so awful but were exactly what we needed for the costumes....I was soooo close to giving them to the thrift store in my last move.

Let's Repower America - Environment California

2009-06-24T16:43:00.001-07:00

Let's Repower America - Environment California
Just wanted to help spread the word about the energy bill going through congress right now. As you know, I am a fashionable environmentalist, and I am always trying to do my part, but in the end we need the government to cap the emissions from dirty energy (which makes up most of the CO2 that is put in the atmosphere).
So share this, spread the word...we can make a difference!! I hope!
Shared via AddThis

Neon is my favorite ( for the moment )

2009-06-15T19:05:00.001-07:00

Here is a tunic top I just finished today! Made from rip-stop fabric and in one of my favorite neon colors. It fits me perfectly and I can't wait to wear this little number to some fun parties (or just on the street).

What might seem to be a somewhat simple design turned out to be VERY complicated. The idea was to have continuous pleats that start from the top of the shoulder and then turn and end at lower side hip. In the end the patterning turned out to be way too complicated to make as a 'genuine' pleat. As a designer, I know it can be done, but since I have allocated most of my brain to the complicated Varda gowns, I wasn't going to use them up on my own playful blouse.

So, the yellow ribbing at the bottom of the tunic, are acting as "fake" pleats. The real pleats are just the vertical ones.
In the end, like most unintentional design elements, I am happy how it all turned out, although I would have liked to see more of a true accordion silhouette.

And of course...why neon? Why not?! I think it must be my reaction to the ever-continuous dullness of the western world's infatuation with black ---I am constantly looking for ways to rebel. AND you will never loose me in a crowd ;-)

The Latest Recycled Vest...

2009-06-08T20:07:00.000-07:00

As usual I like to share the latest recycled vests as they come down the pipeline.

This particular vest is exciting because it is a new version of the series I did in a previous blog.

With this vest, instead of piecing different blazers together to create one look, I simply used the bottom of the jacket to create the ruffle around the collar. In the other vests, the ruffles were created from selected scraps. In this piece the only scraps used are in the draped fabric piece that works its way around the bottom.

The scrap fabric used is by Ana Lisa Hedstrom and is one of my favorite details with this vest.

I also like how the lining of the jacket accentuates the under-collar portion of the neck ruffle.

Very Versatile Clothing

2009-05-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

I recently created a series of flowy tops that are constructed out of fabric remnants from Ana Lisa Hedstrom's Shibori collections. Due to the design of the blouses and beautiful drape of the fabrics it allows the wearer to wear the shirt in multiple ways, front, back, twisted, sideways, inside-out, etc.

To some the prospect of so many possibilities in one top is daunting. To others, it is a gold mine of constant creative discovery.

Below I have photographed myself in three of these tops, demonstrating the multiple styles you can get from each one. Where the .... symbol occurs, it means I am in the act of changing the position of the top. There is something very poetic about lingering in transition and using it as a fashion statement. I don't know about you, but I personally love to rearrange my whole outfit so that by the end of the day my earlier look has a totally new feel.

How to make quick and easy ruffles

2009-05-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

One of the questions I get often about my blazer vest is how to make the fun ruffles that adorn the neckline. Fortunately for us, creating the ruffles is probably the easiest part of making the vests. With the technique I am going to show you, you can easily use small pieces of scraps or long ones. In the end it doesn't matter, just with smaller pieces of fabric you will need more of them to fill up the collar area.

Here is the step-by-step process to create an easy ruffle.

1) Choose a light-weight fabric that is in a rectangular form. Using a fabric that is at least 5 inches wide and 8 inches long is helpful. As you can see in this picture other shapes can be used for more interesting and asymmetrical ruffles.

2) Folding right sides of the fabric together, fold the rectangle in half matching rough edges. With the asymmetrical piece I took a pin and folded the fabric to match it to the other edge because otherwise it wouldn't match.

3) Pin in the ruffles. Every inch or so (for me the more the better) pin little bunches of fabric together. It will look more interesting the more folds you have in the fabric.

4) Serge the rough edges and folds together with an over-lock machine. Be sure to remove the pins as you go, you don't want to break your needles by serging over them. After a while you will get used to sewing folds into the ruffles and you don't need to pin them at all. Just bunch the fabric as you go by scrunching up the fabric as you feed it in. Be care not to make the fabric too bulky because then you can jam your machine.

5) Serge closed one side of the ruffle so that we have a clean edge. Next, pull the ruffle through the open side to reveal the fashion fabric. To finish the open side of the ruffle you can turn the edges inside and hand sew it closed. Otherwise, I just sew it closed on the jacket itself.

6) Lastly, attach the ruffle onto the jacket, adding more tucks and volume through the pinning process. Then hand sew the ruffles in place and your done!

EXTRA! One of my high school interns did her own version of the blazer vest by using a hooded sweatshirt. I think it turned out great! Here is a shot of her wearing her creation.

Fresh out of the Oven! Four Reconstructed Blazer Vests....for your viewing pleasure.

2009-04-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

In preparation for summer sales and other events, I want to show you the results of four different reconstructed blazer vests that I have just finished! (as seen in other blogs) These vests are the much anticipated follow-up from the vest created for the Discarded to Divine event.

Each of these garments also have the added benefit of being adorned by the beautiful scraps of textile artist Ana Lisa Hedstrom.

Each of them are for sale! If you are interested in seeing them live they will be at ARTWEAR this weekend at the De Young in San Francisco. Otherwise, you can contact me personally to find out pricing and other details at: joui@experiencevagadu.com.

What does it mean to be Green?

2009-04-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

It's 2009 and sustainable green-ness is all the rage. I love it. Mostly, I'm wondering what took us so long. Not to give myself too much credit here, but I've been on this track from the very beginning with Mazura in 2007. I want to write a little here about what it means to be green in my fashion world.

There are four major areas that need to be addressed when looking at sustainability of fashion: materials, labor, transportation, quality/waste management. To make things more complex, these factors don't exist individually, but rather they all impact one another.

First category is materials. At Vagadu, we only use fabrics that are donated (second-hand), found, or purchased from a second hand source. In other words, we don't buy anything new unless totally necessary. The few areas I do sometimes have to buy new materials because I haven't found a consistent source yet are; zippers, interfacing, structural reinforcement, and thread.
That equals something like 90 percent used materials that would otherwise go to the dump or sit around in someone's closet for eternity. I love working this way because it creatively deals with a big problem in the world of overflowing landfills. Although many designers are now taking the admirable step of using recycled fabrics and organic cottons, these are still more energy intensive techniques than material reuse.

The second category is a HUGE issue and that is labor. As you know, most mid-size to large design houses use factory workers in other countries to produce their garments. This allows companies to pay low wages in order to keep their production costs down and to provide cheap clothing for us. While this system doesn't have to be detrimental and there are some very good factories out there, for the most part sweatshops are bad for people and the environment. At Vagadu, we are taking a different approach entirely. We are working to bring clothing back to the individual with one-of-a-kind pieces. So it doesn't make any more sense for me to ship to China than it did for Valentino. It wouldn't work with our fabric sources anyway, we never have more than small amount of fabrics so it takes constant care and creativity to finish each garment with the fabrics we have. All garments are currently sewn by me or my interns. However, in the future,I would like to hire in-house seamstresses to work with me to create the pieces. Then, I know that no one is being exploited or treated badly under my label. Not only that, working together with the seamstresses we can collectively reduce waste, time and energy used for creating clothing.

Third category is transportation. This area is huge, and actually applies to all of the other areas too. Because I buy or get my materials locally, construct my pieces locally, and sell them locally, there is very little carbon footprint in the transportation of these garments. Most big companies buy their fabric from India, ship it to China to be made, ship it back to the U.S. to be sold, etc. By the time you see these items they have traveled thousands of miles! That said, as Vagadu grows, I will be selling in different parts of the country and world and the transportation issue will have to be addressed. I am hoping to use the most eco-friendly transport mode when the time arrives.

Last, I look at quality which intersects with waste management. What this means is that the original quality of a garment dictates how long it stays in use or in someone's home instead of in the landfill. Unfortunately, many companies like Old Navy and Forever 21 make items that look good for a couple of washes, maybe even up to a year or so and then pretty much fall apart and then you dump them. They were cheap, so you aren't totally sad when this happens, but this is not a green way to think. These clothes were made to be disposable. The low prices that draw the customers in here are an illusion, because the clothes don't last, and the cycle is perpetuated. At Vagadu, we are taking the steps to make sure all the collections from now on are of the highest quality we can achieve. Because we want these pieces to last like your grandmother's clothing...for generations. We are encouraging people to buy less, and buy better, in the hopes of phasing out the idea of disposable clothing for good.

These are just my ideas of what constitutes a basis of green clothing and in Fashion it is still not fully agreed upon what constitutes "green". The closest thing there is would be possibly the "Fair Trade" label but this means little to small designers like myself that produce everything locally in the U.S. I am optimistic that hopefully we will have an organization like CCOF is for farmers, for fashion designers. Until then, it seems it is up to individual companies and designers to define what being sustainable means to them.

Fun Hairpieces out of Recycled Materials!

2009-04-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

This week I am showcasing another fun inspiration from one of the interns, Jessie. Pictured here are some hair pieces she recently made for her sister's wedding.

I find many things about these pieces inspiring....
One, because they are a fun way to dress up the hair without being too fussy. Second, they could be made from things readily available around the home or from items that could be purchased easily.

You could make these so easily in fact, I decided to explain step-by-step how I would make them (and out of reclaimed items of course!).

1: First lets look at the netting in the photograph above. You could obviously go to a store and buy it, but why buy it when you can get it for free! Buying fruit is the best way to come across an assortment of netting in various colors. Oranges, avacados, garlic, or other items bought at Trader Joe's will do the job. Once you have your netting just cut a piece of it to the size desired and now you have your veil!

2: Second find some scrap fabric around the house, or ask a friend (you will be surprised how many people have little sewing collections full of scraps) or go to a place like SCRAP in San Francisco where they have tons of fabric remnants that are for dollars if not pennies depending on how much you get.
Once you have your scrap fabric piece experiment pinning it into various shapes. Once you find the shape you like, pin it to the netting piece and sew a sturdy row of tightly formed stitches so that everything is connected.

3: Third it's all in the little detail. Find something fun to throw into the middle of the piece. In the photo here it looks like a feather was used, but you could put a beautiful button, a fake flower, a dollop of acrylic paint, a decorative bead, whatever. Whatever detail you choose can attach it with thread or a hot glue gun.

4: Last, you need a way to attach it to your hair. Most people have bobby pins around, or you could use a hair comb, a headband or clip. Depending on what you fastener you choose experiment with either sewing the hairpiece onto it or using a hot glue gun. Then...Voila! You have a fun hair piece made by you!

Rope: An exciting new way to use it!

2009-04-06T15:17:00.000-07:00

On VAGADU I like to take time to showcase interesting and creative work by the people who collaborate with me. This week my intern Sarah is on the spotlight.

Sarah is attending SF State, and for one of her classes they asked the students to create a garment out of non-traditional materials. Last year, my intern Megan--who also took the class--created a dress out of deflated bike tires. Other than the constant smell of rubber, it was a fun idea that really pushed her and the other students to think outside the box.

For Sarah, rope was the material of choice and as you can see from this picture here, and she sure knew how to manipulate it.

She isn't sharing all secrets on how to make this beauty, but I will tell you that she completely stitched the dress together by hand. I know she isn't lying because she came to the studio for weeks with raw fingertips! Note: Don't kill your fingers! When sewing with rope use thimbles!

I love this idea because I think we all could find or discover rope in our garage, at our parents house or wherever. It can be cheap, and is durable. If I had made this dress I might have hot glue gunned it, (depending on what it was for) just to save time, but ideally, thread is the couture way to do it.

Idealbite coverage

2009-03-31T16:17:00.000-07:00

It has been remarkable the attention the Discarded to Divine vest has garnered. The latest hit has been from Idealbite.com a cool blog that talks about how you can "green" up your life, and especially your wardrobe.

Since VAGADU is almost 100% reclaimed materials, I can am glad they chose to write about us.

Take a look at the article, it is fun and sweet!

CLick Here

The Serpent Dress Continued....

2009-03-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

As promised in an earlier blog I am now posting the result of the important design change that we made to the "Serpent Dress", now known as "Serpentina".

The design issue for the bodice of this dress was addressed by opening up the lines from the original tubular ending. As seen in the photo below, the original lines ended abruptly at the base of the bodice. We needed a smoother transition connecting the top of the dress to the bottom, so we opened up the lines to transition smoothly to the front yoke of the skirt. As you can see--from the pictures below--choosing the right fabrics was key to completing this concept. In the photo on the right, enclosed around the glowing circle, you can see how the matching fabrics unify the top and bottom. Look carefully, even though the colors are the same, the yoke fabric (as seen in photo to the left) is stripped and the skirt fabrics are dots. I like the subtly of combining the different patterns together in one piece. For me, it allows for the wearer to constantly discover all the multiple elements that constitute this garment.

Let me also remind you that all these different patterned fabrics were hand dyed by Ana Lisa Hedstrom so "Serpentina" is really turning out to be a gorgeous labor of love!

Blazer Bonanza: Revisiting the Discarded to Divine Vest

2009-03-24T13:27:00.000-07:00

One thing I am trying to learn as a designer is this: when the public speaks, I need to listen. I was so flattered when the St Vincent DePaul Society used my vest for their photo promoting the Discarded to Divine auction . I should have probably anticipated what would happen next. I've got many many requests for a one-of-a-kind piece that I have already donated to this charity foundation!!! And now I am realizing that it might make sense to have a couple more of those lovely things around! So I am rolling up my sleeves this week and putting the focus on vests.

I thought I would share with you some of the lessons I learned from making Discarded vest that I wanted to remedy and make it easier and better for myself.

The original vest took me about 25 hours to make. And I still had to cut some corners in order to finish it on time. So, I wanted to find a way to avoid such intense labor, and also have the product be totally solid as well. With the last vest, I learned that it is sometimes easier to hand sew than to sew with the machine. In fact, in the little green vest you will see throughout this posting, was almost completely sewn by hand. And I saved a lot of time!

An area that caused me a lot of trouble was finishing the armhole of the vest. Finding a way to clean it up was challenging and tricky to sew with the machine. For the Discarded vest I cut some bias strips and sewed them to the outside of the armhole then flipped the strip inward, and hand stitched the other side down. This is tricky to do cleanly. I knew there had to be a better way.

There is!

For the green vest and the orange vest I am taking another route. I am using the already sewn-in lining of the blazer and pulling it through the armhole to enclose the raw armhole edge. As you can see in the photo to the left, the raw seems of the armhole are showing and the extra lining is hanging ready to be used.
In the end, I must hand-sew the armhole seam, but I would have to do it anyway so I cut one step by not needing to sew on any extra fabric.

Another plus for using the lining around the armhole is it creates a ruffly-bunchy effect as you turn it under and around. At first I wasn't sure the look would be right, but as you can see in these two pictures below (especially with the green vest) the ruffly edge fits right in with the ruffles that are working around the neckline.

Keep posted the next few weeks and check out my site: www.experiencevagadu.com or my Etsy shop to see how to purchase one of these great pieces!

The Serpent Dress!

2009-03-17T18:59:00.000-07:00

All the dresses of this collection are proving to be challenging in their own way. However,the "Serpent Dress" or "Pheedi" in Greek (since the dress is also inspired by the snake goddess of Knossos) has become the winner in the most difficult bodices to design by far.

The first challenge came up because of the curving lines that weed their way from the shoulders, around the bossom to join together at the hip are extremely hard to sew ! And I mean REALLY hard! (see arrows drawn on form to the right) Therefore, for several fittings each time we tried the bodice we couldn't tell if we had gotten the fit wrong or it was simply a sewing error. As a designer it is very important to note this difference because it will save you time in the end if you make sure you are sewing your design correctly.

So, we had to figure out how to sew it......

In the mock-ups, I always cut corners whenever I can, but on "Serpent" I found it wasn't possible. So for all the sewing geeks out there here are some useful tricks I learned after consulting my teachers and just trying it again and again.
1. Have an impeccable notching system. Make awl punches to mark them through the patterns on to the joining fabrics.
2. Stay stitch at 1/2" or 3/8" along the edge of each piece of fabric to mark your seam line.
3. Tons of pins! Make sure to match all of your awl punches and snip to the stay stitched line to help ease the pieces together.
Using all of these techniques finally allowed me to sew a successful sample which looks great!

I love the "Serpent Dress" because of the many design considerations that went into the concept and then how it has evolved. As you can see in my sketch here, the dress' complicated lines are inspired by this Varda collage. The women in the collage are inspired by ancient Greek goddesses which I talked about in an early blog....the only difference is that the Greek's simply bore the breasts of the women, and I will be putting a cloth over them...unless Lil' Kim puts in a special order ;-)

After we finished the top and placed it with the skirt we noticed that there was a lack of flow between the top and skirt. It was almost like two different types of garments. The main problem was that the lines coming down from the bodice of the dress starkly stopped at the waist causing a rupture to the flow of the

We found a good solution to this problem after some trial and error. We had the lines curve out and end on the sides of the bodice. This allowed the skirt fabric and the bodice fabric to merge into one another and connect the parts--see pink arrows to left. Come back next week to see pictures of how this turns out!

...to be continued

Eco-Fashion Tip of the Month: How to reuse your muslin

2009-03-09T12:23:00.000-07:00

As I create garments I am always looking for ways I can conserve more. For me, it is a fun task to how I can innovate the clothes making process to create strategies that save fabric, thread, and other elements so as little goes to waste as possible.

This week I am excited to share one of these tips that is helping make "Triangula" and the other dresses hold their shape.

When I say "hold their shape" I am talking about the fact that the fabrics I am using for these dresses are very flowy and soft, like sheer silks and crepes and other drapy blends. They hang beautifully but if you cut and sew them into shapes, they don't hold them very well and droop.

When this happens you use interfacing, a fabric that backs the primary fabric to reinforce it and give it shape. For example, interfacing is frequently used to create stiffness in jacket collars. Since the "Varda's Women" collection is comprised of many angular shapes, we need interfacing to back the sheer fabrics to achieve the bold shapes we want.

Normally, most designers would simply buy interfacing for the garment. For me, I wanted to do better. Muslin--and inexpensive cotton that is used for draping garments--can also be used as interfacing. Since we used muslin to finalize the design of the garment as seen in previous blogs and in photo to the left, I decided we could reuse the very muslin that already was in the shapes we needed. In other words, instead of re-cutting new pieces of muslin to back the fashion fabric, we just unpicked the seams of the mock-up dress, pinned them to the green fashion fabric, and sewed them up with great results. (See photos above)

Since we made paper patters for all the pieces of "Triangula" we didn't need the muslin for anything else. If I hadn't figured out a way to use the muslin from the dress, I would probably have to throw it away, and that would be a waste.

Meet the Interns and other developments

2009-03-02T13:28:00.000-08:00

As usual, I like to give credit where credit is due and I have assembled an awesome team of gals who are helping bring life to the collection "Varda's Women".

Before I do the introductions however, I would like to give some updates on the dress now entitled "Triangula" that we were working on in the previous blog.

Last week, we basically had the pic on the left. after sewing up the pieced together triangles that made up the skirt, I decided that the design was way to chaotic and random for the look I wanted to achieve. We wanted more symmetry, so we redid the pattern and simplified the placement of the triangles--as seen in the photo to the right.

We like the second version because it brings out real structure that balances what will be a more fluid design on the bodice of the dress. And, I also happen to think it looks like a Chinese lantern, which have always been very appealing to me.

"Triangula" is still far from done and we are still working out the skirt details and by adding more volume to the bottom so that walking is possible, along with some bunching of the skirt triangles so that we can break up the uniformity just enough to add some playfulness too.

Now for the introductions:

Jessie Bedbrook Coming from a diverse academic background including a Bachelors of Science in Clinical Nutrition and an Associates Degree in Fashion Design, Jessica's primary interests include; multifaceted creative expression, artistic collaboration, social responsibility and happy thoughts. Ultimately, Jessica is passionate about the power of fashion, costume and design and how they can be combined to create not only beautiful artwork, but also a projection of personality and individual spirit. "I believe fashion gives us the opportunity to hold on to our imagination and express it as we want each and everyday."

Catherine Michelle Baranda was born and raised in the East Bay. She always had a love for color, texture, and shape. This tactile love brought her to the world of fashion and textiles. She went away to college at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. There she studied fashion design and fibers. Her senior project was base on natural dying and sustainable fabrics. After college, she moved back to the Bay Area with her poodle Theodore Bear. She loves to sew, dye, screen print, quilt, and knit.

Dora Un was born and raised in Macau, China, which she loves so deeply and hates so badly. People there didn't really value fashion design, so she flew all the way to the U.S. to study fashion and get inspired by the people from the everywhere. Sometimes she speaks too much but she actually prefers letting her designs speak for her. She loves playing with textured fabric and colors although her wardobe is basically black, white, and grey (but hey, she loves colorful tights!). Issey Miyake is her super idol even though she also loves Marc Jacobs's crazy disorder thoughts and Alexander McQueen's cutting edge elegance. Maybe one day you will see her successfully combines all these great ideas into one.

Anna Lodwick recently graduated from FIDM with a degree in fashion design. After studying photography and fiber sculpture during undergrad in Maryland, she knew that she wanted to further her education. She also wanted to move out west--uprooting herself and replanting in a place that inspired her. Now she has lived here for a year and a half and is excited to be exploring the world of small fashion designers. She is hoping to have her own line later this year.

Sarah Terranella is a design student at San Francisco State University. She likes to sew all the time, drink entirely too much Redbull, coffee, and any other form of caffeine and she is left handed. She spends most of her disposable income on fabric, food, and really cool buttons.

Varda's Women: The first dress

2009-02-23T11:48:00.000-08:00

Over the last two weeks the interns and I have been working on creating the first dress of the new collection. The new line is called "Varda's Women" I love the name and it perfectly describes the way Varda adored women in both his artwork and life.

Dora--one of the interns--chose which of the sketches she wanted to start draping. This dress (which still needs a title) is a fun way to start, since the cut on it is pretty straight forward and the construction on it should be less demanding than others.

What I like about this dress is the way it juxtaposes soft and hard elements. For example, the bust of the dress uses softer repetitive shapes within shapes (although most people assume they are rosettes) that weave their way around the body. From the empire waist down, the dress breaks out into a series of triangle sets that fall down the body to the mid-calf.

The hardest part about this dress has been making the shapes around the bust. Catherine and Jesse (more interns) spent over 13 hours just playing with ideas of how to achieve the look I wanted.

The idea for the top area is based on the way Varda incorporates multi-layered shapes in the bust area. As you can see in the collage shown below, there are multiple circles covering the chest of the middle figure. How we translate this concept hasn't been easy. After some experimentation, we found a wearable version of the concept. Basically, we are using smaller and softer circles traveling around the top of the dress.

We are planning on iterating this pattern over the top of the dress. The finished product will be quite a bit more complex than what we have now. I'm excited to see what kinds of color combinations will make up the other circles here. I'm interested to see how this abstract element can be emphasized with color.

Discarded to Divine...we made the cut!

2009-02-16T17:13:00.000-08:00

In an earlier blog I charted the process of creating a ruffly vest from three blazers for the St. Vincent De Paul annual "Discarded to Divine" event.

To my delight I got an email last week from them telling me that my vest made the save-the-date postcard! As you can see in the image here it looks great on the model, and is a bit of a departure from their previous posters which generally have focused more on gowns instead of more casual wear. Perhaps it is purely a reflection of the times....less people will be attending galas so better have festive items that you can wear with jeans (as seen on the model).

After spending around 18 hours in making the vest, it is very gratifying to have it be promoted this way. And as always, I am hoping it will bring more exposure to Vagadu and what I do.

Starting the next collection

2009-02-09T14:27:00.000-08:00

After months of rest and rejuvenation I am finally embarking on the next VAGADU collection.

2009 is definitely a year of change for our world and for me. I have decided to restructure Vagadu and simplify the model. I am returning to my original muse, and will be exclusively making make eco-formal wear based on the collages of my grandfather, Jean Varda .

I am very excited to be returning my roots again. Varda's art and life has been a major force for me the last 2 years and it feels right re-explore his work with some real experience and focus, that I lacked when I first attempted to make clothing from his art.

After three collections I have learned a lot all kinds of lessons. Most importantly, I learned not to get ahead of myself. This time, I am approaching the collection in a very slow and methodical way. Normally, I create by pure hands-on experimentation. That can be a fun way to work, but it does make it harder to create a more cohesive collection. For now, I am going a more traditional route. I am conceptualizing, drawing and draping before I use any of the fashion fabric.

One of the many reasons I am choosing this method is because my mentor-- textile artist Ana Lisa Hedstrom-- is letting me use remnants of some of her hand-dyed fine fabrics (as pictured above and below). These precious fabrics are in limited quantity so I just cannot risk any mistakes .

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For the last two weeks I have been staring at Varda's collages and finding themes that I plan to use. As you can see in his art, he is very geometrical and bold, angular shapes are a constant in all of his work.

Within the stark shapes though, his women embody a curvy sensuality. He focuses on accentuating the bust, hips and curves of the female form. Therefore, I am envisioning the dresses featuring angular dimension along with soft accents.

Another element I see in his art is that some of the women in his art seemed to be wearing more traditional garb. Since Varda was Greek I decided to do some research. When I found a book on Knossos (an ancient city on the island of Crete) I wasn't surprised to see the women dressing like they were from one of his paintings.

I have also been taking note of all the different color palettes and combos that arise in his work. Quite simply, I went through around 30 of his works and sketched out all the different color sets that appeared. I then separated each color and took a tally to see which colors dominated his art. Various shades of red and gold were the definite winners.

In this preliminary sketch below you can see a dress that is using the color palette, along with some triangles and softer lines.

I'll have more sketches next week, they are great!

Apron Fun!

2009-01-30T17:48:00.000-08:00

As bigger projects are currently brewing in the creative kitchen, little, fun things come through pipeline that are def worth exploring!
One of these projects I just finished this Friday: a creative apron-cap set designed for my friend Thomas' Hot Dog Stand.

First off, let me say this is no ordinary Hot Dog Stand. Thomas conceived the idea when he was at Burning Man and as he watched the sun rise he thought. "Wouldn't it be great to have a hot dot right now?" Thus was born "Sunrise Hot Dogs".
He has since configured and built the best traveling hot dog stand around, but was missing one key ingredient....a proper uniform. So I came to the rescue with my bags of scraps and wild ideas.

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Creating the basic design had to be simple and practical--I mean it is an apron after all! Therefore I knew that it was the embellishing that held all the promise of creativity.

Since the title of his company is Sunrise Hot Dogs, we decided it would have a wild-looking sun rising out from beneath the pockets of the apron. Creating the sun was easy and fun since I have tons of scraps and even itsy bitsy scraps that work perfectly for applique technique as seen in the picture above.

Once I found the right combination of fabrics I laid them on the base of red fabric and played with the arrangement of the colors until I found a design I liked. Then, I pinned them to the red and used gold thread to quilt over the patches in a flame-like fashion. The result added a very fiery and alive look to the cloth strips. I love the abstract threading on it, for me it adds the little extra je ne sais pas, that makes the piece complete. I often find myself doing little details like this in all of my work because it adds a painterly quality that allows random expressiveness to shine.

I also took a photo of the backside of the apron before I lined it, because sometimes it is very neat to see just the raw thread marks without the distractions. As you see here, it is def. interesting. Note the light wrinkled effect above the sun portion. Even though it is hard to see where the flames were sewn (due to using a red thread as a base thread), it is the result of all the crazy flame stitching and could be the inspiration for other fabric manipulation techniques.

Not much more to say except I think he will be the hottest hot dog vendor I've ever seen, and it sure to bring happiness to those hungry party goers!

Mixing florals with plaid....a great New Year's Eve combo!

2009-01-26T10:04:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share one of my favorite new additions to my wardrobe. It has come as an afterthought so I don't have any "before" pictures of the dress before her makeover, but nonetheless I thought it would be a fun item to explore due to its boldness and flare.

As many of you know I am a queen of the discard, and I find it especially easy to take old styles and rework them into something new and glorious. This past New Year's Eve I knew I wanted a fab. dress but didn't have anything I wanted to wear...imagine ;-)!!!!

So I looked through my stockpile of items and found this broken down 1980s dress my dear friend Sarah gave me because--as she puts it-- it was so crazy, of course Joui would love it!

And she was right.

Although, I had forgotten about it because it needed its zipper replaced and was a little big, so I had put it aside until further notice.

Then came December 30th 2008 and it was the perfect solution for the problem at hand.

After fixing the imperative details, I sat around thinking of how to retrofit this garment to have the extra "Joui " touch. It is so bold, that I could and would wear it without any other changes. Somehow on that day I was inspired to go further. In homage to Vivian Westwood and her genius with plaids and formal wear I decided to pair this bright green wool plaid fabric to the dress.

But how to add the green? I considered many thoughts; applique designs, a sash belt and bow, basic trim, etc. But the one that was most appealing finally was the ruffle. I wanted a bold, stiff ruffle that could stand on its own so when I decided on the width of the ruffle, I added some fusible interfacing so that it really was sturdy. I also cut the fabric on the straight grain instead of bias to add even more strength.

I then started playing with how to place the green ruffle. I thought perhaps I would have it follow the two bust lines of the bodice, but that didn't seem right. I found that following the seam from the left of the bodice all the way down to the waist worked really well.

But then what? It still needed something else. Located on the right hip, was a very large bow sewn onto it. And although bows are totally in style, I thought it should be removed and be turned into a matching hat....hey and this was before Aretha Franklin showed off what a bow on the head can do at the inauguration!

Back to the green ruffle. By chance, I had made the ruffle long enough that by the time it reached the waist, there was about a half a foot of fabric left. I also noticed how it naturally wanted to curl around to make a spiral. So, taking it as a sign from God, I decided that a ruffle spiral at the waist was the perfect solution! However, the spiral needed something to pop out from the middle of it. I played with various other clashing fabrics, practiced making fake flowers and so on, but nothing felt right. Then I remembered these sequined flowers I had bought a year ago waiting for the right opportunity to use them....and the moment had come! The flower looked perfect as the final touch of the focal point. I was pleased!

I wore the dress out for New Years Eve and felt amazing! Not surprisingly, I got many people saying it was the best outfit they had seen all night!

Discarded to Divine....my process: taking boring clothes and making them cool!

2009-01-19T20:55:00.001-08:00

I just finished another clothing project that I am excited to share with you about. It was created for the St. Vincent De Paul's "Discard to Divine" charity auction. This fabulous event asks professional and aspiring designers to transform discarded, donated clothing into couture fashions. The pieces are auctioned off to raise funds to help the poor and homeless at their annual fashion show and auction.

I participated two years ago and loved it so much that I was eager to contribute again.

For the first step, I had Maurice (my terrific intern) go to the St. Vincent shelter to pick out whatever clothing inspired him.
For me, it added another challenge of not knowing what clothing he would chose and whether it would be something I could work with or not.

I was actually happy not to be blown away by a collection of amazing fabrics here. So when Maurice brought back some mundane items, I knew my creativity had room to blossom.
The selection was as follows: one tan blazer size 12, one sage green blazer size 12, one navy blazer size 10, one frumpy blue dress and a rainbow colored skirt.

I was especially uninspired by the blazer situation. They were so neutral and boring to me. Generally I go for much brighter things, but even the multi-colored skirt wasn't pushing my buttons. It reminded me too much of those bad 1970s crochet blankets that were so popular.

After much deliberation, and practical thinking I decided the mundane could work to my advantage and focused more on form than color to carry the piece. I went with the basic construction of the tan blazer as a base. I liked the idea of reworking its original shape.I was inspired here by Martin Margiela and the way he boldly reworks classic styles to make them cutting-edge and unexpected.

From a practical point of view, I decided that the form of the garment would be a vest. Because they almost fall into the accessory category and they are easy to add to almost any look. They are also easier to fit on different body types. And anyway, besides having fun with the project my goal was to make a fabulous piece and it be very accessible so that it sells and for good $$$$....this is a charity and in the end it is really about helping the poor.

Back to the process--the tan blazer was a size 12, so I had a lot of fabric to play with. I started pinning and tucking and folding and playing around with pleats and darts and gathers until I found a shape that appealed to me. Then I decided that it needed volume and shape around the collar. To fix this, I took the collar off of the green blazer and ruffled it and added it to the vest. Then I decided it need yet more volume and I took fabric from the frumpy blue dress and ruffled it asymmetrically around the collar as well.

I liked the navy blazer and somehow decided that it should go around the bottom of the vest, and it had the effect of smoothing and simplifying the top in a calming way.

One of my favorite details are the front pockets which I added the cuffs of the tan blazer to the pocket flaps (as seen in picture to the left) For me, it has the effect of being funky and surprising--plus--the added benefit of coordinating the top to the bottom of the vest.

Overall, the piece is stunning. Trying it on, I looked so good it was hard for me to give it up. It is the kind of item I would wear all the time. My hope is that whoever wins it feels that way too and gives it an exciting life like it deserves.

Recipe for Creation #1...the results are in!

2008-11-17T11:37:00.000-08:00

If you are new to this project be sure to click on the first blog to see how this all manifested itself and the goals of "Recipe for Creation" collaboration.
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Recipe #1: Blue Election Dream Fricassee

Ingredients:

a smattering of election ballot or other political paraphernalia
a dash of electric blue
a hand-stitched image
a word or image from a dream

Directions:

1) Begin with a dream you remember vividly. Choose some dreamy music and warm up by dancing out your memory of the dream. You can dance out the roles of the different characters, the action that took place, or just the overall feeling of it. Do this blindfolded.
2) Choose something from your dream dance that stood out to you. It can be a word, a sensation, a person, a scene… Whatever! This is your starting point.
3) Tear up some newspapers from election week. Tear for the sheer pleasure of tearing! Take a couple of scraps from your mess, or use your absentee ballot, or other political paraphernalia and add it to the mix.
4) Go wild choosing blues, wielding your needle and throwing in whatever else strikes your fancy. Don't think too much. Work quickly, freely and most importantly, have fun!

MY RESULTS
Recipe #1 was a hard exercise of abandonment. So much so I was almost paralyzed from beginning the exercise despite an obvious side of me that desperately wants to do more free-style art.

What emerged was a sinking feeling that in doing this project I would come up empty, that I am void of spontaneity due to a world where I feel compelled to constantly be calculating.

Despite my fears and armed with a sliver of hope I didn’t let my doubts stop me. I took the plunge and put on Ulrich Strauss and went into the space of dreamland.

First off let me say that I am a heavy dreamer. In fact, I feel I dream too much sometimes so I don’t feel rested. On the day I began the process I had several dreams that had left impressions on me, but I decided to go with the one I felt most strongly in my body. I had a dream where I was delving into a vagina. I feel a bit shy putting this out for the whole world to see but I hope it will resonate with other females when I say that the vagina is the core of my femininity and place of great mystery. And recently the vagina represents to me the courage I finally have found to and dive into the dark, unknown places of my soul that scare me.

The first image here is my first mangled creation. I found it to be repulsive, sloppy and meaningless. It was a struggle to enjoy what my hands were creating. After a while however, I found some joy in the motions of the work and found a fabric and a technique that resonated with the inner voice trying to be expressed. Then I moved onto a new piece as seen in the second picture titled “Worthiness of Yuck”.

Throughout the process as I tied up bits of ballots with string and sewed in dashes of electric blue I found it challenging to keep from judging myself and what I was doing.

Recipe #1 made it very clear that I am very attached to making attractive things. Most of my life has been spent creating beauty around me, and even my personality clings to the identity of being constantly optimistic and happy.

This past six months I am finally ready to explore my raw sides, the ugliness and the mess. As an artist I think I validate my path by assuring myself that I am adding beauty to the world and serves a purpose. A voice whispers to me, “if it isn’t lovely…then what purpose does it serve?”

It is clear to me now that the repression of the unproductive and ugly side has served to dampen my full range of expression. Now, upon reflecting on my scrappy-vaginal doily I feel content and pleased with it. Let it be a reminder to me of that beauty has many faces expresses itself in unknown and sometimes unattractive ways.
~~~~~~~~~~~

So that's the tale, on my end, behind the completion of Recipe #1. To read about Ahna's experience of working on this first project, please click here. Thanks for following along, and please do drop us a line if you have an idea for some ingredients to go into our next recipe, or if you have created your own version of this one.

Late Bloomers. Joui's recommended reading!

2008-11-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

Reading the New Yorker one night I came across the article "Late Bloomers: Why do we equate genius with precocity?"
by Malcolm Gladwell. It is not often that a modern writer captures the truth about faith the artist must put in herself/himself when taking the plunge to dedicate themselves fully to their craft. However, Gladwell does it amazingly.

Gladwell talks about society's obsession with early genius' and little regard to the many artists who took their whole lives to reach greatness. What I find so impressive about this article is that it really makes clear that the dangers of letting the marketplace dictate who is allowed to talented or not. And, consequently can squash many genius'-to-be because they are slower to support themselves in their craft and therefore are forced to stop before they fully bloom.

To any artist commercially successful or not I highly recommend this article. I am still contemplating how to thank Mr. Gladwell for his article that gives me added hope for myself and my own artistic development.

Recipes for Creation: A Collaborative Art Exchange

2008-10-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

I am now undertaking the long awaited chance to experiment and really play with more free flowing forms of working with cloth. In other words, I want to play with creating clothing the way an artist plays with paint on a canvas or any other medium. Since clothing is so product focused it is hard to remove myself from the outcome and just create from pure spontaneity and inner spark.

For years my dear creative-sister-diva Ahna Fender (www.artruckus.com) and I have been wanting to collaborate on a project that would get us both working in new ways to unlock creative juices that even for us can get clogged up upon occasion!

The result, we came up with "Recipes for Creation" a project that creates guidelines with directions for both of us to translate to whatever medium we chose and inspire each other in ways we haven't done. And, most importantly, allow us to support each other as creative souls that need community to inspire us and encourage us, so we continue the work of the artist. I know for me connecting this way is exactly what I need to keep on moving!
:::::Below is the project!:::::
A sprinkle of chance, a dash of collaboration and a whole lot of play are the main ingredients in "Recipes for Creation," a new collaborative project that fellow artist-friend Ahna Fender and I schemed up over lunch at a kebab restaurant in San Francisco recently.

Here's what we've got cooking: Every few weeks one of us will devise a list of at least four random ingredients to be used in an art project of our choosing. For example:
• tinsel
• toy soldiers
• something blue
• something dug out from a dumpster
• the first sentence from a cheesy romance novel.
As you can see, the possibilities are limitless. Anything goes! The main rule is to have no rules, although it's probably also helpful to ensure that the suggested materials are available (in this dimension).

The person may also choose to include a short set of instructions, containing any particular suggestions for how to go about creating this crazy art concoction.

For instance, a suggestion might be to begin the process blindfolded, or warm up with a dance. The instructions can be anything that help shake us out of habituated ways of creating.

After sending out the recipe, each of us will set to work in our own studios to see what happens!

We will, of course, include you in the fun. Images of all the creations we cook up will be posted here for your delectation.

We also welcome you to participate by emailing images of your own interpretation of the recipes, or by making a suggestion for a future recipe that we may wish to try.

Check back soon to see what's cooking…

Pics of Vagadu pieces in Beats for Boobs

2008-10-18T13:01:00.001-07:00

Pink Dress in the middle otherwise known as "Fats".
This dress titled "Ducky".
Lastly, we have the fabulous "Building Dress"!

Obama and Upcoming Events!

2008-10-01T11:52:00.000-07:00

One thing that is nice is to get word out about VAGADU by participating in other people's events. It is even better when they are doing good work and helping out worthy causes.

The first event VAGADU clothing will be gracing is "Beats for Boobs" it is a fundraiser for breast cancer research.

Click here for the info on Facebook.

It is on October 9th at 111 Minna Gallery SF. Starts at 5:30pm and fashion show is at 8:30.
$25.

This next event is going to be totally fun!
And better yet....you will have an opportunity to see ME model my designs along with other designers!

I am donating 3-4 pieces for the silent auction, and all the proceeds go towards helping Obama win!

Come on out, it will be a fun way to help get us a president we can feel hopeful about!!!!
Below are the details:

FASHIONING CHANGE: BARACK OBAMA FUNDRAISER

An evening of fabulous fun, food, and home-grown fashion to get Barack Obama in the White House!!

Friday, October 17th, 8pm
GPZ Electric, Inc
151 10th Street
(Between Mission and Howard)
San Francisco, CA 94103

DESIGNERS INCLUDE:

CHAIKEN CLOTHING www.chaikenclothing.com

GR.DANO www.grdano.com

ERICA TANOV www.ericatanov.com

CARI BORJA www.cariborja.com

OCELOT www.ocelotclothing.com

VERRIERES AND SAKO www.verrieres-sako.com

S & G CLOTHING CO. www.sandgclothing.com

VAGADU www.experiencevagadu.com/

TWENTY TWO SHOES www.twentytwoshoes.com

SUAY SILK www.suaysilk.com

APRIL HIGASHI / SHIBUMI GALLERY: www.shibumigallery.com

M.E. MOORE JEWELRY memoorejewelry.com

VIV & INGRID www.vivandingrid.com

A silent auction with items donated by the designers will follow the show!!

Cost: $35 in advance
$50 at the door
$20 Students/Seniors

All Funds raised at this event will go to getting out the vote efforts in key swing states.

Tickets available online at:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gs7z9d

At the door, via email, or at:
More Mojo Chiropractic
1347 Church St
San Francisco, CA 94114
415.821.MOJO

Maribel
3251 Lakeshore Ave
Oakland, CA 94610
(510) 419-0677

Erica Tanov Stores

And many other locations...

For More Information Contact:
fashioningchange@gmail.com
510-717-3500

Costumes Costumes Costumes!

2008-09-23T10:44:00.000-07:00

Gosh it has been so long!

This doesn't mean that the VAGADU headquarters have been quite though. Yes, there has been some much needed down time, but in the meantime a lot has been going on.

I have been designing costumes for the Ragged Wing Ensemble for the upcoming production of "History of the Devil".
It is going to be an excellent production that spans over 3,000 years! This has made it an exciting challenge to create costumes that represent the various periods.

It is a very clever script that really deals with the problems of seeing the world as a dichotomy, which is so important to remember these days.

Opens Oct. 3rd and you can buy your tickets online!

Reflections on Deployment in Wonderland

2008-05-26T18:09:00.000-07:00

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Over a month has passed since the Kara Maria Collection made its big debut.
And for those who couldn't make it, it was really an incredible show that virtually turned out how I envisioned it.

From the event decor, to the dancers, clothing, and food, everything was beautifully, creatively and artfully executed. Here I will thank everyone who contributed their energy to the show-- whether you brought the love in big, bold, fashion, or just chipped in a little detail, it all was needed to make the evening gel.

First off! Kara Maria, thank you for believing in what I do and being part of this crazy dream for the last 4 months. It has been a joy to explore your art and a reason to create clothing! You totally came through on bringing out at least 30 of some of your best paintings (minus the porn work ;-). Having so much of your art in one room was a spectacular sight and made our set designer's life a lot easier!!! I hope it was as good for you as it was for all of us to were constantly inspired by your art.

Now for the food! Chefrain you really did it man! From the Wizard of OZ contraption that ejected soup if you pushed a button....to herb infused oils hanging from the ceiling, to different fabulous creative vegetarian options that made everyones tummy sing! Furthermore you ignited their imaginations of how food could be prepared and served. We've done 3 show now, and this was the most creative work you have done thus far. You really came through to create food as art and it showed! I love you!!!

As for the fashion.... Monica Mark and all the U Dance Electra team you lit the night on fire! Having a troupe with so much energy and spunk lived up to all my dreams about having dancers replace models for the fashion show. Thank you for all the excitement and juice you added to the whole production. You've got the moves...and it shows!

John Arns you are the first musician to create an the original composition for the dance performance which furthered my vision of complete Karavision for the show. People really responded to the music and said it worked perfectly for the dance. Go John!

Alex Steinhouse your thrifty creativity was the perfect combination to dress our set! Thanks for coming in last minute and creating an atmosphere that reflected the artwork and created ambiance. I can't wait to see what you can do with a real budget and a little more time....watch out!

Joel Franquist thanks for doing the lighting and hanging all things from very high places. Most people would get dizzy but you work well from up on high!

Molly McEvoy like I said earlier....you are the best producer I know! Thanks for taking a chance on this project and making it your own vision too. You helped in so many ways, from having a husband who so generously built our stages, to getting donations from Rainbow, to allowing me to keep my sanity! Can't wait to work with you again :-)

Many thanks to our DJs, Ammon Haggerty and Doug Sands. The music was awesome, and you got the real VAGADU to really boogie down!

The make up and hair was provided by the Paul Mitchell Institute of Cosmology and Thomas Klann (who did my hair, check him out at Chakra Salon on Sutter in SF). They did a terrific job and made our dancers look like white trash meets David Bowie, meets Jem Barbie! That was just what I wanted!

Many, many thanks to my interns: Milan Delveccio, Alix Hadley, Sherry Hernando, Angela Lopez, Megan Quirolo and Cindy deLuzuriaga. You were a great team and it was my pleasure to work with you, I wish you all great success in your pursuits, you certainly have what it takes!

Beautiful photos which you will find in the link above were taken by the super duo of John Martin and Son, and Rachel Ortiz.

Video was taken by Joe Seif and Rick Takes, thanks so much for capturing the moment that took four months to create! Videos can be found on the Vagadu website.

Thanks to Elena Dvorochkin for the PR and outreach.

And last but not least lets thanks the volunteers who made the night go so well:
Ahna Fender, Julie Ross, Tim Lubic, Mark Bourbonnais, Jim Flemming, Jill Kunishima, Vagadu Varda, Dave Kim, Andi Clegg, Jocelin Tran, Ashley Burnett and many more, plus my ultimate teammate Andrew Hinman!

Stay tuned, much more to come...however for the next month or so the blogs may not be as regular, because even Vagadu needs a vacation once in a while!

Get your Kara Maria Nails Done!

2008-05-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

Sherry, one of the interns loves nails. In fact, when I first posted about her, she sent me an image of nails as something she felt really represents her creativity.

So, as one of Sherry's final contributions to the collection, she came up with some nail art in homage to Kara's artwork.Since I am not sure if the dancers for VAGADU's May 3rd show will be able to wear them, I wanted to dedicate a post just for the nails to show everyone how nails can be your canvas for wild creativity too! I hope you are impressed by these claws, I know I am!

Workshop #3: Jewelry

2008-04-16T12:31:00.001-07:00

One of the great dilemmas of creating clothing is, "what do you do with all the scraps of fabric you produce?"

Many years ago I would have just thrown them out. But no longer.
Now, I save all my scraps and try to organize them by color and then see what fun ideas arise as to how to use them.

You can imagine after creating two collections and having a third on the way, how many scraps I have! A LOT!

So, we decided to play with them. The workshop was dedicated to creating jewelry and accessories that easily eat up those little bits of fabric.

It ended up that the way we created was very flow-of-conscious, grabbing colors that appealed to us and going with whatever fancied us. There was no set standard, so idea to emulate or copy. Whatever emerged, emerged. Sometimes it was a barrette, a neck-wrap, or a bracelet.

Because my office is so packed due to the big date coming up....we decided to work in the coffee break area of my office. And so as we are throwing around fabric, sewing, cutting with such delicious colors surrounding us all the other folks in the building would stop to watch. You could see their eyes light up and smiles grow. It probably brought back memories of the craft table at preschool (I know that is an image that came up for me). Good memories of more carefree times of silly creation. The office manager even suggested we do it every Friday! Maybe after the show....

Besides just jewelry making, we also helped Megan sandpaper the fabric for her little army jackets.

As I updated in my previous blog, we learned quickly how terrible it is to do this without a dust mask. Fibers from the fabric just fly everywhere. I got it up my nose and felt like I was suffocating.

It is a lovely effect, but as stated above, preferably do this outdoors with a mask. You'll be much happier for it.

What I personally find so rewarding about doing these workshops is the way our energy together inspires us to do things we never before imagined. A lot of the time it isn't even the product that is the most fruitful, rather the process of getting there sparks solutions for other garments that you were struggeling with. The process of relaxing the mind seems to feed the creativity tree, which allows for future bounty.

Other Upcoming Attractions

2008-04-14T20:52:00.001-07:00

Besides the HUGE, WILD, AMAZING Kara Maria show that is coming up I am also going to be part of some other fantastic sweat-free/eco fashion events.

Rags to Righteousness: A Passover Celebration of Sweat-Free Fashion
Thursday, April 24, 7:00 - 9:00pm
at the Swedish American Hall 2174 Market Street

It looks like it will be a terrific event with fashion shows and opportunities to buy from local designers like me!
http://www.pjalliance.org/eventcalendar.aspx?LOC=SF

ECCONOVATION
It is an ongoing show that on the closing night I will be doing a sewing demo on how to reconstruct creative clothing with Miranda Caroligne. It should be quite entertaining....watch me go sew crazy!
June 19th 7pm-11pm
http://econnovation.org/

Fashion Conscious
This is part of the UC Davis Textiles Dept. (I am actually am not participating) and it is a forum on sustainability in the garment industry with an interesting line-up of presenters. I def. want to be there to support this conversation.
May 18th 1pm
http://sustainablefashion.blogspot.com

The Story of Stuff

2008-03-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

After another emotional conversation about why buying local and recycled is so important one of the ladies at Pandora's Trunk turned me on to this website: www.thestoryofstuff.com. I finally took a look at it and it blew me away!

Story of Stuff with Annie Leon takes a very user friendly and in-depth look at the destructive cycle of mass production and step-by-step dissects it to show you how it all works, why we do it, and what we can do to make a change.

A lot of information she provides is stuff I already knew or suspected, but having it spelled out in economic and psychological terms really hit home. One of the most interesting parts is when Annie talks about how the U.S. became so collectively wasteful in the first place. Here is an excerpt from the film:

Shortly after the World War 2, these guys were figuring out how to ramp up the [U.S.] economy. Retailing analyst Victor Lebow articulated the solution that has become the norm for the whole system. He said: “Our enormously productive economy . . . demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption . . . we need things consumed, burned up, replaced and discarded at an ever-accelerating rate.”46

And President Eisenhower’s Council of Economic Advisers Chairman said that “The American economy’s ultimate purpose is to produce more consumer goods.”

Did you know that? I bet you didn't. And this excerpt is just one of many excellent points that should be well known. Another fact they talk about is how today Americans consume twice of what we did fifty years ago but our overall satisfaction has been ever decreasing since 1950s. Hmmmmm.........you mean my new ipod nano does not equal ever-lasting bliss? ;-)

I could go on and on, but overall The Story of Stuff asserts my own passion and urgency for education about the perils of over consumption and purchasing "cheap" items. As you will learn in the film the real-life cost is not factored into many of the things we buy. And I know it is daunting to try and figure out if our purchases are environmentally and socially friendly. Fortunately, the website has lists of resources that can help guide you toward ideas and products that are good for you and the planet.

So watch it, and send it to everyone you know. And come by the store and tell me what you thought of it!
Pandora's Trunk
544 Haight St.
SF
Wed. 2-8pm, Thursdays 11am-3pm

Designing the Postcard

2008-03-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

This week the final Vagadu meets Kara Maria postcard was created. During this part of the marketing process I got to use some of my other skills like photography, and Photoshop to get the exact "look" I want to express.

The concept for the card was to show the raw, the awkward, forced sexual energy that is particularly prominent in Kara's latest work. This concept is inspired by the Marc Jacobs ads (image to the right ) that have this candid, unproduced quality that is unusual for mainstream designers.

I thought the informal look would work well, because the pornographic images that Kara uses are not from Hustler or Playboy, rather from amateur pornographic magazines, so they have this affected quality that makes you wonder what kind of drugs might have been used to get these people comfortable enough to take the pictures.

So when the models were posing inside the studio space in the co-op I belong to Pandora's Trunk, as they were arranging themselves on the cutting board I told them to try a little "too hard" to be sexy, hot and irresistible (much like the women of Kara's work see above).

The garment they are wearing is a pseudo lingerie piece inspired by the painting "Unspecified Involvement xii". This piece turned out great for the marketing campaign because its features have some of the most obvious connections to Kara's work. The pink swirling smoke of the painting translated into fluffy swirls that decorate the body in a random, unspecific form ;-).

So our low production values echo the low-brow edge in Kara's amateur porn theme. We're giving a voyeuristic guilty peek in a place you maybe shouldn't look. Or you didn't know you wanted to until you did. My models were such good sports (thank you Evelina and Bella) as I asked them over and over to roll all over a cold cutting table in order to get into the more uncomfortable positions.

Fliers are coming out next week, look for them around town!

Favorite Technique of the Week!

2008-03-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

We are having so much fun with the process of fabric manipulation for the Kara collection. It has gone beyond just the basics of painting and dying the fabric and expanded into other forms for example....

This past week Megan came up with a great concept for texture of the mini bomber jacket that I described in an earlier blog.

Megan wanted to give a sense of depth to the main body of the garment with an added ruggedness to it. To start, she took a dark green canvas fabric and sandpapered wholes throughout it and then sewed beautiful stay stitches around the holes to keep the fabric from continuously fraying. Underneath the top green layer of the fabric she placed strips of different fabric composed of bright patterns which allowed for different designs to peer out from behind each hole.

The overall effect is magnificent, a carefully crafted callousness overlaying bright beauty that out from behind. The symbolism of this piece is somewhat contrary to Kara's work whose top layer is bright and cheery, however the more you explore the art, the more the darker elements begin to shine through.

I love this rubbed out technique and could see it applied to many different projects. The only drawback of it is the labor involved. It took Megan 2 hours to sandpaper the holes into a very small amount of fabric, so this technique is not for the easily distracted. I really want to do more with this method but I think the key to doing it is a lot of this is to have a sandpapering party where each person sands for 5-10 minutes and then passes it on to the next person.

My philosophy of late is-- if something seems like too much labor find a way to still do it. One solution is to share it and make it fun. But there are many other solutions out there. Like I have stated in other blogs, Vagadu is a slow clothing movement, we don't want to cheat, we are about process and creating our vision however labor intensive if it accomplishes our goal. Because in the end it is worth it. The pride you will have for having done it, long outlast the fading memories of the struggles endured to create the piece.

(Note: We tried sandpapering the fabric technique and it is VERY advisable to use a dust mask when trying this, epecially if doing it indoors. The fibers in the fabric get into your nose and if you have asthma or allergies it could be pretty toxic.)

Workshop #2: Menswear

2008-03-12T15:20:00.000-07:00

This second workshop was so much fun. We met at Angela's house to rework some men's shirts a la Kara Maria. I was able to pick up some men's tops in fun colors along with some vests that we could add fun elements to add to its brightness and playfulness that is key to Kara's artwork and as rumor has it....men are looking for in their clothes!

So, as is the typical format for our workshops we start off by hanging up a certain number of Kara's paintings and start playing with adding to the garments different elements of fabric paint, fabric pens, fabric swatches that we cut into special shapes, and went to town.

It reminded me of the craft table at daycare where materials were abundant and we were told to go crazy and create. I played the role of the counselor who encouraged everyone to keep going, keep adding. Like many of Kara's paintings, it is about layering and layering again. Adding to a certain aspect of excess or as I see it, abundance.

What I love about these workshops are the techniques you learn. For instance, Alix had an idea of cutting up a potato to use as a stamp. She ended up creating a very neat gun stamp from the root that worked out really nice.

Then Angela had a brilliant idea of using an eraser as a way to embellish shapes into thicker fabric like a velvet vest we had on hand. She cut out a star design of an eraser then to place the eraser design under the right side of the fabric, and press it with a hot iron for 3-5 seconds. The end result is an "imprint" of the design in the fabric. It looks great.

Overall, the things we produced were really fun and it got all our juices flowing for the next few weeks of producing before the big show. Time is ticking and we have a lot more creating to to do in the meantime which also bring me to the point of.....tixs are now on sale so get yours while they are still available....it will be a show you won't want to miss!

Vagadu has a Store Front!

2008-03-06T15:37:00.000-08:00

Great news! VAGADU has joined the local SF co-op Pandora's Box. What does that mean? It means that I have a public storefront where I have my own section of vagadulandia. My fabulous interior designer friend Alex Steinhouse is going to take all the important elements of VAGADU like art, recycling, playfulness to display my stuff like you've never seen. I can't wait! We've already talked wall paper, paint, texture, lights, and other recycled elements.

Being apart of Pandora's collective is allowing me to get out of my studio and meet the world. To be part of something bigger than myself where we all come together and support each other with our respective talents. In a way it is like an instant family.

What I really like about this group is the fun energy, eclectic style and artistic sensibility. There are reconstructed clothes, recycled clothes, and all all are def. locally made. We are all small designers with lots of energy who alone couldn't dream of affording our own retail shop. I had been dreaming about starting my own co-op but then this opportunity came up, I jumped for it. Why not join something that is already started?

A little background on Pandora's Trunk. It was founded by Rachel Hospodar of Medium Reality and Miranda Caroligne the author of "Reconstructing Clothes for Dummies" and seems to have her foot in every cool art and fashion event, happening or performance here in the Bay.

Today when I started working the cash register it brought back memories. I mean I haven't worked retail in years, and it feels good to finally be selling a product that I feel proud to be representing.

So come on down, and see what I have, and check out the other artists too, you will probably find something you love.

Pandora's Trunk
544 Haight St.
SF, CA
11am-8pm Daily
Closed Tuesdays
I will be working here most likely Weds. 11am to 5 and Thursdays 11am-3pm.

Designing Kara

2008-02-27T09:41:00.000-08:00

While watching Vagadu's Kara Maria Line move forward to May 3rd, I have begun to enjoy watching how each member of the team brings her own creative process to the interpretation of Kara's work.

...Megan, one of the interns...

Out of all the pieces of the collection Megan jumped on the opportunity to work on jackets and dresses.

For me, it is always interesting to watch what clothing items people gravitate to work on. Fortuneatly for Vagadu, it always works out that most of the interns want to take on different projects and so it works out that everyone is happy.

With jackets, Megan took on an area where we didn't have a clear design plan in mind. The only thing we knew was that we wanted a short jacket and a longer jacket. Other than that Megan was left to her own devices.

After a few days Megan emailed me a bunch of sketches. The first picture here above was the one that we struggled with most trying to find a fabulous amalgamation of ideas and themes true to both Kara Maria and Vagadu.

I liked the the sketch of the button over jacket, but besides the military/uniform element behind the design I just didn't know how it fit into the collection.
I went back and thought about all the different design themes that we discussed for Kara like bold, strong, symmetrical shapes. And content like birds and flight, fighter jets, war, invasion, women, exposed versus covered, Middle East versus USA. With that I thought, why not lengthen the jacket and change the opening to a button down instead of a button-over jacket? As you can see in the second sketch the design then becomes amazingly similar to the look of traditional Muslim wear.

Megan took that idea and went a bit further. She decided she still wanted a short jacket. But she went more with the theme of flight versus military with the bomber jacket like Amelia Earhart wore. Then, keeping with the Middle Eastern theme she used the Muslim decorative neckline for the jacket. (I can't wait until you see it at the show!)

There was a bit of frustration and butting heads over how to make this piece come together, but I am so happy with the final design. It is the result of a creative fusion of ideas, personalities and tastes while keeping to our core ideal. This type of collaboration where unique visions come together and find expression is what makes Vagadu so fun and special.

Bad Unkl Sista

2008-02-11T10:02:00.000-08:00

What can I say but "I'm in love!"
The label is called Bad Unkl Sista and I had my first exposure to this creative venture last weekend at the External Spring Show in the SOMArts building.

It has truly been a long time since a designer, a local one at that, has deeply sparked my imagination so much that it brings tears of joy to my heart. Bad Unkl did such a thing and in honor of the week of love, this blog is dedicated to my new favorite fashion muse.

I have not personally met Anastazia Louise (the woman behind the designs) of this magical label, but her ability to passionately mix art, clothing and extravagance into a performance is very true to my own vision. Anastazia is pushing boundaries, living pure expression through her clothing and creating shared community experience through her medium.

Let me explain. Bad Unkl Sista was the last act of at least 10-12 previous designers in a runway show that lasted around an hour and a half. Amongst the other designers was a whole gamut of styles ranging from chic, wild, trendy, to just plain average. Most of the clothing line presentations followed the typical runway model; one model enters at a time, wiggles around, pouts, blows you a kiss, and retreats to the back of the stage to be followed by another model and so on. This is fine and dandy, but frankly after strutter #44 the routine feels pretty stale.

The audience reflected this, and as our attention wandered, we talked amongst each other, eyes scanned around the room people watching, we clapped but it was pretty minimal, a hoot here, a holla there, but the energy in the room was struggling to be truly engaged with the show. We needed something to move us, to captivate us all and transport us to another place.

Bad Unkl Sista knows about these things. Like a bizarre dream, when their show began out comes Anastazia (already a very dramatic woman herself) dressed in black, dancing Butoh with a gorgeous solemn-looking ballerina. Simply and slowly they moved their way towards us on the runway. And then the suddenly as if a circus let loose, all types creatures emerged, one after another until the stage was cluttered with an assortment of people dressed like Narnia-meets-The Yellow Submarine-meets tribal Africa-meets-Alice in Wonderland.

The mood of the room changed instantaneously. Trancelike, we all gazed with delight and held our breath as we took in the spectacle. Together, as a whole the entire audience was sucked into this fantastical world where bizarre is beautiful and dreams become reality.

When it was all over, you felt like you wanted to hug everyone around you, we were somehow closer, as if after having experienced a trip to the moon and making it back alive.

For me, it reinstated my own path of creating events that unify the crowds, takes them to other worlds, in a night of experiencing beauty in all forms.

Thank you Anastazia, you bring light and magic into a world that craves raw expression. You made my night, my week, my month and probably my year.

Here's to you and all the other people out there who take their craft deep into the imagination, unabashedly using talent and skill to create the un-creatable. You empower us all to live our life to the fullest and cloak ourselves as the kings and queens that we are.

Best of all, you took an ordinary night and made it extraordinary. You are a magician, you are Ix Chel the Mayan Goddess of Creativity, the dreamer, the artist who out of nothing makes something. From the malaise you awaken us; you startle us, frighten us in beauty, daring us to pinch ourselves, wondering where you came from, the tribe we strayed from, the lost city that birthed us and now is found again. Thank you.

Her blogs are great too, check them out at: http://people.tribe.net/stazia

What Was I Thinking?! Part 1:

2008-02-08T16:24:00.000-08:00

Wow, from deep winter emerges the spring in SF! Such an early entrance into the warm season, they say this week it should get up to 64 degrees! I don't know about you but it just seems strange. Anyway, this confirms why I have decided to sell my car this week, in an effort to honor our planet and take a personal stance for a sustainable future.

Beyond climate change, in the studio we delegated the fashions this week and are busy making mock-ups, drafting patterns, and getting stuff done!

Therefore, since I always get a lot of positive feedback when I explain the creative process of creating a garment, I thought I would take this opportunity to explore the making of the "Vortex Hoodie" from the Rex Floodstrom Collection.

This piece really is a labor of love and vision. Derived from the painting "Light" featured in the photo here, the swirling shape hypnotized me into the neverafter. The feeling I got from the "Light" was comforting and inviting. I wanted to make a garment that reflected that value. I decided on a hoodie, because for me they are comfortable physically and psychologically. Something about covering the head that not only leaves you feeling protected but also soothed. Much like the painting, which is beautiful and comfortable to the eyes, the hoodie is easy to wear and relaxes the body.

Next came the task of figuring out how to make the swirls that I would attach all over the hoodie vest. Instead of one big swirl (like the painting), I decided I wanted lots of little ones to give a multi-texture element to the jacket. As mentioned in earlier blogs I first hand stitched swirls into fabric, and then pulled the tail of the thread tightly, which created a rouged effect in the fabric.

Once I got the hand sewing technique down, which I thought I would only have to make about 75-100 individual swirls,.....I was way off! It actually turned out to be around 300-350 individual swirls. Each of which was hand sewn onto the vest.

Originally, it was supposed to be a jacket with sleeves. However, after swirl #245, and I hadn't even touched the sleeves, so I decided to go with the vest because there were other things I had to work on besides this garment. In the end, I am happier with it being a vest, because otherwise it might have become too bulky.

For the last step of the jacket, once all the pieces were sewn, I took fabric paint, watered it down, and painted watery swirls all over the hoodie. This part was the most fun, because I used about 3 types of white fabric for the swirls, so it was fascinating watching how the paint interacted uniquely with each swirl.

One of the conceptual added bonuses of the piece is how when worn the black lining in the hoodie creates a universe effect around the face, which allows the face itself become the swirling vortex. The wearer, not the jacket becomes the art and the clothing is just the frame for which it is displayed.