"this is why I am all in rags now"

reclaimed vintage & tribal gypsy jewelry & accessories by Sparrow Salvage



Gibbous Fashions

The Non 2010 'The Golden Dawn' Collection

The Non Autumn/Winter 2010 'The Golden Dawn' Collection

Ladyfag

Have you checked out Stylelikeu.com yet? It's a voyeuristic experience like the Selby. But instead of photographing creative people in their home environments stylelikeu documents fashionistas and their wardrobes. Some of the videos are difficult to sit through, but Ladyfag's video left me wanting more...it's BEYOND! I saw this on my gypsy sister, Katelan's blog. Then just moments later I saw that Ms. Veronica iBarra, diva and photographer extraordinaire, just did a beautiful photoshoot with Ladyfag. Enchanting!

“I come from a family who had to leave their homelands due to persecution and create new lives for themselves. Growing up, this caused a lot of confusion about where I was from due to the secrecy of a family leaving bad memories behind. To this day, I don’t fully comprehend how Latvian or how Russian I am. If you ask my father, who was born in Israel, he’ll say we’re Russian. And so, without any type of exposure or knowledge of my Russian heritage, for my own sense of self, I am a Ruskaya gevotchka, a Russian girl. However, I grew up in Canada with my mother’s family, who are Hungarian holocaust survivors. If you had asked my grandmother, she would have told you that she’s Hungarian and from Czechslovakia.
I have always been drawn to gypsy nomadic cultures and as with everything in my life, the aesthetics. Left with a strong sense of identity (albeit a confused one), I went searching. I fell in love with and became a part of gay male culture and the traditions of Mexico (absolutely no rhyme or reason to that, but that’s just the way it happened). The other side of me has always had a fascination with the dark romantic fairytales, storytelling, myths, a love for folkloric costumes, gypsies, nomads, Eastern Europe, all with a Ladyfag twist. I am thrilled by the idea of getting to reimagine myself as the little Tsarina and the snowmaiden story that might have brought her comfort had she made it to the woods. I feel as if I am paying homage to my heritage and my enchantment with fashion.” ~ Ladyfag

Lori Earley

Lori Early's latest painting titled Lee, "The Pink Sheep", dedicated to Alexander McQueen. Oh, sweet sorrow...

Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair

“The storyteller an observing and interfering character, pushing and forcing us towards change and progression. Always with good intention. The collector a lover of things. He borrows your belongings, collects them, steals them and at the same time captures a little bit of you in his collection. The peace maker once a warrior. Now he is older and wiser, not so aggressive as he once was. He wants to teach you to not make the same mistakes he once have made. The traveller searches the truth, always looking for movement. The most important thing is to depart, not to arrive.” Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair

Ode to Spring...

Chicago Winters can be rather bleak...I'm looking forward Spring! I wish I could hibernate, but I have so many projects to complete before Spring arrives! Pre-Spring cleaning is in full effect. I keep saying I'm going to have a sidewalk sale or something, but no, I'm boxing it all up and throwing everything out! The exception being clothing that will be donated to the local church. I can't wait for April showers and May Flowers!


Bear Mountain by Jen Mann


Jeremy Laing paying tribute to Canada's vast natural resources. "There's Northern elements—but presented in a refined way. It's not about trapper style."

Jónsi of Sigur Rós will be releasing his solo debut April 6th!

Something Wicked This Way Comes!

Sisters Of The Black Moon officially opens the portal to their ebay shop today! They will be adding more to the shop for a regular 10 day auction on the Full Moon this Sunday!

Mara Hoffman ~ Designer/Cosmonaut

Mara Hoffman is out of this world!!! Her latest collection features pyramids, cosmic patterns and psychedelic prints reminiscent of vintage Paganne and Emilio Pucci. The models at her presentation were adorned with jewelry by All for the Mountain and glowing crown chakras! Oh yes, Space is the Place!

The ambient sound system was provided by a duo of space oddities (decked out in Mara's designs) who call themselves Living Sacrifice. "Take your protein pills and put your helmet on..."



And below, the enchanting Natasha Kahn of Bat for Lashes is wearing a covetable silk kaftan by Mara Hoffman. But alas, the price tags...these garments are reserved only for Bourgeois Bohemians. (yes, that is an oxymoron). The stars are not aligned at this time for me to indulge in such luxuries. Thank Heaven for $7 dashikis from the Village Thrift ;)

"There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out"

Alexander McQueen 1969-2010...Thank you Mr. McQueen, for sharing your visions with us. We're sending light & love...

CAVERN COLLECTION

Terence McKenna states "that History is ending because the dominator culture has led the human species into a blind alley, and as the inevitable chaostrophie approaches, people look for metaphors and answers. Every time a culture gets into trouble it casts itself back into the past looking for the last sane moment it ever knew. And the last sane moment we ever knew was on the plains of Africa 15,000 years ago rocked in the cradle of the Great Horned Mushroom Goddess before history, before standing armies, before slavery and property, before warfare and phonetic alphabets and monotheism, before, before, before. And this is where the future is taking us because the secret faith of the twentieth century is not modernism, the secret faith of the twentieth century is nostalgia for the archaic, nostalgia for the paleolithic, and that gives us body piercing, tattooing, abstract expressionism, surrealism, jazz, rock-n-roll and catastrophe theory. The 20th century mind is nostalgic for the paradise that once existed on the mushroom dotted plains of Africa where the plant-human symbiosis occurred that pulled us out of the animal body and into the tool-using, culture-making, imagination-exploring creature that we are. And why does this matter? It matters because it shows that the way out is back and that the future is a forward escape into the past. This is what the psychedelic experience means..."
This is exactly why CAVERN COLLECTION is so appealing. It's a response to the collective unconscious longing for an Archaic Revival. "Cavern Collection is the ongoing collaboration of ideas between Los Angeles based artists, Adam Tullie and Angeline Rivas. Primarily focused on a core base of original, hand-drawn offerings, the collection has expanded to include furniture, wall hangings, pillows, blankets, jewelry & accessories."

Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2010

"This latest collection entitled "Plato's Atlantis" was created to cast an apocalyptic forecast of the future ecological meltdown of the world. With humankind made up of creatures that evolved from the sea, McQueen used fashion to demonstrate how man may be heading back to an underwater future as the ice cap dissolves. To understand what McQueen means, one must first understand the story of the lost continent of Atlantis. It starts in 355 B.C. with the Greek philosopher Plato. As legend goes, 9000 years before the time of Plato, after the people of Atlantis became corrupt and greedy, Plato writes that the gods decided to destroy them. A violent earthquake shook the land, giant waves rolled over the shores, and the island sank into the sea, never to be seen again. So, is McQueen's collection a modern day work of fiction? Or is it an ancient premonition come to life?" (source)

The Return of Quetzalcoatl

Jean Paul Gaultier journeyed far from his home in Paris to visit Mexico a while back. He stated he didn't fully appreciate the richness of Mexican culture while he was there because it wasn't what he was looking for at the time. It didn't all sink in until he started working on his Spring Summer 2010 Haute Couture Collection. He said he can't wait to go back! Something must have happened when he visited the Teotihuacan pyramids, 'cause this collection screams Quetzalcoatl! Make sure to check out the rest of this collection featuring giant sombreros, conquistador armour, Spanish bull fighters, Aztec influenced hair sculpture, Mayan goddesses, and flamenco!

Audrey Cantwell

I just ordered an awesome Asymmetrical Hoodie (with an oversized druid hood) from Audrey Cantwell's Etsy shop, Black Market Baby. I love her designs! Her work reminds me of Odyn Vovk, except it's for women! Or maybe even Rick Owens without the devastating price tags. Her new line "SALEM" is inspired by Witches...swooon! audreycantwell.com

winter wonderland...

Have you seen Gareth Pugh's new collection? It brings to mind the tragic beauty of Japanese Ghost Stories. The Obake (spirit or ghost) is often the main character in the bizarre, avant-garde Japanese dance-dramas, called Kabuki, as well as folklore inspired art and literature, like manga and anime. There are different types of Obake, for example Yōkai are a class of supernatural beings ranging from demons to supernatural creatures that possess part animal and part human features. Yōkai generally have a sort of spiritual or supernatural powers like shapeshifting. Another kind of Obake is the Yūrei, the soul of someone who has died in violent manner such as a tragic sudden death, murder or suicide, they are influenced by powerful emotions such as a desire for revenge, love, jealousy, hatred or sorrow. If the proper rites and rituals have not been performed, or the emotional conflict is left unresolved, the Yūrei will persist in haunting a particular person or place until their purpose is fulfilled, and they can move on to the afterlife...
Next we have John Galliano. He also worked with the grey palette for his Winter collection, but the results are rich! It conjures images of Ice Caves, Snow Queens and even Theda Bara's provacative costumes in Cleopatra! The rest of his collection is gorgeous as well and reminds me of Russian fairytales and Balkan Gypsies!

ILLUMINATI

I'm currently obsessed with the use of Occult symbolism in the media...particularly in the fashion industry. These photographs are from a series titled ILLUMINATI, by Antonella Arismendi. (Check out her website...lots of Occult themes) The Illuminati, meaning "Enlightened Ones," is an amalgamation of powerful occultic bloodlines, elite secret societies and influential Masonic fraternities, with the desire to construct the framework for a "New World Order." The outward goal of the Illuminati is to bring forth universal happiness to the human race. However, their underlying intention is to gradually increase control over the masses, thus becoming masters of the planet. So how do you feel about that? Or do you think these "signs" just herald the highly anticipated Paradigm Shift scheduled for 2012? The image of the All Seeing Eye (The Eye of Providence) is a symbol showing an eye surrounded by rays of light and usually enclosed by a triangle. It represents the Eye of God keeping watch on humankind, Divine Providence. The symbol dates back to ancient Egypt and was symbol of protection and royal power from deities, in this case from Horus. The most notable modern depiction of the eye is the reverse of Great Seal of the United States, which appears on that nation's One Dollar bill. Dolla dolla bill y'all!

Theft of Light

Derrick Cruz, the visionary designer behind Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons, sent me his lookbook introducing his new accessories collection titled "Theft of Light." In addition to creating things that are visually stunning and meticulously crafted, Derrick is an Urban Storyteller. To Indigenous people, storytelling was a sacred process. It was the rich imaginations of the storytellers who tried to explain the relationship of humans to their natural and supernatural environments. Native people did not distinguish between the physical and supernatural because everything was viewed as a vast continuum; whether it be animate or supernatural, the world existed in 'real time' and in a conscious state of existence. Every living thing was a member of one large family: the four elements (earth, air, fire and water), plant, animal and human worlds were connected to each other. I think Derrick is intuitively aware that modern people are craving to live in harmony with Nature...we desire more natural, intimate relationships and long to understand our place in the cosmos. His latest collection is perhaps then, a Call of the Wild...check out his website to view the entire collection!



"Nature is your school, your laboratory, the gateway to liberation, and the panorama of God's manifold majesty. Seek to know the lessons it is ready to teach; all things are as Brahman as you are." ~ Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. 10



"Theft of Light" is conceptually situated at the crossroads of Native American Mythology and an urban outsider instinct, it introduces large and bold looks, re-purposed traditions and creatively up-cycled materials." The line an homage to Derrick's late father, Jose Rafael "Jun" Cruz (1951-2009) and his Puertorican Taino roots. He explains, "the images I've shared with you are snapshots of what that basic tribal tendency looks like in my head – illustrations for a chapter in my personal book of myths."

Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons joined forces earlier this year with Odyn Vovk. Together they kicked off Fashion Week Spring 2010 early (with steel-toe boots I might add) on 9/9/09, in New York's East Village. Odyn Vovk [oh-din va•hk] translates to One Wolf. As stated in the program, the name reflects “cunning, wisdom, searching, dreams, magic, transformation, death, rebirth, and protection.” You can check out the details from the show here ➵ ➵ ➵

Darla Teagarden's Candy Land

Darla Teagarden finally has her very own website up...down the rabbit hole you go! Miss Teagarden designs all her own sets and styles her models. She creates props in her home and garage, does all the make-up and hair in her bathroom, and assembles it all in her bedroom where the photoshoots take place! She works with the most amazing artists! Recently, she did a shoot with Liz Mcgrath and her band Miss Derringer! She created the dress Liz is wearing out of paper! Liz McGrath actually makes most of the fabulous hats Darla uses, her line is called Creepsuela Switchletto ("Oh RATS. Where the fuck is your hat?") Well you can buy one from her etsy shop...but she on tour with her band right now so you'll have to wait till she returns home from tour!



She has also featured hats from the fabulous and incomparable Topsy Turvy Design...



And corsets by the diva of dark glamour, Louise Black...who, by the way, was casted for Project Runway's 6th Season, which will premiere August 20th on Lifetime!!! If you've been eyeing something in her Etsy Shop, snatch it up now!



And just look at this fanciful shoot she did with Christy Kane! Christy Kane is a Doll Maker and Story Teller. You can watch her short film featuring her doll, Callalilly HERE...you can also visit her Etsy Shop where she sells t-shirts and accessories featuring her "doll daughters" the Sisters Kane!

Awareness & Consciousness A/W 09-10

Behold...the otherworldly designs of Awareness & Consciousness.

Fall Wardrobe Essentials...

The Season of the Witch is right around the corner! I can't afford to be extravagant with my clothing right now and even if I could, I wouldn't! When it comes to fashion, as much as I love over the top avant-garde designs, it's not practical for me. I'm usually running around with my kids and such so I need to be comfortable. I'm all about jeans and t-shirts with awesome shoes and assessories. Anyway, here's what I have on my wishlist for Fall so far:

I NEED a mid-length cloak hoodie made by Lindsey Thornburg!



Belted Harness Mule made by Frye These are the kind of boots that look better the longer you wear them! They make Men's shoes and boots too...check out the Engineer Boots...HOT!

Crowns for Women Who Run With Wolves

I was wandering around the internet a while back searching for historical references of headdresses made by indigenous people. (I want to make one for myself and some for my Etsy shop, but I can't find any ethically sourced feathers...any suggestions?) Anyway, I stumbled across the Little Doe is Love website and totally fell in Love! This headdress is my favorite...total woodland witch couture!



Chase Cohl is the bohemian belle behind Little Doe is Love. You might remember seeing her AMAZING apartment on the Selby...she's also in a Folk Rock band called Weepaw with her brothers! Her feather headdresses totally remind me of my favorite photograph of Natasha Kahn of Bat for Lashes! You should check out her latest video, Pearl's Dream...I love it!



For those of you not familiar with Natasha Kahn, Pearl is her Shadow Aspect. Pearl is the escapist, drama-prone, devastating id to Khan's rational superego. She's a "subterranean prowling witch," at odds with Khan's "desert being, which is very much about nature, interconnectiveness, and acceptance." "Perhaps my Pearl is like that little Pearl grown up, orphaned and traveling down this dreamy river surrounded by dark forces," says Khan. "Also, in folklore the pearl is like a droplet of moon falling into the ocean. She's supposed to govern the subconscious world." Sometimes the two halves duel directly, as on "Siren's Song," where the languid verses find Khan contemplating what it is to be a perfect, nurturing woman (Keeping the bed warm and being "proud when you dazzle"), but in the chorus Pearl comes crashing in, destroying the calm with cacophonous piano chords and insistent drums. But a conclusion is found with "The Big Sleep," the album's closer that features cult '60s crooner Scott Walker. The song is Pearl's finale. "The curtain's coming down, she's going to take her millions of sleeping pills and finally enter nothingness," says Khan. "She had to subside. The aware side of me woke up, and the more I woke up, the more Pearl fell asleep."

(source: Fader Magazine)