Stix on the Beach: Tales From The Happiest Hooker!

Within Reach

Back in May I came up with an idea for a new collection. It was completely different than what I've designed in the past. And then I changed my mind. I've decided to take the heart of the collection and use it to give new life to my old design concepts.

Just a matter-of-time before it all comes together.

Simple Thoughts

Last week I had two epiphanies and half a Vicodin.

I've been working on a design collection for a couple of months and it just hasn't been coming together. I've spent so much time trying to make something simple.

But simple is not my style.

Simple is hard for me.

Designing with intricate details comes much more naturally to me. It gives me that exhilarating feeling of believing only thirty minutes have flown by, when if fact, it's closer to three hours.

I've pretty much resolved my new approach to the collection, 'cos I really do love it. But before I start to rework it, I am getting back to the roots of my design concept — the one that gave me the confidence to see myself as an artist.

I'm confident it's in the bag.

Sticks and Stoned

Keep true, never be ashamed of doing right;
decide on what you think is right and stick to it.
~ T.S. Eliot

I've been working with sharp objects . . .
I've been on Vicodin for my sciatica . . .

I've been like Edward Scissorhands.

I'd love to share photos of what's going on behind-the-scenes in the studio; however, I'm super secretive when it comes to projects that are in the beginning stages.

It's a bit being paranoid of having my ideas stolen (and there are copy cat bitches lurking in the shadows) and the remaining part is keeping myself from becoming bored. When I talk too much about an idea before actually putting it into action, I can grow tired of it.

But I do take a lot of photos during the designing phase! I need visual motivation, so I grab my camera and and make eye-candy digital collages and off-the-wall marketing advertisements even though I know the piece is not the final version. It's a fun way to look at what stands out and what needs to be improved upon. Plus, I have an awesome pictorial of the creative process!

And when the piece is true, I just know it.
I know it's right and I stick with it.
Then I move on so I don't get stuck.

Fashion School Dropout

In the world of fashion schools, you're either in or you're out!

A couple of weeks ago my Twin-From-Different-Parents asked me how the fashion program was going. I paused before answering her. Which fashion program was she referring to? Since the beginning of this blog in two-thousand five A.D, I've lost count by how many times I've enrolled and dropped out of school. By the time I remember to announce I've dropped out, I'm enrolled again. It's like the equivalent to Heidi Klum's pregnancies: if she's not pregnant now, she will be in a few minutes.

I started the fashion program six years ago at Fullerton College. Already a student there, I always heard about the outstanding reputation for its fashion classes; however, I left the first time in part when the instructor (who basically monopolized the program) predicted that black & pink would be the next big color combination in clothes. I thought she was joking. The girl next to me thought she was joking. This was at a time when every piece of apparel from Furstenberg to Faded Glory was in black & pink!

A year later I enrolled at Orange Coast College, which has one of the OC's most hyped fashion programs. Paul Frank has been known to teach classes there, along with other well-known surfwear icons (Orange County is the capital of the surfwear industry). It totally wasn't my scene, tho. In fact, the whole snobby student body wasn't my scene. I left mostly because of a family crisis, but I doubt I would have stayed 'cos I have a lot of issues with this college. The main one being that it was the most unsupportive campus I've ever stepped foot on.

Then two years ago I decided to make the forty-eight mile round trip to Fullerton College again. As gracious as the instructor was with her time and knowledge, I still found myself throwing dressmaker pins her direction. When she said St. John Knits were only worn today by old ladies who lunch, I about choked! How I wished I could have told Kelly Gray that one back when I'd see her walk down our street in Corona del Mar! Kelly helped reinvented her parent's St. John Knits fashion house into a hip (not hip-replacement) label. I don't think their new ad campaign or campaigns over the last couple of years are targeting the Ladies Who Lunch Bunch.

If YouTube is acting bitchy see photos here.

Brands change their image! Levi's were once worn by gold diggers, now they are worn by gold diggers of a different kind! I think the evolving reinvention of St. John Knits would have made an excellent case study regarding what happens when someone different with new ideas takes over a fashion house. It also would have been engaging because SJK is located in Irvine, CA ― right in our own backyard! It could have tied in perfect with a lesson on how fashion is the second most important industry in Orange County (which I don't recall ever being brought up).

Another issue I had with the program was the amount of attention given to teen/young adult fashion (and addressing the class as though it was made up solely of eighteen to twenty year old students, but that's another post!). Can you say boat loads of Baby Boomers? Senior citizens have the largest disposal income of any demographic! With so many students pursuing a career as a buyer, I think this point should have been drilled into their heads. And if you don't believe old people are fashionable and creative, advance your way over to this blog.

Coco Chanel said "Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” Then why weren't we looking past Vogue and Women's Wear Daily? Bring in issues of BUST and FLAUNT and MORE. Examine how obesity in America has forced plus-size fashions. Surf Etsy and blogs for entrepreneur designers. Encourage students to take Photography 101 Intro to Photography.

It sounds like I am quite passionate about the business side of the fashion industry. I am intrigued by the science of it; however, my real passion is in the less glamorous side of cutting and sewing. And I've especially missed being in the sewing construction studio.

I LOVE being amongst the long cutting tables, sewing machines and dress forms. Walking into the studio is how some of you may feel about walking into a darkroom or yarn shop or Target. I also love helping other students. Each time I've been enrolled at Fullerton, us fashion students have had each others' back.

Now I am living four miles down the street from Fullerton College. And I found a way around the instructors I no longer want to take. And I'm thinking this Fall might be the best fashion season in years.

Shopping Spree, Sesame Street-Style!

Today's blog post brought to you by the Letter S + the Color Orange!

Sometime around six o'clock Sunday evening, I had the sudden urge to spend money. Surprisingly, I had already showered and simply had to straighten my hair in order to be seen in public. Marissa was shocked when I suggested going to Fashion Island 'cos she had been stressing to me all day about how she wanted to split and go somewhere.

We got to Fashion Island in a second 'cos it's only about a mile down the street. We got a prime parking spot just a few steps from Barnes & Noble. Shoppers at the book store were scarce -- surely a sign of the times!

Marissa said I was acting strange as soon as I stepped foot into the store. She also told me to stop acting like a Newport Snob. I shot back by saying to her to stop spacing out when I was speaking to her.

Then came the part where I had to get on the escalator.
The Scariest. Ride. Ever.
I stood there, trying not to sob, as Marissa tried not shoving me down the stairs. Here's the thing: I have this depth-perception problem. When I look down at stairs, they look like a slide; therefore, the escalator looks like speeding slide!

And I was sportin' heels. Fortunately, not spiked.

It was a successful trip -- arriving safe + sound from the second floor! We skipped on Starbucks and went straight to the arts/crafts section --- only to have Marissa steer me away to the language study guides.

We wish there was a source to learn the Basque language -- our heritage. The Basque country is partially in Southern France/Spain, near the Pyrenees Mountains. Marissa has been self-learning French -- so I've decided to take up Spanish -- neither of which is similar to the alien language of the Basque peeps.

While selecting which Spanish self-study system I wanted, I came up with a secret language! Well, not so secret, if anyone standing nearby took a semester of French, along with a semester of Spanish. I spelled out my plan to Marissa, which is to learn to understand French - and for her to understand Spanish, so she can talk to me in French, and I can respond in Spanish -- and people eavesdropping can only understand one-side of the conversation (granted, if they understand either language)!

Smart idea, si?
Oui!

I settled on Barron's Spanish Now! Seventh Edition. Marissa bought French Now! Fourth Edition. Can you hear me shouting that right now?!

Sensing I was starting to go through social-networking withdrawal (Twitter is not working on my cell phone) - and was ready to bid sayonara, Marissa quickly took me back over to arts & crafts. I saw so many peeps I tweet with on the shelves!

I had a stack of books, including Alicia Paulson's "Stitched in Time: Memory-Keeping Projects to Sew and Share from the Creator of Posie Gets Cozy" and Anna Maria Horner's "Seams to Me: 24 New Reasons to Love Sewing."

But sadly, my sewing machine has not been fixed yet, and I put 'em aside to save on money till I see if my machine works with the bobbin case replacement I bought. The new case has been sitting atop the machine for months; however, I can't get the damn screw loose to slip the replacement in!

So I went old school with Softies Only a Mother Could Love: Lovable Friends for You to Sew, Knit, or Crochet! I can swing most of these projects by using only sheets of felt, scraps of fabric, stuffing, sewing needle and scissors!

As I surveyed my final selections, it struck me that both were orange and the titles started with the letter "S." I found it silly, and suddenly realized I had a subject for my second NaBloPoMo post!