Backstage at Gutter Magazine Fashion Show

Posting will undoubtly be a little slow and lots more picture heavy as I am starting on this wacky coding endeavor for theunsewn.com, my new blog. You thought this was a special place for ideas well then hold on to your seats! Here are a few behind the scenes of the Fashion Show I was invited to in my home town. They feature Salome Vintage, a vintage shop that I am truly in love with.

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Now up on Ebay: USA Leather!

Selling this hot and heavy number on Ebay right now for only $15! Click the link here: Sprout 345.

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Fashion Film Monday!/ Paying the bills #3: Alvaro de la Herran for Elle and Range Rover

Magazine's have to pay the bills too. How you ask: Ads are one but how about taking that to the next level? What if the editorial and the car ads came alive? That is exactly what Alvaro de la Herran did. He created a masterful experience that left me wanting chunky wristlets, big faux fur, and a huge SUV. I know better than to destroy the environment with one of those things but it just looked so cool! This is exactly the point of a commercial and a fashion film. I figure they are slowly becoming one in the same and this is one of the first examples of this merger. Although there are several sites focusing on discussing these things I hope to open it up a little more with my new blog. Let's get a little heavy this year, okay? 

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Yohji Yamamoto's Documentary

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Friends Friday: What does feminism mean to a fashion blogger?

1. Do you think there is an incompatibility between feminism and a love for fashion? No, feminism and fashion are separate entities to me. I do not consider myself a feminist and because of this I don't see any conflicting interest. As a blogger it is fun to point out the fluffy inconsistencies in the fashion industry. Some of those inconsistencies include model size, adspace manipulation, and the fashion blogger: all but the first deal in other subject matter than feminism.

2. There is more to each of us than a love for fashion, how do you incorporate every aspect of yourself into your blog? As I am working on the layout for my new blog (theunsewn.com) it is difficult to narrow down my projected interests. On this blog however I haven't put much attention into tailoring my interests, you see them all! For the new blog I will focus on critical attention to fashion film, fashion magazines, independent designers, and vintage/historical fashion. The blog will bring out the nerdy side in both you (The reader) and me. I think it is great when a blogger has a tailored interest on their blog. My favorite blogs that do this are Arash Minazini, Park and Cube, and Business of Fashion. Each are distinct and share something special with fashion enthusiasts and the blogging community.

3. With the fashion industry still being a male-dominated profession, how do you think it would differ if women played a larger role? I think there would be more of a free-for-all creatively. This would be a healthy thing because it would be a huge shift socially and economically. This is all purely subjective, who knows what would happen. If it did happen I would be right there at the front lines talking about it. The fact that fashion, which has an overwhelming female consumer percentage, is dominated by men isn't surprising but it does tell an interesting story about what the consumer really wants.

4. How is your self-image and the way you carry yourself informed by your beliefs?  None of my beliefs reflect how I dress. However, I take strong stances on issues but have had a problem in the past with, uh, running my mouth? It does help that I am prone to argue my point on occasion. These are all things I am working on because I realize while Feminism and other hot button topics are important not everyone wants to talk about them.

5. Do you think clothing/makeup/hair helps communicate the truth about yourself or are those things superfluous add-ons? To be honest addons can be superfluous or make a statement about who you are. I have dreadlocks and it is because I was tired of spending all my money on hair products. I was also tired of spending so much time worrying about it getting messy. Now I have lots of freedom to do with it what I want. My friends really seem to like my hair and that is kind of cool that my seemingly offbeat decision is accepted.

My love of menswear is not absent from this blog and it does influence the way I dress. This is part functionality and practicality and part aesthetic I guess. I wear a larger dress size and sometimes men's shirts and pants fit better than women's. Also fast fashion hasn't caught on to menswear yet so most of the men's clothing I find in thrift stores are better made.

Life is beautiful, let's share a little.

Joy D.

Tommorow night in Baltimore!

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

The long skirt: Here to Stay!

Two trends I am glad to see again this fashion week: cropped sweaters and long skirts. It has already decided that I need a few in various colors and textures. I might have to chop some sweaters that have been neglected since the suddenly warm weather. Baltimore springs fluctuate between 50-70 degrees until about May. In other words, sweaters I still necessary. Sad but true! Also on my wishlist is some platform shoes. No, Litas will not be sitting in my wardrobe but maybe some a little more...subtle? I am a top notch commuter on foot so super high platforms are not a factor. Would platforms finish off the long shape of the skirt perfectly? Here are a few photos from around the internet that really inspired me.

(via The Satorialist)

(via Stylesightings)

(via Stylesightings)

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Fashion Film Monday!: Gildas & Masaya Present Parisien

Kitsune love for the month of March!


Life is beautiful, let's share a little.
Joy D.

Fashion Snaps!: Gangsta and Floral

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Fashion for a Cause: A Night of Victory

My lovely and always present friend Abdu celebrated his one year anniversary on Friday. I felt privileged to attend as it was also a fundraiser for TransUnited which are great at throwing benefits and helping transgendered individuals. Everyone was decked out in their finest attire. It was like NYFW with sequins, are they back right now? I totally missed that trend but I love that it is making its rounds again around Baltimore. This event made me truly realize the potential for creative people in this town. The after party was lots of fun too, but I was really glad that a lot of money was raised for a good cause that is often neglected. 

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Fashion Film Monday!: Dervishes in Space part one!

Riese Farbaute is a young film production company from Hamburg, Germany. They primarily produce fashion films and branded shorts. Dervishes in Space, a Science-Fashion-Film told in three episodes. And because I am a Libra (Sept. 28) I thought it would be fitting to present the first installment. I like Riese Farbaute's abrasive style and I hope you will too. Be sure to check out Part Two and Part Three.
Riese Farbaute's website: http://www.riese-farbaute.de/
                               blog: http://www.ravished-by-illusions.com/ 
                    Vimeo page: http://www.vimeo.com/cristianstraub

         Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Yes Please: Help Tokyo

In order to show support for such a disaster torn country I searched for wearable merch that you can purchase that will give 100% of the donation to Tokyo. Unfortunately I could only find the Lady Gaga bracelet. I will continue to update this post though. Friday was nerve wrecking for myself as I waited with baited breath for emails and text messages from my friends in Japan. My prayers go out to those in Japan and to those that have family there. 

Lady Gaga bracelet

Life is beautiful, let's share a little.
Joy D.

Fashion Snaps!: Brood and tie-dye

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Friends Friday: Finding Balance

"I think this [balance] is one of the hardest things for us as bloggers to deal with."

                                                                    Katy Rose of Moldy Chic

Me playing dress up. Dress: DIY plussize skirt/ Hat: Vintage/ Shoes: Cougar/ Necklace: Vintage

Blogging is my one true love. Of course my life a uni is fantastic but it does not compare to the fun dialogue I get to be apart of here. The past two/three weeks have been full of house matters, a sick family member, lengthy school assignments, and  sleep deprivation. While all of that sounds insanely depressing fear not: it isn't at all! Because of the life matters I have I will not be posting consistently til March 21st.You can gather that I have a work hard, play hard mentality but how does that factor into my blogging you may wonder. Katy Rose, the founder of Friends Friday, in all her clairvoyance generated these questions at the right time. 

1. When it comes to prioritizing your life, in what place does blogging fall? School and life come before everything else. When I graduate next fall I will be the first person in my immediate family to graduate from college directly. It is not only a huge achievement but also adds some pressure. Also graduate school is in my future which is scary to just about everyone I talk to that doesn't have a masters. Go figure. Life has been a tad rough and family always comes first. Recently my grandmother had a stroke and while I haven't been trekking up north to visit her I have been taking time out of my weekends to be with her and my other family. She is progressing well! Thank you for all the well wishes on Facebook and Twitter. So the "sad" truth is that blogging does not come first. I don't think it is all that sad though. Blogging does often come before going out to the club, or cleaning (I hate doing it).

2. We all wish we had more free time to dedicate to blogging and all it entails. What are your tricks for taking advantage of the time you do have to be as productive as possible? When life isn't insane like it hasn't been I block out my time on to-do lists. They are my best friend! They help me see everything I have to do and synthesizes it. I also carry a notebook around and use the notepad phone ap to write down ideas and things I see around. By nature I am an "idea man" so writing down all of them is important to me. Sometimes they are blogged about and sometimes they are not. Writing down ideas saves time later when I only have a few hours to write a post.

3. Have you discovered any short-cuts that makes blogging easier or more time efficient? Planning out blog posts ahead of time is a big help. I don't know of too many bloggers that start the night before to work on a blog post anymore. Think of it as a good term paper: Regardless of the grade you get it is a more satisfying experience if you plan out the paper and think about it.

4. Do you have an editorial calendar or something similar that helps you plan ahead? I tried very hard to plan out my posts but it never works so that is when my hand to-do lists come in handy! The editorial calendar, if mastered, is an amazing tool that helps you be a savvy blogger. That being said, I am working on my own and sticking to it.

5. If time wasn’t an issue what you would be doing on your blog (or for your blog) that you aren’t doing now? I would do focus on design. Currently I am working on a brand new blog. YES EXCLUSIVE NEWS! It will have a slightly different focus and so I feel a new blog site and name are required. It is almost at the part of coding and crafting. I am excited and nervous about the decision to design from scratch. It is another reason I have not been on my posting game.Also time would be spent on responding to commenters, I love you guys lots!


To all my blogging friends out there: How do you do it all and still live, work and play as you should?

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Fashion Film Monday!/ Paying the bills #2: Leah Jewer for Guess Acessories

Guess Ad from Leah Jewer on Vimeo.

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Fashion Snaps!: Nice Backbag

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.