Friend Friday: The Ins and Outs of My Blog

 This week is a short Q and A of what I am packing under my technology belt. It has helped me to blog efficiently but not necessarily glamorous. I am throwing in some more Baltimore live show pictures for good measure as I am sure you can't get enough of me and my friends dancing around and hot guys in bands. Also, I promise to be back to my frequent blogging self soon. (Sickness is a wicked mofo.)

1. What technology do you use in blogging? I have two computers: a desktop and a laptop. Yes I am a little obsessed with technology and the internet. My friend just told me the other day that I am about 75 percent internet. My camera is a NikonD5000, it is the new cub to the litter of gadgets. My phone is a Droid Eris which I have a love and hate relationship with. I don't really like blogging from my phone. I think it is fussy and time consuming. I also have a scanner that will make its debut soon on the blog. I found it at my old apartment and so it is pretty old but it does the trick!

2. What computer and online technology do you use? My laptop is a trusty dell. It is so practical it is far from cute but it endures all the wear and tear of me as both a student and a blogger. My desktop is a Sony Vaio, it is awesome! While my football team was playing I used to watch games on it. And when designers had live streams I watched in hi def! It is a blessing to have since I refuse to get cable television.

3. What is your process for taking pictures? All of my outfit posts are done with me and my camera as well as the nifty self timer option. I borrowed a remote once and it made me feel even more awkward in front of the camera so I ditched it. All of the party photos are shot by myself. I am hoping to invest in more lenses in the coming months or an adapter. Then the fun really begins.

4. When it comes to backdrops for your photos what do you consider? Do you scout locations or shoot the same spot daily? This will sound a little contrived but I go on an inspiration by inspiration basis. My outfit posts are fairly cut and dry because I only find that to be a very small percentage of my blog. 

5. If you could splurge and get one new piece of equipment what would you be buying? This is tough. I would probably get a bunch of lenses for my camera and a better printer/scanner. Definitely a Mac laptop with enough gigs to keep all my photos on it although I wouldn't. Oh, and I would get a couple more external hard drives as I have a lot of video projects coming up and have no place to store them! 

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Moodboarding: Bluez and Blax

As if! 
I can't articulate my loves and likes very well without splitting them up into sections. But to delineate from this I have made a collage of what has been on my mind lately. Black and blue is often what I dress in if I am not out on the town. It is a pretty matte way to dress during the day which is why I get colorful in clothing selection at night. For this first of many posts like this I have been terrible at crediting these pictures but I will do my best underneath. 

From top right...
1. Unknown credit: knit underwear and shorts are something I want to make and wear or purchase. But I am not sure when either event will take place. Seeing as I have been too sick to string words together to blog it will not be the former. Aren't they gorgeous? And they are perfect for winter or summer.


2. Street snap by Face Hunter (I think): A nicely dressed couple is always inspiring. I like his trench just as much as I like her school marm dress. I am still obsessed with long dresses but would prefer for the "maxi dress" trend to die. Does it have to be a maxi? Can it just be a long or flowly or lengthy gown? 


3. An editorial on The Fashionisto: The models face is comically stoic. And I think he is trying to tell me about my life since the new year started. The hat is the most inspiring but I would rather stare at it then wear it.


4. The Facehunter (in Taipei): How moody, to get the full extent of this gentleman's outfit you have to click on the photo above. He is dressed in an impressive purple trouser and carries a leather briefcase as a manpurse. 


5. Hedi Slimane: Yes Mr. Slimane did capture de Niro. Photographers everywhere are gasping in jealousy I am sure. Hmm, why is this inspiring? It is his stare, the stare of a man that knows a lot from pure experience. My grandmother gives this same smirk from time to time. It is just a landmark picture to me. Although since tumblrs and photographers are a dime a dozen this picture will not have any weight to the general public. You can find the rest of the photos on Slimane's diary blog.


6. The Fashionisto: Patrick Dine is a model I am not familiar with but is stoic model stare got me to pay attention. I think the hairstyle also encouraged me to take a closer look at this intense photo.


7. Unknown (maybe Face Hunter): Oh cloud shoes, why can't you be mine? Maybe one day I will come across some canvas oxfords that I can sponge paint on. Until then...I yearn still.


I love the well thought out comments I have been getting from you! What inspires you this week? Would it be over kill to post this once a week?

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Fashion Film Monday!: Juun J speaks

Just hearing him talk is enough but Juun J. Is great at what he does. His demeanor alone invites me to listen further. We discussed a bit the interest in learning about the designer. It is more intriguing of a conversation when the designer is not as well known. The descriptions of their process become more fluid and, in my opinion more beautiful. Juun J. makes clothes that inpsire the wearer. As you can tell I am a huge fan of his work and how he refuses to commodify his ideal form or shape. What do you think of the work you have seen? 

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

The awesome and sassy Jai from The Fat and The Skinny on Fashion blog donned me with a lovely crown of Stylish Blogger! When you’ve been honored with this award you are supposed to share 7 things about yourself and pay it forward to 15 newly discovered bloggers. So here it goes:
1. Fresh Prince and Dj Jazzy Jeff albums are all that are playing on my speakers lately.
2. I recently made a new friend, he's a butcher.
3. I love anime. I recently started to watch Great Detectives Poirot and Marple again.
4. For a short time a year ago I was in a band called Fridge A: http://www.myspace.com/fridgeamusic
5. Last year, for 3 months I lived with 10 other people.
6. I am a good chef but terrified of baking.
7. One of my biggest guilty pleasures, because I am American, is that I am in love with Britpop bands.

So the lucky 15 are....*drumroll*

• Creative Cookie
• Eat On This
• Feigned Perfection
• Is Mental
• Some Required

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Friend Friday: What is authentic blogging?

The idea of authentic blogging gets thrown around as much as organic food. What makes a blog authentic? I think having your own ideas makes it as authentic as it possibly can. So let's dig a little deeper than that. So many bloggers want to be famous and profitable these days there is growing the attention to authenticity. Ok, fair enough. You want to do well in journalism of any sort you have to approach your writing with integrity and ethics. Also roped into this notion of authenticity is original content. Original content is not just "What I Wore" or "This SS11 collection is totally inspiring" type of posts, it goes a little further. Why not take pictures at a show or create a mood board or collage? I would have to say that the first option is the most fun for me but maybe not for everyone. So, as you can see, everyone throws around the word authenticity in blogging but it is really an umbrella term that inhabits quite a bit of work, effort, and creativity. Because fashion week in New York is nearly at our doorsteps and the bloggers will be rallying in NY I thought it apt that Katy Rose posted these questions to answer.

Jil Sander pictured above is a fashion house that always sticks to what they know making them a pretty authentic brand. I would also like to include Celine and Acne.

1. Most readers and fellow fashion bloggers value authenticity in the blogs they read. How would you describe blog/blogger authenticity? It is strange to describe authenticity. I would call my blog very authentic as I work with and write about what I know. Recently it has been important to myself to feature local artists and interview them as well as fashion editors. My approach to blogging is to discuss fashion blogging, the fashion industry, and the fashion media. It is a more difficult approach but I think it is quite authentic.

2. When it comes to your blog how to you infuse it with that true/authentic feeling? Since September it has been important as a blogger and a documenter to start photographing things I find interesting. That might seem elementary but it helps in both respects differently. With blogging I am able to take street style photos in my home town or when I travel. Being able to give your audience a first hand glimpse of what you are seeing as a blogger is a big way to provide an authentic feeling.

However I disagree with the idea of an authentic feeling of a blog. It almost seems like it should be forced and as a result fake and unauthentic. Ethically speaking it is miserable to see bloggers writing about what they get for free. I think most prominent bloggers have now shied away from this advertorial writing but lesser known bloggers are following suit. It makes it difficult for the blogging community to receive compensation for their work. And that is just unacceptable.

3. Have you stopped following a blog in the last three months? What made you lose interest? Yes, I follow blogs almost instantly after finding them. It is similar to impulse buying without buyers remorse. Often I read through a few weeks of posts before adding so I guess it isn't too much of an impulse. Recently I see that a lot of the blogs I follow post about the same things and look the same. That isn't to say that they are unauthentic but that I was feeling uninspired. Also, my own ideas about art, fashion, media, were not being challenged and that is a big deal to me. I like blogs to challenge me a bit while still being aesthetically pleasing. It is a lot to ask.

4. We can't communicate effectively on our blogs, something we don't live in real life, what are some ways you try to live an authentic life? I guess I start out by telling the truth and being a civil human being regardless of whether that is in style. I am also aware that I make mistakes and try to be humbled by them. It isn't easy being apart of a scope (fashion blogging) that promotes vanity and materialism but having a transparent understanding of it all keeps it fun!

5. Give a shout-out: Which bloggers do you think are truly genuine and why? I would like to give a shout to the following lesser known bloggers who always remain amazingly true to themselves despite the trends.

Arash Mazinani

He loves womenswear and continues to write about what he loves. He also gives great advice on dressing for both women and men. His talents reach beyond these few things but they stand out to me because most men won't step up to the plate.

Muireann of Bangs and A Bun

She had such an amazing 2010 that lead her to carry on a major discussion about blogger compensation with big business. I am glad that we are Twitter friends as she also gives the best advice about life and blogging. She is a big sis of sorts.

The FVNCY Girls

Why don't you know about these ladies?! They are a power pack duo that loves food and San Francisco as much as I do. They have made an impact with always dressing the way they want and posting about what they genuinely love and that, to me, speaks volumes of authenticity. They also have a great relationship with their readers which seems to be lacking with bigger bloggers these days.

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

The big change: I am moving my items from Etsy

After such a huge push to get started on Etsy I felt a little intimidate by the fact that I did not have the tools or the resources to sell there so I will be moving my items to Ebay for the time being. Stay tuned friends. There are still a couple pieces up on the Etsy. I will also keep it open just in case I decide to make some things of my own. And just so this isn't with out pictures here are some pictures I took during New Years. I had a great 

deal of fun.

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Baltimore Favorites: Josh Sisk

Photography isn't new to me but is something I have been recently obsessing about. Being hands on with photography in the last four months has made me respect and appreciate photography more. Details and skill are qualities I notice much more often. There are certain photographers that are the ultimate in inspiration, innovation, and panache. (Panache is something you are born with.) This includes Baltimore photographer Josh Sisk whose work I have been aware of since high school. Since 2005 he has been a sort of authority on nightlife and live performance photography in Baltimore. Everyone knows who he is and his work speaks for itself. He has contributed to magazines and major newspapers such as Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, Spin.com, and XLR8R magazine. A few years ago it sued to go without saying that is Mr. Sisk was at a party it was the best party around. But with all eyes on Baltimore how does one choose which event to cover? I was lucky enough to ask Sisk a few questions and to discover the man behind the camera.

Dan Deacon

1. What influenced you to take photos professionally? I worked my way through college as - among other things - a staff photographer and stringer for various college/local publications, and a darkroom manager and a traditional black and white photo printer. I fell into web development after college, but missed  photography, and dabbled here and there, stringing for the Express, doing some headshots, shooting photos of hardcore bands that were on the record label I ran. That got me shooting a lot more. Then I started
shooting more shows and doing club photography for Cullen Stalin and Simon Phoenix, who do Taxlo. At the same time the Baltimore music scenes were getting a lot of national attention, so it was sort of
the right place at the right time.

2. When did you start to enjoy photography and taking photos? Almost as long as I can recall. I started taking photos of my friends and family with one of those old 110 cameras, the long narrow ones with the weird cube flash that rotated. I enjoyed taking snapshots and trying to make them more interesting than just a basic picture, messing with double exposures, weird lighting, stuff like that. Sometime in high school I managed to get a hold of an old Pentax K-1000 film camera and started learning black and white photography techniques, how to print, how to develop film, and so forth. How to make the images look more like what I imagined they could look like. And I was hooked.

3. What is your favorite band, past or present, to photograph? Why? Hard question. Most of the bands/artists I have shot, I have only shot once, but certain artists are always fun due to the wild things that
happen. I would say perhaps either the Death Set or Dan Deacon, because the performances, even when they are large, always have an intimate feeling to them, like the crowd is a part of the performance. And with both, there is the knowledge that any crazy thing could happen. Both also make really great music.

The Death Set 

4. In 2010 you put together a book called Under the Strobe Light. Why was it important to put a book together? What was the selecting process like? With that book, I wanted to put together a document of the work I had been doing over the last 4-5 years, shooting in nightclubs in Baltimore, documenting the Baltimore dance music scene. I still do this, but a much larger part of my shooting life in those years was in those clubs, so i thought it was time to assemble a body of work. I tried to create a cross section of the people and artists - and places- that felt like a good picture of the scene to me at that time. Not
just the DJs and producers, but the kids too. That book was more of a first shot at it, I am going to be doing an expanded version that will be out late spring/early summer, with extra photos and a better layout. I did the design on the first edition myself, but this time a real designer will be laying it out, thankfully.

5. If you were not a photographer what would you be doing?Not sure. I've always had an interest in film/video. Perhaps I would be a cinematographer, but that's a related field so that's probably cheating to say that! I studied painting in college; maybe that? Or perhaps I would doing a lot more web/interactive projects.

Portrait of Jimmy Joe Roche

6. You are best known for shooting live performances, do you shoot other subjects?Most of what I do is music-oriented - I shoot a lot of album photos, album covers, promo photos. But I also do studio portraits and I love to shoot landscapes. I have an ongoing body of work that is photographs taken in the small North Dakota towns where my father's side of the family is from.

7. What is your favorite part about Baltimore and why? The people, the atmosphere. It's a crazy place, but it seems a lot more of a whole package than some other cities that are more
metropolitan. I like that there is a whole range of experiences, culture, and people here. And a wide range of artistic projects and endeavors. I grew up in a fairly culturally devoid place, and my family currently lives in a very isolated rural community, so living here always feels like something new and interesting is going on.

Dj Scottie B

8. In 2011 what are you looking forward to? Do you have any new endeavors? Every year I try to focus on one area of my work and improve on it. Last year I was really focused on bringing the quality of my live concert work to a higher level. I think I came a long way, and am a lot more happy with what I'm doing with that sort of work now. This year, I want to focus on portraits and I have a few bodies of work in this area I want to develop. I also want to focus more on my web sites and other things. I will
be making my online portfolio and site a bit more in-depth than just
the photoblog and basic portfolio I have now. Learning to get myself
out there more.


9. This is the age old question, how do you stay focused at performances? Hard to really explain this one. It's all instinct. I can't really help but not stay focused. When I am at a show without my camera, I am constantly thinking about composition and exposures and framing anyway. It's not hard to stay in focus, it's harder not to.

Sisk hopes to have his new book, which will focus on live music photography, and the second edition of his first book both available in April. Also in April he hopes to have a gallery show in Baltimore or DC. More news to come! If you would liek to see more of Josh Sisk's work check out his Flickr. If you would like to hire Josh Sisk for your next event or purchase some prints check out is website: joshsisk.com. 

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Fashion Film Monday!: Susie Bubble on MonkiTv

Susie Bubble is a hero and I am glad that Steve from Style Salvage makes a small appearance. Without sounding too creepy I have followed Susie Lau's blog since the first year it got its start. No one can argue its importance or Susie's amazing self learned fashion scholar, of sorts. This short film gives a glimpse of the many aspects of Susie's blog career and what having a successful blog entails. She is no joke. I hope you enjoy! Also of note: Monki's approach to this series which I will discuss next month when they have a new fashionista they cover!

Sorry to pull the video but I do have some spiffy stills for you! The video started automatically and I know how annoying that can be so here is the link to the video on monki.com: http://www.monki.com/television/susie-bubble/my-thing

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Street Style Sunday: Nature Made Art Gallery Opening

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Art gallery opening: an outfit post

It has been a long time since I have been to a gallery opening. Luckily for me a good one came along at the start of the year to get me excited about local artists. It was held at the John Fonda Gallery in Mt. Vernon. Although I lived in the area for two years I had no clue this space existed. So what to wear? I decided to go with lumberjack on stilts. What do you wear to gallery openings? As you will see in the post about the show itself, everyone was pretty dressed up.

Hat: gift from Dad/ Top scarf: vintage/ Shirt: Gant/ Undercoat: found/ Jean jacket: Levi's

Jeans: Levi's/ Socks: thrifted/ Shoes: Aldo

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Favored Opinions: Tom Ford S/S 2011 Collection

Here is a new feature on the blog, yes another one, where I give praise to or politely disagree with the fashion business. And where else to start but the newest Tom Ford menswear lookbook for the Spring/Summer season. Where do I start with this one? I sincerely love the Palm Springs, Casablanca, Cuban pimp aesthetic but....

Let's start with my favorites. Sheer admiration goes to the days when wearing wingtips and mini polkadot ties were in style. Those guys were a dime a dozen in the 20s, 40s, and even the 50s and 60s. But what happened? Maybe we, the consumer, got a little too lazy. Maybe we ditched the idea of looking good as an idea of narcissism. That makes sense because it is a little narcissistic to worry about what plaid goes with what shoe or which suit jacket to wear with that particular tie. But I digress to say: I love that stuff! And the model gives off this air of young man in grown man clothes. I have a problem with that and will come back to that in a bit.

As I truly examined each  garment in the collection I started to notice why it was so appealing. These are feminine cuts! Tom Ford has always been heralded for getting the female shape down to a science but I am not sure where he is going with these shapes. It is also a little obvious that he loves making his own point about garments and the fashion industry from season to season. Even when he did consulting with the infamous Carine Roitfeld they liked to inject some kind of confusion in sexuality in their work. The slender form of the trousers to the right give me heart palpatations; this is a good thing!

 Ok, so the models. Do they have to have Corbin Bleu hair? This fact alone would make me want to turn the page on this collection. I did mention he is supposed to be a master mind at the editorial yet the laissez-faire poses and apathetic expressions are over used. I am not quite sure the fashion vocabulary but the pulled blazer collar has been done, Lanvin anyone? However I am a fan of the flamboyant bow tie, I would love to pick up one of those.

Yes: it is Spring/Summer. Yes: I love purple and satin pink. But no, Tom Ford and Etro, and even Lanvin: I do not want to see little pool boy Gigolos. It is not fair to want all menswear to be masculine but I am not always a fair person. Plus, the pieces individually are amazing but together they look like a thrift store compilation. There is a ray of sunshine: check out the watch-gold chain combo! This is another accessory I would love to have in my closet. So far, I am lusting after the jewelry, the bow tie, the shoes, and the high waisted brown trouser. What do you like/dislike about the collection? I always love your responses.

PS. If you got the scrilla check out where to buy: Tom Ford Store Finder

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Learning two languages for the sake of Fashion (and History)!

 Josephine Baker with her 9 children

Sounds silly right? Well now I can devulge the method to my madness. The next semester of uni is rearing its ugly head and I, along with a very supportive professor, have taken on a wonderful research opportunity. I am pleased to research Josephine Baker and her influence on French design houses in the 1920s! If you are not a nerd you might find it hard to believe that I will revel in the fact that I will have to sift through oodles of books, essays, disertations, movies, and etc to reach my goal. My thesis is still in the air and I will definitely keep you updated. This means that my new year's resolution from 2010 is officially completed: to figure out how to study both history and fashion as a cohesive subject. This proves that anything you put your mind to can be achieved! 

The infamous Banana Dance

So what does all this have to do with learning languages? I am putting myself to the test and will begin my journey to conquer French and Italian. Most of the papers and first hand accounts will not be in English. It is very difficult to find first hand accounts before the 1950s that are translated so I have my work cut out for me. For me it is important to not cut corners with this paper as it involves a few fashion houses I love and could possibly lead to a lengthier work like a book or article for a journal. What is to be expected? A lot of frustration on my part as I tend to torture myself with research and paper structure before diving into a huge 12+ page paper. After completing a 26 page work last semester I think this is something I can handle. So, wish me luck and expect many updates!

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Yes Please!: Acnestudios.com SALE!

Doing a lot with a little is why I have always enjoyed Acne. The Swedish fashion house always impresses with clean lines and forms and stark colors. Only recently have their shoe collections caught the attention of fashionistas. They always amaze me with their refined sense of design and their refusal to bow down to typical trends of "chic" or "things that pop" or any of those other over used expressions in fashion. Bravo Acne for not boring me or the rest of the world. Right now, at this very moment, they are having a pretty big online sale. Go and buy things! I am currently saving up for New York (NYFW), and other exciting trips I can't discuss yet. So I would love to live vicariously through my  readers. Here is what I would love to have in my wardrobe. If you are wondering how I touture myself further, by window shopping please check out my Svpply.com profile. It is chock full of goodies!

Trooper Metallic Boot

Daimler Aviator Jumpsuit

Pluto Silk Dress

Awesome Silk Shirtdress

Draw Bootie from AW10 collection

Life is beautiful, let's share a little.

Joy D.

Fashion Film Monday: Philip Lim speaks

Fashion Film Friday will be moved to Mondays from now on as to make room for Friends Fridayz. This week Philip Lim speaks to Purple Magazine about the making of his finale garment for last season. I love indulging in what designers have to say about what they do. Looking at the process and the assistants are also amazing! The assistants are the unsung heroes that are so readily available to the designer and willing to work with him or her. The video is shot well and really helped me to understand how such a complicated garment was made.

How do you feel about peering into the creative process of a designer? 

Would you prefer the mystery to stay intact?

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Saturday Street Style

I am having fun with these themed days on the blog so why not keep it going! Just so you know there is Fashion Film Monday, Friends Fridayz, and now Saturday Streetstyle! Here are a couple I took in 2010. I just realized the common theme with these two ladies is that they are both wearing D-ring style belts. The first picture features some wicked awesome trousers.

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Friend Friday: I can do anything you can do better.

Here and there I have ranted a little about fashion blogging and the general world of the blogger. But lately I have hit one of points where I wonder where blogging is going. The atmosphere seems to be more about promoting oneself to the nth degree than producing good content. And I do know several writers that are complete exceptions to this theory. What kind of world would it be if I was right all the time anyway? Katy Rose, a blogger with a lot of insight, created a great platform to suss out the open ended questions that exist in blogging. Rose is one such blogger who I admire for doing her own thing and saying her own thing. She created FBFF for bloggers who want to speak their mind. Below is this week's questions to get the juices flowing, sort of speak. I decided to move Fashion Film Friday to Monday so that you could get a weekly idea of how I feel about this wonderful world of blogging we love so much.

Me at Joe Squared in 2010. Photo by Lynley Bernstein.

1. Have you ever looked at someone's blog and thought yours will never measure up? When I started blogging I was intimidated. Even two years ago there were so many bloggers doing what I wanted to do but better, or so I thought at the time. I started slowly through trial and error and I think I am still learning how to portray my own voice in the blogging world. I am the biggest fan of Susie Bubble because she doesn't make bloggers feel intimidated but instead welcomes anyone with a healthy opinion. That is rad.

2. Do you (did you) feel pressure to meet some kind of undefined standard for fashion bloggers? Sometimes, even now, I feel pressure to have advertisers and take pictures of myself in "cool" clothes. But those feelings get squashed when I realize that all I want to do is create discussion about fashion as well as digital and print media. There were always be uncertainty about what is popular because that is often how the media works. To get your ideas heard people have to be listening. Alternatively I am happy with my intelligent readership.

3. Many established fashion bloggers are also extraordinary DIYers, bakers, and crafty people. Do you think you need to combine all of these things to be successful at blogging? I think that it is difficult to combine all your passions into one format and I respect those that do. However I don't think you have to be a Jane or Jack of all trades to be successful. The important parts of blogging are the ideas of the blogger. The talents of a blogger are amazing too and add to the value of the blog. Slowly I am working on photography, videography, and essay writing. I think blogging has helped me with these passions and given me an outlet to practice and gain feedback.

4. The most successful blogs are the ones that have their own personal voice - how are you developing your voice or how did you find yours? This is such a heavy question. I developed my voice once I noticed no one discusses fashion blogging and designers for the most part. I wanted to look critically at designers, magazines, blogs, and have fun with it. Only recently have I posted outfit posts which are fun too. I want to approach fashion critically but with a positive attitude. In the future I want to open more discussion to my readers which is why it is important to think about what I post. Since the holiday there has been a sort of slump on the blog due to the fact that I did not want to produce content that was both lacking and false to what I believed in.

Almost two years it has been since I wrote my first blog post. The process was that of elimination and trial and error. I did not want to do what others were doing nor say what everyone else was saying. I also knew that I couldn't completely re-invent the wheel. It is a little nerdy but once I started following the popularity of fashion film and started working on my media studies major at uni I discovered another way of thinking. This has been a been a difficult voice to keep up with as digital media is always changing. It could be argued that digital media changes faster than fashion, it is incredible. And this is what I want to push myself to discuss in the future.

5. Toot your own horn... what's one thing you do that is unique to you and your blog? What gives your blog an edge? Since I am totting my own horn I would say that my newness to examining fashion and blogging critically makes me unique. The edge comes in my approach. Critical thinking doesn't have to be stuffy and uncool! I am the friendly sherpa through which readers can explore the complex facets of the fashion world from different perspectives.

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

A talk with the editor: Vanity Teen

So long now I have chatted with the editor in chief of Vanity Teen. His magazine is fascinating because it comes across half thoughtful and half saucy. One day I will produce something worth handing over to Sbastien, the editor. Something worth the caliber of the magazine which you can view here. You will be delighted that he answered some of my questions. Sbastien is a man of few words. (Included in the post are photos from the magazine past and present. The last picture maybe NWSF.)

Issue10 cover

1. What is your name? I love the idea that people who don't know me personally call me Sbastien but my real name is Toni.

2. What statement do you want to make with your magazine? I want to create serious, straight "teenage art" meeting point, directed by young people and to be consumed by all types of public. I want to be a reference of a new, teen's vision of art.

3. Do you have any critiques about print versus digital magazines? The day where printed magazines are over is near, kioskes will be over too and only electronic books and magazines will be in our everyday lives. In Vanity Teen we have adapted to new technologies, we are not afraid of change. Vanity Teen is not to be published or be printed any time soon, our artists are young and teenagers, we are not classics at all. It is very important to make clear that we also respect the environment very much.

4. How do you decide what is put into your magazine? Since I first started in photography I always thought about giving chances to young artists. Young people need to be admired, they need more space to create.

5. Why do you focus on teens? Do you feel there is a lack of teenager presence in magazines today? In Spain there is nothing like this and if there is, they are only focused in treating teenagers as mindless people, only fans of Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber, people that only consume pop culture. There is another photographer that touches the young and teenage culture but from a gay point of view and in my opinion, adulterated. I wanted to do something different than that.

6. Where are you from and does it inspire you? I'm from Barcelona. I grew up loving Andy Warhol, Bruce Weber, Larry Clark's movies, etc. If Barcelona has influenced me at all is in trying not to be like what's going on here.

8. Do you have any favorite fashion blogs or magazines? I love Hero Magazine and Coytus, I think they are the best reference for magazines that feature boys from a straight, fresh and young point of view.

9. Would you call your magazine controversial? Not at all. I do not consider my work controversial, I only want to expand art, just that.
Anything you would like to add? Yes, read Vanity Teen, it rejuvenates you!

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.