Some News And Some Photos

A shot of my headdress

Mia Johnson 

Grant Newton

More photos HERE.

Another show on March 21st at Dances of Vice, the same Little Red Riding Hood collection, but with 3-4 new looks, as well as a more dramatic way of presenting it.

In other news, since the last couple months I have immersed myself in costume making, I am itching to get back to painting and sculpting. I have a bunch of ideas, that may have to wait till after the 21st, even though I'd love to have a break from this theme.  Hopefully I can create them before the ideas go stale.

Also, trying to slowly get back into dance and arialism by stretching and conditioning every day. I want to be able to base my future costume endeavors on choreography, and thus want to be physically involved in it. But thats for later, after a long break for painting and sculpting!

The First Pictures from Wicked Faire

These are from my parent's camera! Thus, they are not as clear as the could be. More soon!

Edward Swanson, rocking a wolf costume with a more tribal flavor

Grant Newton, a very victorian lycanthrope

Yours truly and Mia Johnson, my most fetching wolf lady, at the end when the designers were announced.

The day after...

The show at Wicked Faire went wonderfully, I shall hopefully have photo evidence and video footage soon.  There were a few tiny things that I wasn't satisfied with in my costumes, however they were only very minor details, like buttons, and extra drapery, and such things will be fussed with before version 2 of the show, taking place on March 21, at one of my favorite venues, Dances of Vice.

It really was one of the better group shows I have participated in. Usually when a group of designers has a show of this nature, there are usually a few who don't impress me (as I am rather difficult to impress sometimes). However, every single design and model in this show was something stunning and memorable.

Soon, my good friend Stephen is going to post some video he shot of the runway and some backstage antics, and thus the show can be seen by all!

Also, A huge thank you to everyone who modeled for me (and Stephen), as you made my work look prettier, and didn't complain through wearing uncomfortable shoes and corset/dress/paintings!

Fall 2009!

An Update, of Sorts

Not the best photo, but so far the only one I have of one of my new costumes for my upcoming shows.

I have been very busy and thus have not had a chance to post for a while.

I worked at the set of The Tempest, a  Shakespeare play, being set to film by Julie Taymor.  It was an amazing experience, being able to work with someone I admire so much, and with my favorite character in my favorite Shakespeare play. My co-worker Amy started constructing the costume, and I told her if she needed any help on it, to let me know, since It was a project I would hold very high, and so when the basic construction was done, I helped her to complete it. I have a ton of pictures, but none of that can be posted until the film is released.  Ariel's costume was the only one we made, but all the other costumes in the wardrobe room were absolutely beautiful.

I had 2 magazine appearances this month, one in the Italian Marie Claire, in which I modeled a costume at Brooklyn Indie Market, though my name is nowhere to be seen... And a bunch of costumes and costume parts that Andy and I made are in this month's Bust magazine, though they got the credits wrong and forgot to mention Andy.

In upcoming news, I have two fashion shows coming up, premiering my new collection, based on Little Red Riding Hood. The first show is to take place at Wicked Faire in Whippany, NJ on February 20th. This incarnation will be more victorian and steampunk.  Then, on March 21, I will be doing a show at none other than my beloved Dances of Vice, and that version of the show will be more fantastical feeling, as the theme of the event is pagan rites of spring.

I will post more about these events, and perhaps images from my magazine appearances at a later date, but now, I have to get ready to go to work!

Tempest

More pictures from Milan:

I love when blues look slightly out of context with the place they are in.

Currently, I am sick with bronchitis, and having not made the fruitless trek to NY to only spend a couple hours there for the day, I intended on getting some work done today. The good Lord, as it seems, will have none of that, and I now find myself wondering "why did I take that sudafed? Why?"

In other, more important news, I got to meet none other than Julie Taymor, a director I have revered for a long time. At Izquierdo's, we are making a set of Harpy wings for her upcoming film The Tempest, my Boss, a coworker, and I had to go to Steiner Studio to do a fitting. We were worried that she would have a lot to comment on, that we needed to go in a different direction, or that she just plain wouldn't like them, and yet, when she came up to see the actor in them, she responded very well, and we all sighed in relief.

I will most likely have to be an additional assistant when they shoot the scene that this character is in, which excites me greatly, as I have never been on a film shoot of this caliber.

I took many photos at the fitting, and even some video footage, though, It will have to wait until the film airs before I am able to post them.

And now, Tor try and fight the side affects of Sudafed, and attempt to stay awake long enough to be productive!

Uncertain Musings

Sometimes I am stuck between a number of projects I want to do. Right now, my dilemma seems to be whether I spend my time sewing or painting. Painting is my favorite form of art, but I need more time to conceptualize and motivate myself to do it, as though it takes more pre-planning to develop a sophisticated idea. Perhaps that is why it is my preferred way of spending time: it challenges me. My costumes, on the other hand, are more near to the surface of my mind. They are like sketches made with fabric, and it is an immediate object. I view the costumes as sculptures; shapes with form, and they seem to have a more concrete effect on anyone who views them.  I have been trying to mix my two favorite activities, and I had some ideas about making canvas dresses to paint on, though the ideas are not fleshed out enough for me to take action on.

Well, perhaps by my next post I will have lit a fire under my tail, and will have either a painting or a costume started, or both.

No new photos to show, so I thought I'd pull some from when I went to Italy for the CoMon Competition. These are from a day trip we took to Milan.

Ahoy! I have not put up a post in a while, as I have been thoroughly enjoying resting for my holiday vacation.  

         Things have been slowly picking up at my place of work, and I have recently been working on Harpy wings for the Tempest, a Shakespeare play soon to be made into a film directed by Julie Taymor. The wing-making involves lots of poisonous chemicals, and lighting things on fire in order to melt holes in various materials, which makes Kristin a happy girl.

In other news, I was very inspired today to start work on my line of clothing/costumes, perhaps due to one full night's sleep and 2 full cups of coffee...  Fortunate as it was to feel motivated, I fell into my personal trap of being over ambitious, and thus designed a whole new collection based on a nautical theme, even though I have barely started my current one. My current collection is based on Little Red Riding Hood, and has elements of Lycanthropy involved. perhaps soon I shall post a sneak peek of what I have been working on.

That having been said, here is a picture of a chihuahua in pajamas:

This little thing is named Penelope, or Peepee, for obvious reasons. She belongs to my friend and co-worker Sam Hill (yes, that's his real name).  This is one of the 4 dogs that runs around the studio all day, bringing sunshine, camaraderie, and presents of multiple types to our daily lives.

These are one of 4 pairs of wings we made for the Video Game Awards on MTV. We are making similar wings for an upcoming episode of Ugly Betty, which is themed around "looks that are too dangerous to wear".

And lastly, an Antlerboy!

Happy New Year!

When Left to my Own Devices

Ah yes, knitting Christmas presents... but a dress for the dog? This is what happens when Kristin has a weekend to herself. My excuse is that I just wanted to try that red yarn at the store, I just wanted to make something small,  to see how the stitches work...

Sigh, well anyway, for the record, I don't actually agree with putting clothing on animals, unless it is sheep that have just been shorn, however, if I did not produce something suitable for the holidays, I could rest assured that my mother or sister would have had a field day in the doggy sweater section of Petco.  Thus, Lulu the family dog is now the proud owner of a ruffly wool sweater. 

Now if only I had time to make the sweater I made for my dad I promised him 3 years ago...

What Happens When I Rest

As it happens, I have had a bit of time to rest, as Thanksgiving took place last week, and I am not doing any extra projects right now. Thus, I have been able to knit and paint, two of my favorite activities that get pushed to the side when I have too many deadlines on my plate.  Here are a couple things I have been tinkering with for the past few days.

These are two different presents for two different people named Jack. The button elf hat is for my 2 year old nephew, the scarf is for my friend, who I told last Christmas he would be receiving a scarf. I let time get away from me, and right after this Thanksgiving, he informed me that if I didn't start on it soon, he would buy one at a shop, being that his neck had been quite cold for a while. So, it took a whole year, but in the end, I made the scarf in about 3 days. And I am sure he will never let me live it down.

A study of my friend Edward, a rather gifted illustrator, holding my snake Jasmine.

  

Next up, on my knitting needles is a scarf-hat for my grandmother, and a sweatervest that a certain Andy has been expecting for half a year, as I have the tendency to tell people what I wish to make for them long before I ever intend on beginning. However, a yarn store near where I work has invited me to join a knitting circle on Thursday nights, so hopefully I will continue to complete many Christmas presents before Christmas! Hooray!

Photos from This Weekend

A model from the Bust shoot on Sunday, wearing the Astrolabe skirt that Andy made and I helped with.

 

Another model from the Bust shoot, reading off set. He is wearing my dad's flight goggles. Those things have been in so many photographs!  Everyone who ends up wearing them is surprised that they were actually really used for what they were made for rather than just an accessory.

My friend Jenette Roehrich and I in dresses I made, at Dances of Vice on Saturday.

 

Olivia Gagne and Jenette. Olivia made her wonderful outfit out of drapes, Scarlett O'Hara style!

More pictures soon perhaps, when I have time to edit them.

MTV clip!

These are from back in august, but it's better late than never!

A certain Grant Newton in my father's old goggles, and a costume Andy and I made.

A video about Steampunk and how it affects the mainstream. Some clips of my friend Grant and I are included in the footage. Click this link! you know you want to!

HERE are more photos of people in their fabulous costumes from that article.

My Activities for the Last and Next Couple Days

Yesterday, things were slow at work, so my boss set us to clean up the studio. As I was painting a white bookshelf white, a little white dog with a smile on its face ran up to me and wiggled. I pet it, then entered a conversation with my boss and the dog's owner. Who ended up being none other than Susan Sarandon, who was in for a fitting.  The dog's name turned out to be Penny, and Susan told us about how she brings her to shoots, and she ends up being in films with her, since she is such a good little dog. It was nice finally meeting Susan, as when I first started working at Izquierdo's, I worked on her costume for Enchanted.  Tim Robbins was also in for a fitting, and he was so tall, he had to duck his head to make sure he cleared the doorways.

Aside from that bit of excitement, I have been under the weather for the past week, and hope to recover in time for Dances of Vice tomorrow evening, in which I will be accompanied by my best friend Jenette, and my father. Whom I will force to wear a top hat.

Then, the day after tomorrow, I am loading my jeep up with costumes in order to supply them for a photo shoot in Bust Magazine. So keep an eye out! Pictures of Vice and perhaps the Bust shoot coming soon!

More from the Grand Chrononaut's Tea

Two lovely photo collages from a photographer named Adrian Buckmaster.

Some video footage from my fashion show at Brooklyn Indie Market: you can view video from the first half of the show HERE, where the first 4 models are mine.

and the second half of the show HERE.  The first 2 models in this set are mine, as are the last 4.  I am a fan of how my good friend and model Grant works the crowd in this one.

The sound quality is not the best in these videos, but at least it gives a chance to see everyone's work in motion, which is great because there were a lot of amazing designers there. You can even see a certain Mr. Buckmaster in some of the footage, sporting a lovely hat and a fabulous mustache.

Some Photos from the Vault!

I am attempting to update my Flickr account to make it more up to date, as I have hundreds of photos I would love to post and thoroughly label.  Here are some scrumptiously silly old scenarios that I am having a hard time categorizing:

From Left to right, me, Amanda Klimek, and Mary Benyo, in a photo set by Jamie Herman.  All three of those ladies are immensely talented! The purple dress is one I made for a project about the Three Graces.

Sam Bennett and I after completing Karolina Kurkova's wings for the 2007 Victoria's  Secret Fashion Show. Our faces (seen through an opening in the wings) show our joy at finally being done, and we pooped glitter for a week afterwards. Well, I certainly did!  I will be posting pictures from the wings this year very soon!

Andy and I the day after our fashion show in Ohio in June this year. We both had massive headaches, but stopping at a place entitled "Grandpa's Cheesebarn" and making hair mustaches was an experience that one tells to their children later in life, so we couldn't miss it.

Frolicking on Halloween

My friend Olivia Gagne in a costume she put together.

Stephen Stuart and I in costumes I assembled. He is wearing my hat, and my mustache is a tad faded and askew.

Stephen Stuart, that vest he is wearing is one I made in middle school, while learning how to use patterns, though the brass accents are new.

Olivia and I, plotting something dastardly and delicious!

From my Halloween Archives

2005, when I won some contests as a peacock with a retractable tail

2006, when I was going to be a Satyr, but then got mono, and didn't have time amidst my sleeping schedule. Thus, I went out in my under wear and some closet scraps, and made a pair of wings the night before.

2007, went out with my co-workers: me as a seamonster, Sam as a squid, Rebekah as a sparrow, and Andy as a toad. And our messy workplace in the background.

This year won't be nearly as exciting, but hopefully I can look like I made an effort for the holiday.

Halloween is coming!

All Hallows' Eve is fast approaching, and though it is by far my favorite holiday, due to my love of both mythology and costume (and debauchery), I often find myself too tired by the time Halloween actually gets here to do anything spiffy on the 31st. This year, I had many great ideas for a costume, first settling on being a steam-powered robot, then switching to the Queen of Spades, then finally settling on wanting to be an octopus. Now, a few nights away from my favorite night of the year, I find myself exhausted from fashion shows, work, being sick, and moving out of my apartment. Thus, I begin digging through my closet yet again, to find something suitable to wear to a Halloween Dances of Vice event, based around a murder mystery theme. We will see how it goes, and hopefully I can muster up the strength to draw a dastardly mustache on myself.

We shall see how the night progresses, and surely I will have pictures of the debauchery, costumes and the myths to ensue. Rest assured, by next year, I will have constructed the niftiest octopus costume the world has ever seen, and it will be the very thing I pull out when I dig around in my closet, the week before next Halloween!

Grand Chrononaut's Tea

Mia Johnson, a boy named Raine, and me, waiting in line before the first half of the show.

Gen's back, me, and some other models for other designers.

My roommate sent me a craigslist ad for a fashion show, and though I feared sketchy men with nothing on under their jackets, I responded due to the fact I had an abundance of costumes in my closet.  It ended up being a fantastic event, in which I showed with some great steampunk designers, and my models got some great praise.  I modeled as well, and it was the first time that I have ever been made up by a professional makeup artist. It felt like someone was massaging my face with brushes and paint.

I had ten looks, most of which I have used for other events and projects, and they got LOTS of press, more than I ever expected!  Look at these links, look at them I say:

NY Magazine

Seed and Sew

Gen's Blog

There are more, but I have Thai food waiting for me!  If anyone finds any more photo evidence, send a link my way!

My Activities As of Late

Costumes I made for the Comon competition:

I made two costumes for my competition, each based on Byzantine religious art. The week in Italy was amazing and wonderful, (more to come soon, and with photos!) though I was sick with tonsillitis the whole time. I met an array of talented people from all over the world, and visited many textile mills, museums, and design studios. It was my second time in Italy, and I was able to visit my family, who overfed me, yelled at me for not writing, and were more patient than necessary with my horrible Italian. 

Before I left, I was able to take pictures of my garments on models, which makes them look a lot better than when they are shoved in a suitcase!

Mary Benyo dressed as an archangel

Rachel Bowers dressed as the Virgin Mary

Photographed by Andy Jordan, more can be seen HERE.