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.

I have constructed a Flickr account!

More pictures to be added very shortly. Perhaps later today...

Find it here.

My roommate Gen and I were having a conversation about blogs the other day, as she is an avid blogger. We talked about how some people write more personal things on their blogs, and others don't. Gen and I are polar opposites in the blogging spectrum; while she is very open with her feelings and opinions on matters, I feel I tend to keep more of a distance between myself and anyone who reads my posts. I surmise this is because of the nature of my work, being that art tends to be an intensely personal venture in and of its self. To me, the simple act of bringing my art to something as public as an internet stage is a big move for me.

   However, though a lot of my paintings, drawings, sculptures, and poems are introverted exercises for me, my costumes rarely are.  (though be warned, I have plans for a series of costumes dealing with emotions in the works) 

    It has come to my attention that this blog as mostly talked about my costume excursions, and not very many other mediums of my art.  Consequently, due to a request from my roommate, I am going to post a poem or two. Perhaps I will post more in the future.

Rain Ghosts (Venice, 2007)

The voices we are not sure are in the walls 

or inside us,

they sound,

and call our names

when our backs are turned

to pour our prayers 

into the heavy belly of a queen

that no one has seen for years.

Voices inside us are pushing open our mouths

as we must compete with God in this place.

All the Ghosts here were brought with us,

and explore the house as we neglect them.

Here, skies will not hear my rain dances,

melting into yesterday without my knowing.

The sleep in this place is dreamless,

and though the wells have all been sealed,

my phantoms call to me from inside.

The Sculptor (2006 Inspired by Odd Nerdrum)

Hanging on the last breath of Tuesday,

he sits at the highest point and sculpts

as though the floods would come tomorrow.

He creates a people to survive the plagues:

storm criers, name singers, story givers.

The watchers and the wanderers.

Breathing life into legions of heroes

who do not know rain from earth,

he descends to sing the choral odes

that drive them all to dancing

With fingers and sound,

he pulls liquid song into smiles

and retreats to the top of the world

to begin crafting their children.

Preview of Dances of Vice costumes

Though I will be posting much better photos later on, here are a few shots of the costumes I made in order to attend Dances of Vice.  It was two nights of amazing music, dancing, fashion shows, and people watching. There were a great many photographers there, and I was very flattered that a few of them wanted to take my picture. If I find any of said photos amidst my internet wanderings, I will post a link to them. On the second night, I went with my unsuspecting friend Grant, and we were photographed by people from Fangoria Magazine, and were interviewed by MTV, who was there in order to create a show about steampunk.  

My costume for the first night of the festival, which took place at the Montauk, a lovely clubhouse in Brooklyn.

Three hours prior to leaving on the second night. Punching grommets in my corset, with my dear furry friend Shana standing guard.

Fully assembled, with my friend Voon, at Rebel NYC in Manhattan.

Grant, me, and a tube-headed fellow named Jessie that we met.  Grant had been disconcerted about having nothing to wear to this event, and I told him not to make excuses, and thus he is wearing one of the explorer costumes from the performance that Andy and I are writing.  You will be seeing this costume again very soon...

And lastly, on a side note, Andy and I found this strange scabby life form growing in one of the dye pots at work. We expressed to our boss that it might get so big it will take over the studio, and he responded by saying that was how he intended to get rid of us all...

To conclude, Dances of Vice was spectacular, and I am going to attempt to have a fashion show at one of their future events, as well as finally showing the performance Andy and I are working on.

Fancy Excursion this weekend!

This weekend brings about the splendiforous event that is the Dances of Vice Festival, a costumed and festive reason for me to get myself out of the house/studio.  This festival's theme is Rococo/Baron Munchausen inspired. The last ones I attended have been 1920's themed, as the photos above indicate.

Consequently this week finds me trying to make three costumes worthy of such a fancy shindig. Tonight I shall be starting a new corset, and planning the rest of my costumes.  

And hopefully I can obtain a new camera in order to successfully document this festival!

My Latest Doings and Whereabouts...

To some, It may have seemed like I fell off the face of the earth for a while.  The last few months have been a whirlwind! I remind myself that if I wasn't so tired and busy with all these artsy costume-y things, I wouldn't be wandering around the Speigle tents in the back alleys of South Street Seaport trying to find adequate sparkles to give that Chamelion hat just that little something....  So all this madness has it's payoff in the strange and excellent experiences I have had.

So an update on what I have been doing:

-MY partner in crime (Andy) and I finished up our 12 prototype costumes in order to have a small fashion show in Columbus, Ohio, and now we are slowly collecting dancers and choreographers, and writing the rest of the performance, slowly but surely.  When she show is ready to be put on, believe me,  everyone will know. Perhaps in the form of me begging all of my acquaintances to help me put beads on a costume made of lightbulbs, but hopefully it will come out pretty well.

  Some pictures of our prototype costumes can be found here:

- For the last month Andy and I have been working on party hats for burlesque dancers down at South Street Seaport for a show called "Desir".  We were given lots of questionably flashy and neon materials and were told to make magic. In the end, it wasn't nearly as bad as we thought it would be when we held up one of the flourescant feather boas for the first time.

   Some pictures of these hats can be found here:

-I was accepted as a finalist in the ComOn Competition, a branch off the Mittelmoda competitions, and will be traveling to Como, Italy in October with two outfits I will make for a fashion show competition. The point of the contest is to take silk that is given to me by the Taroni fabric mill in Como, and use it in a way that revolutionizes the way it can be used.

   Suffice it to say that I am extremely exited, and can't wait to start working on my garments, as I have just received the most gorgeous fabric in the mail that I am "forced" to use.

-My next project to embark on with Andy is creating marching band costumes for the Main Squeeze Orchestra, in time for the Art Parade. The Main Squeeze is an orchestra made up of female accordion players that our good friend Rebecca is in.  These costumes shouldn't be as stressful  as the other projects, because Rebecca will be helping us, and she is an expert pattern maker and is designing all the uniforms herself.

-And aside from that, I'll be feverishly attempting to create some paintings for a juried show in Indiana I want to apply to, and trying to make costumes for the Dances of Vice festival at the end of August.  Soon there will be more pictures to share!

So perhaps no sleep for me just yet...

New Projects in the Making!

I haven't updated this in a while, due to lack of interest. However, it has occurred to me that posting news about new projects of mine and photos of my artistic endeavors/adventures is a lot easier to achieve by doing it here, rather than updating my website all the time.

Right now,  I am working on multiple projects: 

-a dress for a performance in the Ontological Theatre, in Saint Mark's Place, NYC

-a collaborative project with my friend Andy (www.andyjordan.net), in which we will design 12 costumes for a fashion show in Columbus, Ohio

-a film project for myself. I am writing a script/screenplay for a film about the monarchical structure of the playing cards in Alice in Wonderland. The story will be more about corruption and loss of power, misinformation, and transcendance than about the actual story written by Lewis Carroll. Alice will be a side character who affects things, rather than a main element.

So that's what I have on my plate right now. We will see if I ever get to doing the film project, but I will keep my fingers crossed.

Also, hopefully I will get around to updating my website soon, but for now viewers can have a gander at my older work. www.kristincosta.com

More info on showdates soon!