Fairwell Mr. Worst Dressed

It is my sad duty to tell you that one of fashion's greatest critics Mr. Blackwell passed away at the age of 86 yesterday from an intestinal infection. Born as Richard Selzer but fondly known as Mr. Blackwell, he started off as an ordinary actor but quickly turned into a what not to wear guru. He started "The List" in January of 1960 and has made one every year since. In this list he names all of the worst dressed fashionistas of the year, much to their chagrin.

His witty comments and unique put-downs, often times in the form of a rhyming couplet, created a buzz the like of which has never been matched in the what not to wear category. One of his most famous quotes was when he was referring to Mary-Kate Olsen and said she resembled a, ""YIKES! In layers of cut-rate kitsch, Mary Kate's look is hard to explain…she resembles a tattered toothpick-trapped in a hurricane!" He has also said that one time Cameron Diaz looked as if she were, "Dressed by a color blind circus clown."

"The List" was primarily comprised of women, but there were a few men in drag, Howard Stern, and Dennis Rodman, were among them. Mr. Blackwell also compiled a best-dressed list but he tends to only be remembered for those he criticized. So farewell to the pioneer of thinking out loud! We will always love your sharp tongue.

Photo from: www.stuff.co.nz

Coming up Daisies!

As mentioned before costumes are a large part of my life, thus, I am constantly watching new shows and movies and plays to see what the characters are wearing. Last year a new show hit the television airways and it continues to grow on me. The show is called Pushing Daisies and it comes on ABC at 8 o'clock on Wednesday nights.

The show is about a pie maker named Ned who, from childhood, has had the ability to bring anything back to life after it has died, with a single touch. However, the catch is, once he has brought it back to life he has only one minute to touch it again, or else something else within proximity dies. When Ned finds out from his detective friend Emerson Cod, who has created a business out of having Ned touch murder victims finding out who killed them and collecting the reward, that his childhood sweetheart (Chuck) has been killed he decides to bring her back to life. However, considering if they touch again Chuck will die their relationship is a bit complicated. Any touching they do is through bee suits or a kiss through plastic wrap.

This season the series continues with their adventures in finding the killers of others and bringing them to justice. New secrets also emerge about the pie maker and Chuck's past. While the comedic relief, excellent acting, and cleverishly outlandish writing make this show amazing enough, it is the wonderfully creative costumes which keep me tuned in week after week.
Costume Designer Mary Vogt is a woman after my own heart. She has set the time period in a mix of the 1950s and current day. The dresses that Chuck wears are beautiful in every episode. They evoke a sense of elegance and at the same time whimsy. The suits and shirts and ties Ned wears make him the perfect gentleman at the same time creating another layer with in his character as a shy young boy.

This season in particular the costumes have been amazingly creative. In the first episode of the season, "Bzzzzzzzzz," Ned and Chucks costumes matched perfectly. The episode was about them working in a honey factory because they were trying to find the killer of one of the girls who advertised for them. Chuck wore a 1950s inspired dress which had a pattern that looked as if her dress was a honeycomb and she had yellow and black shoes to match. Her hair was ingeniously made into a bee hive hair do and her eyelashes were fixed into what the pedals of a flower might look like from a bee's perspective. Ned's suit was a nice honey color with yellow and black detailing and a yellow and black striped tie. The costumes not only fit who the characters are but made the whole show's impact that much better for the viewer.

Pushing Daisies has to be one of my all time favorite shows as it is the most rewarding and visually exciting shows I've seen. So check it out!



Photos from: thepiemaker.com

Fired and not know it?

Imagine drinking your morning coffee and reading the daily newspaper and suddenly you see your name! Could they be writing about your amazing new clothing line? What about being named best dressed at a party you attended? For designer Alessandra Facchinetti the news was not so positive. Facchinetti was one of the head designers for Valentino, and let's just say her idea of what was fashionable did not match that of the Valentino name. She was severely judged by the fashion critics and after only two seasons of designs she was fired. The horrible part was not that she was fired but how she was fired. According to the Washington Post, Facchinetti had to learn about her unfortunate fate with Valentino in a newspaper. So what was her reaction to the whole situation? She "Accused the company of being unprofessional for announcing her departure in the press before bothering to mention it to her." I'm sure if that had happened to me I would have a few more choice words. I guess it just goes to show you never know what you'll read in the paper.

What Makes A Good Blog?

Blah...Blah...Blog. It seems as though everyone has a blog these days, and most blogs are there only to clutter up search engines. Everyone is entitled to their opinions on different issues, but not all blogs are articulated very well. So when our writing teacher asked us to create a blog I didn't know what to think. I mean honestly, the only time I've ever even seriously looked at someone's blog I was doing a project and needed some pictures. So considering I am now officially a “blogger” I’ve decided to write this blog with substance and character. It will touch on fashion issues with a few costume design factoids thrown in for good measure.

This blog will also contain a wealth of pictures as I feel they not only tend to enhance the understanding of articles but provide a visual stimulus. Considering color is one of the major factors impacting fashion the pictures will also serve as gateway to showing and predicting fashion trends.

As far as the written statements for this blog, they will be concerned with not only the latest fashion trends but issues facing the fashion field as a whole. Whether it be the newest colors worn by celebrities or the usage of organic fibers in t-shirts, this blog will explore fashion to the fullest. However, considering I love costume design as well, I will from time to time write a few words on anything from reviews of films from a historically accurate costume perspective or possibly even how costumes impact fashion.

Hopefully at the end of this blog experience I will have new ideas on what blogs truly are and why people love to write them so much. Not to mention learn a thing or two about the fashion and costume world and having a little bit of fun while doing it.

Costume Lover Since Birth

So the following is my first assignment for the writing class I'm in now. We were supposed to write about why we were majoring in fashion. I think it will also help introduce you to who I am, so enjoy.

“No, no, no! The feathers are all supposed to go the same way to make it look fuller in the back! Come on mom how is anyone going to know I am a bird if the feathers are wrong?” Welcome to my first childhood memory. I was three years old, and for Halloween I had decided I wanted to be a parrot. However, my unknowing mother had bought a parrot costume without feathers attached. So I stomped my child size 8 foot until she finally agreed to go buy some feathers and help me attach them. It took us a combined 8 hours to attach all the feathers, but I certainly won the costume contest at our local Halloween party. From that year on my mother and I made my costumes together, and our family picture albums are filled with our prize winning creations. I do not know what exactly lit a spark in me from such a young age but I have been working with costumes, crafting, and designing ever since. I guess you could say I was “cut out” to be a costume designer.
In middle school, I entered another phase of the costume world when I became part of the school’s drama club. I played the part of both an actress and set designer, and the overall stage production became my world: the lights, props, sets, music and makeup were central to me. Yet, the excitement I felt when walking onto the stage to recite my lines was nothing compared to that I felt when I was helping design and create the costumes. The excitement in finding “my calling” landed me at my first job as an intern at Signature Theatre here in Arlington.
As an intern I received a first-hand look at what being a costume designer entailed. I learned to make a body block, I helped with fittings, and I took part in a more in-depth study of sewing: making a skirt for myself, aiding with the assembly of wigs, even helping in the creation of backdrops for one of Signature’s funniest plays, Urinetown. In addition, I also redid their entire inventory of costumes and accessories, and I learned how to properly launder and steam clothes for the productions. While the latter may not sound exciting, it was simply exhilarating for me to be a part of the production team. In addition, having my name placed in their professional programs ignited a sense of joy and accomplishment that I had never felt before. It was at that moment that I knew I wanted, no I needed, to be a costume designer.
It was through a culmination of all of my experiences that I ended up here at Marymount. While my major is fashion design and not costume design I am still learning the techniques which a costume designer or really any designer would need. In addition, learning about the fashion industry gives me a back up plan for my future. If I for some reason get tired of costuming I could always work for a fashion label and still have my creativity expressed. Marymount also has numerous opportunities for me to explore my costume interests considering, a few miles away in D.C., there are various theatres from which I can acquire experience and ideas. Hopefully at the end of my career at Marymount there will be a lot more feathered costumes to come.