An Illustrated Guide

Presenting the Four Dresses. They're a lot like the Three Tenors but they don't sing. really high.

Coming soon (November 8) to an Indie Mart near you!

Comin' Out

The Ewan dress made its first public appearance to much adieu. This is the first sample dress in my size, the Yoko dress previously published is my first sample size in small (not my size).

Wore this dress to a swanky party held at Groth Vineyards for my friend's 40th birthday party. We met in 10th grade. Happy Birthday Ms. Suzy Q. G. Jones. Your party was really really fun.

All four designs for the dresses (one yet to be shown here) are being made right now.

I'll be selling at Indie Mart - San Francisco's newest cool place to get original clothing and have a beer and take over a street for the day. Being accepted into this supra-cool event is quite the compliment. Thank you, Kelly.

NOVEMBER 8, 2009. DON'T FORGET. If you read this FarmBlog, you'll get something in the mail. And in your inbox and probably at any tollbooth you pass through on a daily basis. And in the bathroom at Zeitgeist too.

Lichtenstein Sneaks

my friend Timm recently showed up for a visit from Boston wearing these unbelievable shoes designed by Puma with Roy Lichtenstein in mind.

mind-blowing is more like it. JEALOUS!
(nice going, puma)

Her Rock and Roll Is Beautiful

this dress is brand new but already has a heady history.

it is about a dedication thurston gave to yoko at a concert at which i was backstage. when thurston gave the dedication, "this song is for yoko ono, her rock and roll is beautiful," she smiled really really big and clapped her hands and told me how far out they (sonic youth) are.

i've painted this image of yoko before. the simplicity is delicious. the dress is too.

Dark side of the all-star?

it's hard to tell you the difference between me putting a drawing i've made of yoko ono onto a silky, pretty dress with other original art...and other fashion items like this bag made from kurt cobain's death cover or these chucks splattered with pink floyd imagery.

one is cool: mine, and
one is gross: theirs.

i'd rather not be a part of this world that obsesses over the faces and lives of people we don't know personally...but i am. my dresses are original art and that makes them different than this kind of merchandising...but only by a hair, really. a skinny hair.

False Positive

The last 6 weeks have been like living inside the bowels of a very special hell, breathing the vapors, feeling the burn at the back of my esophogus...scary stuff.



My problem-solving skills and ability to create or care have been challenged:



So, not a lot of fashion business has been going on, considering I also haven't been eating or brushing my teeth.

What has happened is the arrival of my first dress samples. You'd think this would be a big deal, very exciting, but life was in the way and blocking the good view when the Big Moment finally arrived.

Nevertheless, let me introduce the Ewan Dress. It is beautiful.

(front):



(detail):



(3/4):



(back):

(Note to Self)

Just a quick note at how much working for yourself rules.

1. Get up after 9am, drink coffee.
2. Make phone call to pattern-maker about marking and grading dress sample down to a small size (an alternative for those who are not like me - 5'11", size 8). Set appointment, think about fit model, do research on fitting before calling fit model.
3. Draft email to possible fit model, but hold off until I get more information from handful of girlfriends who might be a sm/med (me: med/large).
4. Get feedback from graphic design freelance gig; one request to fill, easy postcard design due in half an hour.
5. Tell husband all of this. He says we're $3k in the bank account hole. I feel even more motivated to get this technical stuff DONE WITH and these dresses OFF to be printed!!!

Accomplished since April 20th:

1. Idea is borne, followed by logo, brand identity, business plan and marketing ideas.
2. Make dress myself using no pattern, send off to be duplicated.
3. Dress comes back wrong because of no pattern, find pattern-maker.
4. Redesign part of dress, pattern-maker makes perfect pattern, her recommendation for seamstress is right on, I get a perfect sample in my hands June 26th.
5. Draw three original pieces of art to go on dresses, finalize design to give to Rock Star I see in August.
6. Secure backstage pass to show in August so I may hand over a dress to Rock Star in the hopes that she will like it and maybe WEAR IT.

To do:

1. Have pattern marked and graded down one or two sizes.
2. Send small and medium dresses off to be duplicated and dyed.
3. Receive samples, HOPEFULLY approve immediately and order 500.
4. Design and produce all collateral including business cards, envelopes, letterhead and some kind of brochure while waiting for dresses to come back.
5. Fascilitate design of website.
6. Design press kit and figure out launch party.
7. Send out press kit/launch party invitation to magazines, newspapers...maybe someone else too?
8. Find stores and representation for dresses.
9. Make money.


(picture above a sample of the notes I make in the middle of the night when I can't sleep or of ideas I wake up with; images fully formed in my mind that actually wake me up.)