Kristin Cofer - Design That Kills

“i’d rather be myself than be “in”
-tricia royal

fashion blogger and mind behind the popular worldwide flickr street blog, wardrobe_remix, tricia royal, is a very inspiring, artistically passionate woman. i found her years ago on livejournal, when she was living in new york city and instantly became hooked- she has bright red hair and an amazing style that she chronicles all in photographs on her blog. perhaps one day i will finally meet this darling in person and we can have tea and take pictures- be inspired by tricia today.

(dtk) tell me a little about your history and how you have become the woman you are today- who taught you to sew? knit? create? do you come from a family of creators?

(tr) my family is creative, yes, in a myriad of ways! my dad is a very snappy dresser: he loves color and has always favored a really sharp, classic, mid-century ivy-league sort of look. he loves fine materials and good design, and i feel like he passed that along to me. mom does a great job with decorating her house. my mom’s sister diane is very crafty, she sews and paints. my maternal grandmother sewed, knitted and crocheted.

i’ve literally always been downright obsessed with fashion, art, design and the like since i was a wee little girlie! i’ve got a freaky, almost photographic memory for pieces of clothing i’ve loved and worn over the years: the bright red wool double-breasted
chesterfield coat i had when i was five, the 2.5-inch gray leather pumps i insisted on wearing to class in fourth grade (yikes, lolita!?), the bright pink knit bonnet hat my grandmother made for me that i wore constantly as a toddler, pretending it was braids like those of pippi longstocking! har!

i also drew and painted a lot as a child…every time i got a new box of crayons or markers to doodle around with, i was ridiculously happy.

my maternal grandmother taught me to sew when i was 11 years old, in 1986. together we made a blush pink straight skirt. i also took a home-ec class in high school called “personal clothing”. as my class project, i made a calvin klein shift dress out of taupe linen, from a vogue pattern. i was so obsessed with making that dress that i would skip lunch and go to the sewing lab to work on the dress, which had hand-pickstitch topstitching around the neckline and armholes and super oversized shell-like buttons at the back nape of the neck.

in the ensuing years i pursued professional education in the arts and fashion, getting my bachelors in art (with a concentration in art history) from university of north florida, jacksonville in 2003, and a degree in fashion design from parsons the new school for design in 2006.

i am constantly taking art classes, attempting new creative endeavors…i love to learn and create, always have, always will.

(dtk) how did you get the idea for wardrobe_remix? what is your favorite thing about it?
what fashion trend do you hate right now? and which do you love?

(tr) the idea for wardrobe_remix was inspired by a few things: one, street fashion photographs from japanese fashion magazines (like Fruits) which i had been into since the early 1990s; two, Hel-Looks, which was one of the maverick, seminal street fashion websites to hit the internet back in 2005; and three, a British Vogue article i saw in the
summer of 2005, which featured the daily looks of three creative women over the course of two weeks. i was attending parsons at the time, and blogging about fashion, and after seeing that Vogue article, i decided i would do something similar (photograph my outfits for at least a few weeks, street-fashion photo-style) and post the results in my blog. the first ever wardrobe_remix shot was taken and posted on september 13, 2005.

a few days into the outfit posting, a friend suggested i start a community based upon the idea on flickr, the photo-sharing site, and the rest is essentially history! i define it as a “DIY street fashion community”, and in the past 2 years, the membership has really
exploded: as of today it has over 6100 members and countless viewers. the fact that it is so large is still totally surreal to me, but pretty darn awesome.

my favorite thing about wardrobe_remix? it is an intelligent, positive, supportive, accepting, diverse community full of ridiculously creative gals and guys that like to have fun and play with style! not only that, many contributers to the group are not
just stylish, but are also *amazing* photographers (like you, kristin!!), and their talent takes the group and it’s submissions to a a higher level. and unlike other fashion-sharing groups out there, there is no rating system (never has been, never will be) and nastiness of any kind is discouraged (toward oneself *and* others.

hmm! i am not sure i really loathe too many fashion trends as a rule…i try to be open-minded about fashion in general, because you never know what could work! on the flipside, i try not to wear that which is overtly trendy, just because it’s “in”…i’m more into chasing after that which i really love, what resonates with my eye, mind and soul. sometimes that intersects with what’s in, sometimes it doesn’t. and that’s totally
okay with me…i’d rather be myself than be “in”.

(dtk) biggest inspirations? artist? designer? city? does music inspire you? what?

(tr) inspirations: everything! haha! well, more specifically, people who are making original art and craft and fashion that comes from their soul…they inspire me to do the same. also: modern and post-modern art in general, old crafty books from the 60s through the 80s, graffiti, traveling to new places worldwide, treasure hunting at thrift stores, the human body, sea creatures, mid-century design…

i’m a very curious person, i love history, always asking questions, always looking, searching. everything and anything can and does spark ideas for me and inspires me.

designers: i love wearable things that are colorful, novel, idiosyncratic. as such, i am a big fan of designers like eley kishimoto, sandra backlund, claire tough, sonia rykiel

city: NEW YORK CITY, baby! man, i love that town. i love it all, good and bad: the bustle, the creativity, the strength, the crowds, the dirt. you can find anything you want there, and it’s endlessly entertaining! i also love similar cities around the world, such as london, paris, amsterdam. i love a little edge, a little history in my cities.

music absolutely inspires me! i have been a long time fan of 80s hip- hop, turntablism, breaks, and electronic music, from artists like coldcut, dj yoda, U.N.K.L.E. (before this last album!), beastie boys, kid koala, new order, roots manuva…generally, i like my music brash, big, urban, upbeat, funny, and bold with lots of bass!

(dtk) what is your dream job?

(tr) to be a working artist or designer, making what i love to make and being able to get recognition for that which i make. i’d also love to teach…it gives me a lot of satisfaction to help others and share my knowledge.

(dtk) describe your personal style-

(tr) a little bit classic, a little edgy, a little sporty, possibly even a little bit “rock and roll”! more than a little offbeat. kinda tacky- (i LOVE gold, huge grandma earrings, and acid wash!). more than a little obsessed with color theory, which i like to play with in my outfits on a daily basis. i like clean lines, fine, sleek, natural materials, geometric shapes, ingenious details, vintage looks from the 60s-80s but interpreted in a wholly modern way.

(dtk) ten years from now, what do you want to say about yourself?

(tr) that i did something significant. whether it’s making a line of clothing or accessories, teaching other people what i know, touching someone’s life with my work or maybe even just a little kindness. that i was a happy, successful person on my own terms.

(dtk) tricia, i miss your shop, are you going to start selling more creations?

(tr) i am seriously pondering selling my work again, after many years. stay tuned, plans are definitely in the works.

(dtk) any closing words, or advice to ladies and gentleman with an passion for fashion?

(tr) find yourself, be yourself, love yourself…cultivating your own idiosyncratic sense of personal style (fashionwise, or otherwise!) is way more awesome and a million times more beautiful than following any crowd or any trend.

important links to visit and remember:
tricia royal’s fantastic blog, bits and bobbins
the fabulous wardrobe_remix

shae acopian detar is the one woman success behind the ebay business, “lullie vintage”- she hired me to shoot images for the new lullie vintage store design and for the winter issue of venus magazine, in which she was interviewed!

one october afternoon shae arrived from LA in yellow tights and we had an amazing photo shoot- the former model is inspiring and an extremely gorgeous person both inside and out-

(dtk) tell us a little history about (lullie vintage: shae)

(shae) Well…lets see… I am extremely close to my family, my mom (who taught me about vintage at 12) is my best friend, I talk to her 2 times a day. She has the most amazing taste in vintage and antiques. she’s amazing.

I have 3 siblings.

I have been with my husband for 9 years and married 2.5 yrs.

when I think of home sweet home, I am thinking of NYC.

My favorite cities in the world are London and Barcelona.

I’m super into westerns, and classic old movies.

(dtk) where are you from, what did you do before lullie, how did lullie begin?

(shae) I was born in Florida. Then my parents moved us up north to a town in Pennsylvania about 66 miles from NYC. At age 13 I started home schooling and commuting to NYC with my private teacher 5 days a week for acting classes and auditions and modeling. So from 13 and all the way through highschool I was in NYC more than anywhere else. All my friends were from NYC I went to prom there. It was really where I grew up.

Then I moved to NYC full tiime after graduating.

Before Lullie, I modeled in Europe, and NYC…

Then I went to art school at The school of visual arts (NYC) , and then I went to Fashion school at Parsons in (NYC).

I started working at Zac Posens studio and when I left the high fashion world (it wasn’t my thing, too fast paced, I wanted to have a life with the people I love, and actually have time to spend with them). I started an organic kid clothing line called LULLIE. I designed all those pieces, it was such a cool line, all vintage and rock and roll inspired.

My organic clothing mill in India went bankrupt the night before my first trade show at MAGIC in vegas, and I was soooooo heartbroken. I was super bummed and out of money to start all over again…so I started selling vintage clothing on Ebay, and I just used my trademarked name of Lullie.

I started selling on ebay as Lullie Vintage as a temporary back up plan… but then I kind of started liking it. And now I make my living off of it.

(dtk) how long have you been doing lullie?

(shae) almost 3 years I think

(dtk) are you the only employee?

(shae) yes. sometimes my husband helps me run myspace and stuff like that.

(dtk) do you do all of your own photography?

(shae) for the listings, yes. But the promo stuff, I hire other people, like YOU!

(dtk) styling?

(shae) yes I do my own.

(dtk) describe your personal style-

(shae) hmm… I change my look all the time. I get pretty bored easily. I’ve been collecting vintage since I was 12…so I’ve dabbled in almost every different era…my first vintage purchase was a corset when I was 12…I don’t know why, but I was so into the 1700’s and 1800’s then.

But now days I am usually in an empire waist babydoll 60’s dress. Boots or flats. and I love stockings! high waist jeans are the best…and bloomers under all my mini dresses…

(dtk) how do you choose the clothes that you post?

(shae) That process is based on what the customers are into and trends of the season.

Right now the 80’s and grunge is in demand. Everyone wants plaid shirts and sequins. So, those are the things I buy the most of.

(dtk) favorite anything (musicians, designers, artists, influences)

Julie Verhoeven (fashion illustrator)…
Yayoi Kusama
Vivienne westwood (designer)

music…Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Loretta Lynn, Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons….

the old country stars

(dtk) anything you have learned to share with other aspiring vintage sellers?
advice in general?

(shae) always over explain the item: its flaws and anything important about the item…

(dtk) what is the future of lullie?

(shae) We’ll continue to sell online…and hopefully only get better and better

(dtk) what is your dream?

(shae) My dream is to work more days of the week as a volunteer. Right now my husband and I feed homeless on thursdays, and I work with the Art of Elysium with sick children in the hospitals and also in the housing projects in south central LA…

Because I list 50 items a week…I can only volunteer 2 days a week.

Giving my time and love to hurting people or people in need is my biggest passion. I wish I could do it full time. For now though…a ladies got to pay the bills! So 2 days a week will have to do for now.

lullie vintage links:
lullie vintage ebay store
lulie vintage myspace
lullie vintage website

flickr favorites… some images that move me- which were chosen because of lighting, composition, women i admire, concept, graphics i like, make-up- or something about it just hit the heart just right- i want to see your favorites, feel free to comment with them- browsing flickr favorites is something i find both inspiring and relaxing.

this evening i am seeing anton corbijn’s joy division biopic, “control” for the second time! i can’t wait! joy division moves me-

three favorite saturday treats:
joy division, transmission
joy division, isolation
joy division, means to an end

“i’m glad michael jackson never decided to sing country and dr. seuss
didn’t get into cubism.” - merkley???

i found san francisco photographer merkley??? browsing flickr and immediately i was hooked into his world of beautiful men and women within these intricate and amazing scenes-

consequently we run in similar circles and he knows people that i know, who told me he was cool and led me to contacting merkley???- i really enjoyed talking to him on this electronic medium and hope that i can come along someday and watch his magic- i think he is a brilliant man.

merkley??? is currently working on a coffee table book, 111 SF women I know, at home on the sofa in their favorite shoes.- i think all the images are fantastic and empowering- merkley??? is my new favorite, check out his work and be inspired too.

(dtk) name and describe yourself?

(merkley???) merkley??? i wear my sunglasses at night to bother you.

(dtk) how old were you when you started getting into photography?

(merkley???) i liked taking pictures with my dad’s camera when i was a kid.

(dtk) what was it’s appeal?

(merkley???) it was all magic. my dad would take care of processing, the photos would just appear. i liked composing shots. i was always about placing things in the frame just right.

(dtk) what did you shoot?

(merkley???) stuff in the yard, old shit, pictures of myself in new wave outfits trying to look handsome, all the typical crap everyone shoots.

at 19 i lived in brazil for a couple years on a mormon mission and i avoided my holy duties by doing a bunch of journalistic type photography of dirty people and stuff in black and white, but people at the lab always fucked up my shit because god was pissed that i wasn’t baptizing the universe. i kept taking pictures after that but labs and film and all that shit you have to deal with wasn’t for me.

plus i considered myself a painter/artist/illustrator and kinda
looked down my nose at photography because it was so much easier than
painting and i guess i was masochistic thinking that if it wasn’t
really difficult it wasn’t worthy of merit.

plus taking film to be developed is LAME CITY.

it wasn’t until i bought my first digital camera in 2000 that the
lights came on and i could have full control right there in my
laptop. so the way i do pictures now evolved from the appearance of
digital — and really the big push to do photography nearly full time
came after i started posting to flickr and this big receptive
audience was just waiting for me to post. having that audience
without a middleman was huge and super cool.

(dtk) did you go to school for photography?

(merkley???) nope. i’m kinda anti art school — the whole concept seems oxymoronic and a huge waste of time and money. tools have instruction manuals and are cheaper than sitting in a class with some bozo who probably failed at actually making art a career.

(dtk) when did you move to san francisco?

(merkley???) 1998 from utah.

(dtk) other artists or photographers you admire?

(merkley???) most of the artists that i admire aren’t photographers, i didn’t really follow photography but now that i do it people seem to link me to a lot of stuff that i think is good. erwin olaf’s stuff is just beautiful — i like les krims, but that’s a little self serving because i discovered him after my stuff was compared to his a number of times and really looking through his stuff felt like i found a brother from another mother in certain respects. but yeah, mostly i’m more inspired by filmakers, storytellers, musicians and the like — i have them all listed in my flickr profile.

(dtk) why?

(merkley???) most of the artists i admire have a very recognizable style, they develop a tool set and stick with it — i like that kind of dedication and the challenge it presents to communicate within certain parameters — i think that people who have high respect for continuity are more careful and deliberate with how they communicate and i admire that. most of my favorite artists have created an alternate universe in which to dwell and express themselves. — dr.seuss, devo, kiss, gary larson, wes anderson etc… all seem to adhere to a strict set of rules that they have established for
themselves. i feel like i’m like that.

i’m glad michael jackson never decided to sing country and dr. seuss
didn’t get into cubism.

(dtk) do you down all of your own post processing?

(merkley???) yes — anything different would seem weird.

(dtk) what camera do you shoot with and why?

(merkley???) different cameras — whatever had the most megapickles at the time — wide angle lenses too. i dont think equipment is important for what i do. tech is so good now most off the shelf consumer digital cameras are more than enough to suit my needs. though i do lust for more megapickles and small cameras with good wide angle lenses. even though in reality most of my pictures will never be viewed at sizes any larger that a mag page or a computer monitor it’s still fun to know that if you wanted to enlarge the fuck out of it it would reveal all the little details. so yeah, bring on the megapickles.

(dtk) do you use other lighting?

(merkley???) on board flash and available light only — lighting equipment is too heavy. i have photoshop.

(dtk) how do you come up with your concepts?

(merkley???) just arty brainstormin, many times with the subject. i never stopped playing the “what if” game we all played as kids.

(dtk) do you plan them out beforehand or do they just happen?

(merkley???) i prefer to plan stuff, i like to have concepts, it’s more rewarding, it feels good to have an idea and execute it. i really feel like i’m more of a one panel story teller than anything else. at least thats
where i want to be. i need to try harder.

(dtk) do you know all of your models?

(merkley???) most of them — nearly all are socially connected — but lately lots of fun opportunities with magazines and the like have been falling from the sky and so i have been making pictures with strangers more often, but it’s been weird a few times shooting with people who
aren’t familiar with what i do –

there isn’t any trust, i’m just some photographer the mag sent, so now i only work with people who know my shit and know what i like to do so they are prepared when i get there. its no fun dealing with an apprehensive subject and that apprehension seems to disappear when people see that i respect my subjects and wouldn’t ever make them into a fool.

(merkley???) any fun photo shoot stories?
almost all my shoots are fun. i’m basically getting paid to run
around the back yard with a towel draped around my neck acting like a
super hero — i get paid to make up stupid shit. it’s fun. i get paid
to be childish. yay.

(dtk) what do you want to do in the future?

(merkley???) well making this book has been really fun and i think i would like to just keep doing that — my next project will be to just recreate my dreams using photography — it’s gonna be hard and fun. all the images that come to me fresh each night are just so unusual and open
to interpretation i just cant fathom letting them all just go to waste. plus i want to literally get paid to dream, live my dreams etc.. it’s too corny a metaphor to not make it a physical reality. i must.

(dtk) any advice to other photographers?

(merkley???) someone just wrote me an email asking for tidbits that he could pass on to his middle school photography students, this is what i wrote:

here are 101 things i have to say about that.
kids,

1. don’t listen to anything anyone says unless they are funny or well to do.

7. most of your teachers and authority figures in your life don’t know shit for shit and will probably steer you wrong.

3. don’t take art classes, take real estate, finance, legal or science classes that way you’ll be able to afford to be an artist if you were born that way and when you get in trouble or get sick you will know who is ripping you off and how to deal with them.

10. if you do take art classes, use the equipment in the art department to make money, ie print t-shirts, make stickers, fake ids etc..

40. use whatever equipment you have, creativity is better tested with
fewer resources anyway. equipment won’t polish your turd.

11. photoshop rules! click around and figure it out yourself, listening to someone else explain it is boring and less productive than the undo command.

8. in art, your way is the best way, don’t let anyone tell you differently.

91. when you do get money, buy tools that seem like they would be fun.

101. avoid people who talk about god.

thats all. i hope this helps

links to all things merkeley???
threequestionmarks.com/blog/blog.html
threequestionmarks.com
flickr.com/photos/merkley
myspace.com/merkley

from fashion photographer lionel deluy, who returned my email of praise and brightened my day-

“I wish you good luck, if you really want to do it- it’s going to happen to you.”

(thanks lionel)

to continue along with my artist interview series, i present the lovely chelsea wolfe, who hails out of sacramento, california. in 2005 chelsea and i lived together for a year and i got to know her well- she is my “sister wolfe”-

she has a soul and a fantastic voice- i have many fond memories of her practicing her guitar and hearing the sweet sounds coming through the walls- i have photographed chelsea more than a few times and since moving to the bay area, she is one of the only friends who come out to visit me-

we alway have a lovely time talking and contemplating existence- like me, she wants more than anything to share her craft with the world and support herself doing that- chelsea is an inspiring person, a talented musician, and has beautiful deep blue eyes-

(dtk) age when you started to make music?

(cw) I was around 9 years old and going into the fourth grade when I decided that my sisters and I should start a singing group. The first song we did was a cover of “It’s my party,” and then I went on to write some of my own songs using a casio keyboard for accompaniment. We recorded the songs and I remember telling my sisters, “I’m going to bring this in for show-and-tell!” The lyrics were ridiculous, I was singing about things I didn’t even understand at the time.

(dtk) earliest memories of music?

(cw) My dad is a musician and he was in a country band called El Dorado when I was growing up. I would go see him play and sometimes the band would meet at his house to work on or record songs. I remember listening to Fleetwood Mac, Crosby Stills & Nash and Led Zeppelin with my dad, and Beach Boys, Joni Mitchell and Bonnie Raitt with my mum.

(dtk) biggest influences and inspirations?

(cw) All six artists I mentioned above have been huge influences on me. In high school when I started to come into my own musically I was listening to Bush, Hank Williams, Sr., Lauryn Hill, Radiohead and Jewel. Jewel’s first album blew me away because all of her lyrics were so brutally honest. That was an important lesson for me, just to write honestly and not hold anything back.

Really though, for a musician I don’t actually listen to very much music or go to many shows. Although every so often I find an album I love. Right now I am listening to Katastrophy Wife, Kenna and the newest Radiohead. Inspiration for me comes from experiences and people, and lots of visual art. In 2005 I was in the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam and they just happened to have an installment of Egon Schiele’s art in the side gallery. I stayed there for hours taking in as much as I could of him and his work. His paintings and drawings have been a big inspiration to me since. Some other artists and writers who inspire me are John Hall Wheelock, Sylvia Plath, Ellen Von Unwerth and Marcel Proust. I also have some insanely talented and passionate friends like Sister Crayon, Jess and Ian from my band Red Host, Sunzoo, Mary Gebhardt, Steve Vanoni and you, Kristin Cofer. You inspire me all the time!

(dtk) are you self taught?

(cw) Mostly. My dad taught me a few chords here and there, I learned to play worship songs in my church’s youth group, and an old man named George taught me some stuff on guitar when I was 19.

(dtk) current music projects?

(cw) I’m always writing solo songs and will probably release a few more solo albums in my lifetime. A compilation I contributed to of local singer/songwriters will be out in December. That has two new songs on it.I am in a rock band called Red Host with Jess Gowrie (drums) and Ian Bone (bass). This is my main focus. Also I did an EP with Terra Lopez this year called Winter Trees. 6 songs, mostly one-take stuff.

(dtk) tell me about your lyrics and what they mean? are they fictional? or personal?

(cw) They are personal but sometimes as I am writing a song it takes on its own meaning. I love finishing a song and then having an epiphany about what it actually means. Also sometimes writing a song is like therapy because once I’ve taken something I can’t stop thinking about and put it into a single piece of art there’s a feeling of closure. I write about my own life, people I know and people I’ve never met.

(dtk) where do you want to go with music?

(cw) I think same as any artist, I want to be able to support myself through music someday and share it with as many people as possible.

(dtk) what is your biggest dream?

(cw) To travel the world, make great albums, help others, find love, and make my mama proud.

links to all things chelsea wolfe:
chelsea wolfe myspace
red host
chelsea wolfe website
chelsea wolfe blog
buy chelsea wolfe’s cd at cdbaby

amy hemmens is the chameleon behind naik fur- she is a visual artist, fashion designer, photographer and a performance artist- i first saw amy in 2004, i had just moved to sacramento and attended a valentine’s day pink themed fashion show/party at the old horsecow art gallery- i remember a woman so avant garde in not only her own style and dress, but also in the fashions she was displaying- she had short bleached blonde hair and lots of black eyeliner- her models were clad in many different black and bright colored fabrics- i immediately wanted to know this woman- but unfortunately was too intimidated to talk to her until about a year ago, when we did our first naik fur photo shoot- i ended up talking to her all day about art, siouxsie, life and then falling into a freindship with this talented woman, who i like to affectionately call, “the young vivienne”-

(dtk) how old were you when you first started sewing/creating/knitting?

(naik fur) Well obviously I’ve been fabricating a world for myself since i was born. I guess poking holes in leaves may be where it all began for me, or at least that’s something I clearly remember doing and feeling creative and excited about making things.

I think also that making friendship bracelets in 3rd grade must have lead me towards other avenues of textile design like crochet and knit which i have only been doing for about 5 years now, although it seems much longer.

Then I became self-taught on a sewing machine at around age 12 or 13 while staying with my grandmother for the summers in Placerville. Maybe I was bored of riding horses and picking berries or something. She pulled out a box of vintage barbie dolls that needed clothes. I never remember her bothering to teach me much so i taught myself how to use her machine.

I think she knew i liked to be on my own when i learned something new. but now that I think about it i was actually way more into horses and berries than sewing, so i didn’t actually develop a deep passion or knowledge for it until my early 20’s.

(dtk) who taught you? do you remember what you made?

(naik fur) The only people who ever taught me through instruction would be grandma Betty who is not actually my own grandma but she taught me crochet and my mom was the one who taught me how to knit. And now, with internet instruction at our disposal, I can learn anything from old fashioned lace stitching to macrame and beyond.

(dtk) when did you know being a fashion designer was what you wanted to do?

(naik fur) I still don’t know if that’s what i want to do with my life. To speak honestly about it, I think that I will be content with doing anything creative in life as long as my basic needs are being met. It all seems relative to me. I have such a simple path laid out for myself now and most of the time fashion doesn’t add up for me. I’ve been obsessed with gardening lately and this seems to spark a similar feeling of creativity that i get while painting or sewing or crafting.

Fashion is just another avenue in life, it’s not what I’m really all about. I’ve come to realize that the fashion world isn’t as gentle as i would desire it to be and I just don’t know how much of myself I’m willing to compromise for it. I want to laugh more about it than get too serious in it. I’d really like to see it move in another direction or at least teach us something beyond separation and competition.

I can totally see myself as a fashion designer in the future if the current establishment of it changes its course away from waste and destruction of both material and human spirit. I’m content right now, really, at what I’m doing within fashion, I’m having fun with it, but It’s also not that important to me where i end up in the scheme of the future as long as i feel joy and content with how I’m living…….. you know me enough to know i like getting off my track.

(dtk) when was your first fashion show?

(naik fur) A cold rainy night - December 2003 at a parking lot underneath a freeway.

(dtk) do you have any favorite pieces? how do you get your ideas?

(naik fur) My favorite pieces are the ones that I can’t stop looking at, it’s like they can’t stop feeding me with inspiration. You know how or when a person inspires you and you want to be around them all the time. It’s like that.

I pull ideas from the universe and refine the abstractions. this is where i experience pure joy. every unmeasurable measurement of space and matter has the potential to inspire me. In other words, Kristin Cofer inspires me into so many directions right now!

(dtk) biggest inspirations?

(naik fur) didn’t we just talk about this? it’s you of course. I’m only in the moment so doing this interview and thinking about you is my biggest inspiration . but ask me when i’m riding my bike around or making art with my nephew and i might give you another answer.

(dtk) goals and dreams?

(naik fur) I don’t have a fixed goal at the moment, but my dream is in constant motion, It’s happening right now. this is how I exist and thrive . It’s not so much about the future for me anymore. I figure I’ll know the out come of it when i get there because planning life out, for me, has always lead me to disappointment and melancholy. and who needs that? I want to live it good and now!

(dtk) advice for upcoming fashion designers?

(naik fur) I don’t know. This is probably the hardest question to answer because I sometimes feel that we all need to stop taking advise and start to determine our own truth. And maybe that is some form advise from me, but I really don’t take others advise anymore because, again, it seems to be someone else’s ideal of life, not mine. So please listen to what I have to say, but go with your own truth, feelings and thoughts on it.

I like to nurture people simply by being supportive of their decisions in life whether i agree with them or not, but it’s hard for me to give fashion advise because I am still taking the road less traveled and it’s not what everyone would always want.

to see more of amy hemmen’s wonderful art and fashion designs, please visit her blog, naik fur for further artistic inspirations and daydreams-

more links:
naik fur on the coveted
naik fur on dream echo
purchase naik fur designs here
purchase naik fur hats here

vinny pacheco is a working graphic designer, flash designer and visual artist based out of seattle, washington-i met him during our undergraduate time at uc davis, he has always been a constant source of inspiration to me and am honored that he is my first interview-

(dtk) name?

(mudchicken) vinny pacheco/ mudchicken/ awesome

(dtk) location?

(mudchicken) seattle, wa

(dtk) tell us about your background and education-

(mudchicken) well i went to school because i wanted to work for a magazine one day, doing layouts. my senior year in high school, i had randomly taken a yearbook class as an elective and fell in love with the whole process — doing layouts, taking photos. photoshoots- and thats why i ended up at davis, the design program to do layouts but then it got weird-

(dtk) i didn’t even know that!

(mudchicken) yeah! i wanted to work for GQ-

(dtk) you were such a good design student- you were a favorite of all the teachers- you were so creative and out of the box- i could tell you were special even back then-

(mudchicken) it was interesting. something happened there- seeing artists like you, it opened something up-

(dtk) well i don’t count, i had no idea what i was doing-

(mudchicken) you’re crazy- you were doing collage, putting out zines and i was, woah. theres this energy here and then it got fun-

(dtk) so you graduated in 2003 and you went to the design firm- you were one of the first to get a real job-

(mudchicken) yeah. i was the first to get hired- ha

(dtk) i remember being envious!

(mudchicken) but i mean i didnt really know what i wanted to do at that point-
i fell in love with creating at davis-
so i make a website after school with my art, send it around- see what happens

(dtk) mudchickendesign.com

(mudchicken) yeah- i just updated it, all corporate work tho- gonna have mudchicken.la with all my art goodness soon-

(dtk) good idea

(mudchicken) so i get job doing movie sites in west hollywood

(dtk) and you packed up and moved from davis?

(mudchicken) moved into an apt on sunset blvd- yep it was crazy

(dtk) yeah i remember thinking how brave you were-

(mudchicken) yeah. and i was scared shitless too- work was ok, but then i started doing these personal projects outside of work like that west sunset photo journal thing remember?

(dtk) this is when you really delved into collage and street art?

(mudchicken) yeah it was all around me, working with some amazing creatives- seeing the street art, palm trees everywhere-

(dtk) then what happened? how did you get sick of corporate life?

(mudchicken) i just got tired of doing work for money. basically. creating to sell something. feeling like a production artists and having to execute on demand-

(dtk) you are! that is what i think most corporate design jobs are! you stop thinking-

(mudchicken) yeah, and thats what pissed me off so much- i was like, im wasting my time! for christs sakes, i got work to do- work that matters-

(dtk) but everyone at your job loved you- you didn’t have a bad job experience-

(mudchicken) no it was cool- i mean, besides selling out and getting paid a shitload for work i didnt care about, it was great-

(dtk) ahahahaha

(mudchicken) i met some of the most creative people in la and i lived there

(dtk) ok so you came up a this master plan- tell about that and leaving corporate life-

(mudchicken) yeah. i kept getting all these raises. and pats on the back. and i was making the company millions- its crazy, but it was gross and i felt like i was selling out on a daily basis=

(dtk) wow- see, so many people i think just continue on that corporate journey

(mudchicken) i know.

(dtk) like next you would have been art director- so why did you stop?

(mudchicken) i was like, i can imagine myself here at 40 wasting my life in a cubicle under flourescent lights-

(dtk) yes- i think about that often too-

(mudchicken) i remember daydreaming about painting at work wondering what it would be like to do my own stuff during the daylight-so i realized that i didnt want to do work for money any more and i wanted to focus and find my voice- la was great. but rent was a lot. and i didnt have any space in my apt to work

(dtk) why did you decide seattle of all the places?

(mudchicken) seattle was cheaper than la- i could get a lot of space for cheap and have to rely on freelance way less-

(dtk) so you quit yahoo- and they were ok with it?

(mudchicken) they were cool. i explained that i needed to go explore and devote my time to art and the artmaking process- something that i never had the chance to do- it was always graphic design up until that point. so i came up with a plan on how to explore this new direction-

(dtk) what was your plan?

(mudchicken) i decided to 1) quit. 2) move to seattle 3) figure out how to live and sustain off of doing art only- so thats what im doing here, thinking and trying to come up with a plan. i have friend up here, john finnel, we’re starting an artist collective-

(dtk) i remember you mentioned that! tell me about what you are doing now-

(mudchicken) i worked hard at first- but now im taking a break- doing a lot of painting, shooting on my super 8 camera- doing photoshoots

(dtk) tell me your plan now-

(mudchicken) so johnny and i have officially started a collective- it’s called, We Are Fucking Awesome

(dtk) yes!

(mudchicken) the website is www.wearefuckingawesome.org

(dtk) and it’s you two now?

(mudchicken) yeah, its just us two- we’re talking about it and organizing. gonna start looking at spaces, we want a huge warehouse-bring in like 5-10 artists from all different backgrounds and start collaborating and inspiring each other

(dtk) maybe i should move up there, i am still trying to figure out what i want to do-

(mudchicken) yea! that would be so awesome- i want to build a darkroom in the space, have a place for shoots- you would be perfect!

(dtk) it’s scary being on your own-

(mudchicken) yeah you’re right-

(dtk) any advice to aspiring artists looking to break their corporate ties?

(mudchicken) draw a line in the sand. and run with it

(dtk) thanks vinny pacheco/mudchicken/awesome

to see more of vinny’s graphic design and visual art, please visit mudchicken design for a good dose of inspiration!

an important part of my life is inspiration- i am constantly amazed by other artist’s images and creations- today’s inspiration is a french photographer named lionel deluy, who now lives and works in santa monica, ca-visit studiolighting.net and listen to his interview and while he is talking view his gorgeous images- he says that if you love photography (and this advice can relate to any art form) you must have perseverance and throw yourself into the field- that you can’t go into photography thinking that you are going to be famous, or make a living- that you do it because you have passion and love it-

this is inspiring to me because i have been debating what to do in two months when my graphic design contract is up… he says, if you are a photographer, don’t work another job as a waiter- because then that energy is lost and you are only doing photography part time, not putting your entire energy into it- i completely agree- if i had my way, i would be working for a photographer full time in their studio- i just have not found that person yet- that mentor, that job i can go to, absorb, learn, and make enough money to pay the bills-

thank you for opening my brain today lionel deluy- what artists inspire you?

last weekend i spend ten hours photographing the winter lines of six different sacramento clothing designers- i had so much fun and want to continue with the idea of a rotating photo shoot.