Ya, I'm Into High Class Stuff.

This past week a huge tent has been erected in the middle of Union Square down here in San Francisco  for an amazing event: Le Festival des Métiers, A Rendez-Vous with Hermès Craftsmen.

My mind was blown.

Now, I'm a fan of Hermès, but this event really threw them to the top of my list of inspiring métiers. I knew what they did, how they did it, and the general mentality of how they view their craft. But seeing it in person? Amazing. I was honestly taken aback by the artistry and the craftsmanship. And let's just be honest: I know that the brand is expensive and super famous and they're HIGH FASHION, but that isn't what attracts me to it. It's the fact that it's a small company and everything is made using the traditional techniques they've been using for over a hundred years. That tradition is so much more of an allure to me-- I can only hope to aspire to be a part of that sort of legacy!

Each button hole is made by hand by a sharpened tool. It takes 12 minutes to sew EACH button hole by hand. Most of the buttons pictured above are mother of pearl that has been hand dyed. Watching this seamstress work was super interesting. She said she'd been working with Hermès for over 25 years and had been sewing couture for years before she started with the company. The buttons she was sewing on had "H" designs on them... it takes 6 button holes to sew in that design.

Favorite Blogs of the Moment.

For the long commute back and forth to work I have a lovely little RSS feeder installed in my phone. It's awesome because it caches entire posts (including pictures) so while I'm in the tunnels here in SF, I have something to read when the signal cuts out! Regardless of all that, here are the blogs I'm loving right now.

Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing

I discovered this blog while trying to figure out how to do a FBA on a pattern top and I absolutely love it. The things she sews and her articles are all extremely interesting and I'm really looking forward to her book coming out in September! Maybe it'll be a birthday present to myself? Also, learning couture sewing techniques will be great if I ever make a Chanel-style jacket! Gotta learn how to quilt a lining!

Madame Guillotine

I think I found this blog looking for images for a report but damn- absolutely love it. The blog owner is a self published historical fiction author and major history buff. I particularly love the posts about random people in history that you may not have known about. The paintings and historical research is absolutely luscious and the posts about costumes and garments are amazing. And a huge Versailles lover-- how can I not adore that?

Sea of Shoes

This blog always has such great fashion eye-candy! A couple semesters ago one of my teachers recommended her fashion site and it's really fun to see all the great posts Jane Aldridge posts about her style, travels, and purchases. I would only wear maybe half of what she does, but I think her posts are fun. I laughed aloud the other day when I was reading an issue of 7x7 and saw Jane as the model for a Barney's New York ad! 

A Future Present

Etsy featured a scarf by Leah Goren in one of their articles and I was intrigued enough by the beautiful textile to look into the artist. The blog is actually a combination of both Leah and her husband(?)/boyfriend Dylan and their life together. The posts are always picture filled and beautiful. It's very inspirational! I wish my boyfriend would want to blog with me!

Cat Versus Human

To be honest, I completely forget how I stumbled on this blog! But it's so fun! The owner lives here in the Bay Area and the cartoons are absolutely hilarious! As a cat lady deprived of a cat, I live vicariously through the different little comic strips she posts. Anyone I show them to always laugh! One of these days when I have a little extra cash, I want to get one of her tote bags to cart all my art supplies in. Probably this one.

My landlord knocked on my door 7.30a today.

Recently I've been confronted with quite a few reminders or the interests I once had as a teenager and how much I've changed since then-- it's been quite astonishing. A recent concert and convention I wasn't able to attend almost made me feel ashamed of the changes. Frankly, I really shouldn't.

People who have known me for years can testify my love of Japanese Rock music. People who have known me for more years than that can testify for my love of Japanese fashion and animation. But people who know me now have yet to even see that side of me... it's downright shocking by comparison! I think I've become more demure and conformist with time and while shocking, it's also amusing. Does anyone I know today really know that I've slept out on the street multiple times in order to get a good spot at a concert? Or that I've organized huge fan get togethers via internet?

People associate me as domesticated (on my own accord and volition) but nothing more. I don't think they'd recognize the me of five or more years ago.

I ain't gunna lie-- when I see a goth kid, I feel a little bit of nostalgia. Not because I was ever goth, but because Of the alternative lifestyle aspect. I know more about the culture than would be expected for someone like me. When confronted with modern fans of the bands I used to love, I'm almost hesitant to bring up my history ("Oh hey! I love that band!")-- just because so much time has passed and I don't look like a fan. It's kind of pathetic. 

A pepperoni slice a day keeps the doctor away.

Classes haven't been as much of a priority lately as they should be-- but I'm still trotting along. In my History of Fashion class, we're required to draw the fashions from each time period studied. Overall, my garments look semi-decent. As for the fashion illustration aspect of these images, I feel like I'm losing my skills! I can only blame myself. I haven't attended any drawing workshop or done any independant drawing... not because I don't want to, but because there's no time. I'm well aware that I'm doing myself a terrible disservice. Working evenings- when I'm the most awake, aware, and inspired- definitely has its disadvantages.

Here are some of the pictures I've done for the class, however. Definitely not the best I've ever drawn, but there's something I like about each. Yey for my printer/scanner. The images look lovely digitalized.



Low/High Midevil



Renaissance



1600s



Late 1700s

 

I would have figured that drawing the 1700s would have been great fun and everything. You'd be surprised how little resources on the French Revolution and the French court the San Francisco library holds. Also, blah faces and hands. I think I need to start doing some drawing on my down time-- these attempts have very little life to them.