The Old Trombone

TRIBAL FEST 11!!!

2011-04-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

its that time again, when i realize i only have 4 weeks to whip up a shit ton of inventory, finish all my custom orders for the performers, and get really excited to see everyone from all over the world again.

i love tribal fest, and this will be my 8th year in attendance.

heres some pics from our Salome's Suitcase booth at last years after party at the Hopmonk Brewery.

sewing contest!

2011-04-15T09:27:00.000-07:00

loveandtrash.com/2011/04/no-pants-frisky-fiskars-upcycle-challenge
This is my friend Amber, she hasnt worn a a single pair of pants in 103 days.
check out her blog here;
nopants2011.com
so she has partnered up with the likes of Fiskars to bring you a pretty rad sewing contest.
the rules are to turn an old pair of pants into something new!
the prize is a gift basket FULL of Fiskars!!
to that i say, hell yeah count me in!
here we go!

growth, support, AND THANK YOUS!

2011-04-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

as some of you know ive been dealing with an annoying amount of personal setbacks the past year, which makes my business suffer greatly. a tumble down the stairs wrecked my arm and put me out of commission for almost 4 months. student loans taking 3 months to deliver put me in serious stress mode and dug my "band aid" debt pretty deep, tho im almost out of that shit hole and i can see the light ahead! family bulloney has me pretty depressed, and in a creative business that affects production greatly. i havent been as timely as i want to be, and my clients have been absolute saints while they wait patiently for their goods. to that i say THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!
but all is not lost! a great team of support has shown up to help me thru crunch time and get back on track! ive enlisted the help of Faith Allen, Rose Harden, Sandi Ball, Gisele Sybil, and Marci Ann, whos nimble fingers and eagerness to help me out are the reason why im still moving forward. to them i say THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!
and out of this great team of helpers came a more permanent business relationship with the fabulous Marci Ann, who is now my part time employee! This gal knows what shes doing and is fast, efficient, kind, etc and a complete joy to work with. I mean look at her, shes adorable!
to her i say THANK YOU....AGAIN.... FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART <3

TRIBAL FEST 11 VENDING ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!

2011-04-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

Im as happy as a clam to report that Salome's Suitcase will be present during the Tribal Fest 11 festivities with a 3 day only pop up boutique style trunk show at the nearby FAIRFIELD INN CONFERENCE ROOM!
as most of you seasoned Tribal Fest veterans know, the Fairfield Inn used to be the Holiday Inn Express, the big pink hotel with the pool that everyone stays at, basically party time central.

hours of operations are;
Thursday May 19 3pm to 10pm
Friday May 20 2pm to 10 pm
Saturday May 21 2pm to 10 pm

Fairfield Inn
1101 Gravenstein HWY south
sebastopol Ca 95472

who are we?
Salome's Suitcase is a unique collection of California artisans and designers creating original, one of a kind jewelry, accessories, costumes and couture garments.

KathleenCrowleyCostumeCouture
Katherine Summer
Foolproof Studio
HiBeam Bindis
Medina Maitreya
Minerva's Antennae
Rose Harden

nothing is new...

2011-03-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

and while copycats abound in the fashion world (and make millions at it), in my little costume bubble, it hurts to see it happen to your friends and mostly to yourself.
but hey, creative geniuses will always have new rad ideas and as long as we listen to the wise words of Vidal Sassoon, we will all get to enjoy them
<3

"You either create something and you keep it a secret and you die with
it, (what's the point?) [or] you can benefit the craft," he says. "And
in essence ... you're doing something for fashion worldwide. I think
that's so much more important — it's something that you leave behind
that you probably will be remembered for."

cantar como el lobo

2011-03-15T13:21:00.000-07:00

prepare yourself, im gonna get romantic for a sec.
so i am wearing my new Devotchka shirt i scored at the concert the other week, which happened to be the most beautiful live music ive ever heard, and am struck with an overwhelming feeling of appreciation for all the many beautiful things ive seen in my life, and the beautiful feeling of inspiration i get from witnessing those things.
heres to finding those moments more often.
oh and Mr. Urata, id crawl over broken salted glass to hear you sing to me just one more time.....
<3

2011-01-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

Agent Red, an amazing performer, a kind and loving soul, and my dear friend fell during her NYE performance and shattered both her wrists. she is in need of help to cover surgery costs. please donate if you can, even a little bit helps. and please keep her in your thoughts ♥

http://www.agentred.net/donate

here ya go Lorraine!

2010-12-24T11:05:00.000-08:00

oh the joys of being a fashion designer...

2010-11-22T19:33:00.000-08:00

Dunno who's responsible for Willow's AMA styling, but they BLATANTLY ripped off a MildredVon design.

Heres more from MildredVon under the awesome name MOTHER OF LONDON

i live in headdresslandia

2010-10-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

**************************

2010-09-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

Gosh! its been so long since i posted anything here, life has been a whirlwind of amazing and time consuming events. whats been going on with me you ask?

well, school started up again so thats got me super busy, Burningman happened and i had the best time ever in 6 years, Mecca was a great success, working like a crazy person on orders for Kami Liddle and Sabrina Fox of the Bellydance Superstars, new stuff for Zoe Jakes and Elizabeth Strong for the Beats Antique show, a pretty princess costume for Manca Pavli, and all kinds of playing catchup with backorders. and right around the corner is something called Shadowdance where Salome's Suitcase will be doing another fashion show for your viewing pleasure. ive got two looks, both in gold charmeuse and one is a floor length gown. ive never made a gown, so bear with me, it could be a mini dress if it all goes to hell.

Life is good, Gooby and i got a new roomate, miss Kami Liddle, and the asshole neighbor sold his house and moved far far away. been hanging out with a lovely man named Sam Fairweather, swoon.....

oh yah and some pretty serious nerve damage in my arm from working so hard.
gotta learn to slow down! this is hard for a gal like me, because im an artist and i love my job and have fun with everyones orders its hard to stop and say "enough for the day".

heres a few pics of what the last few months have been like for me; enjoy

Zoe Jakes wearing one of my Garrison caps and a beautiful skirt by FoolProof Studio, looking amazing i might add.

Burningman with my dear friend Laylo

Burningman with Elgin and Stefano, awww.

Mecca afterparty with a great group of gals

lacey bolero shrug for Bridget Baker

:)

another wonderful collaboration between Salome's Suitcase designers!
pants by kathleen crowley and embelished by Rose Harden. belt by Rose, bra by medina and Rose, and headpiece and anklets by foolproof... and gorgeous dancing by Elizabeth Strong.

Mark Perez and I supporting our friends, Beats Antique, at outside Lands.

one corner of the Salome's Suitcase table at Mecca Revue

i love the bottom part of this dress, just WOW!

nobody walks in LA

i have no idea why i have such bad taste sometimes but i loved this black and gold checkered sequin material.... sigh.

Mahalias wedding head piece, pretty silk and hemp charmeuse folded into little pleats to be adorned with massive feathers, flowers and sparkly bits...

sewing away on Faiths one piece at the Mecca Revue.

...:::***:::...

2010-08-24T03:41:00.000-07:00

Sigur Rós - Glósóli from Sigur Rós on Vimeo.

Sometimes, when im horribly emo, this reminds me of Bre......

the game of love

2010-08-03T18:51:00.000-07:00

Japan. you've blown my mind yet again.....

2010-06-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

i doubt this would fly here in the states but damn, this is a costume designers fantasy clientele!

my summertime fun schedule!

2010-06-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

its here, right? Summer i mean.
hmmph. its hard to tell, here in San Francisco,
as Summer tends to hide above the fog and clouds and peeks her head out only here and there, teasing us with her smooth, warm breezes and bright shafts of light.

ive got a lot going on this summer, most of which involves travel and sewing.
ill be vending at a couple great events;

Emrgnsee in Oregon
http://2010.emrgnsee.com/

SF Mecca immersion in... well, SF.
http://www.sfmeccaimmersion.com/

and i'll be frolicking at
Raindance
http://www.raindancepresents.com/campout2010/index.php

and ill be working the merch booth for Beats Antique at
The Big Bounce
http://www.bigbounceatbelden.com/

after that? well, Burningman beckons, as it always does, and my empty pockets feel the sting yet again.
we shall see if it pans out... i hope it does.

So what are YOU doing this summer?

Tribal Fest and fashion show with Salome's Suitcase

2010-05-19T16:34:00.000-07:00

oh man, im still recovering, what an exhausting week it was! heres some pics of the show and other lovely ladies wearing my wares. i cant wait for Sequoia to finish editing her shots!!!!!
oh and the pretty white outfits are by Kathleen Crowley Costume Couture

RIP Frank Frazetta

2010-05-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

So this one time i was asked by my new lover if i had any stripper shoes.
ahem.
To that i replied, "no, sorry to disappoint but i'm more of a Frazetta type than a clear heels type."
"whats a Frazetta"?
"sigh......just google it".

so to Mr. Frazetta i say thank you sir, thank you for illustrating big, curvy, amazon women doing bad ass things in awesome costumes.

look at this

2010-05-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

i mean, just LOOK at this!
wow! now that is beautiful.

want more? google "kuksi"

what do you do when youve drank your weight in whiskey and lost more IQ points that you care to admit?

2010-04-30T00:36:00.000-07:00

the answer is simple; have a cave day.

to begin you will need-
1 hungover person.
1 or 2 friends willing to deliver food, medicine, movies etc. to said hungover person.
1 dark bedroom with movie watching capabilities and big comfy bed.

*optional additions to cave day include-
electrolyte drink, pizza, toast, sunglasses, and last but not least, a hair of the dog.

and heres some more info about what i like to call "The Irish Flu", courtesy of my friend Matt.

http://www.caveday.com/

(yes i am hungover today)

more inspiration for my fashion show looks.....

2010-04-27T15:35:00.001-07:00

ooooooohh!
aaaaaaaah!

hello? beautiful fabric? are you out there?

2010-04-27T15:24:00.000-07:00

Fabric Industry: "yes its out there, it just costs a minimum of $50 a yard".

medinamaitreya: "but i cant afford that. how am i to make inventory with these less than
lovely alternatives and feel good about my art"?

Fabric Industry: "well, you shoulda thought about that before you became and artist".

medinamaitreya: "Up yours Fabric Industry"!

raw materials and beautiful Breanna

2010-04-23T12:07:00.001-07:00

I have a fashion show coming up at this years Tribal Fest. i had planned to make 2 looks, in a art deco showgirl style, but the passing of my friend Breanna LeVine changed the tempo of my design process quite a bit from frivolous dancing girls in feather headdresses to something a bit darker, more solemn, but still as visually intense and just as beautiful. ive turned this fashion show challenge into a chance to make a beautiful piece just for Breanna, just from me, a memorial if you will.
I have been collecting bits and things for 3 weeks now, and today some of these bits and pieces came to me in the mail.
i had asked my friend Erik Glen to send me some beachy things from my hometown of Encinitas, which is where he lives right now, and which was also Breanna's hometown. i opened the box and to my excitement i got feathers, sand, stones, driftwood, and some unidentifiable things in bubblewrap. to top it all off each bag was labeled as to what beach they came from... awww, erik is a good friend. a really good friend whom i will always forgive for getting clown white all over the roof of my car that one time.
tomorrow is the memorial service for Bre, and instead of attending i decided to stay home and work on this golden winged thing and have my own memorial for her thru the creation of something beautiful. Bre, this ones for you, honey.....
*artwork of Breanna by Android Jones

oh my word!

2010-04-21T17:19:00.000-07:00

holy smokes!!! get a load of these beauties! vintage from the 20s.....im speechless, these are so beautiful! i want one in every color!

and while youre at it do yourself a favor and check out the other wonderful stuff shes got
http://www.antiquedress.com/

i heart SF in the spring time

2010-04-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

happy anniversary to me and San Francisco!
about a year ago i decided to leave Portland and head home, with my tail between my legs as it were, to the bay. i had tried my darndest to make a life for myself in Oregon but the times were not on my side. i couldnt find a job. and thats pretty final.
in a moment of panic i sold my RV to support myself (.... damn....). and after a heartbreaking goodbye to Hot Carl i was left alone in a huge beautiful workspace with no light in my heart and almost zero inspiration. i was totally depressed.
late night phone counsel with friends and family all pointed to returning to california. finally i said "fuck it, its time to go home".
i called my buddy Chris the scientist, who somehow always seems to know what to do no matter what the situation, and he said he'd come rescue me. my trusty road trip partner Palinor hopped in the truck with him and they headed north. when they arrived, Chris bailed right away and headed to canada to see some girl he was crazy about (his soon to be wife) so palinor and i packed up my life together.
a sweet goodbye party was held at Heather Trujillos house and i felt very loved by all the wonderful people in Portland. Chris returned a few days later, we loaded the truck, my car, and the little trailer we rented from some toothless hillbilly over by Alberta street and hit the road.
as i got closer to SF i became cheerier and cheerier, stopping in Shasta to climb a road block and snap some pictures.
i landed at Rachel Minerva's beautiful space with uncertainty and shakey foundations to be sure, but she was wonderfully supportive and i owe her big time for her generosity and willingness to help a friend in need.
with the help of Lotus and Minerva i fashioned a little bedroom with walls made out of garment racks and curtains, set up my things and settled in to the unknown.
and just in the nick of time, my friend Gooby offered me a great place to live in a safe neighborhood, with affordable rent, a backyard, and a sewing studio. phew!
oh and a huge jasmine bush right outside my bedroom window..... ahhhhhhhh...... thank you gooby, i love it here!

so here i am a year later, loving the city, making strong friendships and professional partners, getting back into bellydance again, hitting the gym, finishing up my degree in fashion design, getting free health care (http://www.healthysanfrancisco.org/)... life is pretty good, and im full of light once again.

the Sea

2010-04-19T23:20:00.000-07:00

ive been in a bit of a shell lately, not having much to say in fact. but i feel compelled to share something, at least anything, via this blog page. why? i dunno, maybe in the hopes that someone will read this and smile a bit, maybe a laugh or two, or even just a silent moment of appreciation for some cool image i post or a witty bit here and there.

ive been thinking of my home town a lot lately and remembering so much of my young life spent on the beach and in the ocean. The sea is a special entity to me, the feel of salt water on skin, the smell (sometimes yuck, sometimes delicious) and the weird muffled crunch of sand when walking down the beach just makes me feel cozy inside. plus, pirate ships are pretty cool.

i remember one trip my dad took me on to some special cove that you could only get to by boat, a brackish pond where fresh and salt water mixed to create a unique batch of weird creatures and neon vegetation. i put my mask and snorkel on and dove in, i was in awe of what i saw. a psychedelic colored alien planet with shots of warm and cool water creating clear ripples in my field of view. bright red and hot pink coral, acid green fronds, and baby pink fish with electric blue tails!

thinking back on my childhood i cringe at my fearlessness and wonder why my folks let me run positively wild in the Hawaiian terrain. i mean, i was chased by wild boar, mongrel dogs and even a fucking shark! but then again if i wasnt such an adventurous kid i guess i wouldnt have seen such amazing beauty and realized how important it is to shed that fear of the unknown and just dive right it! because of that i dont think i could live too far from the sea and be happy.

i have a fantasy that in my not so later years my relationship with the sea matures into a beautiful victorian house on a cliff overlooking the ocean, with a garden, and treehouse of course. kinda like the house in that crappy (but secretly i like it) movie "practical magic"... im so witchy poo sometimes, i know.

wings n things....

2010-04-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

im workin on some special stuff over here in medinamaitreya-landia.
a very special lady friend passed away recently, and ive been pretty torn up about it. the only thing that soothes me and feels like im making progress with this grief is the creation of this headpiece i started with her in mind. ill post pics as it comes together but its got wings, chains, and is mostly gold and silver. Kami Liddle will be modeling it at the Salomes Suitcase fashion show at the Tribal Fest afterparty.
heres some of the images ive collected for inspiration...
RIP Breanna

OMG shoes

2010-04-16T18:34:00.000-07:00

i want these. BAD.
*sigh*

wtf???

2010-04-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

blackface and valley girls?
oh Japan, you are so weird.

http://thegreatgeekmanual.com/blog/japanese-culture-101-bizarre-fashions

inspiration

2010-04-15T18:03:00.001-07:00

i have an inspiration folder, full of hundreds of images i have collected over years and years of all kinds of odd and unrelated things that you wouldnt normally think would inspire fashion. theres skeletons, famous paintings, religious characters, kung fu masters, nature shots, political propaganda, pencil sketches, you name it! yep, im a weirdo... a discerning weirdo, but a weirdo none the less.
i dont look at this collection often enough tho, and need to fire up the old creative juices for a couple big gigs coming up. so as Tribal Fest and my fashion show approaches (more info to come) its time to infuse myself with the inspiration i need to whip up this years batch of whimsical goodies. as i rush off to Spanish class and try feverishly to come up with a reason to play hooky i'll just leave you with a few completely random images from the vault.. enjoy <3

Salome's Suitcase Design Collective

2010-04-13T15:51:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you are a costume designer who specializes in one of a kind-handmade-original-couture-bellydance-ish stuff and you never have enough inventory to fill a whole big vending booth and know a bunch of other gals just like you? Start a guild!
And we had our first official Trunk Sale last Sunday and it was a huge success, thank you to everyone who came out!

Heres our Blurby blurb;

"Salome's Suitcase is a collective of tribal-fusion apparel and accessory designers. United by our focus on unique design, quality craftsmanship, and limited production, we have joined forces to bring our wares to the world!
Our customers range from the world famous, to the aspiring, but as Sandi of HiBeam Bindis said so eloquently: "you are all super stars to us!"
Each one of us has been at the forefront of design, bringing our vision into the public, starting and propelling trends that inspire many!"

Salome's Suitcase Designers;
Katherine Summer
Black Lotus
Yasemin Yildiz
Minervae's Antennae
Kathleen Crowley
Hi Beam Bindis
Rose Hips
Medina Maitreya
FoolProof Studio

I am super honored to be included among this group of super talented designers and artisans.

Join us in person at our monthly San Francisco trunk show!

And heres some of my favorite pieces of art depicting miss Salome.
Why the name, you ask? who is Salome and whats in her suitcase?
well.......
Salome (Greek: Σαλωμη, Salōmē), the Daughter of Herodias (c AD 14 - between 62 and 71), is known from the New Testament (Mark 6:17-29 and Matt 14:3-11, where, however, her name is not given).

Name in Hebrew reads שלומית (Shlomit) and is derived from Shalom שלום, meaning "peace".

Christians like to think of her as an icon of dangerous female seductiveness, (ooooooohhhhh) for instance depicting her dance as "erotic" in the New Testament (in some later transformations further iconised to the dance of the seven veils), or concentrate on her lighthearted and cold foolishness that, according to the gospels, led to John the Baptist's death.... she cut off his head.

so yah, she seemed like a good bellydancy character to use as our figurehead, cause really, im sure she had some awesome costumes! and im curious what she would keep in a suitcase, besides 7 veils of course....

things i do for fun

2010-04-13T15:07:00.001-07:00

so a while back i was asked to participate in this pretty amazing video shoot for the new Eskmo track featuring Swan on Warp Records.

*if you dont know about Warp records heres some of their awesome roster;
Nightmares on wax, Aphex Twin, Autechre, Boards of Canada, Flying Lotus, Hudson Mowhawk, Jamie Lidell, Prefuse 73, and lots more

So they asked me to do the hairstyling for my friend Swan
(http://www.soundofswan.com/)
and since i used to be a hairdresser and still do video and photoshoot hair and makeup from time to time , i jumped at the chance to work with her. The song, "Lands and Bones", which is quite beautiful, was produced by my other friend Brendan Angelides aka Eskmo aka Welder
(http://www.eskmo.com/).

i cant wait to see the finished product!!! heres some shots from that night, and believe me it was just as cold as it looks under those trees.

heres something pretty......

2010-04-06T23:18:00.001-07:00

...that i want really bad.
i wonder what color it was.......

Mae West, jeezus what an accomplished lady, even by modern standards! and she was born in 1893!!!!
listen to this;

*Mae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol.

i mean thats enough right there! but lets go on...

*Known for her bawdy double entendres, West made a name for herself in Vaudeville and on the stage in New York before moving to Hollywood to become a comedienne, actress and writer in the motion picture industry. One of the more controversial movie stars of her day, West encountered many problems including censorship.
When her cinematic career ended, she continued to perform on stage, in Las Vegas, in the United Kingdom, on radio and television, and recorded rock and roll albums.

rock and roll albums? go lady go!

Scientists, best friends, a wedding, and poutine.

2010-04-04T09:38:00.000-07:00

Chris Reeves is my best friend.
but wait, that sounds so exclusive.
so what constitutes a best friend?
can i have more than one best friend? hmmm, well, i do have more than one, but not more than 5.
whatever it means, Chris is one of the few people i would walk across a razor sharp bacteria infested coral reef for, backwards, in the winter, drunk.... barefoot. hmmm, knowing Chris he might actually invite me to do something like that one day.
anyway i watched him go thru years and years of college to become a marine biologist and am so proud of him for it, he's the reason i keep going back to school. he is also rad because he loves ABBA and Star Wars equally, and who can argue that? PLUS he spent 3 months in Tahiti doing "field research" and drinking Tahiti Drink, which is a pineapple malt liquor and tastes like a good version of Brass Monkey.

Chris met a cute blond named Margreth and decided to get hitched. I cant wait to meet her. Margreth is from Canada, which is where Poutine comes from. this is very convenient for me as i am dying to try this heart attack in a paper cup. French fries, cheese curds (wtf?), and gravy. theres even a rap song about it as you can see here.

Im making a little shrug vest thing for Margreth to wear in the wedding with her cute lil Betsy Johnson wedding dress, awwww!
The wedding ceremony is gonna be on a boat (and dont you ever forget) and i am lucky enough to be invited to the ceremony, i guess Chris thinks of me as a best friend too :)

gypsy bikes and sexual references. pt 1

2010-03-31T09:53:00.000-07:00

So, i changed the name of my blog yesterday from The Rusty Trombone to The Old Trombone. i sure thought it was a funny name until my mom asked "so can i just google "rusty trombone" and find your blog"?....... um, no.

But the reason i initially chose "The Rusty Trombone" was not because of the hilarious sexual reference, but rather inspired by a project my friend Brett was working on a couple years ago. he took an old mini bike from the 80s, no not those stupid shrunken crotch rockets, and did all that cool stuff to it!

how awesome is that!!! hit him up if you want one, he makes cool custom shit all the time.

i found a parallel in his work and mine, taking old "junk" and re purposing it to make something unique and beautiful. hence the name of this blog... and yes i know its a trumpet but trombone sounded better...

God Save mcQueen!!!

2010-03-26T22:46:00.000-07:00

Today goes down on record as the WORST hangover I've ever had. one might even suspect food poisoning, but I know deep down I totally did this to myself. grrr.
and to top it off i have 2 huge bug bites on my face... double rad.

Its been a few days since i posted something here and my goal was to update this blog daily, whether it be costumes I'm working on or some beautiful creation made by another designer. so bear with me, in my fragile state it's all i can do to not go cross eyed as i type this.

Take a look at this dress, i absolutely LOVE everything happening in this pic. The silhouette, the hat, the cane, the gloves, the pouf sleeves. Of course it's by none other than Alexander McQueen, a man who is with out a doubt a fashion hero.
And I, like many other designers and fashionistas, am so very saddened by his passing, pretty deeply saddened actually. He was incredible, he created the stuff i dream about. Everything utterly fantastic and ridiculously beautiful i could ever come up with, he's already made. But he left us too soon, it's quite a shame, this world could sure use more artists like him...

But I think my favorite thing about McQueen's work is his unmistakable British style infused with elements of straight up theatrical costume design. walking the line between fashion and costume is tricky, just ask Tim Gunn. It's a really hard thing to pull off successfully, and McQueen always delivers.
So three cheers for McQueen! Hip hip, hooray! Hip hip, hooray! Hip hip, hooray!

Belgium... land of chocolate, beer, and now bellydancers.

2010-03-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

Miss Marianne from Belgium commissioned this bra from me, it came out beautifully and i wish i had time to take a good photo or two of it before i mailed it off. vanilla iced velvet, dusty mauve lace overlay, vintage glass pearls, a cameo and a healthy dose of sparkly bits. yup, i love my job.
But I always trip out on international orders, Belgium seems like such a far away place to find tribal fusion bellydance... but hey, i guess i have the Bellydance Superstars to thank for sharing the craft with the entire world (except latin america for some reason). and theres even a new dancer in BDSS troupe from Slovenia!! Slovenia!!??? up until 2005 i thought Slovenia was a made up country some jerk friend tried to get me to believe in, like Vulgaria or something (chitty chitty bang bang fans go ahead and rejoice). sheesh.
lets close on a posh note shall we?
check this video of Lionel Jeffries kicking ass as "Grandpa" as hes being kidnapped by those choo-chi faced Vulgarians.
"p.o.s.h. posh, posh, traveling life, the traveling life for me."

more victorian influences....

2010-03-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

these pieces were made for my gorgeous friend Alexia who is a phenomenal makeup artist for Mac Cosmetics and looks good in pretty much anything! we used to dance together in Atash Maya back in the day... way back in the day.... and i love making her stuff to wear. whether its some crazy burningman outfit or something cool to wear to work, all black of course cause its Mac, shes an ideal client for sure.
im in the middle of making her another original Medina Maitreya piece to add to her wardrobe; a little short vest with a hood big enough for any crazy hairdo she might have in mind. check her out in all her splendor, shes got some serious hairdo goin on! eat your heart out Lady Gaga.

painting the roses red

2010-03-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

heres an oldie but a goodie, i did hair and makeup for Minerva's Antennae fashion show last year at the Supper Club. Thats Miss Kelly as the queen of hearts, aint she cute!

oh those crazy Victorians

2010-03-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

ok so i guess i have a favorite era from which i draw costume inspiration. theres just something about all that detail, and i mean hand sewn details, that make it soooo beautiful. the Victorian silhouette is totally weird tho, i dont even own a corset or enjoy wearing them, so instead i try and infuse the aesthetic into more modern pieces like this shrug thing i made for Dr.Deb. whattya think?

Kami Liddle

2010-03-21T22:27:00.001-07:00

Sometimes you get the good fortune to work with your super talented friends and produce great
art together. Kami Liddle and i have been buddies for about 5 years now (contrary to FaceBook rumors we are not dating, it was a frickin joke people, i mean come on, Kami and Piggles Piglovski are totally an item anyway), and i love making stuff for her to wear on stage.
We have done a couple shoots with another super talent, miss Christina of Black Lotus Clothing, and the results are pretty amazing. heres some shots of Kami modeling my creations over the years.

Fosse Fosse Fosse

2010-03-21T21:58:00.000-07:00

So back in january of 2009 I was working with my old pals Lucent Dossier Vaudeville Cirque on costumes for their Grammy performance. one night after a LONG work day Dream, Barbara, and i put on "Sweet Charity" and settled down to relax.
(if you havent seen this movie do yourself a favor and watch it immediately! Bob Fosse kicks major choreography ass in this one especially with "the Aloof".)
So teh next day i go out and get tons and tons of feathers in the most horrid 60s pallete of pale pink, lime green, baby blue, and lilac. a day later i have 4 feather wigs a la Sweet Charity, and they came out awesome! thanks to whoever did those originally :)

2010-03-21T20:51:00.000-07:00

I too like Victorians. They stay crunchy even in milk. Here is Dusty in a victorian inspired piece i made for her out of some beautiful silk dupioni and applique trim.

2010-03-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

This is my friend Dusty. She makes pretty things to put on and shake your ass in front of the mirror with. She is also a damn funny woman, check her blog, you will like.

http://thekillroom.tumblr.com/

PDX and room to breathe

2010-03-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

how i miss it... heres a pic of the studio space i had at my disposal... ahhh, lovely. while i do enjoy my tiny little sewing dungeon here in SF there is just something about Portland that made me feel like i could stretch out a lot. not to mention pdx has the best coffee cocktail in the world; the spanish coffee. which is kinda weird and whiteley naive to call it Spanish since rum is not from Spain, its from Puerto Rico, and god knows those poor natives got it right in the ass from the Spaniards... but i digress.

A Message To The Consumer

2010-03-21T18:29:00.000-07:00

KathleenCrowleyCostumeCouture: A Message To The Consumer

My friend Kathleen is having a hard time with a few so called designers ripping off her original work.
look how adorable she is, why anyone would want to screw her over is beyond me, especially in such a small community.
anyway, take a look at her post, its actually quite informative and worth reading.

on the count of three.......

2010-03-21T15:05:00.000-07:00

Oh lord, here I go gettin’ all “with the times” and stuff. Welcome to Medina Maitreya Designs, I feel so grown up!

I cant tell you how many people have asked for my website in the last 4 months, to which I always reply “im working on it” but really think to myself “you mean I cant just sit in my sewing dungeon and make stuff all day with scribbly handwritten business cards and a measly photo album on facebook to show for it”? No medina, you cannot. come on, enough is enough, if I want to be taken seriously as a professional artist then I MUST have a website and business cards. so here it is, enjoy, and pardon my lack of blog knowledge, i’ll have it looking good by tonight.