2010: A Year in Costumes

Every year in my life involves far too many events that call for costumes. 2010 was no exception.


February: Disney's High-Fashion Poncho

During our trip to Florida, we were rained on for 20 hours straight. Luckily it was on our day trip to Animal Kingdom and Epcot. The "outdoorsy" theme parks. They were all the rage, those ponchos. Even the woman behind me is working hers! But like Trya says, "Know your angles."

March: Fun at work

So, my store sells things such as this. fur stoles, fur vests, fur things. I like to put them all on at once and roar like a lion.

April: A wigging

Someone at the Annual Easter trip caught me wearing this wig. For no reason.

May: Jeff Probst

My friend Josh and I put together this little event one day called Survivor: Boystown. 40 participants, 18 Events, 10 hours, 2 broken fingers, 1 winner. It was epic.

May: Madonna-rama

 On the first Sunday of every month, Berlin Nightclub hosts a party called Madonnarama. All Madonna, all night. Fantastic. So I get a little dressed in very Madge-inspired costumes with a few things just lying around the house.

June: Weddings

June: Bad Cop

If Halloween is Taylor Swift, then Pride is Heidi Fleiss. Balls to the walls, wear as little as possible, drink, walk the streets, booty bounce, baton-spank strangers, get sprayed with a water hose, go home alone, eat popcorn on the couch watching My-So-Called-Life, alone. Wait- what?

August: "Project Runaway"
Shit. Show. 35 designer teams, 8 models, 3 local celebrity judges, 1 winner

ME

My friends like to put together these elaborate games and challenges to stir up the old dinner party and bars thing. My partner Patrick and I worked diligently together to create the winning lewk.Victory!

August: Diva

Every year I "volunteer" at Market Days and work the dunk tank. As a seasoned veteran, on my third year, I wore this. And brought my Stage Manager. No really, Amanda is a Stage Manager.

September: Rachel Zoe

John and I spent a weekend at his lake house in Michigan going to the pumpkin patch, drinking cider, roasting marshmallows, and impersonating Rachel Zoe. So normal. If you haven't seen the ridiculous Rachel Zoe Project or the hilarious parody, then this costume means nothing to you. And you aren't funny. However, its, Ba-nan-as.

September: Mandonna-rama

October: Halloween

Carmen San Diego, Peppermint Patty, WTF Football Player, and Derek Zoolander

Jay Manuel, America's Next. Top. Model. and Sonic the Hedge-ho

mmmmmmMK

Since I remember caring about anything fashion related, I can remember Mary-Kate Olsen. It was an obsession. People like to throw that word around so casually. "I was like obsessed with gelly roll pens" or "I'm like so obsessed with Hillary Duff." Okay, maybe they were. But I'm talking a legitimate infatuation. My friend Hannah has a video of me, somewhere hidden far far away, in an over-sized sweater, leggings, and bug glasses waltzing around our apartment emulating her in a "candid" street interview. Completely normal. Also, I owned all these items. What. Are you judging me now?The summer of 2003 she was generating a lot of press. Remember the global event that was her 18th birthday? Websites dedicated to it, countdowns, bets, a private celebration by yourself while with your friends and they thought it was just another night out... Just me? Ohh.

In some gossip rag that summer, there was a picture of her in baggy sweatpants, a vintage t-shirt, big sunglasses and bangles. She was in public, in sweats. The audacity! I was hooked. I could see we had a lot in common:

1. We liked raggedy clothes (thrift stores were and are cool!)


2. We liked to smoke cigarettes, which I have long since let go (Give it up MK!)


3. We liked coffee


4. We were skinny, really skinny


5. We biked


6. We were blond* AND loved fur

7. We both had the letter R in our names....
Okay I was really grabbing at straws here. She was, in my eyes, Fabulous.

But, here's the thing with my relaysh with MK, it's very one-sided. I don't care about her. There's nothing about her that I would like to know that I don't get in pictures. It's much like how "normal" people cruise Facebook- I cruise Mary-Kate Olsen. I saw in a picture once she was giving a bum a $20. A Humanitarian! Rejoice! I've never seen her movies and frankly I do not want to. Apparently she was on Weeds? Ooops, missed that one. She would probably have to wear pants! There's no fun in that!


Hearing her talk would ruin my ideal and fantastical voice that I have for her. Think Kathleen Turner with a helium tank. Her walk is probably similar to a Gollum hobble, I prefer stills. Her personal life...huh? She dates? She has friends? A dog? Genitals? No, these are things I need not know.

Things I need/want to know about MK:
1. She is alive
2. She will dress herself (Hallelujah!)
3. People will take her picture

Things really took a turn for the worst during my second semester of college when my friend Ali (Pop Culture Junkie) found out about my secret obsession and introduced me to Gemini-Twins.com. A website dedicated to all that is Olsen. All I wanted were the photos dammit! I started visiting at least once a day to see candid photos of her walking with things in her hands. Literally.


I love the utter ridiculousness that is Mary-Kate Olsen. Overall, her fashion sense is fantastic. In her prime, if she wore it, it wasn't the trend yet, she was setting it. She just goes for it. Fearless? Maybe...I mean, she's obviously a little insane.

*This was not her best look, A for effort though. Poor thing, she looked like a zombie hooker.

Other looks that failed for MK:
The Top Hat


The Meg Ryan/Ozzy:


The Golden Girl:



The Yoda:


By the way, she has a sister. Trashley.

In these shoes

I want to share my two favorite menswear designers of the moment. Gareth Pugh and Michael Bastian. Both are from completely opposite sides of the fashion spectrum, but I'm completely obsessed with both. I do not consider myself a fashionista, but I do occasionally brush up on collections and research trends. You know, a guy can never be on the 'Don't' list!

I'll start with Pugh. My love and fascination with his collections began in the Fall of 2006 when he showed his Spring 2007 collection in Paris.

AMAZE BALLS! It was Chess Board Goth meets Stay-Puft Club Kid. It had such a dark intrigue, and such a sharp, polished angle. In a balloon world, I would be a clubkid, dressing as avant garde as I wanted to, expressing whatever I felt. These designs reignite that little bit of secret fantasy I've always had. Pugh has only had two full menswear collections, both for Fall. Fitting don't you think? His pieces don't really scream sunshine, laughter, and reawakening...

Gareth Pugh has had several of my favorite celebs sport his fashions. Lady Gaga wore a jacket of his, Beyonce used a dress for her tour, and Kylie Minogue had him fashion a few things for her '07 and '08 tours. LOVE!
His past collections have been sprinkled with men, which has always been a treat, but to have two shows fully committed is spectacular. Pugh's Fall 2010 collection is more Edward Scissorhands on heroin than his usual heavily textured collections.

How fabulous are those cumber-bun trousers? I love Pugh's inspiration and footwear from Goth with textures and silhouettes that work for evening wear....oh, and fur. Some things were a tad too Edward Scis; with the dangling chain maille from the wrists...emulating the scissorhands, but oh well, hopefully he credited Burton as an inspiration! Like art in a museum, Pugh's collections stir emotions in me, they're twisted and dark, mysterious, and slightly naughty. Ultimately, isn't that the point? Ca CAW!



And at the other end....

OK- So I'm not the only one who adores Michael Bastian. He's been nominated for the CFDA Menswear designer of the year 2 years running, and got a nod for newcomer of the year in 2007. Bastian was once the Men's Director of Bergdorf's, which may not be a surprise considering his elevated preppy designs.

Bastian creates the look that I wish I could pull off in real life. I would never be ashamed to wear anything of his. His collections throughout the years have inspired me to appropriately accessorize and attempt to play with color. One could say he's a stylized Ralph Lauren meets DSquared. What I like about Bastian's readytowear is his playfulness with color and the slight modifications to fit and shape. He's very familiar with a man's physique and he tailors it nicely. OK, so he's a little faggy sometimes, but this is Fashion, Daaahhhhling!

All I have to say is...WRIST GLOVES and BALLET FLATS. How groundbreaking is a man pulling off ballet flats? I cannot get over this look. As Rachael Zoe would say, "I die." Now, at one of Pugh's shows, Zoe would die, and the world of...everything, would be a better place. Again, Bastian's inspirations are a little art imitating art, Prince Eric much? But omelet this one slide though- Eric is my favorite Disney Prince.