Here are some pictures from Halloween in SF. I was really happy my mom and aunt, who were visiting us from Argentina, got to see such a celebration. Their jaws were open the whole night!
Enjoy!
Pretty cool, uh? If you want to see more coolness, see my Día de los Muertos pictures visiting my blog in spanish, Mucho más Hip que Hippie.
Benito Fernandez is a famous and talented designer from Argentina who focuses on mixing textures and fabrics, keeping a fresh new look for each collection. He presented his collection Etnia, inspired by his trips for Peru, Bolivia, Mexico and Salta, at Bryant Park on September 17th,, 2009. Mixing saturated colors and different fabrics, he created a stunning collection, expressed in the garments and also in the bold accessories. It was one of the most original collections. He definitely communicated the cultures of the Andes’ indigenous peoples from whom he took his inspiration.
Colors: Lots and lots of colors. Very bright hues like oranges, blues, yellows and greens in saturated tones, with audacious combinations to make a bold statement. Colors are the protagonist of this collection, along with the accessories. The dramatic combination of color transmits power, fun energy, and uniqueness.
Accessories: The other big statement of this collection is made with the accessories. There are from a mixture of cultures. From the traditional dolls and tassels of Peru and Bolivia, to the imagery of Mexico and Frida Kahlo, to the looms of Salta, everything is reminiscent of the wonderful cultures of these countries– everything is “Etnia”. These are some of my favorite things from the whole collection.
Textures: The garments are coordinates in a combination of different fabrics, from gauze to silk to brocades to fabrics woven in traditional looms, to create texture. These textures give the pieces a unique look, very different if you see them from close or far. Embroidery is present too, using beads and stones in contrasting colors to the fabrics they are sewn on. I love the distinctive use and combination of textures that the collection showed, because it gave me the urge to zoom in and see all the intricate details that formed them. I wanted to touch them!
Silhouettes: The silhouettes are very feminine and suggestive, a characteristic of this designer. The fabrics fall on the body beautifully, flowing with every movement. There are lots of layers that add fullness to the entire outfit, as well tiers of fabric and different cuts in the neckline.
Prints: The prints are bold and full of colors, mostly in abstract and geometric forms. Some reminds me of a canvas painted with watercolors, fusing different colors to create new ones. They are definitely unique.
I always liked this designer, but the moment I saw this collection I fell in love with it. I love the color and textures, the bold accessories contrasting with the softness and lightness of the different fabrics and layers. I think you can clearly see what inspired him to create this fun and unique collection. Each garment is like a ticket to these countries he was inspired by. This collection has CULTURE COUTURE written it all over it.
My inspiration – Benito Fernandez
When I was putting together this outfit I wanted to represent color and different prints. The skirt has a batik print with saturated colors in abstract and geometric forms. It also has details of embroidery that add texture to it. The gauze top also has some embroidery on it. The colors of the both garments are very different, so I use a piece of fabric as a waist wrap in a common tone to create a better transition between them. Both fabrics are light and have a nice drape. The bright aqua color headband picks up the color of the top, and has satin flowers on one side that is reminiscent of Frida Khalo. It can also be use as a choker for another look. Lastly, I added two pom poms to each shoe. They are actually for the hair, so they can be used in a ponytail if desired. This adds more fun to the outfit and represents the Andes culture.
Uff! January 2009 is already gone. After the frenzy of the holidays, the happiness of watching inauguration day and the beautiful weather in SF, I am ready to blog again.
I don’t have too many resolutions for this year, I don’t usually do. But this year I want to document all the stuff I am creating. I am going to make a visual book of my crafts, sewings, designs, knitting, and so on. It’s going to be call I DID IT!, (as suggested by the Craftstylish notebook).
I did a lot since the year started, though. I started my new surface design class, and returned to dancing Afro-Haitian, Tango and Bellydance. I also started a new Yoga class… and I’ve been crafting too.!
My friend Andrea works for “Lesser Evil”, an all natural popcorn company in NYC (link). I helped her make bags out of their packaging so she can give them to customers and corporations in trade shows. They turned out to take a lot more time than we expected, but they turned out pretty cool. She was super happy, and me too! J She gave me a bottle of nice wine and a big box of COAL popcorn (chocolate covered) that is so good that I already ate half of it.
I also did a wall piece for my design class with the different fabrics that we dyed in class. The assignment was to make a piece inspired by nature and the environment, so I did a yin yang piece with a background that shows the colors of the sky to the ground and the lava underneath.
I also finally finished what I began two years ago in 2007 over the holidays. It never felt so cold in sf that I would be able to use it, that is why it was on the closet waiting to be assembled, but December was pretty cold. Everybody liked it, and nobody noticed that there are more bubbles on the right sleeve than on the left (mistakes happen people). I took the pattern from knitty.com
I also sewed my first two commissioned skirts. Gibson Pearl came with me to buy some fabric for the winter student showcase, and she fell in love with some, so she bought it and I made her two skirts from it. The teal fabric wasn’t too cooperative, I have to admit.
I bought lots of fabrics when we were in LA for the holidays that I can’t wait to try on aprons. And my good friend Aya brought GORGEOUS prints from Japan too, so I want to make some placemates and napkins for the house. I don’t think I can make aprons to sell with these because they are very special for me, so I want them not to leave me 
A new era of hope and healing has begun.
Yesterday was a beautiful and happy day in human history.
The De Young Museum is presenting a retrospective on fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent, organized by FAMSF and The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in collaboration with the Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent.
The exhibition explores the designs that made Saint Laurent famous, and his inspirations from art, theatre, history, literature, and nature.; and mark the first major retrospective of Saint Lauren’s work in over 25 years.
We went two Sundays ago but I want to come back as soon as possible to spent more time admiring the almost 130 garments and sketches.
The garments are truly pieces of art, crafted and accessorized in beautiful ways, and inspired by artists, nature, and even countries.
You can see the RedCarpetSF’s coverage of the Yves Saint Laurent opening Gala by clicking here.
San Francisco is the only city of the entirely USA that has the honor of presenting the exhibition that will run until April 2009. I totally recommend you to go, now!!!
Worst. Concert. Of the year.
I am speechless… so here is a review from the internet.
http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainment/ci_10875823
I am back! September was a busy and crazy month! Plus I came back and Midterms were happening… phew! October is crazy as well…
My mom came to visit us for my birthday and stayed for the month of September. It was her first time in San Francisco, and she loved it.
We traveled a lot! We rented an RV and headed to Vegas. The first night we stopped at Midpines, just outside Yosemite Valley. The campground was really nice, with lots of trees and tranquility.
We spent the following day in Yosemite, and spent the second night in Lee Vining outside the park after a harrowing trip up and over Tioga Pass (Our RV was a Tioga!)
The next day we went to Mono Lake. Mono Lake is an oasis in the dry Great Basin and a vital habitat for millions of migratory and nesting birds. We saw incredible tufa towers.
We headed to Las Vegas thru Death Valley. It took us longer than expected and the altitude didn’t suit my mom, but we survived! We stayed at the campground in Circus Circus right on the Strip. We thought it was going to be crazy, but it ended up being really nice considering being in the middle of everything. We decided to stay there for 3 nights, and not to go to the Grand Canyon because we had enough of driving.
Then we went to Los Angeles to spend time with Michael’s parents. We had a really nice visit and my mom really enjoyed it too.
That is for now, I will post New York soon. Thanks for reading!
The Bellydance Mafia (Shoebox Studio Troupe) and UNMATA
Damage Control Theater and the Funk Fusion class
Our outfits turned out really nice too. We did our own shirts and printed a lotus on the back with a stencil and spray paint.
Gibson Pearl’s class 
Michael and lots of my friends where there to show me their support. It was great to see them all. Dancing makes me happier and happier every time I perform. I can’t wait to start City College again this Fall.
Two weeks ago we finally brought our adopted kitty home. He is two months old, and lots of fun.
I was a little worried at first, thinking how Juancho, who is THE PET in the house, will react to the new addition. It is a different situation than when we moved in with Michael three years ago, since Punkin was 18 years old and she didn’t care about her new roommate. We still miss her.
At first we couldn’t have them in the same room. Bob was totally freaked out at that big furry thing running around the house, a.k.a. a dog. And Juancho was too curious about his new friend to leave him alone. But after two days, they are almost best friends. I am so proud of my boy, he is the best dog ever – so smart and loving and well behaved. He is a sweetie.
They are pretty good together, although both of them like to eat each other’s food and water. They can be nose to nose and butt to butt, and Juancho has resigned to share his water bowl with his little brother.
Bob is simple. He doesn’t care about fancy toys, luckily for us. He loves groceries bags; he will play inside them and come running out. His favorite toy is a string with a fake mouse attached at the end. Michael walks around the house with the string coming out of his pocket, and Bob will follow him everywhere.
We are not sure why, but sometimes he thinks he is a monkey or a bird. He will climb on our backs and sit on our shoulder while we are at the computer or at the tv, and hang out there. Pretty funny.
He shares the Scrabble obsession with me.
These are some of our creations. (click to enlarge)
Felting Archives of Craftzine blog:
NifNaks Awesome creations. My color dreads are from here.
I hope you enjoy the links and get inspiration for your own creations!
