August/September 2010
✷ No, Dr. Hines: I have not forgotten how to utilize a semicolon; on the contrary,
the omission is a result of Auxiliary Magazine‘s ‘style guide.’ ✷
Otherwise,
† PLEASE CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE †
« Posts tagged stacey hummell
“IDK IDGAF”: Editorial for Auxiliary Magazine
< 1984, abbrevianese, acronyms, argument in favor of txtng, article by Clint Catalyst, Auxiliary magazine, BRB, cadence, contemporary vernacular, dirk mai, doubleplusungood, DVD, dystopia, e.e. cummings, editorial by Clint Catalyst, English language in the modern day, George Orwell, IDK, IDK IDGAF, incorrect usage of the term acronym, Jennifer Link, linguistic device, linguistic devices, lol, make-up by Stacey Hummell, Mildred von Hildegard, Millennial lingo, Millennial NewSpeak, misconceptions, Mother of London, NASA, net lingo, old age puts up keep off signs and youth yanks them down, photo by Dirk Mai, portmanteau, preconceived notions, slanguage, SNAFU, stacey hummell, syllabic nuances, teenagers in the modern age, textual relations, TGIF, the English language in 2010, txt research, txt shorthand, txt speak, txt speak and initialisms, txtng, VIP, wardrobe by Mother of London, what is an acronym, WTF >
August/September Issue of Auxiliary Magazine
Auxiliary = alternative, supplementary, to provide what is missing, to give support
from the site page:
“The August/September issue is the eleventh issue of Auxiliary, a magazine dedicated to alternative fashion, music, and lifestyle. This issue is packed with interviews, including Android Lust, Nina Flowers of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Michael Swaim of Cracked.com, and Andy Deane of Bella Morte. The issue also contains a military inspired fashion editorial, a beauty editorial that will teach you to get smart, a style editorial guide to wearing harnesses, a mod inspired style feature, and editorials from two notable writers, Clint Catalyst* and Grumpy Owl. It also features DJ picks from Volvox, a beauty feature on how to achieve the look of a 2026 starlet, and fashion by Steam Trunk, Cyberoptix TieLab, Dace, S&G, Skingraft, Fluevog, Audra Jean, Garbage Dress, EC Star, Steady, and much much more.”
and—although credited in the issue, just as my own little Damn Straight, I Love My Friends—here & now:
*featuring the photography of Dirk Mai, wardrobe by Mother of London & Stacey Hummell make-up artistry.
To download a free .pdf, or for ordering information on a print copy, either click the image above or GO HERE.
✷ Special thanks to editor Jennifer Link! ✷
< alt, alternative, alternative aesthetic, alternative lifestyle, Android Lust, Andy Deane, Andy Deane of Bella Morte, Audra Jean, Auxiliary, Auxiliary magazine, counterculture, Cyberoptix, Cyberoptix TieLab, Dace, dirk mai, Dirk Mai photography, DJ picks from Volvox, DJ Volvox, EC Star, editorial by Clint Catalyst, editorial by Grumpy Owl, fashion editorials, Fluevog, Garbage Dress, goth, Grumpy Owl, harness fashion, harnesses by Audra Jean, indie, John Fluevog, leather harnesses, Michael Swaim, Michael Swaim of Cracked.com, Mildred von Hildegard, military fashion, military inspired fashion editorial, mod inspired style feature, mod style, Mother of London, Nina Flowers, Nina Flowers of RuPaul’s Drag Race, RuPaul's Drag Race, S&G, Skingraft, stacey hummell, Stacey Hummell make-up artistry, Steady, Steam Trunk, style editorial guide to wearing harnesses, subculture, ties by Cyberoptix, Volvox, wardrobe by Mother of London, writing by clint catalyst, writing by Grumpy Owl >
“I Make Very Expensive Clothes That Are Very Uncomfortable To Wear.”
Mildred Von Hildegard’s Twitter bio might seem terse to some, pretentious to others. Whereas in my case? This cheeky yet charming description intensified an element of intrigue and jangly-limbed anticipation for our introduction-via-collaboration this Saturday past.
I Don’t Do ‘Friendly’ † Photo : Dirk Mai † Make-Up : Stacey Hummell
In a city illustrious for back-handed, capped-teeth “compliments” and unpredictable, unspoken disdain thinly disguised by a veritable check-list of publicists’ blanket statements, Hildegard’s choice for her 160-characters-or-less slot on The ‘Twits seemed fitting with the images I’d seen of her clothing designs: anachronistic — a fetish posture collar adorned with tattered lace, roses in an array of shadowy hues and elements of Victorian mourning attire; sensual — soft tattered edges, the type of attire that fingertips long to touch; unapologetic — ruched leather, straps and buckles arranged without regard to which body parts “should” or “shouldn’t” be exposed. Essentially, her handiwork is the antithesis of all that is red carpet Hollywood and relentlessly bourg.
Known to her public by the moniker Mother of London, Hildegard is a seminal talent both coveted and revered by fashion cognoscenti. Consequently, she’s rabidly hunted by L.A.’s handful of fashion-forward stylists — hence her stitch-witchery gracing the cover of the latest S Magazine [ on the explosive Juliette Lewis ], along with editorials in Numero, AnOther magazine, Bizarre, Playboy, Marquis, et al.
Said another way? While I’m unsure how many details of aforementioned ‘Secret Project’ I’m permitted to share at this juncture in time, a detail I can share is this: upon arrival at the studio, I discovered a stylist had hoarded the collar Her Mother Almightiness intended for the shoot.
Photo : Dirk Mai † Make-Up: Stacey Hummell
It’s a vicious business, fashion. All the same, we managed to share an afternoon with neither smileage nor spontaneity in short supply. Granted, the all my collaborative efforts with Mssr. Mai, each has produced its own set of explosive alchemical reactions resulting from a mixture of mysticism, madness, the Not only does The Mother corrupt traditional perceptions of fetish-wear and period costume, but she’s also adorable, donning death metal t-shirts and boundless charisma in the process.
Yes, my choice of verbiage was deliberate — just as one can be over-dressed in attitude — and yes, I hope to be swathed in her sublime regalia again in the not-too-distant future. Of more immediate import, however — particularly for those quite a distance from her L.A. showroom — I have advantageous news :
Between October 2008 and now [or, with more the 22nd of May, Two Thousand and Ten], this textile fascinatrix has posted a mere six items in her etsy shop.
Two of the six are fresh on the market, and while they’re categorized as menswear, I’d classify them as UNISEXY…
an asymmetrical leather collar
:: detailed view [ of both the handiwork and model Dylan Monroe ] ::
&
detachable sleeves, made of 100% vegan faux ostrich texturized leatherette
Grab your credit cards while you can, style fiends. Who knows how long it’ll be till the next opportunity presents itself…
< airbrush, airbrushed make-up, AnOther magazine, as seen in AnOther magazine, as seen on Juliette Lewis, avant-garde, avant-garde designers, bio of Mildred Von on Twitter, Clint Catalyst, clothing designer Mildred von Hildegard, clothing designer Mother of London, collar, contemporary American designer, contemporary designers, dirk mai, fetish, fetishistic ideals, fetishists, fetishwear, high-end fetish, Juliette Lewis, L.A. costumers, L.A. designer Mother of London, L.A. stylists, laced collar, lacing, leather, leather couturier, Los Angeles designer Mother of London, Los Angeles underground, make-up by Stacey Hummell, Mildred Von, Mildred von Hildegard, Mildred von's bio, modern, Mother of London, Mother of London on Twitter, Nadya Lev, new garde, of-the-minute, often-imitated designer Mother of London, photo by Dirk Mai, photo shoots, photographer Dirk Mai, post-apocalyptic, posture collar, quotation by Nadya Lev, quotation from Nadya Lev, S magazine, stacey hummell, Stacey Hummell make-up, Stacey Hummell make-up artist, Stacey Hummell make-up artistry, Stacey Hummell MUA, stylists' fave, the often-imitated Mother of London, twitter >
Petker’s Paintings In Stiletto Pumps (or: The Catwalk-Stalking & Crowd-Gawking)
What? Like, You Thought I’d Forgotten Or Something?
No such luck.
I’m just a tease.
Wait–SCRATCH! I’ve just been holding back to make this post “stand out from the pack.”
Yeah, that’s it…
Actually, since “L.A. Fashion Week” happened in various mutations this fall–What do we have now…three per season? Can’t. Keep. Up.–I thought it might be nice to take a look back at runway shots from the
event
on 07/30/09.
Except this time? I’ll do so with
Less gab; more GORGEOUNESS.
(How about that, then?)
From Miss Kitching, I intuit
a resounding “Yes, please!”
So…that being said, here’s
actor Daniel Franzese as he awaited patiently…
Burlesque bombshell Ava Garter, who
who set the stage for the show to kick off
(with a lethal stiletto, bless her heart!)
While
In the interim, “90210″ hottie Annalynne
had a show of her own goin’ on,
essentially
*Cue Smiley-Face Emoticon*
as she waited front-row for her sister
The latest of ‘The McC Girls’ to stake her claim
as a media darling: Angel McCord ,
who conquered the catwalk like a pro…
O.K., some of you might recall my adulation over
Joshua Petker’s painting “Hunting for Witches” a while back?
(Be it yay or nay, here’s a reference for your ‘Quick & Easy’…)
Well, spot-check the detail of how it translated to fabric:
Mr. Gold’s stitch-witchery paired with Petker’s inimitable technique,
then ‘suited & booted’ by McCord’s searing Buffalo Stance?
Stellar. Zenith.
S U B L I M E!
:: Smoocheroonies to you, Angel! ♥ ::
And on the tip of ‘sublime,’
it’d be criminal of me to not include
one of the most adept catwalk-stalkers in Los Angeles,
(impeccably-manicured) hands’ down!
I’m talkin’ about
Amanda Fields of “Project Runway” infamy
Of course, a Jared Gold show wouldn’t be complete
without the presence of
< 90210, actress Annalynne McCord, actress Deena Marie, alumni of Gen Art Los Angeles, American designers alive, American designers with vision, angel mccord, Annalynne McCord, anti-beige brigade, anti-scene, anti-scenester, audrey kitching, Audrey Kitching from Buzznet, Audz, Ava Garter, Beaner La Rue, beanerlarue, beanerlarue on YouTube, blogger Audrey Kitching, burlesque, burlesque in L.A., burlesque revival, burlesque royalty, catwalk, channel beanerlarue, Clint Catalyst, cliques, cliques in Los Angeles, clothing as art, contemporary American designer, contemporary American designers, custom clothing, debbi rotkowitz, Debbi Rotkowitz photography, Deena Marie, Deena Marie from Twilight High School musical, Deena Marie from You Tube, Deena Marie from YouTube, Deena Marie Manzanarea, Eden Lord, Eden Lord from Nip/Tuck, Eden Lord on Nip/Tuck, fashion designers, fashion photography, Fashion Show, fashion shows, Gen Art alumni, Gen Art alumnus, Gen Art designer, Gold versus Petker, Gold vs Petker, hair salon, hair salons, hair salons in Hollywood, hairroin, hairroin salon, Hairroin: Addicted To Style, hand-painted clothing, happening, haute couture, highbrow, Hollywood hair salon, independent designers, irene urias, janine jarman, jared gold, Joshua Petker, joshua petker clothing, joshuapetker.com, Julia Boone, L.A. burlesque, Los Angeles lowbrow, Los Angeles lowbrow scene, lowbrow, lowbrow debate, lowbrow vs highbrow debate, luis payne, make-up artist Noel Nichols, make-up by Noel Nichols, make-up by Stacey Hummell, master stylist Irene Urias, master stylist Janine Jarman, Michelle Star, Michelle Star photography, MichellexStar, model Angel McCord, model Audrey Kitching, model Julia Boone, Naomi from 90210, Nip/Tuck, Noel Nichols, Noel Nichols make-up artistry, painted by Joshua Petker, painter Joshua Petker, paintings by Joshua Petker, photographer Debbi Rotkowitz, photography, runway, runway photography, scene star, scenestar, scenester, social cliques in L.A., social cliques in Los Angeles, Social Club, social networking cliques, social networking sites, social networking stars, stacey hummell, Stacey Hummell make-up, The AAF, the garment as canvas, the Los Angeles art scene, the movie twilight, Tubers, Twilight, Twilight High School Musical, visual artist Joshua Petker, wearable art, YouTube.com, YouTuber, YouTubers >
Thanks for the Mammaries…
LENORA CLAIRE: featuring SUPERNOVA OF THE SMALL SCREEN, ANTOINE DES CAUNES ON "ALLEZ A L.A.," A PROGRAM VENTURING 'ROUND THIS CITY OF SMOG & STARDUST BY CANAL PLUS T.V...
(DESCRIPTION POSTED ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL): "European megawatt Antoine De Caunes explored this strange beast we know under the name of 'Los Angeles,' and stumbled upon 'Future Cult Icon' Lenora Claire in the process. Because any fashion choice I make should be considered The Law--yes, this is sarcasm, kiddies--I was brought in to transform Antoine into the hip party-goer he's always wanted to be...whether or not he knew it. After all, Lenora's birthday soirée was just an "intimate little gathering" of her thousand most fabulous friends at none other than the Houdini Mansion. In other words, jeans and a t-shirt? Just WOULDN'T have cut it. The hand-painted suit on Mr. De Coines is a one-of-a-kind creation by TonyMech of TonyMech[dot]com, while the black-belt beauty crew responsible for his phenomenal transformation via hair and make-up is none other than Stacey Hummell, Face-Beater Extraordinaire, as well as Irene Urias and Marc Mapile of Hairroin -- the virtual locale of which is HairroinSalon[dot]com. And on me? Need I even mention the shrunken top hat was made by Creepsuela Switchletto and my own *subtle* ensemble another couture creation by Mssr. Jared Gold? Or uh, you guys kind of...CATCHING ON by this point? (Envision Appropriate Emoticon) x o x o x C l i n t"
»Read More
< Allez a L.A., antoine des caunes, birthday parties, Canal Plus, cleavage, Clint Catalyst, corsetry, corsets, creepsuela switchletto, custom suits, eccentrics, French T.V., graff artists, hairroin salon, hairroinsalon.com, hollywood, houdini mansion, irene urias, james st james, L.A. nightlife, L.A. underground, legendary, lenora claire, los angeles, marc mapile, massive mammaries, mini-top hats, parties, stacey hummell, tonymech >
Snip, Clip, Scan… It’s “Show & Tell” for the 21st Century
O.K., before I have to dial whine-one-one for the waaaahmbulance, please allow me to throw down a disclaimer in hopes that I’ll spare even a single set of phalanges out there clacking terse comments about how I “really need to post this type of information while issues are still on the newsstands…” [ad nauseum, ad nauseum; cue vomitorium]
‘Cause hey—guess what?
I really need to post this shit in a more expeditious manner, man.
Just so happens that–ahem–I might very well have a few issues of my own to deal with. (One of which is the preposition by which the previous sentence just ended, dangling like an unworn pair of silver Les Chiffoniers’ leggings aching for the latest Girl of the Moment to slide into them before dashing out to paint the town bloodshot. It’s as inherent a pairing as Edie Segwick hopped-up on a fistful of whites and having her coiff spray painted Just For The F Of It while donning Balenciaga originials. What other lack of logic explains the perfect sense it makes to purchase what’s essentially a thick pair of pantyhose with a thousand dollar price tag? Not really…but REALLY, babes.)
But oh, that’s but a footnote of damage from a former version of myself in which I worked as a technical writer. A footnote among essays within archives buried deep inside some virtual boneyard we’ll call The Chronicles of the Clintasaurus and opt to visit some other time just dust our hands of it.
.kthanxbai.
At least all this self-aggrandizing material is contained within a single post. Couldn’t give two turds about what ‘they’ might have said about me?
Scroll on; scroll on!
It’s as easy as the pro-Ana mindset by which to skip dessert:
“Does Not Exist.”
What does exist, nonetheless, on the other acrylic claw:
Recent media in which I appear–sometimes but a smidgen; luckier instances full effing-on.
For instance, the following pic and mention in H Magazine is a case of what might be deemed “peripheral press.” Or, to utilize the vernacular of savvy SoCal realtors in sensible shoes: an “adjacent feature.”
Not gonna lie (or “ngl,” for those who speak Millennial): this is one of the first photographs of Mister Glenn Kaino that shows how handsome he is. Not exactly a stranger to the slick and glossy pages of newsstand racks, there’ve been many a magazine where I thought the printed results of the flashbulb-pop just didn’t do him justice. Props to the photographer for capturing why it is his lovely wife CoryLynn went “Whoa”—y’know?
And insofar as my image—the look I ‘turned out’* for bits and pieces of my soul to be sacrificed via Glenn’s manipulation of the bulky/beautiful Polaroid Big Shot favored by Warhol himself?
*’turned out’ by no means appropriating cred as if this was my own creation! Au contraire, it was the make-up of Stacey Humell; the cut/color/extensions of scissormeister Irene Urias of Hairroin, Hollywood’s hottest salon (www.hairroinsalon.com), and–excluding the Westwood brooch–another cerebellum-melding, history-making, custom couture creation by the genius Jared Gold
(moving right along…)
Big deal if I’m “giving away too many of my secrets” by sharing this delicious little inside joke—it friggin’ slaughters me how many people took the ‘pomp and pout’ of the picture at face value. I mean, if I’m going to rock an outfit, hair and make-up that ostentatious… how could I not get “in character”?
What ELSE would I do? Smile like a politician and “compassionately” hold a stranger’s baby?
And in the meantime, reword “Let Them Eat Cake” into something more…inclusive…in tone?
yeahRIIIGHT.
It’s like this: one wink or nudge of the elbow during the Polaroid shoot, or Nhat Nguyen’s studio takes thereafter in which I “amped the prance” so high; by foppish standards it was even off-the-charts, or even a single word cluing in ‘The Children’ a la Interwebz? (No worries now: it’s been months… and while it’s a hasty generalization, yes: gnats have better attention spans than they do, for the most part.)
Let’s face the music, sweetcheeks:
Simply wouldn’ta worked.
Art versus Artifice // Appearance versus Reality // Truth Revealed Through a Guise // Everything Is “Real”—Though What Of It Is Lies?
So many motifs swirling around in my head like a majorette’s glitter-fringed baton at half-time…
Yet all of them beg the question, it seems:
Exactly who or what is this ‘Clint Catalyst’ supposed to be, anyway?
And why would it even matter if he (and I) weren’t among the ‘Lucky Ones’ in Flaunt magazine, issue 96?
I’ll tell ya what it was like when I spot-checked the (who cares if it’s a mere thumb-nail sized) pic, standing there, thumbing through the pricey pages in the Echo Park 7-11:
the second I saw my little powder blue top hat (by L.A.’s premier Gothic Cholita, Creepsuela Switchletto: “big ups” to my shiv-wieldin’ glamour sis), I felt a surge of validation sweep over me like the frost-bitten clouds fleeing a freezer behind me as some nameless faceless customer opened then sealed shut the door.
No doubt this earth-shattering, molar-splitting, life-changing moment is fraught with layers of meaning… but c’mon, isn’t everything? (Unless, of course, it’s deconstructed to the bloodless core of nothingness—but that’s so Small-Town-Liberal-Arts-School-Curriculum-For-30K+-A-Year-Of-Make-Believe, I’d rather just ‘keep it real’ and say
Mostest Massive thanks to Photographer Melissa Manning and Flaunt magazine!
Shit you nunca, y’all: that was wickedcool of you, and was “Really Saying Something…”
[Fun.Boy.Three.From.This.One.Here.]
Verbose? Hell yes. I conquer “tl;dr” pussywillows one paragraph at a time—deal with it, or head off for culturally-stimulating activities like an episode of “Cops” or a Budweiser-fueled swirly-go-’round-and-then-down on the Sunset Strip’s Mechanical Bull.
“I.D.G.I,” arseholians. (Said, of course, with the deepest affection…)
Besides: this is kind of like, my diary…yo?
All the same, there’s somethin’ I gotta tell you, though: the printwork I’m most stoked about as of late is a two-page editorial in the latest Lipstick Prophets catalog/magazine.
Here’s one of the images from the spread…
Copies are available through LipstickProphets.com for a scant 2 1/2 bones — and that’s with free shipping and handling, dearlings.
With the American economy in the shitter as it is, at least somebody’s followed my lead regarding “Other Humanitarian Acts That Require Little or No Effort.”
The Clint’s Notes version?
Have passport; will travel. ‘Handling’ is subjective terminology best discussed in lush, exotic locales—and, as with everything else in life, varies from individual to individual (all the while assured that we’re treated equally: It is, after all, the American Way!).
Air Kisses and Ass Kissing,
CC “Giving You” L.A.
in the best of
worst of
ways
(and vice-versa)
< ali barone, andy warhol, andy warhol museum, appearance versus reality, art versus artifice, audrey kitching, authors, big shot polaroid camera, boys in make-up, brevity =/= brilliance, cholita, Clint Catalyst, clint catalyst media, clint catalyst pictures, creepsuela switchletto, cult writers, ecstacy, editorial, edwardian, Fashion, flamboyant, flaunt magazine, ftw, glenn kaino, Gothic, guys in make-up, h magazine, hairroin, hairroin of hollywood, hairroin salon, irene from hairroin, irene urias, irony, jared gold, lipstick prophets, los angeles, melissa manning, Other Catalyzed Media, outlandish, paparazzi, party pictures, pennsylvania, photographer melissa manning, pittsburgh, polaroid, print work, rant, stacey hummell, stream-of-consciousness, style, style icons, style why-cons, tear sheets, the look partnership, tl; dr = Y.A.W.N., win >
“To Push Away Or Clutch” — Spoken Word by Clint Catalyst
ART FAG ALERT!
No, I don’t hit every line in the prose-poem verbatim.
Yes, I wrote it. It’s ancient history, actually…but I chose the piece as a ‘sampling of my wares’–so to speak–because it’s self-contained and just under the 10 minute mark.
BACKGROUND INFO: this monologue was filmed on the day that basically determined whether or not I’d have a sample of my art hanging in the Andy Warhol museum. By “hanging,” I mean via 50 inch flat-screen monitor and bitchen sound system with my monologue on endless repeat (entering the room on ‘Opening Night’ and hearing my far-from-soothing voice bouncing around the pristine white walls? SURREAL… and something I’m still processing.)
That Once-In-A-Lifetime pressure +
5 1/2 single-spaced pages of text?
I’m just glad I pulled it off…
And of course, exponentially more grateful to glenn kaino for including me as one of his “Uberstars” in the 8-year retrospective of his sculpture/photography in the reknown Andy Warhol museum in Pittsburgh!
Catalottalisp was “served, and proper” from May 3 – August 31st, 2008, thanks to Mr. kaino and the curators’ hospitality.
This clip would not exist without the camera skills of Nhat Nguyen and editing prowess of Diego Garza.
In this video clip:
Wardrobe by Jared Gold
Hair cut and color by Luis Payne of Hairroinsalon.com
† † †
Hairroin Salon, Hollywood’s white-hot epicenter of cool, is owned and run by scissormeister Janine Jarman.
† † †
For the image on exhibit, however?
Hair styling/color by Irene Urias of Hairroin;
make-up by Stacey Hummell.
(Watch for the “end result” of Kaino’s portrait of Clint, as taken by Polaroid Big Shot
in the compendium
The Work of Glenn Kaino: Communicating Rooks,
scheduled for an June 2009 release through the premier art publishing house, Hatje Cantz:
Effing PROPS, all y’all!
x o x
C C
< andy warhol, andy warhol museum, art, art exhibits, author, Clint Catalyst, degeneracy, Diego Garza, gen y, generation y, glenn kaino, hairroin salon, Hatje Cantz, installation, installation pieces, installations, irene from hairroin, irene urias, jared gold, Love, love lost, luis payne, Nhat Nguyen, poetry, polaroid, Polaroid Big Shot, spoken word, Spoken Word Text, stacey hummell, The Work of Glenn Kaino: Communicating Rooks, uberstars >
Jared Gold Czarina OFFICIAL Video
This is the Official video of the Salt LAke City runway event approved by Jared Gold. Starring Audrey Kitching, Stevie Ryan, Clint Catalyst, Fingers Crossed and Dirk Mai— featuring hair by Janine Jarmine of Hairroin Salon and makeup by Stacey Hummell. Get a look into the secret backstage world of this increduble event sponsored by Vespa and Janome.
- lincresta
< behind-the-scenes, Clint Catalyst, couture, Czarina, dirk mai, elaborate couture, Fashion, hairroin, hairroin salon, host, hosting, janine jarman, Janome, Janome sewing machines, jared gold, make-up, makeup, Models, official video, Runway Show, Salt Lake City, stacey hummell, style, vespa, vespa motorcycles >
And Suddenly, It’s Evening : The Gold Vs Petker Runway Show and Death-Dance Riot
crept up on me like a shadow.
One moment I was in Iowa working with my comrades Dustin and Brian of Novice Industries; the next, rushing to hair and make-up with my pal Aldo o’ the Vento.
Aldo volunteered to assist me with Door Duty for the event, a favor which proved much needed the moment we stepped from what was intended as a brief “helloing” sesh — as pictured below, kicking off the evening with the lovely Jenelle Rensch, graphic design whiz [ and incidentally the mastermind responsible for my CC logo in its final incarnation ], Mssr. Aldo Vento Himselfness, model and co-star in Matthew Mishory’s biopic Delphinum: A Childhood Portrait of Derek Jarman : a beautiful, lyrical portrayal of the phenomenonicon, which is currently winding its way about the international film festival circuit. [ Not that you asked, though as I'm proud for all parties involved...let the record hereby note : the world premiere was 5 September 2009, at the Portobello Film Festival in London. ]
And oh, but oh : from one photograph to the moment that followed, how swift a shift in decorum. Namely, when AnnaLynne and Rachel McCord arrived at the venue, any semblance of order was tossed out the window like a stale copy of Us Weekly.
Image of AnnaLynne McCord and Clint Catalyst courtesy of
Deeply Shallow: One Man’s Adventure in L.A., by Albert Domasin
As rabid 90210 fanatics attempted to claw their way towards the living, breathing version of “Naomi” they recognized from their living rooms, I did my best to sneak the party of pretty-pretties into the inner sanctum : a seated area complete with Goodie Bags [ sponsored by Janome sewing machines, Fiji water, Tarina Tarantino jewelry, Amtrak, Josie Cotton, and Sebastian Hair Care Products ] that lived up to the name — incidentally, the precise locale where soon enough, leather metallic fabric † stitching nipped and tailored † silkscreened paintings † tricked-out hair with neon nets † make-up more surreal than real, and the spirit of unfettered creativity and unapologetic flamboyance would reign.
After all, why was everyone at the Social Club?
The MOST CORRECT runway debut of the retina-shattering, cardiac arrest-inducing atelier extraordinaire Jared Gold‘s latest collection : a collaborative effort with mega-watt visual artist Joshua Petker.
Above : Rockin’ some ‘tude, with pop legend Josie Cotton
A Brief : my first interaction with Mssr. Gold hearkens back to a bleak time in American history. We met shortly after his 2001 debut in Manhattan on September the 10th — an inauspicious moment for anyone to premiere clothing design, as it transpired mere hours before the atrocity known as 9/11.
Eight years have passed in the interim, and still: the creative outpourings of this inimitable virtuoso never cease to amaze.
That being said, it should come as no surprise that for his latest effort — a pairing of superpowers with painter Joshua Petker — my expectations were anything but low.
Pictured above : Petker with photographer Cyn Yen
Per chance you aren’t familiar : Mr. Petker’s art is most God, indeed. Over the span of the last few years, I’ve admired his murky-canvased beauties from afar — so when the opportunity presented itself this Christmas past, I was stoked to make his acquaintance and bear witness to a bit of the brainstorms and dark-clouded creative rumblings between these two masterminds.
All due respect, before I venture into the particulars of the Gold x Petker mash-up, please allow me to praise the work of this inventive gentleman . . .
Up first : two images pilfered from an interview in Fecal Face, a.k.a. the art-blog equivalent of masticating a corpus callosum.
“[Petker's] work is like that girl you know will destroy you but somehow you just can’t resist.” — Manuel Bello
Entitled “Hunting For Witches,” the painting [ above ] slaughters me, maing…SLAUGHTERS me!
And next, A portrait from Petker’s recent watercolor series [ 2009 ] :
So. Much. Gorgeous!
Fine art from a fine fellow : truly . . . truly.
At any rate, speaking of ‘fine’—there was no shortage of squealing over Twilight‘s hunkasaurus
Kellan Lutz
among the crowd at the Gold versus Petker extravaganza.
Full disclosure: I’ve never seen Twilight , nor have I read any of the books. Said another way? I wasn’t aware Who He Is—but not to worry…it’s not as if frenetic whispering girls and paparazzi flashbulbs going pop! were in short supply.
Short of the long? Mr. Lutz was a complete gentleman: there was none of the “Don’t You Know Who…” routine that’s as played-out as clunky monster boots. (Seriously, kids? Just. Don’t.) Equal parts accessible any coy, Lutz maintained a genteel decorum I often refer to as From The School of ‘Leave-Them-Longing.’
A rare trait in today’s tabloid-congested society, unfortunately. With yellow journalism the norm rather than the exception, these days it’s as if the lump sum of Tinseltown’s silver lining is tinged with rust.
I mean, let’s face it: once one is inundated with images of our ‘stars’ being— well, — as flawed and human as the rest of us? There’s a natural tendency for audience members to be less willing to accept Coleridge’s “Willing Suspension of Disbelief” in terms of an implausible premise.
However, the academic vernacular? Hereby duly noted. (Apologies for the yawnage, please.&.thanks!)
Instead, a shifting of gears to that hotness known as AnnaLynne. As for The CW’s “90210,” I did, in fact, see the two-hour premiere—though can’t say I remember much about the episode other than Cory Kennedy and Mark The Cobra Snake‘s cameo appearance.
*Appearances? I’ve been staring at this blue screen far too long, I’m afraid.
Whatever the case, congrats to the duo—both of whom have graduated from their former status as ‘fixtures’ among L.A.’s nightlife to full-fledged international phenomenons quite successfully.
As for AnnaLynne, her role as Eden Lord in Nip/Tuck’s fifth season was no mere incident of (envision air quotes) scene-stealing; it nabbed the entire season. Seriously? But seriously… Upon discovery of her 2009 win as “Greatest Break-Through Talent” at the Teen Choice Awards, my opine is succinct: well-deserved.
Oh yes…and since this is a city fueled by the mythic power of Celebrity,
It would be remiss to make no mention of rock icon Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins:
pictured here with the Cute-As-They-Come Kim Bruder
More images await “beneath the cut…”
However, since both the event and amount of photos collected –cough!STOLEN cough!–is of epic proportions, I’ve decided to divvy the lot up into three parts: Before The Madness (on which your gaze is fixed at this moment), Petker’s Paintings In Stiletto Pumps (the catwalk-stalking and crowd-gawking), and Dance.Music.Sweat.Romance (the after-party).
That being stated, Please! Click Away– for More Gore Gore Gorgeousness…
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