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bulletballet-arch · 3 years

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REALLY LONG CHARACTER SURVEY. RULES. repost , don’t reblog ! tag 10 ! good luck ! TAGGED. I took this from Minnie’s archived Bioshock blog. I’ve been looking for this meme all this month. TAGGING. @hammurabicomplex. @bluuxriising. @ Me - for Sal on @bulletsoverbensonhurst. @immaterialed (charlie) @soypeor (bella) @svmmercmance. @mrflayed. and you!

BASICS. FULL NAME : Eve Delores Littlejohn NICKNAME : Evie, Little Evie (by her maternal side of the family), Delores, Didi NAME MEANING / S Eve is from the ancient Hebrew name חַוָּה (Chawwah), which was derived from the Hebrew word חָוָה (chawah) meaning "to breathe" or the related word חָיָה (chayah) meaning "to live". Delores is a variant of Dolores, meaning "sorrows", taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin Mary María de los Dolores, meaning "Mary of Sorrows." Littlejohn is a surname that has historically been found in England and Scotland. With potential origins being either ‘to distinguish a beloved child that was not the eldest.’ Or, ‘a contradictory nickname for a large man.’ HISTORICAL CONNECTION? : She’s named after her grandmother, Evelyn Hollins.

AGE : 42 BIRTHDAY : June 2 ETHNIC GROUP : Black-American. Meaning she’s mixed with a lot (Some of her relatives are respectively Creole and Italian) but uses Black as a catch-all term. NATIONALITY : American LANGUAGE / S : English, Italian, Spanish, Latin, some French SEXUAL ORIENTATION : Bisexual ROMANTIC ORIENTATION : Biromantic RELATIONSHIP STATUS : Verse dependent, usually married -or connected- to Salvatore Scozzari in some way. CLASS : Upper-Class HOME TOWN / AREA : Brooklyn. Spent time between Bedford-Stuyvesant - with her paternal grandfather and Park Slope - with her maternal grandparents. CURRENT HOME : In her childhood home in Bedford-Stuyvesant. PROFESSION : Ballet Instructor. Former Professional Ballerina. ( Other verses see her as a professional thief. )

PHYSICAL. HAIR : Black. In terms of her natural hair, Eve has springy, 3C hair she seldom shows off because she was raised in a family where straightened hair was deemed presentable and professional. EYES : Thin almond eyes. Dark brown. NOSE : Straight and small. FACE : She has a prominent, high forehead, that’s accented with high cheekbones and a pointy chin. LIPS : Full. COMPLEXION : She has a light brown (tawny) complexion. SCARS : None major. TATTOOS : None. HEIGHT : 5′4″ BUILD : Eve has a slender build. One of those people who have been small and petite since childhood. Despite this, she also stays skinny because she is obsessively conscious of the food she consumes. The older she gets the more she weighs, however. USUAL HAIR STYLE : Her hair is cut short. Reaching her shoulders in a neat, even bob. She either curls it in a retro fashion or curls the tips. For work she wears it in a traditional, pinned bun. USUAL FACE LOOK : In public, she appears stoic for the most part. Any emotion shown (such as the length of a smile) is carefully calculated. She has to seem perfect. USUAL CLOTHING : Form fitting dresses. Incredibly chic and fashionable for the time. Shoes include heels - never open-toed, unless she has on stockings. Extravagant earrings. Jewelry that can include either necklaces, crosses, pearls, or dainty rings. Prone to wearing black sunglasses in public.

PSYCHOLOGY. FEAR / S : Thunderstorms, airplanes, creatures like weasels, snakes and ferrets, break-ins, men she doesn’t know, harm coming to her children ASPIRATION / S : Formerly wanted to become a major [black] ballerina in the elite world of ballet, now she just wants to expose more [inner city children] to dance through her job. Personally, she wants her children to change the world in some form or fashion, too. Eve also has good ideas on improving the community, but at the moment has no idea how to go about these ideas. POSITIVE TRAITS : Generous, compassionate, patient, protective NEGATIVE TRAITS : Strict, sullen, hard to read, represses her emotions, secretive MBTI : Advocate - INFJ-T ZODIAC : Cancer TEMPERAMENT : Melancholic ANIMALS : Lioness VICE / S : Pride & Lust FAITH : Christian. Grew up Baptist, but Catholic influences have been around her since childhood. Attended a Catholic High School in Park Slope, her grandmother Evelyn was also a practicing Catholic. GHOSTS ? : Yes and no. She feels that objects formerly owned by the deceased posses the essence of their previous owners and that they essentially live on through these pieces of property. AFTERLIFE ? : Yes. REINCARNATION ? : No, but it’s a romantic concept. ALIENS ? : No. POLITICAL ALIGNMENT : Democratic ECONOMIC PREFERENCE : She likes being where she’s at now. But honestly, being upper class is all she’s ever known. SOCIOPOLITICAL POSITION : Bourgeoisie, basically. The Littlejohn’s represent The Historical Black Elite. EDUCATION LEVEL : College level. FAMILY.

FATHER : William ‘Bill’ Littlejohn MOTHER : Linda Littlejohn ( nee Hollins ) SIBLINGS : None EXTENDED FAMILY : Amos Littlejohn (paternal grandfather) Liza Littlejohn (paternal grandmother) Evelyn Hollins (maternal grandmother) Giuseppe D’Aietti (maternal grandfather) and a wide host of cousins, aunts and uncles.

FAVOURITES. BOOK : Night Song by Beverly Jenkins. The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Some sort of old, French erotic novel that was published before she was born. MOVIE : Eve watches films along the lines of...Waiting to Exhale, Beaches, The First Wives Club and Fatal Attraction. She loves Made-For-TV movies from the time period. In regards to plays, her favorite one is Sunday In The Park With George. 5 SONGS : Meet Me On The Moon / Essence of Sapphire / No One In The World / People / The First Time I Saw Your Face DEITY : Persephone HOLIDAY : New Years Eve, Christmas, Thanksgiving. Major holidays during the colder season. MONTH : October SEASON : Autumn PLACE : The dance studio she works at. WEATHER : Sunny, but cool. SOUND : The voices of Anita Baker and Sarah Vaughn. A skilled hand running over piano keys. Soft trumpets. Running water. Cats making chipper little meows. SCENT / S : Perfume, floral scented lotions, her partner’s cologne TASTE / S : Caramel, the tang of dark chocolate, strawberries coated with either chocolate, or sprinkles of white sugar. Light Vinegar. FEEL / S : Performing in front of an audience. Hot water engulfing your skin after a long day. Satin - whether it be the fabric of her clothes or sheets, your fingers tightly intertwined with another’s, feeling your significant other’s chest raise and lower against your skin with each breath they take. ANIMAL / S : Cocker Spaniels, Afghan Hounds, Cats, Birds - she loves all ( well, a majority ) of animals. NUMBER : Doesn’t have one. COLOR : White, Pink, Gold.

EXTRA. TALENTS : Dance, Eve is trained in ballet when it comes to her main verse. She has attended ballet classes since the age of eight and ever since then she placed all of her focus into it. Similarly, Eve has always had the makings of a good artist - as a child she enjoyed drawing and had informal art lessons with a man who lived in the basement of her grandfather’s brownstone, but she never invested into that half of her. BAD AT : Singing, Being interviewed, Public Speaking (as in Speech Giving), Decision Making TURN ONS : Charisma, Leadership Skills, Temperature Play, Phone Sex, Heavy Kissing, Light Roleplay TURN OFFS : Public Sex, Tearing [ Her ] Clothes, Threesomes, Cruelty, Senseless Violence HOBBIES : viewing plays & some musicals, reading romance novels, shopping, working out (she was into the whole celebrity VHS tape exercise trend), playing tennis, decorating AESTHETIC : Vintage Black Glamour, Black Ballerinas, Champagne and Wine Glasses, Paintings by Melinda Byers and Edward 'Clay' Wright QUOTES : "I'm bad with words, I hope you're good in reading eyes." / "There are truths I haven't even told God. And not even myself. I am a secret under the lock of seven keys."

FC INFO. MAIN FC / S : Lynn Whitfield ( A Thin Line Between Love & Hate ) ALT FC / S : Kylie Bunbury ( Twisted ) OLDER FC / S : Lynn Whitfield ( Greenleaf ) YOUNGER FC / S : N/A VOICE CLAIM / S : Lynn Whitfield

MUN QUESTIONS.

Q1 : if you could write your character your way in their own movie , what would it be called , what style would it be filmed in , and what would it be about ? A1 : Recently I decided that if/when I try to write anything serious about Eve again, it’ll center on her being a jewel thief because it presents me more fun, and emotionally diverse, opportunities. That and I have a very specific cover image in my mind. Ideally, her adventures would be a series of books. I have no title in mind, no idea about how ‘it would be filmed’ ( although a style replicating 90s films would be excellent, film grain and all. ) but, I do have a bunch of plots in mind that I really don’t feel like typing out here.

Q2 : what would their soundtrack / score sound like ? A2 : Her score would have a vintage sound (or a jazzy Spike Lee sound, if you will) with instrumentals by Dorothy Ashby (a Jazz Harpist) the Ahmad Jamal Trio, Pharaoh Sanders, Yusef Lateef and Tarika Blue. For music with lyrics, the soundtrack would include the likes of Julie London, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dionne Warwick.

Q3 : why did you start writing this character ? + Q4 : what first attracted you to this character ? A3 : Whenever I make NPCs for my character’s lives I actually can’t just let them just be NPCs. I start thinking about them too much. Developing them too much. And then I’m like, ‘wow! I really like this character!’ Eve was a different character when I began writing her, and likely wouldn’t be considered the same character as she was previously, if I told someone in real life who knows about my writing (like my grandma) about all the changes she has undergone. Originally Delores was a university professor, because I thought it could lead to interesting interactions with college-age muses. And her previous history with the mafia was also something interesting to tap in. But then I started thinking about what was realistic, what wasn’t realistic, what did I feel comfortable/interested writing? What didn’t I feel comfortable/interested in writing? So as time went on, things would alter about this character. And the new things I came up with attracted me more.

Q5 : describe the biggest thing you dislike about your muse. A5 : I have a love/hate relationship with Eve’s quiet demeanor. On one hand, I think quieter characters need love and the ability to be fully dimensional but on the other hand, writing louder characters has always been more fun for me. But really, Eve’s guarded behavior makes writing her stressful in some cases with others because sometimes...if I’m going to be honest...people don’t know how to carry a thread and interact with someone of her demeanor effectively.

Q6 : what do you have in common with your muse ? A6 : We’re both black, we’re both into art (although our exact interests and aesthetics with art differ)

Q7 : how does your muse feel about you ? A7 : Realistically she would think I need to take better care of myself.

Q8 : what characters does your muse have interesting interactions with ? A8 : We skippin’ this question.

Q9 : what gives you inspiration to write your muse ? A9 : Films such as, “Waiting to Exhale,” “The Kitchen” and “Widows.” Books by Alice Walker, like “The Third Life of Grange Copeland” as well as her short story, “Roselily.” The historical mob figure Stephanie St. Clair.

Q10 : how long did this take you to complete ? A10 : A few hours.

#long post #dash games.#headcanons.

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my18thcenturysource · 4 years

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What can you say about the CW show Reign, in regards to accuracy? (or lack there of)

Reign is a mess. Like, there’s no possible way to talk about accuracy in a show that uses catwalk dresses. For me, Reign is more fantasy than period drama.

Men wear perfectly modern wide leg trousers, unbuttoned doublets and questionable hairstyles. Women wear makeup worth of a beauty vlogger, an amazing lack of hairstyling, and also wear Alexander McQueen dresses and Salvatore Ferragamo ballet flats. So, there’s that.

Now, is all that inherently bad? Not necessarily. Let’s take a look at another series with the tag of “period drama”, but leaning more to the “fantasy” look, for all to understand why I think Reign is an absolute mess.

We all know the costume design for The Musketeers takes the 17th century pretty much as an inspiration for the entire look of the show. Even though there are several things that are clearly from the time period (the king in general, the capes, the wide brim hats, the high boots, most of the facial hair, and the glamour of Richelieu, are good examples), the general look of the show is just inspired by the 17th century France. Making a good mix of both, the show has a balanced look and a clear visual personality, keeping along the seasons the same colours and materials, as well as the details that speak about each character. Also, let’s not forget, that The Musketeers is based in a work of fiction written 200 years after the time it is set, so not being historically accurate is a perfectly logical choice.

Now, Reign has none of those things. For starters, it is based in real people, and those people have portraits we can easily look for via Google, and they decided to not even loosely base their character’s style in the real people. There is no work with each character (ANYONE could change costumes and it’d be just the same), no clear aesthetic, no clear visual information... I usually do not say this (even if the costume design is very weak or odd), but Reign’s costume choices seem profoundly lazy. I think they really tried to pull a Marie Antoinette (2006) thing here, with the footwear choices, or to try to say “oh, they were just normal teenagers, like you!” to try to cater to a certain audience (that it seems worked? somehow? Just seems that their target is teens/young adults with no interest in history but very much into drama with a touch of fantasy). But unlike Marie Antoinette, they did not go for a carefully designed world, nor accurate silhouettes and interesting fabrics... They, somehow, decided that couture and high fashion party dresses and ball gowns (yes, Alexander McQueen IS NOT HAUTE COUTURE, stop saying that) are practically the same as 16th century dresses. HOW?! WHAT’S THE LOGIC BEHIND THAT?! I mean, the dresses choices don’t even answer to a particular aesthetic: they feature all kinds of Valentino dresses but also dark and embroidered gowns by Alexander McQueen, but the wedding dress is Monique Lhuillier... There’s no logic there. I also don’t know if it was a budget choice, I mean, all those dresses are not made for the tv show, they are just lent by the brand, like for any fashion editorial... Or maybe they decided that the show and Vogue should show the same fashion? I honestly don’t know.

I mean, really? What the hell is this?

SOMEBODY EXPLAIN:

I think it is pretty clear that they didn’t even reaserached a little bit the time period so at least the men had consistent doublets or to avoid a late Medieval Burgundian dress (oh yes, I totally saw that).

Or maybe I’m just looking to much into it and all the costume choices are planned to be Gossip girl meets The Tudors or something.

ANYWAY i don’t usually say this, not even for shows with VERY odd choices an constant inaccuracies (like Frontier, for example), but I really think this is BAD (TM) costume design.

Sorry this started normal and finished being a rant.

#Anonymous #Reign #good lord #what the hell did I just see?#costume design #this is a rant #and an adjacent rant to the haute couture one #lazy choices #lazy design #just lazy #I mean #they could just rent costumes from A LOT of other 16th century period dramas #and pimp them #like pimp my ride #but with costumes #but NO #they wanted to use Valentino #that I love #but not for the 16th century

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fanforthefics · 4 years

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Tyson /Gabe frat or vampire au?

I couldn’t get the frat in but I want to be clear that despite being a vampire AU, I want you to imagine Tyson would have been (and probably has been) in a frat had one been available.

cw: mentions of chronic illness

Tyson is about 100 years old when he meets Gabe.

It’s not like, ancient. Not really old, not like some people he could name. (Cough EJ cough). Tyson is young at heart, is what he means. He can still hang. He’s not one of those vampires who goes and hides in a manor with the bats and shit. Tyson can respect that as an aesthetic, but he’d make a mess of it. He could not keep that kind of straight face.

And anyway, he doesn’t want to do that. He doesn’t want to hide himself away--just because he’s dead doesn’t mean that he can’t have a life.

Which is, maybe, how he ends up huddled in the corner of a cabana, glaring out at the sun that’s trapped him there.

Which is how he meets Gabe. Gabe, who smells like a human but doesn’t smell at all like fear, who throws a blanket over Tyson and hurries him back inside, who rolls his eyes at Tyson when he flashes his fangs at him and tells him he’d be a lot scarier in something other than a Hawaiian shirt. Which is bullshit, and Tyson tells him that, because Hawaiian shirts are the bomb. Gabe tells him that no one is saying the bomb anymore, which Tyson argues isn’t true because he’s seeing it, and anyway, it ends with Gabe throwing his arms up and walking off in a huff and Tyson yelling so he can get the final word in because he can’t go outside.

Tyson writes it up to a weird day--he’s had a lot of those, over almost a century--but then, even weirder, Gabe comes back.

And it’s not like, a subtle coming back. Gabe knocks on his door that evening, comes in before Tyson even has a chance to welcome him in (Tyson does anyway, talking loudly to the air outside the door how just because vampires can’t come in without asking doesn’t mean humans have a license to just barge in, willy nilly; Gabe ignores him).

“I noticed you didn’t have any blood stocked,” Gabe informs him, already rummaging in his fridge; Tyson gapes a little as Gabe shoves aside all of Tyson’s fresh food--he can manage a farmer’s market, with some fancy umbrella work--to put in bags that look like they’ve come from a butcher. “What were you going to do if you got hungry?”

That sets off another argument, and it ends in Tyson storming out this time, before he remembers it’s his house and he turns around to kick Gabe out instead.

Thus begins the tale of Tyson, worst vampire ever, according to Gabe, and Gabe, who has decided he’s going to fix him. Gabe whirls into Tyson’s life and just doesn’t leave, and Tyson can sort of admit that there are some perks--having blood around is good, he guesses, and having someone who can pick him up if he stays out too late (or make sure he doesn’t stay out too late) is probably the sort of thing that Nate would advise him to do, if he wasn’t fucking around somewhere on the plains and had been for the last decade.

And, like. Maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world, to have someone stick around. Tyson’s not lonely, because he hangs out with people all the time, but none fo them know--none of them are there, really. None of them stay. And all his vampire friends are scattered around the globe, and it’s just not the same as having a ridiculously attractive human bullying him around his house and laughing at his jokes.

One day, they have a conversation--Gabe’s a little snappy, because maybe Tyson was flirting with the wrong person and maybe their boyfriend had some silver on him and maybe he also decided getting Tyson into sunlight was a good idea, which Tyson had strongly disagreed with. Anyway, he was fine, but Gabe was all worked up, and when he got worked up he got mother henny and sort of angry.

“Why do you even take these risks?” Gabe demands, as he shoves some blood into Tyson’s hands in his favorite mug. “You’re immortal, you won’t ever die if you didn’t do stupid shit.”

Tyson’s still a little drunk, and also he’s never been a good lier, so, “What’s the point of an immortal life if you don’t live it?” he asks, too honest, and then maybe Gabe says something or maybe he doesn’t, maybe Tyson’s just a mopey drunk, because then he’s telling a story about a boy who loved the sun, who wanted nothing more than to move to a beach where he could bask in it all day, and of a father who made the wrong enemies. Gabe looks at him oddly when he’s done, which Tyson waves away as just the usual reaction to his not-really a sob story. It’s whatever. He’s fine. But he’s not going to hide away just because life through some fangs at him.

Gabe doesn’t stop nagging him after that, but it’s different, maybe. He’s a little more likely to humor Tyson. He gives Tyson weird looks sometimes, something half-confused, half...well. If Tyson were someone else, if Tyson were human, he’d say that look was yearning.

But Tyson’s not human, and Tyson might be the worst vampire ever, but he’s over 100 years old. He’s lived what was once two human lifetimes already. A generation he knew and loved has lived and died, and Tyson is still here. He knows what it feels like, to love something that ages and dies, and Tyson might want to live but that’s a pain he doesn’t need to invite. So he decided he’s misinterpreting the looks, and if he’s in love with Gabe, no one has to know that except him and Nate, who knows everything and is threatening to come visit just to meet this new person in Tyson’s life.

Time goes on. Gabe keeps doing his nagging thing with Tyson. Tyson determinedly does not notice any way Gabe might be looking at him, and maybe misses a thing or two in that determined ignorance--the way Gabe sits down sometimes, out of nowhere. How Gabe is sleeping longer than usual. How Gabe has appointments more, things he doesn’t tell Tyson about.

Then the hunters come.

And like, Tyson can usually deal with the hunters. They’re generally fairly reasonable people who want to keep vampires who’ve gone feral or are actually bad people in line, and Tyson’s all for that. Maybe he’d like some more due process than vampires are given now before their heads are cut off, but no one’s asking him, and his head isn’t cut off yet, so he hasn’t suggested anything. But these hunters--these hunters are fanatics, which is irritating, and they don’t listen to reason, and long story short Tyson actually has to fight, which he is historically not good at.

He gets away, anyway, and he’s pretty sure the hunters aren’t going to be an issue anymore because he’s proved there’s easier prey than him, but he’s really fucking hurt. The sort of hurt he hates because it burns in him, through him, until the humanity he tries so hard to keep a handle on is only a thin veil under the parts of him that are just bloodlust and animal need.

That’s how Gabe finds him, when he lets himself into Tyson’s house like it’s just a normal evening, except Tyson’s huddled in a corner half-mad with bloodlust and using everything in him to keep himself inside and away from anyone he could hurt. Tyson warns him away, because this is bad enough that it’s going to take a lot of blood and time to get better, because animal blood long from the body just isn’t the same, but Gabe just looks at him, and holds out his wrist.

Tyson’s still enough himself to resist, and tell him no, that he won’t, that he will not be the monster, but Gabe insists. “This is me offering, and trusting you won’t take more than you need,” Gabe tells him, clear-eyed, and Tyson hates himself, hates the hunters who forced him into this, hates everything about it, but he grabs Gabe’s wrist and bites.

It doesn’t hurt the human, Tyson knows, vaguely remembers, because docile prey is easy prey. So Gabe’s gasp isn’t pain, but that’s all Tyson knows, as he drinks.

Except--it’s easy, to pull away, when he’s had enough. He wipes his mouth, and looks up at Gabe, who’s swaying a little. More than he should be; Tyson knows he hadn’t taken a dangerous amount. He’s not that bad a vampire.

He licks his lips. Tastes Gabe’s blood again. He really isn’t that bad a vampire. “You’re dying,” he says, and Gabe looks for a second like he’s going to try to protest, so Tyson goes on, “I can taste it. It’s in your blood.”

There isn’t much Gabe can say to that. He is dying, after all, his body slowly giving out on itself. He knows that. Now Tyson does too.

Tyson stands, and looks at him. He’s not stupid. “You want me to bite you.”

“You just did bite me,” Gabe points out, angry in the way that means he’s defensive.

Tyson bares his fangs. They still have Gabe’s blood on them. “Not for real. Not like you want. What, were you going to bribe me? Starve me to death until I’d have no choice but to bite? Or--” and there it is, the memory of those looks. “Seduce me?”

Gabe opens his mouth, all blown up like he’s going to protest, but Tyson can see the truth in his eyes. And it’s--Gabe’s not the first person Tyson’s met who wants him to bite them. There have been a handful before, people who see the glamour, see eternal life and health and think they want it, and will do anything to get it.

Gabe’s not the first person to break Tyson’s heart, either, but hey. That one never gets old, apparently.

So Gabe leaves. Well. Tyson snaps and bares his teeth and turns his back until Gabe huffs and leaves anyway, muttering about how Tyson won’t listen to reason. Tyson ignores that too. Maybe all those vampires who hid from humans in their caves and dust were right. It’s easier.

Gabe doesn’t come back the next day. Which is fine. Tyson’s not going to bite him, and he knows it, so he’s got to go find some other vampire to do that. Tyson wishes, suddenly, for some sort of vampire phone tree to make sure everyone knows not to bite Gabe in his stupid handsome neck. Because they don’t have a phone tree, he compromises by calling Nate instead. (”I could come back and just kill him,” Nate offers, very earnestly. Tyson loves his best friend, but he thinks that maybe it’s about time for him to connect to society again instead of living off with horses and vampires).

Anyway, Gabe keeps on not coming back, so fuck him. Tyson doesn’t need him. Tyson goes back out and keeps doing his thing, and maybe he’s a little reckless but whatever, he thinks it’s justified, even humans go crazy when their heart’s been broken. So he parties and drinks and only almost catches on fire like twice, and never entirely runs out of blood thank you very much Gabe, and he’s fine.

Then he gets a call. It’s in the middle of the day, so it wakes him up, and from a number he doesn’t recognize, but Tyson’s always liked living on the edge so he picks up. He has the time to talk to telemarketers.

Except it’s not a telemarketer--it’s Gabe’s sister. And she’s telling him that Gabe’s in the hospital, and she thinks he should know because Gabe talks about him all the time and they might be in a fight but--

She’s still talking when Tyson starts swearing, because he’d forgotten it was daylight out when he’d started to rush outside.

Anyway, it takes some maneuvering and some creative use of tarps, a garbage can, and precisely three plastic bags that someone had left in Tyson’s car approximately a decade ago, but he makes it to Gabe’s bedside. He’s sitting up and not actively dying--Tyson can taste it in the air--but the part of Tyson that can sense the weakest prey in a pack is pricking up, too.

Luckily, he’s alone, because Tyson is maybe steaming a little when he gets in. Gabe stares at him, blinks, then looks very pointedly at the window and the sun streaming in. “You,” he tells Tyson, “Are definitely the world’s shittiest vampire.”

That sets off a whole argument again, part of it Gabe’s well-worn scolds about Tyson’s habits, more of it about how Gabe was trying to get Tyson to bite him, and the part of it neither of them say about how Gabe left.

But it all circles back to Gabe’s original plan, and how he was going to try to bribe Tyson, or starve him, or something, and Tyson gets mad at him, about why he would want this life, he sees what it is, and Gabe just sort of looks at him and asks, “What’s the point of a life if you can’t live it?” Which is a shitty low blow, and Tyson tells him so.

But he also tells him--like, he’s seen that before. He’s seen the people desperate to be turned, and what it turns to too often, the anger and bitterness at their sires, when it isn’t what they wanted. They don’t tell you how most vampires don’t make it past 80 or so.

“You did.”

“Yeah well, you always say I’m a shitty vampire.”

Gabe looks like he’s going to argue that, but he decides not to. Instead, he looks at Tyson, and there’s the same bravery there, the same trust, that made him barge into Tyson’s life in the first place, that made him put his wrist to a predator’s mouth. “You really are,” he agrees. “That’s the other reason.”

“Reason for what?”

“For why you should bite me,” Gabe tells him. “You need someone to make sure you don’t get yourself burned to ashes.”

Tyson considers arguing that he’d kept himself undead for the better part of a century, but Gabe gives the sunlight in the windows another pointed look. “If I wasn’t going to turn you for any of your other bribes, I don’t think unwillingly binding yourself to me is going to work,” Tyson points out, a little offended. Hating himself a little, for how the idea of Gabe there felt. “We’d already gotten past indentured servitude when I was born, and from what grandma said, that was a good thing.”

“Who said anything about unwilling?” Gabe asks, eyes clear and sure, and the blood dries in Tyson’s mouth.

They go a few more rounds, probably, because Tyson can’t accept that and Gabe can’t accept his not accepting it, until Gabe finally gets fed up and pulls Tyson over to kiss him.

Then they have a few more rounds to go, but--Tyson stays until it’s dark, and then he keeps staying.

He doesn’t bite him. Not then. Not when human science is doing well enough. Instead, Gabe goes back to nagging at Tyson and Tyson starts doing his best to make sure Gabe’s taking advantage of the life he has, and also maybe uses his superhuman abilities to like, make things easier for Gabe. And also for sex, because Tyson’s got 100 years of experience.

And then--then, when human science starts to fail, when Tyson starts to taste death in the air, and Gabe still looks at Tyson and smiles and nods, sure--then Tyson lets himself give in.

Epilogue: 20 years later, and Gabe is coming back from one of his trips, because immortal life is great and also gives perspective on things like ‘I love you but maybe we should spend a few years away from each other before we kill each other’ and finds Tyson huddled in a corner, trying to keep out of the sun because he’s just wearing a bathing suit.

“How are you still so bad at this?” Gabe asks, running over--because he is dressed properly, thank you very much--and Tyson grins at him before he kisses him hello.

“Because I have you to take care of me, obviously.”

#avs fic #tyson barrie/gabe landeskog #my fics #my short fics #tw: vague mentions of chronic illness #(not defined because the point of these synopses is I don't have to figure that shit out)#this was supposed to be more light-hearted than it ended up being #i think in practice it would be a lot more banter between vampire-typical angst #Anonymous #izzy answers

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black-is-no-colour · 4 years

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AnOther Magazine Autumn Winter 2020 Cover Story: John Galliano on Fallen Angels, Blitz Kids & Meeting Margiela

EMAIL EXCHANGE BETWEEN JOHN GALLIANO AND ANOTHER MAGAZINE, JULY 2020

AnOther Magazine: You went back to your own beginnings with this collection – your work of the 80s, your formative ideas about fashion. Why did that feel right for now?

John Galliano: Compression and suppression inspire a distinct sense of creativity, resourcefulness. During the lockdown period, something drew my mind to the way we felt during the Thatcher years, our backs up against the wall. Nothing can stand in the way of this kind of creativity.

AM: Why was your 1986 Fallen Angels collection specifically a point of inspiration – what is it about that collection that resonated?

JG: In confinement, I had come across the neoclassical wet drapery of Antonio Corradini and Raffaelle Monti – these veiled heroines in marble – which really appealed to me. I was hungry for the kind of aspirational beauty that inspires hope. In many ways, we were expressing the same sentiment in the 80s. It was a hankering for beauty, for heroism, for hedonism and hope.

AM: Fashion has changed so much since that era – in large part through work you yourself have undertaken across your career, helping to reinvent the ways we see clothes and fashion as a whole. Why does that era’s aesthetic and spirit speak to you today? To hark back to another collection of yours, is it about rediscovering a forgotten innocence?

JG: Between then and now, the common denominator is resourcefulness. The motivations were different but the expressions are similar – working with what you have, you try to find hope through the beauty of escapism.

AM: The Blitz Kids were a slightly earlier reference, but also in the mix. Why is that pertinent to now? That idea of dressing up to party – a decadence, perhaps? Certainly a glamour.

JG: Zoom parties! Putting on a red lip for the screen. We may be in a time of limitation, but we still have a human need to dress up, express ourselves and have a good time. Glamour needs an audience. I’ve never referenced a period in my own life before, but the emotional state of lockdown evoked an energy I had felt before.

AM: Can you describe your feelings when you first walked into the Blitz? Do you have any anecdotes you’d be happy to share?

JG: I wasn’t queen bee at the time. I had not become the peacock people associate with John Galliano. I was still quite shy, on my foundation year at Saint Martin’s. But, working Saturdays at [the boutique] PX, I had met a girl named Maria. Her background was Spanish, we hit it off and she got me into the Blitz club, along with Princess Julia, who worked down the road. I was a bit in awe of these characters. Of course, I wasn’t ruling like the Stephen Linards and the Stephen Joneses – I couldn’t even afford to go every week – but I did serve some looks.

AM: Stephen Jones once said that people were embarrassed to be seen in designer clothes – apart from Westwood, actually – at Blitz, that people made their own clothes. Was that something you also remember and experienced? Why was that?

JG: I think it was in the spirit of the time. We didn’t have the resources. I remember I had a brown workwear suit, a two-piece, with asymmetric fastening and little gold studs on it. It had a blue contrast collar with an embroidered yellow oak leaf. And I probably wore some kind of pointed pixie boot. Charles, the manager of Mrs Howie [a groundbreaking boutique in London, opened in 1976 by future fashion PR Lynne Franks and her then-husband, Paul Howie], would sometimes let me wear a hand-knitted jumper that had the letter S, for Super, on it. In the Blitz, people would dress up as historical eccentrics. Resourcefulness became our gateway to self-expression.

AM: You talked about the theatrical costumier Charles Fox in the film you produced to show the Artisanal collection. Can you elaborate on that – what happened and what it meant to you? Many of the references – the military, the men’s formalwear – are still with you today, as is, undoubtedly, that spirit of reinvention and transformation.

JG: When Charles Fox closed down, all these amazing characters and Saint Martin’s students flocked there to buy it all up. Today, you might call it upcycling, but back then it was what they could get their hands on. If you have a love of theatre and history, reinvigorating the old is a reinvigorating process in itself. Creation is the very act of giving life to something.

AM: It’s interesting that you chose to reveal your creative process so openly in the film, from research, to narrative, to referencing, cutting and making and styling. That feels quite precious – a lot of designers keep it to themselves. Why did you decide to share that? Why is it right for now?

JG: The anxiety we all experienced during the lockdown period created a need for transparency. I felt a desire to be clear about what we stand for at Maison Margiela – our core beliefs in diversity, inclusion and self-expression – which all begins with the process work. By recording and showing our research practice, our genderless fittings and how we express ourselves through charity finds and upcycling, we reinforce those values in a way that might appeal to Gens Y and Z. It is my hope that when our clients eventually meander into a Maison Margiela store and see the results of that process, those values will resonate. Perhaps this format can be a blueprint for a new way of proposing our ideas and ethics.

AM: Your clothes always tell a story – often many stories interwoven. You find these extraordinary narrative references and they feed your creativity. Does fashion need to tell a story – does a narrative add to fashion, for the wearer – or is that your process, just for you as a creator?

JG: The narrative informs my research and the process work and the way I communicate with my team through that process. But in the end I often keep it to myself. During the creative process, however, it feeds into the values that are transmitted through our work and which create a connection with our clients.

AM: What was it like designing a collection during lockdown? What were the good things, what were the bad things? How did the process change? And do you feel it has changed your creativity – your viewpoint on the world?

JG: In the beginning, it filled me with anxiety – and like everyone, of course, we had to deal with practical challenges. To me, it became a matter of turning those challenges into a sense of resourcefulness. I applied some of the things I’ve been fortunate to have been taught in the past. It’s like a mourning period – once you accept reality, you are able to embrace the unknown. And so it became a driving force – the feeling that nothing would stand in the way of creativity.

AM: Given the current situation, people are speculating that the collective experience of the fashion show may be a thing of the past. You have staged some of the greatest fashion shows in history, redefining the medium. What is your reaction to the idea that fashion shows may be of the past? How important are shows to you, as a means of expressing your ideas?

JG: What I eventually realised during the lockdown period was that fashion as we’ve known it in the past will never be the same, at least not until a vaccine is found. For the moment, I hope the format we adapted to this season can be a new way of communicating and exploring one’s collection. I don’t really like doing those big shows any more, because so often the focus is taken off the clothes. I prefer smaller shows. For now, I’m happy treading gently in this new direction.

AM: Our fight and flight instincts have perhaps never been so acute, and both those elements are present in the collection. The confrontation of taking clothing apart at the seams and the romance and fantasy of veiling, clothes that appear drenched in water. Does that make sense to you?

JG: The idea of fight and flight is another way of expressing resourcefulness and escapism – elements that have been inseparably interlinked through history. The human desire for beauty and seduction is a powerful instinct.

AM: When it comes to difficulties, do you feel that you, as a designer, propose clothes to fight in, or clothes as a flight of fantasy, an antidote to reality? Which do you find more powerful?

JG: I have spoken before about our desire to transmit Gen Z’s appetite for defiance through self-expression as a reaction to conformism and the societal preconceptions that negate our authentic selves. My proposals reflect those values. I hope our work can be tools for the expression of individuality and a message of joy and hope.

AM: In the film you showed predominantly classical female veiling. Did you look at veiled men in classical sculpture too? In some ways that has always been more scandalous, the naked Christ.

JG: Historically, the wet drapery that inspired me was often related to images of goddesses – and gods, too. During the process work, I began to express it in these celestial bodies – heroines as well as heroes – which draw the mind to many areas of mythology. You’ll recognise it in how I christened each passage in the collection, and in [model] Malick’s performance in the film.

AM: How does that religious iconography relate to your childhood?

JG: It’s a familiar element of my upbringing, because my mum brought it from Gibraltar and Spain. But this collection is reflective of so many mythologies.

AM: You are a person who has often had to deal with a lack of resources and has somehow managed to turn those limitations into a positive. The São Schlumberger collection, for example. How – and why – does limitation inspire you?

JG: Limitation creates challenges, and challenges force us to innovate. Whether inspiration is born out of necessity or out of determination – such as a desire to be sustainable – it inevitably enriches the creative process.

AM: There’s always a conversation around the relevance of haute couture – people argue that it is moribund, anachronistic, and so on. In what way do you feel you have moved the Artisanal so it works for now?

JG: I work within a creative pyramid, the pyramidion of which is haute couture. The work we do in the Artisanal atelier – the experimentation, development and technical know-how – drip-feeds into every other collection at Maison Margiela. Haute couture isn’t an expression of elitism, it’s what fuels a fashion house. It is the highest and most authentic form of dressmaking, and in an age tuned into transparency, I think the role of the dressmaker will be re-evaluated.

AM: And why genderless? That also goes back to the Blitz, perhaps?

JG: Genderless-ness is part of our genetics at Maison Margiela. It goes back to the freedom of self-expression and breaking down preordained conformist ideas of masculinity and femininity. Without these societal preconceptions we are free to express ourselves, to discover new things and evolve. The Blitz club, like certain communities today, provided an escapism from societal norms, but so many people are still having to negate their authentic selves. There’s still work to be done.

AM: There is still an amazing sense of the emotion in clothes that are hand-sewn for days, even weeks, on end, the romance of the touch of the hand. It feels very much as if you own that territory and that there are not so many people doing it like that today. Can you expand on that a little please?

JG: Over the years, I have taken on the responsibilities of a creative director, and I accept the role. But I am, at heart, a dressmaker. The creative process is the fuel of fashion. And creativity is the blood that courses through my veins and through this house.

AM: Craft is incredibly important to what you do – and always has been. It feels integral to your idea of couture. What does handicraft represent now, in a time when it is more difficult for many people to be together?

JG: Someone who watched the film told me that the connectivity between the team really shines through. That meant a lot to me, because connectivity is created by authenticity – and there’s nothing more honest than craftsmanship.

AM: There’s also the idea of construction and the extremely technical pattern cutting involved in this collection specifically. Can you talk a little more about the circular cut? About the methods you explored in these clothes, this collection?

JG: I mentioned how I was hungry for an aspirational beauty that creates the same sense of hope I remembered from the Blitz years. Back then, I had discovered the bias through a technique I had developed called circular cutting. It’s a way of structuring garments from several circular pieces – in this case, fabrics like butter muslin and thermocollant – which diffuse the draping and can evoke that wet, chiselled effect. The tailored pieces are examples of Recicla – humble charity-shop finds that I reinvigorated with heroic cutting – rooted in décortiqué, inspired by the hedonism of the dance L’Apache, which conjured these armour-like silhouettes. That process reminded me of the resourcefulness of the Blitz era.

AM: You talk about the idea of a community, the Margiela pluralism of ‘we’. Do you think that is a more humane position than, for want of a better way of putting it, the concept of the designer superstar? You have experienced both – in a sense, you have epitomised both.

JG: It is my hope that the film reflects the sense of community and connectivity that exists within the pyramidical structure of our fashion house.

AM: You have always had your own community. You can really see that in the film. These are all people who have been with you for a long time, some even from the start. They seem like kindred spirits – is that important? Finding people you can communicate with instinctively, maybe even without words?

JG: Community is about sharing and connecting, becoming part of a unity and relating to one another through emotions rooted in mutual memories. As you see in the film, we share all these things and use that connectivity in the creative process.

AM: In general, what is the importance of teamwork – of community – in fashion? Does it feel more important than ever now, following the assault on our personal freedom and contact with other human beings that the pandemic has brought?

JG: The lockdown period demonstrated the human need for connection. Immediately, we all took to Zoom and other channels to invoke a sense of connectivity. Fashion has the power to express codes of belonging. Through the values we have reinforced this season, I hope we are able to communicate the ethics of our community – the values of Maison Margiela.

AM: I think perhaps people don’t always realise the many connections between yourself and Martin Margiela – the importance of white and clothing stripped back to the toile, the interest in 18th-century cut, the deconstructing and reconstructing of traditional garments and the value of a sense of the passing of time, of age. How do you feel your two aesthetics relate to one another?

JG: When I met with Martin shortly before I joined the house, as a couturier I was particularly interested in his adaptation of the codes of haute couture – the idea of the maison, the white coats, the genetics, and so on. As we continue to establish a new set of codes at Maison Margiela, I hope those parallels feel inherent.

AM: You have launched a Recicla collection as part of the ready-to-wear and the Artisanal, where you source vintage items and rework them. That, again, references the Maison Margiela Replica heritage, but it is also a gesture towards sustainability. It’s an overused word but why is it important and can fashion ever really be sustainable?

JG: Upcycling, the raison d’être of Recicla, is a self-evident proposal for sustainability, but one that invigorates the creative process at the same time. Recicla started its life in the Artisanal atelier but is now being embraced by our commercial teams and actively going into stores, and I’m so happy to witness this development. Step by step, we can all play our part in being resourceful and reducing waste.

AM: You are among the most-referenced designers in student and emerging designers’ work. Does that make you happy, even proud? It’s not easy for you to answer, maybe, but why do you think it is?

JG: If I can deliver some of the hope, aspiration and passion that I remember from my own time in college, it’s a joy. Every year, when our new lot of stages arrive from the colleges, I do a dinner for them and get out my finest china and crystal. Sometimes it’s a drag ball or a karaoke. We have fun. When they come here they’re no different from how I was. Their experiences today are different because of the internet, but they’re creative souls like we were.

AM: There’s that old cliché of money being no object. In many ways, the most brilliant fashion proves and disproves that. How would you look at that sentiment, given the value of experience/hindsight?

JG: Financial resources make a difference to the way in which ideas can be executed and communicated. But some of the finest ideas are born out of a lack of resources. Drive can be fuelled by desire, but also by necessity.

AM: What would you say to a student starting out? I feel that your words would be very important to them, given the challenges facing any young designer, but perhaps more than ever now.

JG: Believe in yourself. Believe in your dream. Be passionate. You can be whatever you want to be. Don’t listen to anybody who says you can’t. Work hard and never give up.

AM: What are your hopes and dreams for fashion as we emerge from this crisis? And what are your hopes and dreams for the world?

JG: Now, more than ever, we need to respect fashion as a platform for communicating our values and ethics. As we emerge from this crisis, it is our responsibility to stand up for what we believe in – inclusivity, diversity, nonconformity, self-expression. We have to use the voice of fashion for positive change.

The full article is here: AnOther Magazine

#Maison Margiela #Margiela #Maison Margiela by John Galliano #John Galliano #Galliano #Maison Margiela Artisanal by John Galliano #fashion #AnOther #AnOther Magazine #interview

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empressxmachina · 4 years

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Dolled Up and Underdressed // 2

Promises, part II

Brooke shut the door behind herself, only to open it if any of the wandering Wainscots knocked a code. On the surface, the shed was nothing out of the ordinary. Hedge clippers. Garden hose. Charcoal, propane, and logs. Some spare parts and local wares. A hidden door behind some shelves and paneling. Going through said door, however, the comfy cabin stretched underground beyond its cozy, cup size into the beefed-up bunker it really was.

Posters became historical maps. Instruction booklets for lawn tools became test plans. The wood was now metal and LEDs. Various files and other personals were stacked and stored across and around lines of tables and stations of varied roles, all of which they’d rather die for than reveal to any outsider. Crossing her arms, Brooke strutted down the center path and reunited with Garrett at its end.

There, at the hub of it all, wearing matching glowers, Brooke joined in with him keying in the final characters of a ridiculous sequence into a specialized console.

The last symbol was entered into its keyboard, its screen began to buffer, and then they waited.

And then they waited.

They waited, losing hope, looking for all the ‘last resorts’ in reaching distance. The piercers. The navigators. The bottles and boxes and all they contained.

Optimism quickly started to plummet, but they still waited all the while… until it wasn’t needed anymore.

They were here.

The monitor eventually stopped processing, indicating with a jingle that contact was made. The Wainscots’ breaths were held as hard as their hands, and only determination kept them inside at the appearance of their interlocutor.

The display’s girth being comparable to a mattress, longer than Garrett’s height and broader than his wingspan, left nothing to the imagination. Every hair, pore, and hue on the answerer’s face was present and accounted for. Relating their glamour and airbrushed features to the rustic naturalness Brooke and Garrett donned would’ve seemed nonsensical from the outside looking in. But it was that extravagant look, on top of the muffled atmospherics in the background, that proved their connection right.

Disregarding the effort to make greetings, the protective parents began the conversation.

“The caravan’s left,” Garrett gruffly announced.

Brooke followed suit with her own sighs. “She’s… on her way.”

“I have already been made aware of that,” the dame on screen, one of Them, addressed, somewhat preoccupied. Her side of the video conference appeared to be filmed from a handheld device. As products began to pile on her face from below the frame, one could guess it was combined with a makeup compact. Her dolling up eventually ended, and she continued with her full attention and appreciation. “But I appreciate you informing me, regardless… despite your disquiet.”

Brooke gave a slight bow of farewell before turning back toward the outside. The farther forward she went back up the shelter, the warmer it became, but she chilled again when she noticed no footsteps following her. A glance behind her shoulders found Garrett continuing to talk on the call, and his audience of one appeared to be listening intently.

They were struck silent. The incongruity between lifestyles and demeanors was incredible.

“I understand your unease,” Hailey’s soon-chaperone commiserated, tucking some hair behind an ear, shining more light on the gems that hung from it. “Really, I do. But I assure you. We are on the same side.”

The soft shock that the couple wore immediately evaporated off their faces. Such niceness from someone so well-off was more than unbelievable.

“If that were the case,” Brooke tested, a hand on her hip, “then you’d know why I can’t believe that.”

“The trophy wife aesthetic you’re painting on yourself sure isn’t helping your attempt at humility, either,” Garrett huffed in accordance.

Now, it was the duenna that was caught off-guard. To go after her customs was one thing, but to go after her appearance was low. Not only was the sentiment false, but it was also just rude. Rude in a way to set someone off beyond their usual limit.

As the subject of the jab, she didn’t take it lightly. “Because being a so-called ‘trophy’ is definitely worse than being—!”

Before she could complete a comeback, a new, disembodied speaker entered the call. The silhouette reflected in her eyes verified it was another person in the room, rather than just a voice. The words resonated with bass but not in an overbearing way. It held control without an iron fist as she spoke back to it. At least, that was all Hailey’s parents could guess from the sudden language barrier.

A series of syllables that sounded painful to reproduce yet melodious flew around them, and they knew they had a better chance of guessing how many freckles their bun in the oven had than whatever they were saying. The words they spoke were unknown, though body language was apparently universal. Over twenty years of binding with the same person built much experience in emotion expression for Brooke, and she would’ve bet all that she could safely give away on her confidence in Player Four’s identity.

“Is that your husband?” she inquired, garnering a presumptive look from her own spouse.

The question smacked the faraway set of speakers like a pile of bricks, muzzling them in an instant. The matron gazed deeply into the screen, focusing more so on Garrett to catch what Brooke mentioned about him that she must have missed. When Brooke repeated her query, this time in the past tense, clarity on the opposite end was reached. However, as the fourth soul in the fray remained unaddressed, the shed dwellers were still left in the dark.

After a pointed pause, they were brought into the loop, but that pointing left more to be desired,

“That’s… a word for my partner.”

Brooke and Garrett shared a look between themselves, counting all the definitions such wording could have for that relationship. The fiery reentrance of the fourth soul – the woman’s husband – in that brusque, foreign tongue shortened that list in some ways and lengthened it in others. What then bubbled into a presumed marital spat grew uncomfortable to watch, but such chips in their perfect personas were somewhat humbling.

One could’ve said they were relatable, but then the last resorts would’ve had to have been brought out.

“Ahem,” the interlocutor lady cleared her voice after some time, attempting to swerve the call back on its intended course. “Apologies. Yes, that is my husband.”

Neither Wainscot said anything immediately, but Garrett expected for the interjecting gentlemen to at least introduce himself. They had already met, but courtesy was always appreciated. Why else would the call still be happening?

Just as the fans of the shed automatically flicked on, the encompassing mood dropped with the lowering temperature, Garrett going first to spit ice. “It’s nice of him to show how much he cares about our daughter’s safety by being off-frame.”

The outlying wife, with a quick gasp, spread her lips to respond, but her voice wasn’t the one to reply. The sir, from afar, countered for himself, combating the diss with his own frozen singes. “It’s as nice as your assumptions of us: they who are about to host her in their home. We’ve given you no major reasons to distrust us, aside from the lax acquaintanceship.”

Not liking anything that could’ve been inferred from that, Brooke was next to debate. “I think you have a different definition of ‘major’ where you’re from. Like hell, we should trust you.”

“Well,” the doyenne carped, “whether or not you should, you are.” She then set a hand – the one not holding her communication device – atop her heart for emphasis. “Hailey’s safety is our top priority, too, and we genuinely thank you for opening your hearts and letting her come into our lives.”

“She is a grown woman,” Brooke tersely defined. “She can make her own decisions, and she wanted to do this, despite not knowing the full story. I would’ve given her more to go on about it, but… consider my censorship, at your request, my part of this trust trade.”

Her last statement came out more like a grumble, but it was heard. A surprise to be heard, for sure, but it was heard.

“That sounds like you actually didn’t try anything,” the distant don said in disbelief. “Huh.”

“A surprise, indeed,” his other half concurred, “and I promise your compromising will be in your favor. As discomforting as I’m sure this seems on your end, this is the best way for us to be transparent.”

“By taking away our choice and hiding your truth?” Garrett argued through gritted teeth.

“By showing her rather than telling,” the other man pressed with similar roughness. “It’s harder to deny reality when it’s right in front of you. ‘Actions speak louder than words,’ or so you humans say.”

“‘You humans!?’” the Wainscots scoffed, his tone turning them sour.

“Forgive him,” the glamorous gal apologized on her husband’s behalf. “Hailey may be an

honorable guest invited to our event, but tonight is one for him to be in the spotlight, and it’s getting to him.” An almost inaudible growl came out from outside the screen, perhaps insinuating another rift between the couple. Retreating footsteps soon followed. “That being said,” she resumed, now alone, “he and I hope that you all and we can, one day, meet at the gates of friendship.”

The counselor level commentary was uncalled for, but Brooke was curious enough to bite at the lure for elucidation. “Meaning we’re currently…?”

“Conversing via a bred parcel bird, and I assume the gifts of thanks ours brought you do suffice for now?”

A look of consideration rose from Brooke’s eyes toward Garrett’s above hers. As much bribery with hints of blackmail this ongoing charade was, all for Hailey to be a plus-one for some boy, they would be dumb to pass on free funding.

“I… suppose,” Garrett gave in, catching Brooke’s drift, “and we’re to expect more within the day?”

“All goes well at the gala and between our babies, and you’ll find more than that,” the matron promised fruitily. “We’re fortunate to be in a position to give our surplus toward better use and greater rapport with you.”

Brooke was ready to end the conversation at that. As much as she wanted to see Hailey arrive at the spot, proving her safety in transit, she knew she wouldn’t handle seeing it in real-time. Pregnancy already pulled so much energy out of her. Her now two oldest children being out of her hands was anxiety-inducing. Dillon’s present in confidentiality was terrible, and his future was never guaranteed to be sunshine and daisies. Hailey’s advent, meanwhile, despite its pledges of protection and pleasure, looked much grimmer in her mother’s eyes, but it was too far in progress to be reversed now.

And, so, she could only hope for the best, wishing her well, struggling to calm her own pulse.

A pinch of insecurity bubbled through Brooke as she wasn’t so deep in herself to not notice the other woman’s allure. But it only took the money – the actual appearance of metal coins about as wide as the dame’s glazed fingertips on screen – for such thoughts to vanish.

It was all for the bag, and what a priceless bag it was.

Coins like those had become such frequent additions to the Wainscot fortune in the recent months. Those handheld coins on display probably would, too, sooner or later. Much time was spent with them, but they, themselves, were never expended. It would’ve been impossible without raising a barrage of red flags.

The systems the Wainscots knew had their unique ways with customs and currencies, depending on who was making the transactions. Usually, the exchange rates were easy to come by, as frustrating as they were to do just to get a subpar product. However, the new acquaintances were at such an extreme echelon for so many reasons that there wasn’t a rate. There literally was no calculatable price to put on the offering, and they all knew it. Yet, they were the best trade – well, the least degrading barter conjectured – and Brooke and Garrett immediately found a use for them when the deal was accepted.

The conversation transformed into a heated debate about what had and should become of the gifts, with Garrett both pressing to get more of them and reluctantly thanking their givers simultaneously. The plating and gildings that decorated the bunker so far weren’t there a season ago. More test cases for the once-canceled experiments were added. The lumps and chips in their wedding rings were smoothed, refilled, and shined.

New plans for another graduation gift for Hailey had been made. A new mold to upgrade her namesake tools of the trade was forged not long ago, and the casting for it may have been getting made at that moment. Through a one-way peephole, Brooke saw her younglings still in the yard, following through with much of the drama popping off in the background.

Addy, despite her attitude being as bouncy as her and her mother’s hair, wasn’t a girl of many words. But she had many an interest, many of which only Hailey and Tuck seemed to get out of her. For once, Tuck had the upper hand over all his older siblings, able to give her insights that no one else dared to and that Hailey couldn’t yet do. He tucked his sister next to him as they gazed into a telescope together. The attachment on its lens looked MacGyvered as all hell, especially with it pointed at superficially nothing important. But he knew that wasn’t the case.

Tuck knew, and Addy would learn soon from his teachings. Brooke, not wanting him to do so but choosing not to stop him, lurched but knew. Having ignited a dispute, Garrett obviously knew. Dill even knew a bit but had more than enough distractions to render him to forget. Hailey would know more than any of them before the day was over.

Fitz, all the while, sat alone, enjoying his time as the most knowledgeable child while he could. Partially from his parents’ aggravation and partially from general interest and natural skill, he was the chosen soul to make Hailey’s enhancement into a reality. With the modulated voices of both Hailey’s date and his, from the Wainscot parents’ point-of-view, ever domineering dad coming in headphones over some ambient but obviously exotic music, Fitz followed their instructions on how to forge their presented metals to a T.

The scene was tranquil, but Brooke never soothed her nerves while viewing it. Her husband maintaining an argument with their associates didn’t help, but that wasn’t why. Even if relations were placid, there would always be a cloud of danger over them. The constant badgering from the feds they already had would just increase if this got out.

The Wainscots had enough supply to combat any quarry, cave, or army on the planet, and they were only going to get more to use and peruse. The youngest pair used some to look again at a dot in the sky cited nowhere on the internet from whence it came. The middle child had to stay focused to not near-fatally harm himself once again from the metals melting with the same, outlandish glow as that once-hidden dot.

All of it from another world and those who lived on it. All of it their makers’ and Their inconsequential slivers and shavings to be thrown away. All of them half as tall as their new recipients, having made dents and the occasional ravine in the ground when they were first nonchalantly and literally dropped off. All of them with profiles of people’s portraits and symbols etched on them as large as their own heads.

Monies poured from fingertips that looked like theirs but rivaled the firmament in magnitude. Brooke’s baby’s presence was traded for them – for Them – was being transacted to Them currently as she breathed.

Barely.

“Stars above,” she radiated to the heavens with one hand on her belly and the other on her heart, “see Rosebud through.”

#g/t #my writing #dolled up and underdressed #gts #sm #sw #giant male #fight fight fight; kiss kiss kiss #giantess

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ev3v4hn · 3 years

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The Business Of Fashion

Our students are identified for producing the best caliber of work. Isabel Shopping Marant accused of plagiarizing Purépecha textilesThis is the second time the French designer has been accused of plagiarizing Mexican textile designs.

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The result is an uplifting array of work that recognises the past while reframing it for the current. Duct tape, a crude and at occasions violent software, has been reclaimed as an emblem of power and safety when tracing the physique of Clottey’s topics. His use of cork as a canvas additionally alludes to the usage of discover boards again in his hometown as a means of communication and conveyance. Another memorable facet of the portrait-based mostly collection is the use Fashion & Shopping of fashion as a aspect of identity. The historical past of fashion at UH stretches back greater than one hundred years and is intermingled with the history of fashion in the state. The first classes in textiles were provided in 1917, just 10 years after the school’s founding. Photo courtesy of Amanda StevensJade Young’s assortment, “Dazzling Affairs,” is impressed by a fantasy aesthetic and her favorite colour, pink.

Faucet Into The Power Of Style

But even though I had the funds to shop, I didn’t focus a lot on whether or not my purchases made sense in the long run. Now, with just a few years left until I enter my 30s, I’m beginning to notice the advantages of investing in those go-to staples early on and encourage all 20-somethings to begin doing the identical. “I want Fashion to struggle the notion that ‘fat’ individuals cannot be horny. You shouldn’t be told to stick to dark, secure colors. Wearing a larger size shouldn’t mean carrying boring, tasteless, shapeless clothes,” she provides.

#fashionINAsta Soooooooo cute!!! Hololive Fashion Week is THRIVING! pic.twitter.com/w8Nts2VYhv

— Dustin Swanky McThankies (@_Failure2Comply) May 5, 2021

Best of all they match minimal apparel and equipment shops but additionally swimsuit any general-objective eCommerce niche. OhSevenDays was began by Australian-Canadian Megam Mummery to promote slow fashion and the ‘energy of circularity’. Based in Istanbul, the brand reclaims end-of-roll materials from the city’s garment factories and creates sharp, everyday womenswear that’s as wearable as it is ethical. Essentially, they make slow fashion from fast fashion’s leftovers! solely buying second hand, or from sustainable manufacturers like these below. Fashion Revolution Week, the place individuals everywhere in the world ask, “Who Made My Clothes?

Taking Your Collections To Market Sooner

This is an rising pattern so the available info is much more restricted, however there was an increase in those manufacturers that are unisex, gender neutral, or non- binary. This is a subject the place articles in commerce literature and other information sources, mixed with different sources goes to be needed.

A restricted quantity of a selected garment—this is an concept pioneered by Zara. With new stock arriving in retailer each few days, buyers know in the event that they don’t buy one thing they like, they’ll probably miss their probability. The Industrial Revolution launched new technology—like the stitching machine. Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we might obtain compensation for some hyperlinks to products and services. The former couple finalized their divorce in 2014, and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model has had to “juggle plenty of balls” since then, she informed Redbook the following year. Klum known as herself “a mother and pop at the similar time” within the 2015 interview.

I Found The Right, Universally Flattering Dress

It options reversible clothing with accents like bows, ruffles, vintage buttons, and loads of practical pockets. You can add dressmaker to Brooklyn Decker’s growing list of occupations. The model, actor, and entrepreneur simply launched her first fashion line with the net sustainability brand Buru. Meanwhile, Leni is already following in her fashionable footsteps, having made her modeling debut on the quilt of Vogue Germany final year alongside her mom. In January, she opened Berlin Fashion Week — marking her first time on the catwalk — and he or she’s since graced the quilt of Glamour Germany as properly. Unlock the biggest designer rental destination that offers you extra style, extra entry and more methods to hire than anyplace else.

Companies similar to Topshop and Fashion Nova are greatly involved with their backside line and are banking on the “ocean of clothing” they churn out for revenue. Yet, with this elevated fee of manufacturing, corners are inevitably reduce. Clothing is made in a rushed manner, and brands are promoting severely low-high quality merchandise.

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joel-furniss-blog · 4 years

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Anti-Taste

During my project I’ve often described my work as being anti-taste. Why? Honestly, I saw it in one of my assessment feedback tutorials and like it enough to adopt, something about it ringing true to me and sounding like a highfalutin professional artist phrase or some such.

My only problem is I struggle to understand the exact definition of ‘taste’, let alone how to be opposed to it. For this is why I’m researching, to see the meanings of taste, it’s societal standings, its spectrum of good/bad, and its relevance to my art practice. In my ignorance I often associate taste with humour, where jokes are often categorised into good taste or bad taste, but when jokes are highlighted for their taste its often done by calling out those that are bad taste. A joke in bad taste is recognised as inappropriate, mean-spirited, ‘punching down’ ethos or otherwise being cheap, lacking substance or comedic weight. Naturally, this leads me to believe that good taste jokes are the opposite end, they are appropriate, good-hearted, they punch up, they are rich, and substantial. But I’m not talking about comedy, we’re talking about the far less serious artworld.

From dictionaries we can define the taste I want to tackle as ‘a person's tendency to like or be interested in something’, ‘the ability to discern what is of good quality or of a high aesthetic standard’, and conformity or failure to conform with generally held views concerning what is offensive or acceptable’. This information is certainly contradictory as it displays taste as being individual and social, both dependent on singular intake and expression but also a cumulative collection that dictates the wider society and culture. This is ‘good taste’, a collection of agreements and reinforcement that certain aesthetical aspects are pleasing while others are not.

So aesthetically what is good taste? It’s mainly contextualized as a broadly defined standard of beauty, a set of angles, tones, colours, and lines that, for some reason, appeals to us and please our minds Philosophers have discussed aesthetics for centuries, from the ancient Greeks who saw aesthetics as purity and beauty, that which pleases the emotional side of a person. However, into the modern era thinkers began recognising pre-deemed culture as effecting sociology, the decided values and traditions built around us and our personal interpretations of those influence us and our taste. German philosopher Immanuel Kant recognised this and formulated in his Critique of Judgement a more inclusive approach to aesthetics, seeing that there exists both a personal taste as well as an objective beauty, which he specifies is empirically impossible to define.

This presumes that there is a cultural or societal consensus on taste, a lofty standard that all visual creations are to be judged by. Kant says this faux-consensus enables the judgement of taste, essentially a template which others are judged upon and that this base ‘good taste’, and that this base taste is actually good for aesthetics, as it gives us freedom to appreciate other aesthetic pursuits.

If good taste is less of a guideline for artistic elements and more of a base to judge art upon, then what is or makes bad taste? Bad taste is often conflated with vulgarity, a lack of sophistication and emphasis on the crass, or it is bombast, all style and no substance, or kitsch, a mass-produced item lacking artistic merit. Much like good taste, it is difficult to describe wholly as there exists no definite indicator of it, only examples. A quick example would be to compare a rustic cottage to a busy city street, the cottage is minimal, quaint, and elicits a feeling of comfort, it would be classed as good taste whereas the city street is overbearing, monolithic, and might feel dangerous, thus bad taste. However, this speaks only to aesthetics, the emotional aspects of each example are as equally important. While a cottage is secured it is also isolated and potentially boring, whereas a city street is less secure but rife with a humanistic presence and opportunity. Surface level they might seem either flawless or flawed entirely but when observing them removed from labels ‘good’ and ‘bad’ we can see each having negatives and positives. In that sense taste is just more dichotomising rhetoric, boiling down complex and multi-dimensional examples as being one or the other, good or bad.

There’s also an argument to be made on the intersection between class and taste. Historically, good taste has been decided by the ruling classes, those in power who are either rich or powerful enough to appreciate aesthetical status. For example, a field peasant is not concerned with the colour of their tunic as its strictly utilitarian, it keeps him warm, whereas a king who is able to afford bespoke clothing can consider its aesthetical importance. Eventually this became a way to separate oneself from the working classes, by focusing on aesthetical abundance it created a clear divide that both protected the ruling class as sophisticated and oppressed the working class as vulgar. While attitudes have shifted slightly more toward equality, elements of classist taste are still prevalent in society, for example we still appreciate colours for their ‘richness’ like royal purple and burgundy, colours which were reserved and used by those in power. It’s why we see opera as classy and sophisticated, an aspirational event of glamour, even though the average J. Doe would probably get little out of watching people sing in foreign languages for hours.

However, like I said, attitudes have shifted away from good taste as wealthy maximalism, which we now recognise as gawdy and shallow. The Palace of Versailles, home of the French monarchy, is famous for its baroque interiors laden with gold and mirrors but is not seen as desirable to the common person, instead it’s a relic of a bygone time, an example of the hubristic decadence of funny kings.

But perhaps the class effect on taste hasn’t dissipated but has simply shifted from bawdy maximalism to quiet minimalism. Designer homes show this, with their minimalist approach to exterior and interior, white walls, slender furniture, hidden storage, espoused as the environment of the intellectual and the reservedly powerful. It may be appreciated by many for its cool, pleasing design but how many in their lifetime will be able to afford a Kevin-McCloud-approved white countryside cube? Despite being a stylistic and theoretical response to baroque styles, minimalism is held with similar unreachable regard as its ostentatious counterpart.

Not everyone has adopted minimalism as the new ‘good taste’, as the garish design policy of the western aristocracy still lives on through small bubbles. Take for example the home décor of Russian celebrities laden with rich materials and animal prints, or the Dubai attitude of excess having people drive Lamborghinis with pet cheetahs in the side seat, or look at the Manhattan penthouse of the current US president shining with marble and gold. The gawdy still exists in the contemporary era. The reasoning for this is theorized as compensation for a past trauma or inadequacy. For example, the recent adoption of baroque styles by the Russian elite is maybe making up for the decades of the culturally deficient brutalist and sickeningly grey Soviet design. The excess of Emirate nobles is perhaps a statement response to western imperialism that effected their past, a supposedly deserved oil-funded ‘fuck you’ to the powers that were. And I’ll let you decide whatever Donald is compensating for.

This take on taste is quite interesting to me. For long I had thought of taste as a hidden order unconsciously decided and enforced by wider society, and that individual taste exists but only plays into and is ultimately trumped by the societal taste, but perhaps taste is less of a metre on which we measure things but more of an aspirational insecurity for which we try to atone for. Often I’ve looked at an artists work and thought ‘Wow that’s great… I wish I did that’, I feel like it’s par for the course of all artists, it can hearten us to resolve our work or just as easily depress us into a state of creative dearth. Our individual parameters of taste are a reflection of what we lack and aspire to be, it is a cathartic response to ourselves.

So then what does it mean to be anti-taste? The ‘anti-‘ implies rejection, but a rejection of what? Is it a rejection of society’s understanding of a standard good taste, so that individual taste is supreme to the individual? A Marxist denouncement of taste as aesthetical class oppression? Or is it a more personal dismantling of insecurity and a want to create without the constraint of doubt? If there’s one thing I’ve noted in my research it is that binary thinking is ultimately reductive, sorting, labelling, and pigeonholing such a vast term is equivalent to intellectual bondage and only serves to maintain the confusing aspects of the term.

I see anti-taste as an adoption of deliberately unseemly aesthetics, what would be bad taste, as simply that, a demonstration of perceived bad taste. By adopting the unaesthetically pleasing I attempt to demonstrate the key foundation of taste, that ultimately it is subjective opinion and subject to scrutiny. Hopefully my denouncement of taste is not mistaken for simply being in bad taste, but then again perhaps that’s what I want. I suppose it ties into my other themes of self-destruction as not many artists seek to make deliberately bad work, a representation of worse as better.

Egotist, n. A person of low taste, more interested in himself than in me.

#contextualresearch #studiopractice4

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princessweddingdressesbyalf-blog · 4 years

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Princess Wedding Pictures

11 Cheap Wedding Venues - Nerdwallet

Table of ContentsWedding Venues San Diego — The Thursday ClubBeautiful Wedding & Event Venues Nationwide - Wedgewood ...Paradise Falls Weddings - Outdoor Wedding Venue In ...La Jolla Wedding Venues - The Meritage Collection13 Of San Diego's Best Wedding Venues - See PricesWedding Venues - Telluride - Telluride Ski ResortPrivate Wedding Venues - Maui Wedding Locations

Your guests will certainly be invited to take a gondola ride up Aspen Hill to an altitude of 11,212 feet, where they will certainly reach your ceremony at The Wedding event Deck or surrounding Aspen Mountain Club. Spectacular views of the famous Maroon Bells as well as the Rocky Hills will certainly frame the special memories produced on your special day.

Dazzling 360-degree views transform from the Network Islands beyond Santa Barbara to rambling canyons under ancient canopies of Eucalyptus. Great smelling Magnolia and orange blossoms fragrance the landscape for a wedding celebration experience like nothing else. Santa Barbara, CA The Cattle Ranch at Rock Creek Miles of river, woodland, valley, and also vista give virtually endless chances for picture-perfect and also impressive ceremonies, intimate brunches, and also joyful receptions.

Here, you can wed at the Historic Barn, or say "I do" in the middle of the wild blossoms and Huge Skies background. Philipsburg, MT Glenmere Estate Set on 150 acres of lavish landscape, Glenmere Estate delivers you to Europeonly 50 miles far from New York City. The 5-star resort allows for buy-outs, so the building could become your own for the weekend break.

Dream Beach Wedding - Wedding Venues - San Diego

Chester, NY Malibu Rocky Oaks Estate Vineyards This premier winery location boasts breathtaking sights of the Santa Monica Mountains and also rolling hillsides of California for a sky-high experience like no other. Pro pointer: the estate advises scheduling days from April to November for the very best weather condition as well as greenest creeping plants. Malibu, CA AMAN Venice Embed in among the city's 8 amazing significant palazzos on the Grand Canal, AMAN Venice symbolizes all that is outstanding and also sensuous regarding La Serenissima (Northern Italy).

Most Beautiful Wedding Venue In Every State - Purewow

Venice, Italy Daughters of the American Revolution Hall This preferable place just obstructs from the White Home features wonderful sights of the Washington Monolith. Crystal chandeliers, antique furnishings, and elegant Beaux-Arts style are just a few of the factors we enjoy this historic room, whose indoor/outdoor options are both stylish and picturesque.

Pippin Hillside Farm & Vineyards Sweeping sights of rolling hills and also wineries coupled with a cooking experience like no other is all you require for an effective celebrationand Pippin Hillside has you covered on all accounts. What's more, the property is possessed as well as operated by Easton Doorperson Group, co-founded by one of MARKET Bride's Leading Wedding event Coordinators on the planet, Lynn Easton of Easton Occasions.

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It treads an equilibrium between English sophistication and also happily surrealfor some, Aynhoe Park is a diverse play area of the creative imagination; for others, it's a research in refinement. For all, nonetheless, it is a getaway from the predictable as well as a remedy to the everyday. See how this pair joined at Anyhoe Park and also combined the English countryside with Burning Man ideas to fit their style.

Go with an intimate ceremony in the church bordered by frescoes, or benefit from one of the bigger venues on home (for as much as 500 visitors). Take pleasure in supper outside in the gardens or inside at the Conventino, an ancient church inside the residential or commercial property developed into a great hall. Florence, Italy Haiku Mill A magnificent property situated on Maui's north shore, off the famous Roadway to Hana, you'll discover Vintage Europe satisfies natural Hawaiian elegance at Haiku Mill.

Maui, Hawaii Ritz Paris Paris, while called The City of Light, is likewise undeniably the city of love and romance. And Also the Ritz Paris is a jewel box in the center of it all, with its sweeping views of the Place Vendme. With stunning ballrooms, magnificently assigned collections, and also a few of the most quintessentially Parisian information in store, it's no marvel style brides across the globe desire of wedding event inside its walls and also in it's private courtyard.

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If you can't decide whether a lush ballroom reception, a countryside event, or a '20's glam after event feeling is ideal for you, this place could house them alland extra. Asheville, NC Flora Farms This farm-to-table place and also restaurant is a Cabo fan-favoriteand permanently reason. With numerous private exterior locations for occasions, like a Mango Grove with a block barn, a natural herb garden amphitheater, a beautiful potting shed, restaurant, as well as extra, the variety of guests as well as season aid figure out which area is ideal suited for you.

San Jos del Cabo, Mexico Atlanta Background Facility Believe Selected the Wind at this historical house in the heart of Georgia. With lovely design and gardens, take into consideration the marvelous yards at the Swan House Mansion or the rustic appeal of the Smith Household Farm and McElreath Hall for your wedding event settingeither way you'll enjoy its Southern design.

Offering an unique setup for any kind of dimension celebration (large or little), the dramatic clocktower is stylish, open, and also airy. As well as when you aren't dining in one of the city's ideal known buildings, your guests can enjoy all the dining establishments, activities, and also sites SF needs to supply. San Francisco, CA French's Point Make your wedding celebration feel like a getaway, a reunion, and also a wedding all-in-one at French's Pointa beautiful 14-acre place on the coast of Maine.

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Stockton Springs, ME The Frick Collection Stimulating the glamour of Opulent Age New York, The Frick Collection is a worldwide recognized gallery and study center recognized for its recognized Dutch Master paintings and also superior instances of European sculpture as well as attractive arts. While several New York City places of this caliber really feel grand, large, and better for a big guest checklist, this special area gives a classy yet intimate feel for any type of event, reception, mixed drink party, or welcome dinner.

New York, NY, UNITED STATES Domaine de Andols Exuding pure high-end in one-of-a-kind ways, Domaine de Andols features one-of-a-kind, contemporary rental properties for you as well as your guests and also a magnificent centenary tree changed right into dining establishment at the end of the Domaine. Serving fresh and regional products at this suspended tree bryllup københavn leading terrace, the sight of the Domaine as well as the odor of the lavender areas are just a number of the reasons you'll never ever desire to leave.

Saint-Saturnin-ls-Apt, France Taj Lake Palace Organizing previous customers such as Jacqueline Kennedy as well as Queen Elizabeth, this regal and also absolutely romantic palace in Udaipur is second to none. The resort's striking white marble facade with sights of Udaipur, the Aravalli hills, and temples around function as the utmost background for an intimate wedding event in India.

Wedding Venues - Visit Lodi

Pro Idea: Here, you'll likely have to reserve a particular number of rooms for as much as 60 guests, so make sure to verify your count. Udaipur, India Four Seasons Lanai Panoramic sights of the Pacific and a genuine Polynesian cultural flair fulfill the ultimate in service, ease, as well as quality at the Four Seasons Lanai.

Lanai City, Hawaii The White Elephant A New England location with a preppy panache, the White Elephant harbor side inn hosts weddings on its well-manicured lawn. For those looking to toss a particularly lavish occasion, the entire resort (with space for 300 guests) is readily available for lease. Functions comply with on the terrace neglecting the waterfront, with adequate oysters and also cocktails to please also the pickiest of visitors.

The location comes total with a selection of choices, both inside and out, like the classy Light fixture Ballroom, which houses 8 custom Baccarat crystal light fixtures, and the 8,000-square-foot Great Lawn, with boundless sea views. Montecito, CA Cedar Lakes Estate This is where you ought to head if "down-to-earth," "rustic," "nature-lover," or "modern bohemian" best describes you or your aesthetic.

Best Asheville Wedding Venues - Romantic Asheville

From a treehouse to lakeside event, this residential property satisfaction itself on just booking a choose varieties of weddings annually to concentrate on making each of them special, unique, and well-executed. Greenville, NY Nizuc Resort & Day Spa Just outside Cancnand only ten mins from the airportlies heaven, calmness, and absolutely nothing near to the springtime break vibes you're made use of to in this part of the country.

Remain in a modern-day high-rise with your very own personal plunge swimming pool, or choose a relaxing garden suite in the mangroves. Flaunting 2 special beaches, a luxurious day spa by ESPA, six premium restaurants, and also sumptuous lodgings, Nizuc is optimal for wedding events both big and little. Location: Cancun, Mexico Amangiri Amangiri, which implies 'calm mountain', is located in Southern Utah and also is a minimal's desire.

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ramonaillustrationtwo · 4 years

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From left to right top to bottom; Antonio Lopez, Maxime de la Falaise, NYC, 1967, Antonio Lopez, Carol Labrie, NYC, 1969, Lopez, Hemphill and Ramos, 1982, Antonio Lopez, Grace Jones, 1982.

Research point: Fashion Illustration

“Historically, imagery that promoted the fashions of the day, most notably from the early 20th century to the 1950s, was dominated by illustration. However, the discipline lost ground to photography and it was not until the 1990s that illustrators have returned to this domain.” (Alan Male 2007)

I believe there is truth in the above quote as you can see the changes between the first part of the 20th century in comparison to the start of the 21st. Much like reportage illustration early 20th century fashion illustration is focused on conveying information. Images are precise and clean conveying an aspirational aesthetic. Clothing looks expensive, glamorous and the artist captures the look, feel and weight of the fabric. ‘[…] you must feel the fabric in your mind otherwise you won’t convey it’s character in your drawing’ (Marshall,1948).

In her essay for Illustration History Sarah Goethe-Jones describes fashion illustration as “the unique ability to use pen or brush in such a way that it not only captures nuance through gesture but is also able to transform the graphic representation of a garment, accessory, or cosmetic into an object of desire. The job of the fashion artist is to ‘tell the story of the dress.’” (Goethe-Jones, 2019) I believe this statement applies to the industry both past and present however the stories that the dresses tell have changed.

In the below illustrations from 1913 - the 50′s. The woman are stylised in a manner that has remained consistent within the fashion industry in that they are very thin, tall with a pronounced narrow waist. The models feel quite static and actively posing rather than later illustrations which try to capture fabric in movement. These images are telling a story of being beautiful, glamourous. These women look as though they are heading to an event, she is a socialite, part of the elite. Photos weren’t widely published at the time so there was a necessity for illustration in order to sell clothes.

From left to right top to bottom, Vintage pattern sourced (Voguepatterns.mccall.com, 2020) René Gruau, Dior 1947. Vintage pattern sourced (Voguepatterns.mccall.com, 2020) Vintage pattern sourced (Voguepatterns.mccall.com, 2020) Fitzwater, Fanny Fern, circa 1920. Mourgue, Pierre, 1946. Alberto-Fabio Lorenzi,1913. St Cyr, Va,1915.

Post 1950′s there was a decline in fashion illustrations produced as magazines editors found the public responded more to photography. This is not to say work was not being produced. In Masters of Fashion Illustration David Downton explains ‘In, response, fashion illustrators adopted a new graphic dynaisim as the challenge became to do what photography can’t’ (Downton 2012). This can be seen in many illustrations from the late part of the century. Use of line and colour notably become more experimental working hard to capture the movement of clothing. For me the work of Antonio Lopez is an example of this. Despite the general decline in the industry he was one of the few who were able to capture the imagination of the fashion publications with his bold stylised drawings.

Photographed by David Bailey and illustrated by Antonio Lopez, Vogue, March 1973 Antonio Lopez in Vogue “Couture Spring: Soft at Night”.

llustrated by Antonio Lopez, Vogue, August 1973 Antonio Lopez in Vogue “Beauty Now: Coloreidoscope”

Illustrated by Antonio Lopez, Vogue, November 1984Antonio Lopez in Vogue “True Wit: Norma Kamali”

References

Borrelli-Persson, L. (2018). Before There Were Influencers, There Was Antonio, Illustrator Extraordinaire and Arbiter of Style. [online] Vogue. Available at: https://www.vogue.com/article/antonio-lopez-1970s-sex-fashion-disco-documentary-by-james-crump [Accessed 1 Feb. 2020].

Collections.vam.ac.uk. (2020). Search the Collections | Victoria and Albert Museum. [online] Available at: https://collections.vam.ac.uk [Accessed 1 Feb. 2020].

Downton, D. (2012). Masters of fashion illustration. London: Laurence King.

Goethe-Jones, S. (2019). Fashion Illustration from the 16th Century to Now - Illustration History. [online] Illustrationhistory.org. Available at: https://www.illustrationhistory.org/essays/fashion-illustration-from-the-16th-century-to-now [Accessed 1 Feb. 2020].

Hernandez, J. (2016). Antonio Lopez, the Legendary Nuyorican Illustrator Who Changed the Fashion Industry Forever. [online] Remezcla. Available at: https://remezcla.com/features/culture/antonio-lopez-fashion-illustrator/ [Accessed 1 Feb. 2020].

Lopez, A., Hemphill, C. and Ramos, J. (1982). Antonio's girls. London: Thames and Hudson.

MARSHALL, F. (1948). Fashion Drawing. (Third edition.). Studio Publications: London & New York.

Thong, H. (2017). Leo Greenfield - Fashion Illustrator | MAKERS WHO INSPIRE. [video] Available at: https://youtu.be/Qs8ixWAgRiQ [Accessed 1 Feb. 2020].

Vam.ac.uk. (n.d.). Fashion Drawing and Illustration in the 20th Century - Victoria and Albert Museum. [online] Available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/f/fashion-drawing-in-the-20th-century/ [Accessed 1 Feb. 2020].

Voguepatterns.mccall.com. (2020). Vogue Patterns. [online] Available at: https://voguepatterns.mccall.com [Accessed 1 Feb. 2020].

#part2 #artref

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alwaysmarilynmonroe · 7 years

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The first place we ventured out of Cannes for was a very well known country called, Monaco! Known to most as the home for many years of Hollywood Icon turned Princess, Grace Kelly – Monaco is visited by thousands of tourists every year and home to some of the most rich and glamourous. As soon as I discovered Grace, through my love of Classic Hollywood, I’ve always dreamt of visiting this magical place and this year in July, I finally got the chance to do this!

Monaco is around an hour away in the car from Cannes, so thankfully not too far and he majority of it can be seen in a day, although I’d definitely like to spend more time there. As soon as you arrive in Monaco, it’s almost as if you can feel the change in the air, it’s so aesthetically beautiful and without doubt the perfect home for a Royal Family. Once you enter Monaco and leave the car park, you definitely should prepare for a lot of uphill walking, as the country is situated on a huge hill. Although all the walking isn’t always pleasant in the hot weather, it’s definitely worth it, plus, there’s so many beautiful sculptures and flowers to witness during the journey. Furthermore, there’s lots of places to rest if you need a mini rest, just definitely make sure you bring sunglasses and lots of water.

Once you walk up the hill you venture through the wonderful streets of Monaco and see the beautiful architecture of the buildings, many restaurants and a lots of gift shops featuring the beautiful Grimaldi Family. I could definitely spend hours looking in and out of each shop and building, but alas, one day is not enough! However, the most important place to visit in Monaco is of course, the incredible Prince’s Palace of Monaco, which for just €8, (!) you can go inside! I can honestly say, this was a huge dream come true for me personally, as not only is the Prince’s Palace beyond beautiful, it’s a huge part of Grace’s life and Monaco History. Of course, privacy has to be respected and no photos are allowed inside, so sadly there won’t be any here in my post. However, the fact that everyone is welcome to visit the insides of this incredible building is so kind and thoughtful as ultimately, it is Prince Albert and Princess Charlene’s home!

After wondering through the beautiful Palace, we ventured into the official Monaco Gift Shop – my dream store! It was so wonderful to see a whole stand of photos dedicated to stunning photo prints of Princess Grace, I’m sure she would truly be so touched by all the love she receives over thirty years after she tragically left us.

Throughout Monaco and Monte Carlo, there is a special Grace photo trail, documenting twenty five significant moments during her lifetime! I wish I could have taken the time to find every one of these photo stops, but sadly I only had the chance to witness three. However, hopefully one day I can complete this wonderful tribute to Grace’s legacy! It’s such a unique idea, not only enjoyable for tourists and fans but also a huge aid in educating people on Monaco’s History.

The other important place to visit is of course, the Monaco Cathedral, which is both joyous for uniting Grace and Rainier in marriage and poignant for being their final resting places. The building itself is simply breathtaking, not only in size but in architecture too. We were slightly delayed in visiting the Cathedral as a Wedding was taking place the first time we tried to enter. It sounds silly, but it’s easy to forget that Monaco isn’t just the home of the Prince and Princess, it has many citizens too! Thankfully, when we checked back, the Cathedral was back open to the public and I could visit Grace and pay my respects to her.

It was so surreal to walk around this beautiful Cathedral and think that over sixty years ago Grace married Prince Rainier and became a Princess. I tried to focus on this historical moment and picture the beautiful Bride but in reality I was preparing to spend a few moments with Grace. I’d seen her resting place in photos before and it was easily recognizable by the multiple bouquets of flowers all placed on this one spot. Placed above her grave is the most beautiful painting of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier on their Wedding Day, which is poetically fitting as their lives together both started and ended here. As you can imagine, the Princess’s grave is the most popular and it can get quite crowded, plus, the area is fairly small so sadly you can’t stay for a long period of time. However, I definitely made the most of the minutes I had with Grace and of course paid my respects to Rainier then headed for the exit.

Before you leave the Cathedral there’s actually a small sign stating that tourists cannot visit the Princess during Wedding Ceremonies, which almost brought a tear to my eye as this shows how loved and respected she is by so many people. The fact that a sign was needed to inform the thousands of visitors about this without doubt confirms this and it warmed my little heart. I hope wherever you are, beautiful Grace, you know how thankful the people of Monaco are for your incredible contribution to the Grimaldi Family Legacy and that you’re still so adored by millions of people worldwide who visit you each year.

Before leaving Monaco, it was incredibly important for me to visits the Princess Grace Rose Garden, which was created in honour of the Princess after her untimely death. I absolutely love flowers and roses also happen to be my favourite, so this was something I really wanted to see whilst visiting Monaco. The garden is filled with over 8000 rose bushes and features a variety of over 300. A beautiful sculpture of Grace is placed at the top of the garden, with a fountain running throughout, creating a peaceful and calm atmosphere. Also, Grace’s Royal Emblem is adorned on the gates of the garden, with another sculpture featuring a quote by the Princess on her love of roses. This is such a wonderful tribute to Grace and I’m sure she would visit often if she was still with us.

After leaving Monaco we took the short drive into Monte Carlo, the place that truly lives life in the fast lane. Famous for hosting the Grand Prix, Monte Carlo is hugely popular with car lovers and gambling, owning arguably the most famous Casino of all time; the Casino de Monte Carlo. This building has been featured in many films and is visited by thousands of tourists each year, even if you’re not into gambling the architecture alone is worth viewing it for. In all honesty, there’s not much to do in Monte Carlo if you’re not extremely wealthy – a bottle of still water cost us a staggering €4, (!) but if you’re in Monaco – it’s definitely worth visiting.

During my stay in France, Monaco is definitely my favourite place we visited and I really hope I will be able to go back one day and spend more time there! Stay tuned for the next post in my Cannes series, which will be all about the incredible, Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild!

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Dial M For Monaco. The first place we ventured out of Cannes for was a very well known country called, Monaco!

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mosidigitalinnovation · 6 years

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Week 4

Today we transitioned from Photoshop to a software called Illustrator, Illustrator is your primary base for vector based images whereas Photoshop is the primary base for pixel images. We firstly learnt the basics of how to navigate the tool bar, touring the interface and navigating the interface. We also learnt the importance of creating art boards, which are useful if you are creating a series of graphics. Doing this on an art board is much quicker and easier to access and manipulate rather than having to open separate files.

In addition, we carried on our work on the selection tool in Photoshop. Rather than selecting images with hard edges, we experimented with images that had softer edges, like fluffy animals. After using the selection tool, we may need to refine the edges to pick up complex edges such as hair, this means that the image won’t look like its been cut out and stuck onto another picture, but all the details of the picture, including hair, will still be there.

In the afternoon we explored more into our MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) promotion brief. I started to look into the idea of focusing on the past, present and future of fashion designers.

MATHEW WILLIAMSON - Fashion designer

Mathew Williamson, a fashion, lifestyle and interior designer from Manchester, known for his bold, colorful and carefully constructed designs, created his acclaimed debut show ‘Electric Angels’ in 1997, showed at London fashion week, which established his highly recognisable signature aesthetic. His debut emphasised a master of print, embellishment and kaleidoscopic (multi-coloured) colour, the collection reflects a refined sense of glamour, inspired by global and artistic influences. The debut show of only fourteen vibrantly coloured looks worn by models including Kate Moss, Helena Christensen and Jade Jagger made a huge impact on the fashion world, showcasing a taster of what was to come in the years to follow.

Matthew received two successive nominations for Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards, 1999 and 2000. Starting in September 2003, the company began collaborating with Coca-Cola on applying Matthew Williamson prints onto the iconic glass bottles. The first ‘Parrot Print’ bottle was so successfully received that the collaboration was extended to include three further prints which were launched in conjunction with the opening of the company’s first flagship store.

ZEYNEP KARTAL - Fashion designer

Another designer I looked at is Zeynep Kartal, Zeynep launched the Zeynep Kartal brand in Manchester in the beginning of 2013, following more than twenty years of experience in the fashion industry in a variety of areas including textile, design, production and marketing.

The designers aesthetic creates a distinctive sense of elegance and femininity using the finest fabrics including natural silk, crepe, lace, and lurex silk hand-made embellishments.

‘My collections are elegant, timeless, sophisticated, and because of the detailed elements every piece of the collection is unique and tailored to fit. For each collection I aim to give the Zeynep Kartal ethos for every woman who wears a Zeynep Kartal dress a feeling of stylish sophistication and self-confidence.’

Nabil El-Nayal - Fashion designer

Nabil’s obsession with Elizabethan craftsmanship has deeply informed his practice; seen through his use of pleats, dramatic construction and powerful silhouettes. Whilst this backdrop of historical references remains at the heart of the brand, Nabil is also conducting extensive research into ways in which these techniques can be applied, using the latest technologies. He was the first fashion designer in the world to use 3D printing in June 2010 and is currently undertaking a research doctorate in how 3D scanning can become integral to the design process.

BEN KELLY - Interior designer

Best known for his interior design of The Hacienda (a nightclub and music venue) in Manchester, which he converted from a yacht showroom, retaining its red brick facade, inner columns and large iron doors. He did much other work for Factory Records, including their 1990 company office in Charles Street, Manchester.He has collaborated extensively with graphic designer Peter Saville with Saville basing much of his early work on Kelly’s. Kelly and Saville won a Designers and Art Directors Award for the sleeve of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark’s self-titled first album.

IAN SIMPSON - Architect

Is an English architect and one of the partners of SimpsonHaugh and Partners , established in 1987 with Rachel Haugh.

His father was a demolition contractor. Excelling in art and woodwork at school, and claims he knew he wanted to be an architect from age 12. He studied architecture at Liverpool Polytechnic and after he completed his studies he left to work in London with Foster and Partners.

After three years, he moved back to Manchester and set up Ian Simpson Architects with Rachel Haugh. Simpson's lecturer’s post at Manchester University paid the bills; the practice wouldn’t make a profit for almost ten years.

The main offices of the practice are in Castlefield, Manchester, and there is also has a London office, working on several projects in the capital. Beyond the UK, Simpson is building a new concert hall in Antwerp.

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plantrock · 6 years

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Hi Internet!

It’s that time of year again. I’m pleased to report that even with moving, traveling, and starting school again, I still managed to read 53 books in 2017. Not as many as last year, but given the chaos my life has been through in the last 12 months I am not in the least upset. 50 books is a good goal for me, as it’s roughly one book a week–though in reality I read in jumps and spurts. Sometimes a book will take two weeks, whereas, in weeks like this one, I’ll read three books in one week.

For this year’s recap I am going to separate the books I read into categories by my ratings, as well as give a one-sentence (ish) review. Want more info? Message me or look up the book!

FIVE STAR

THE POWER, Naomi Alderman

Women around the world spontaneously obtain the ability to generate and control electricity and the chaos that ensues left me shaken in the best way. (WORLD WAR Z meets THE HANDMAID’S TALE.)

GLAMOUR ADDICTION, Juliet McMains

A very readable academic analysis of the socioeconomic landscape of competitive Ballroom dance that had me excitedly annotating from page one.

HAMILTON: THE REVOLUTION, Lin-Manual Miranda & Jeremy McCarter

I mean do I really have to explain this–there’s a million things I haven’t done, but just you wait.

THE END OF THE DAY, Claire North

A slow-but-emotional travelogue of the adventures of the Harbinger of Death–not my favorite of North’s novels, but contains her characteristically beautiful prose.

THE COLLAPSING EMPIRE, John Scalzi

The first installment in a cinematic space opera series by sci-fi giant Scalzi, EMPIRE is tightly plotted, has fascinating characters, and the far-future world feels familiar without exactly copying others in the genre.

REJECTED PRINCESSES, Jason Porath

Tired of the Grimm and Disney versions? This collection of women from myth, legend, and history around the world explores less convenient and less kid-friendly tales of women who stuck to their guns and caused a ruckus.

SO YOU’VE BEEN PUBLICLY SHAMED, Jon Ronson

Though slightly dated in our modern light-speed internet world, this exploration of the power of social media is required reading for anyone participating in the Feed.

PANDEMIC, Sonia Shah

Yes, I’m a sucker for the world-wide-plague book, but this non-fiction depiction of how epidemics begin, spread, and shape the world we know today is excellent.

SPINNING MAMBO INTO SALSA, Juliet McMains

An ethnographic and historical comparison of the three US cities that spawned Salsa and Mambo, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in social dance and the phenomenon that is Salsa.

EVERYTHING I NEVER TOLD YOU, Celeste Ng

A deft and moving family drama about immigration, middle-class America, and the secrets we keep from those closest to us.

FOUR STAR

SAILING TO SARANTIUM & LORD OF EMPERORS, Guy Gavriel Kay

A lyrical and occasionally violent duology that walks the line between alt-history and fantasy based on the Byzantine empire.

THE REFRIGERATOR MONOLOGUES, Catherynne Valente

THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES meets every superhero story ever–this short-story collection is piercing look at (loosely) veiled comic book tales and the women they have wronged.

THE NURSES, Alexandra Robbins

A non-fiction account of lives of those in the medical field who often seem to play second-fiddle to doctors. (Honestly I don’t remember much about this one, but I must have enjoyed it.)

STORIES OF YOUR LIFE, AND OTHERS, Ted Chiang

A mind-bending collection of science fiction short stories, including the one that inspired the 2016 movie ARRIVAL.

VAMPIRE GOD, Mary Hallub

The most comprehensive academic analysis of vampire media in the 19th through 21st centuries I have ever read.

IT DEVOURS!, Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor

This second book in the Night Vale world tackles science vs religion, and though they miss the mark a little, I will always love their prose and the universe they have built.

DANCE WRITINGS AND POETRY, Edwin Denby

This collection of original poetry and arts reviews contains gems from mid-20th-century dance critic Edwin Denby, including a fascinating interview regarding classicism with George Balanchine himself.

THE CITY AND THE CITY, China Mieville

Is it science fiction? Is it artfully written detective fiction? I don’t think I’ve read a book so able to walk that line between fantasy and reality–as the characters walk the lines between their inexplicably separated cities.

BEAUTIFUL FLESH: A BODY OF ESSAYS, edited by Stephanie G’Schwind

A collection of essays from a variety of authors, each focusing on a particular body part and their relationship to it. My personal favorite was a musing on the heart and humans’ relationship to electricity from an author with an implanted defibrillator.

WHAT IS LIFE? HOW CHEMISTRY BECOMES BIOLOGY, Addy Pross

A systems chemists attempt to re-frame how we think about life and its origins on our planet. This book is short but technically dense–good for the trained scientist, less so for the layperson.

THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, Jen Campbell

A quietly creepy collection of fairy tale and folk-lore-influenced short stories. My favorite was the first story, about a man who buys his girlfriend a new heart to ensure that she won’t leave him.

THE QUEEN OF BLOOD, Sarah Beth Durst

A bit of a guilty pleasure read, this fantasy series opener explores a world where the ruler of the realm must fight back malevolent natural forces.

AMBERLOUGH, Lara Donnelly

CABARET the musical in novel form–this darkly beautiful story details the rise of facism in a fantasy world and how it impacts a colorful cast of miscreants.

THE ESSEX SERPENT, Sarah Perry

A beautiful and suspenseful tale of romance and loss in Victorian England, set again the backdrop of a hunt for a fantasy creature.

HILLBILLY ELEGY, J. D. Vance

Both an autobiography and an attempt to explain the socioeconomic situation of Appalachian folks–but I’m conflicted on how much to buy into his arguments. Worth a read, though.

THE DIABOLIC, S. J. Kincaid

This story of a test-tube-grown bodyguard finding her humanity in a crumbling, corrupt space empire is the first YA sci-fi in a while that I didn’t hate!

BALLROOM DANCING IS NOT FOR SISSIES, Elizabeth & Arthur Seagull

Despite the sub-title, there is nothing R-rated about this how-to guide in balancing relationships and ballroom dancing.

DANCE WITH ME: BALLROOM DANCING AND THE PROMISE OF INSTANT INTIMACY, Julia Erickson

Despite the author’s obvious disdain for GLAMOUR ADDICTION (see Five Stars), this sociological analysis of studio ballroom culture lands on many of the same points as that other title, in addition to a hilariously accurate layout of the different performances of gender roles seen on the social dance floor.

THREE STAR

FOSSE, Sam Wasson

High on the drama and the page count, this biography of choreography legend Bob Fosse wastes no opportunity to dip into his sordid history and the seedy side of Broadway.

FUTURE HOME OF THE LIVING GOD, Lousie Erdrich

Despite its lovely prose, this novel doesn’t rise above the fact that it’s basically a less-good retelling of THE HANDMAID’S TALE.

MINDSET, Carol S. Dweck

My boss at my old job ‘suggested’ I read this. I remember nothing about it.

THE MAD SCIENTIST’S GUIDE TO WORLD DOMINATION, Edited by John Joseph Adams

This collection of mad-science-themed short stories was sadly a mixed bag of quality–I loved one or two, barely finished others.

THE AERONAUT’S WINDLASS, Jim Butcher

A rollicking romp through a steampunk fantasy world, though I found the characters stock and the world forgettable. (The cat, though, is worth the price of admission alone.)

THE PALACE THIEF, Ethan Canin

Four not-particularly-memorable short stories concerning isolation and mid-century masculinity.

THREE DARK CROWNS, Kendare Blake

You’d think I’d have learned by now that YA fantasy does not float my boat, but, alas, I went into this tale of warring island factions and powerful queens-to-be expecting more than it delivered.

HOW TO BUILD A GIRL, Caitlin Moran

Sadly the details of this book have also faded, though I recall not understanding the nuances of British classism.

HEADS IN BEDS, Jacob Tomsky

A bit memoir, a bit how-to on cheating the hotel system of years gone by, a bit forgettable.

YOU’RE NEVER WEIRD ON THE INTERNET (ALMOST), Felicia Day

I’ve been a fan of Day since the Guild years, but this memoir suffers from the same problem as most of its internet-personality cohort–her story isn’t over, and the book feels unfinished.

JEROME ROBBINS: HIS LIFE, HIS THEATER, HIS DANCE, Deborah Jowitt

An interesting but dense biography of Broadway legend and second-fiddle-to-Balanchine Robbins. I was glad of the information, but am wary of glorifying a man who had a reputation as a tyrannical director.

DANCING OUT OF LINE: BALLROOMS, BALLETS, AND MOBILITY IN VICTORIAN FICTION AND CULTURE, Molly Engelhardt

Some interesting comparisons between Regency era and Victorian era social dance norms, but this book’s focus on dance depictions in time-period fiction did not hold my interest.

THE HOUSE OF GOD, Samuel Shem

A bizarre and polarizing account of the lives of medical residents in the 1970s that reads like a fever dream.

THEN WE CAME TO THE END, Joshua Ferris

I think this fictionalized account of office life was supposed to be equal parts pathos and satire, but I found it just vaguely sad and forgettable.

FROM BALLROOM TO DANCESPORT: AESTHETICS, ATHLETICS, AND BODY CULTURE, Caroline Picart

The author makes some interesting points about changes necessary to the DanceSport world in order for the sport’s inclusion in the Olympics, but the rest of the book is superseded by GLAMOUR ADDICTION (see Five Star).

AN EMBER IN THE ASHES, Sabaa Tahir

Again with the I-apparently-don’t-like-YA-Fantasy, and this one had the added bonus of being way too violent for my tastes.

THINKING WITH THE DANCING BRAIN, Sandra Minton

Neuroscience 101 for dancers–a nice refresher for me, but not much beyond that.

THE CROWN’S GAME, Evelyn Skye

Romance! Czarist Russia! Romance! Magic! Sadly I didn’t get into the relationship of the main characters.

TANGO AND THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF PASSION, Marta E. Savigliano

This academic analysis of the history of tango and the socioeconomic forces at work during the dance’s creation had some interesting tid-bits, but I found it difficult to read and some stylistic choices hard to decipher.

TWO STAR

ZONE ONE, Colson Whitehead

I love zombie novels, but this one tries to be ‘litrary’ and cerebral and I just found it dull, forgettable, and overly wordy.

THE ANUBIS GATES, Tim Powers

The cover of this absurdist time-traveling fantasy promises way more Ancient Egypt than I actually got. Crazy premise, idiotic characters, and only enough rollicking fun to laugh at.

YOU ARE A BADASS, Jen Sincero

For all its bluster and wanna-be subversiveness, BADASS is a pretty standard self-help book. Sadly I am one of the most self-motivated people I know, so the get-up-and-go was lost on me.

THE BLACK PRISM, Brent Weeks

The fascinating magic system was the only thing carrying me through this mess of unlikable characters and fantasy tropes.

ONE STAR

BALLROOM! OBSESSION AND PASSION INSIDE THE WORLD OF COMPETITIVE DANCE, Sharon Savoy

Never have I disagreed so completely with advice given and conclusions drawn as I did from those of professional-ballet-dancer-turned-cabaret-division-star Savoy. Want a rant? Ask me more.

And that’s a wrap! If you made it all the way down here, thank you for reading, and may you have a wonderful New Year!

A Reading Re-cap: 2017 Hi Internet! It's that time of year again. I'm pleased to report that even with moving, traveling, and starting school again, I still managed to read 53 books in 2017.

#2017 wrap-up #book ratings #book review #books #celeste ng #claire north #favorites #glamour addiction #hamilton #jen campbell #john scalzi #night vale #ted chiang #the power

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