May was an excellent month for design. I had a couple of opportunities to really let my imagination run.
First, I got a request from one of my favorite clients to make a wedding garter set for her soon to be sister-in-law. Then, two magical words were said to describe this wedding:
Burlesque Masquerade
Oh my gosh, sign me up, and can you get me an invitation!
Smoldering temptress
This little vixen was made with upcycled venetian-style lace from a corset given to me by a former cocktail waitress. She was named for an angel, plays with the devil, and lives like a force of nature. I had to use this lace. Had.To.
Temptation for two
The toss garter (because temptation is best when shared) is made primarily from a red silk camisole. Appropriate, right?
This next garter is one I've been splashing all over the web. Okay, just Facebook and twitter, but I can't help myself. I love it!
This was custom order for a bride who is marrying a man with a fondness for skulls. That button came from an amazing shop, Haute Button, on Etsy. I absolutely cannot wait to snatch up more buttons for embellishing garters. I may even find an excuse to make me some cute clothes so I can sport some of those babies, myself!
If I had this much fun in May, I wonder what sort of girls and garters June will bring me! Have you been having some extra design fun lately? Tell me about it!
"There’s something beautiful in showing off things that are meant to be on the inside or underneath.
"A sliver of silk or a frill of lace peeking out from under a skirt, a
satin strap slipping off the shoulder, it all suggests the possibility
of being undressed, of another layer, and of intimacy.
"Whether it be emotions, secrets, skin,
fears, or a garter, the act of displaying what is meant to be intimate
is seductive and decidedly feminine. It’s powerful, inviting,
flirtatious, and delicate. In our dress, the effect ranges from daring
to innocent to modest. {The last being a sign of the times in the fact
that so many women skip the garters or slips.}
"In the home, taking
something lovely that is usually kept in the closet or lingerie chest
and placing it on the wall or by the window for all to see gives a room a
playful, whimsical effect.
"And, in our relationships, the result can be
devastatingly beautiful and empowering."
Oh my lovelies, our poor burlesque expert, Elsa Sjunneson, has had a brutal summer. When we first met our resident burlesque expert she had just completed her Master's degree in Women's History. But what would be the fun in stopping there? No, no, Elsa dedicated her summer to meeting deadlines for her thesis.
Because she rocks.
I've missed her terribly and am so happy to welcome her back to NPJ for more truth about the burlesque arts.
1) Get your read on! The Burlesque Handbook by Jo "Boobs" Weldon is great! She's written a book that teaches everything from the basics of movement, down to how to make pasties and book yourself shows.
book cover image via Harper Collins
2) Take in a movie! A Wink and a Smile by Deirdre Allen Timmons is a film about the Seattle Academy of Burlesque. It's streaming on Netflix, and, while it won't teach you how to perform, it'll teach you about the challenges involved in learning!
3) Go to a school! All across the country there are burlesque schools, there's the Seattle Academy, the New York Academy, The Richmond Institute of Burlesque, Studio L'Amour in Chicago, and many many more! Just poke around and your city will probably have something for you to take!
4) Watch YouTube. If you search for the 2011 Burlesque Hall of Fame, you will find videos of incredible acts and performances from all over the world, which you can learn from.
5) Find a show in your town! Go watch people perform, support the community financially, and enjoy the art form!
Gentry Lane, posing for a photo shoot, is behind one of Paris’s newest burlesque series.
6) Go to BURLYCON in Seattle! Burlycon is an event every year where the community comes together to teach each other about the art form we all love and perform in. This year I'm teaching four classes (FOUR!) and I'm really excited about it!
Something I've discovered is that a lot of people think that just because they've taken a burlesque class means they have to go ahead and perform professionally While I think performing can be a lot of fun, I think sometimes people should just take the class and learn about their bodies. I'm not saying you CAN'T go play with the pros, but that if you're not 100% confident in it, or if you had originally just wanted to take the class for yourself, or for your husband, or your boyfriend, you don't have to go further than that. Make burlesque as fun as you want it to be, and make it about YOU and you'll always have fun while you're dancing! '
In the last few weeks I have been busy busy with custom orders. And I am not complaining! Okay, I'm complaining a little, but only because my sweet clients are claiming their one-of-a-kind garters as fast as I can list them in my shop so you guys don't really get a chance to see them.
Of course, the ladies I work with have exquisite taste and I've had a lot of fun designing for them. You, my lovelies, just have to see what been flying out of the Never a Plain Jane design studio.
Remember these fab vintage buttons with their adorable anchors? Well, that post was up less than 24 hours before a sailor's wife told me to "get 'em." She wanted a garter for a boudoir shoot she's doing - a gift to her deployed husband. I was more than happy to oblige.
Knotted rope heart and vintage button detail on "The Sailor's Wife" by Never a Plain Jane Designs
"The Sailor's Wife," a unique, custom garter from Never a Plain Jane Designs
Then there's Jenn. After 30-something years her mother is getting the big wedding she never had. Jenn asked me to help her design a garter duo as her special gift to her mom. She described a woman who appreciates pattern, color, primitives, quirky jewelry, vintage, and handmade. The only request was that I include peacock feathers. This weekend there will be a happy bride will be wearing this thoughtful gift from her loving daughter:
"Pretty as a..." keepsake garter by Never a Plain Jane Designs
"Pretty as a..." toss garter by Never a Plain Jane Designs
This must be the weekend for weddings because I had just finished Jenn's giftable duo when I received my first rush order - less than two weeks to go before this bride said I do! I work well under pressure, though, and there was no way I could refuse when I saw her dress.
Mina Gown, interpretation of gown from Bram Stokers Dracula by Romantic Threads, Photo by Le Mew Photography
Cristina has designed a Victorian/Edwardian-influenced steampunk wedding. Don't you wish you were going? She asked for a garter duo that incorporated vintage buttons and plenty of drama. She also gave me permission to "bring on the feathers." In my vast button collection I found these brass beauties that reminded me of boot buttons. For the keepsake garter I looped the biot feathers so they mimicked the scalloped lace often used to trim Victorian garmets.
"Mina" garter duo by Never a Plain Jane Designs
Vintage brass button and feather detail on the "Mina" keepsake garter by Never a Plain Jane Designs
Well these shoes, along with their owner's dream for a "vintage, glamorous, Hollywood, Old Las Vegas, classic, shocking and beautiful wedding," were the inspiration for a custom-made garter.
In case the shoes weren't enough, I wanted to whet your appetite for my creation by first sharing someone else's. Jill Fontaine of Stay Calm Cupcake left a comment on my Facebook page proclaiming red wedding shoes bring to her mind...
Red Velvet Cupcakes!
Vegan Crimson Velveteen Cupcakes via Whisk Kid
Hmmm, Jill's suggestion is pretty tasty, but I think my garter is down right decadent. What do you think?
Michele garter custom made by Never a Plain Jane Designs
I used 100% black and red silks upcyled from a couple of blouses scored from a local thrift store. I found the feathers here. I'm thrilled with how it turned out and the bride, Michele, is just over the moon!
Are you feeling inspired yet? Tell me about it in the comments. And if you aren't, maybe you should contact Jill for some cupcakes.
Oh my lovelies, I am so incredibly excited. Ridiculously excited, even. For the last few weeks I have been talking with Elsa Sjunneson (remember Elsa?) about her research in burlesque history and her own performance experiences within that same art form. And guess what!
She's agreed to be the Never a Plain Jane burlesque expert!
So without further ado...
Hello there, if you're reading this, it's because you might have an
interest in burlesque. I'm your new expert. I hold a degree in Women's
History, and am also burlesque performer spawn. I love my job.
When I tell people I work on burlesque history, I get a lot of
interesting comments, but the most interesting is this - "Isn't
burlesque an old art form? Do people even do that anymore?" and the
answer, I am happy to say, is YES!
Burlesque has been around as an American art form since the 1860s, it
was brought over from the British music hall tradition by Lydia
Thompson, and began as theatrical productions which took gender and
screwed around with traditional gender expectations. That is, in
essence, what burlesque is today.
Lydia Thompson in her most famous costume from the burlesque "Robinson Crusoe." via Ixion Burlesque
Burlesque is an art form combining
comedy, eroticism, feminism, gender play, and physicality. Burlesque is a
demonstration of female sexuality, and a protest against the male power
dynamic, while some people will tell you that burlesque isn't
political, I'll argue that any time a woman takes her shirt off because
she wants to, she's making a statement about herself, women, and her own
power.
What isn't
burlesque? Well, burlesque performers aren't strippers in a strip club.
While we definitely believe in protecting their rights as much as our
own, the ways in which we perform, the financial structures within our
work, and the audience elements are completely different. Furthermore,
burlesque is not something that you can watch in the movie "Burlesque"
with Cher and Christina. Sorry, folks. If you liked the movie, you're
within your rights as a consumer, but please don't misconstrue the art
form with the film of the same name! Burlesque is clever, it can be
funny it can be sexy, it can be dark and twisted.
So, what does burlesque look like now? Well, lets take a look at some youtube links!
Fair warning: some of these videos may not be considered safe for work
Lily Verlaine is a trained ballerina who performs in Seattle, WA. The
performance embedded below gained her the 2nd runner up to the title of The Reigning
Queen of Burlesque (Yes, we have a competition, it's run by the
Burlesque Hall of Fame, and it happens in Las Vegas every year. This
year I helped run the oral history project, and got to interview women
who were performing in the mid 20th century!)
The woman who won the title of Queen is Miss Indigo Blue, the founder
of the Seattle Academy of Burlesque! She and Lily are both Seattle
people, and they are both members of my extended sparkly family. Here is
Indigo's performance!
And here is my greatest inspiration - my mom, Paula the Swedish Housewife!
Every week I'll be writing about various aspects of burlesque -
hopefully adding in youtube videos, because I believe that the best
burlesque education involves watching people perform! Feel free to email
in questions, and I'll even answer them!
You heard her, darlings! Your burlesque questions answered! I know you have at least a few, especially after those videos. You can e-mail them to me at neveraplainjane@gmail.com. Oh we are going to have such fun! Thank you, Elsa!
These boned, satin corset costumes are embellished with 2 layers of beautiful fluffy
feathers sewn onto the back of the
corset. They have a great shape
and can be tightened or loosened with the laces found on the back.
Feathers do shed, don't be surprised, it's completely normal.
Satin ribbons and hand-beaded sequin appliques top off these costumes, making them absolutely gorgeous and so much fun to wear!
Darlings, there is something that has really really been bothering me lately. It seems there are a lot of women out there who have been made to feel they are somehow not enough - not thin enough, not tall enough, not pretty enough. On the flip side, are the women who are told they are too much - too plain, too punk, too be-spectacled. And when one of these ladies goes to plan her wedding...Oh the heartbreak. Imagine being told that you are not good enough to have a celebration of your you-ness. Imagine being told that for this one day - this day meant to kick off a forever, meant to be remembered forever - you cannot and shouldn't want to be yourself.
That is unacceptable.
And we are going to change things starting right now so let me introduce you to a woman who has gotten a head start opening doors.
Elsa is a rare breed. Born a "rubella baby," she underwent eight surgeries before she turned one. As a result she has a scar on her back from heart surgery (I can relate) and has to deal with somewhat problematic hearing in her left ear, she is completely blind in her right eye but has retained vision in her left eye. She's not allowed to drive, has no depth perception, limited peripheral vision, and calcium deposits in the right eye that cause her migraines if if she doesn't wear a scleral shell.Obviously, Elsa curled up in a corner sometime in her teenage years and has been wallowing there in the dark ever since. Um, no. Elsa is a burlesque historian and second generation burlesque performer. She just received her Master's in Women's History, she's an ardent feminist, and a proudly disabled woman who enjoys referring to her white cane as a "thwacky stick of destruction."
Before we go any further, what exactly does it mean to be proudly disabled?
Because the world isn't technically built to serve me, I have to make the world work to my advantage. I am proudly disabled because I can make the world work for me.
Recently, Elsa wrote this guest post for Offbeat Bride. Women everywhere broke into thunderous applause. I added a standing ovation and sent her a message straight away. I had to know more.
Families can have a specific picture in their head of what a bride will look like; people on the street will even have images in their head. I am not that picture. It is no one's fault though, it's the fault of the Wedding Industrial Complex. The WIC likes to project the image of a bride to be one specific thing, possibly so that we all try to look like their models. Which would be why I've always envisioned myself as having an "offbeat" wedding.
I am not wearing a veil, because I know that it would prevent me from using what peripheral vision I do have. I am not wearing a white dress, because I would not be able to see the detail on my own dress.
Somehow I think going naked is a little too "offbeat," even for a chick as superbly cool as Elsa. So what is she going to wear?
I'm going to rock out some dressed up dance shoes; preferably ones that look like they came out of the 1930s or 1940s. So, I'll be wearing high heels, but I won't be wearing super showy high heels; they'll be somewhat practical. I am relatively short compared to my other half (seriously, this girl was totally meant to be my friend!) so I definitely want to be at least a little taller.
via Peonies and Polaroids
[As for] the dress, we're adding beading to the back in colors that represent the four elements, [a nod to Druid theology]. We'll probably throw some dark blue sparklies on there, and some hints of lingerie detailing at the hip, since I'm a burlesque historian and performer!
And yes, I am going to play princess with my hair and makeup, though it'll be more 1930s princess with pincurled hair and so on.
Marcel Wave via Pinterest
My glasses are a part of my face. And [my fiance] loves my face. So they stay, too, but...Within three days of becoming engaged, I had already been told that I shouldn't wear my glasses, because they're not bridal. I was told my cane wasn't bridal. I was told my eye (below) was not bridal.
And I realized that if I was going to be "bridal" in their eyes, I would have to change who I am. I am proudly disabled. I am the blind woman who moved across the country by herself to live in New York City. I am the blind woman who has done sword fighting and parkour. I am the blind woman who loves to lindy hop on a crowded dance floor — and I will not change to meet what the Wedding Industry believes is bridal.
When I was told that I shouldn't carry my cane, my fiance's comment was this:
Him: I think you would look very pretty walking down the aisle with your cane.
Me: But it'll be a flat aisle, right?
Him: Actually, I was thinking speed bumps and broken glass!
But don't worry, darlings, Elsa will not walk down the aisle naked in the cane respect, either.
[A] very dear friend of mine Michael Angelus Salerno made me this cane:
This is the Steampunk White Cane aka, "The Steamcane." And lord help anyone who tells me it's not "bridal." I will carry it with pride on my wedding day.
Because of her background in Women's History and Feminism I wondered is Elsa was at all fazed that her fiance had been deemed "groomy" enough.
My groom doesn't feel pressured to do anything. He has determined that he will do what he wants to, which, in his case, means wearing a tux. Personally, I think he looks hot in a gray suit, so I'm all for that. Now, if it had pinstripes, I'd be even happier, but I told him his clothes were up to him and my clothes are up to me!
Thanks to a vendor who requested Elsa not use a guide dog (which she doesn't use anyway), and another venue assumed she must be the bride's assistant on account of her killer typing skills (because apparently, blind people can't type?) our determined couple decided to implement some requirements of their own for their wedding day.
We chose not to hire these people because they were not supportive of who I am, or who we are as a couple. I could look at it as limiting [my choices], but I'd much rather look at it as a way to support myself and my community. If someone doesn't have disability accessible bathroom, for example, they're limiting me on my day so I won't choose to work with them. When we found our venue, we knew it was out venue because it was a museum and they made it very clear that they were happy to never let me use a set of stairs on our wedding day. They took me through secret passages, down elevators, through special doors...they've even offered to let me use the service elevator the day of so I can avoid the stairs down to the special garden where the ceremony will be. [Our] venue was the one that treated me like any normal bride, just recognizing that I had special needs.
I am so glad that my fiance chooses to combat my frustrations with laughter, and to support the decision to never give our money to someone who doesn't get the fact that blind women get married too. And, for the record, I think I am going to rock those stairs just so I can use my steampunk white cane.
