Monster Ball

October 24, 2006

Men in drag? A priest in a shorty robe? A prostitute nun!?!? No, you’re not walking along the West Side Highway late at night; it means that Halloween is right around the corner!

I was a big enough fan of the spooky holiday growing up, I mean, how you can’t be is beyond me: the tricks, the treats, the sweets, the late night, it’s better than x-mas for some kids! Alas, one reaches a certain age and traditions like candy and costumes become tiring and inconvenient, a chore from the thrill of the mundane 9 to 5 jobs that we have grown so accustomed to…

Too bad I’m not one of them! Get me some face paint, a few yards of fabric and a pocket full of cash and the night is mine, besides if Ms. Klum has her annual Halloween Bash, this year is sure to be another fashionable one as well. Last year I had myself a wicked good time, partying alongside some of the season 2 designers, dancing with likes of “Dirty Diana” and a handful of other creepy fashionistas!

I’m not sure what the plans will be this year, possibly a few parties here and there, but what got me thinking about it was a guy I saw on the train earlier this week. It was clearly too early for a costume party, and it wasn’t ridiculous enough to be a degrading work uniform (like a chicken suit or some thing) but fell right in the middle of fashion risk-taker/fashion victim. So I felt horrible asking for a photo, knowing what I’d be using it for, but instead found photos I’ve snapped of my own friends, in order to ask the age-old question: How far is too far? (... and of course to poke a little fun at the ones I love so much!)

Look: 1; Subject: Anna and her apron.

Now I remember passing by a store window down in the west village this summer and spotting this adorable print from the street. Anna tried it on and instantly decided that it would not only fair well in the kitchen, but on the street as well -- a colorful addition to the white, summer mini dress she was already sporting.

Verdict: Love it! I think it translates well proportion-wise to her body and adds a bit of humor to the everyday.

Look: 2; Subject: James and his see-through pants

I walked into James’s apt one afternoon to this … not quite sure what to make of it; the look had definite appeal and function with the blue-collar industry, but did it have the elegance to translate to the world of high-fashion?

Verdict: Hated it! It gave James a much fuller bottom-half, the color was all wrong for his skin tone, and he was bounded by the sheerness of the garment for indoor use only… unless he wanted to be arrested.

Look: 3; Subject: Anna as Devo

While sifting through the racks, Anna picked up this iconic, architectural wonder that hasn’t seen the hat rack of a home since the early 80s. Was it ready for a comeback or keep it in the bargain bin where it was found?

Verdict: Hated it! The color and shape are definitely a statement, but the fabrication is ALL wrong for her petite frame -- plastic? Are you crazy! Although a good protector from lightning and diving seagulls Anna, it would be smelling something god-awful once the rain came: hot and humid plastic with a touch of hair conditioner … yuck.

READ MORE > >

Feral Fashion 911

October 18, 2006

Hello my lovelies, I hope this week is treating everyone well! I was thinking about what to blog about this week, and with ideas ranging from “When Gays Go Too Far” to “Roller-skating Disco Grandmas” I really wasn’t sure which story to share with you. However, my question was promptly answered when a movie premiere was right around the corner -- and not a dress for my friend Anna to wear was in sight! (I know, I know, I’m not saving the world, I’m just trying to save the naked)

You know how every good story needs a protagonist/antagonist, in-depth characters and some plot twists, well, my version is slightly different. There’s no hunky rogue or diabolical menace, but instead a homo, his sewing machine and a cat.

My other roommate Caroline had brought home this cat a few months ago, former stray that has since been cleaned, pampered and loved…but yet can still be the biggest a**hole you’ve ever encountered. I was raised with animals in my house, including numerous felines, and have NEVER before met one that is so impatient, loud and aggressive he makes me want to light my hair on fire and punch myself in the face. So, as you will witness, I’ve documented the task of not only making a dress for Anna in less than 2 hours, taking note it was for that night, but also my love/hate relationship with this damn cat named Pierre Olivier. Although you may know him by his street-fighting name: Oliver.

Time check: 4:25pm.


Status: Fabric laid out.

Cat: Attentive but respectful.

I had chosen this great tartan print fabric for Anna’s dress because 1) I wanted to experiment a bit more with prints 2) Tartan is big for fall and 3) It was a fun premiere and she can pretty much pull off anything.

READ MORE > >

My Coming Out

October 11, 2006

I know that during Season 2 of Project Runway, a bit of my coming out story was shown to the world. But I’d like to delve a bit further for those of you still wanting to share with everyone who you really are, and for those of you trying to understand those that already have.

I grew up in a small town in west Michigan, the only son in an amazing family that included my loving parents, my insanely hilarious older sister and the occasional odd stray dog or cat. I was a sensitive child who cried for hugs (or so my mother tells me), I loved art class more than any other and throughout grade school my best friends were always girls. I spent my afternoons in gymnastics and could really care less about missing a football game, I had faggot sneered at me more than I care to remember, pushed against more than a few lockers, and actually got jumped when I was 17.

I was brought up a devout Christian and was raised on the rules of the church. I knew not of the rest of the world, or the diverse people it held, and vividly recall the countless nights I would pray in bed at night, alone, asking God not to make me gay because I had been taught it was terrible thing.

It wasn’t until my senior year of High School that I finally found my best friends, my family, and the ones that I’m still friends with today. I remember making a conscious decision that I no longer gave a f**k about what others thought about me, these people loved me for who I was and screw trying to conform to other’s ideals.... I didn’t even like the kind of people they were. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until I was 22-years-old, four years after I had first met my core, I decided to reveal to them who I truly was. To their credit they surely did not disappoint and welcomed me with the same open arms that they always had, and reassured me that “You’re not gay, you’re Daniel” … not a sexuality does a person make. However, I wasn’t exactly ready to tell the rest of the world, which included my family, that I was gay quite yet.

It was the end of summer and the one before I left for a year to Italy, my first time living in a foreign country, my first with an entire group of strangers, and my first as a gay man.

READ MORE > >