Contradictory Healing

"They carried him in on a make-shift stretcher made of two wooden logs and burlap. He was bleeding heavily; "they got me, the bastards got me." I was a young girl, and my eyes were bright with amazement, I knew what Grandfather was capable of. They laid the man on the stone and Grandfather reached for the crystals and the shells. "C'mon now medicine man, help me."

New series of spent bullet casings repurposed into healing talismans...But,
what is more dangerous? The bullet above...or Alexander McQueen below?

That's just sex right there.

Bitches Be Trippin'...Fashion Craving

Fashion baby...and bitches Do be trippin';

Even a pregnant woman can rock that collar by Dimepiece.
And then there's Grace Jones...I just want to wear her.

Oooooo la la, Thierry Mugler Menswear Winter 2011/2012 - "ANATOMY OF...

I am so glad that this man can actually make a living tatted up that way. I wonder if he has kids man...

He was a poet

"...and he could not commit to me. At least that was his excuse for being unfaithful, that he was an artist, a true lover of all. He was so willing to give all of himself to get lost in another, all to wake up in a random bed and do it again. Empty fool, he was. I smashed his mother's harp on my way out the door and left on a morning train."

New nostalgia in the shoppe...

Merci a Kaight NYC

Basically a fashion staple downtown has given me a great shout out on her fantabulous blog:
http://kaightnyc.blogspot.com/2010/11/these-coins-will-make-you-blush.html

AND...now carries The Hand of Fatima Design at the Orchard Street Location. Stop in, the Brothel Token Collection is buzzin'.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxxooxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxooxxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Homeland-Indigenous

in·dig·e·nous
1: produced, growing, living, or occurring naturally in a particular region or environment

Photo: Vice Magazine

I pay my respects to the origins of this land and all lands. Thank you.

And in fashion, to Marc Jacob's "Navajo" hightop.


...and in matters of cinematography and journalism, I pay respects to filmmakers Jilann Spitzmiller and Hank Rogerson for the piece "Homeland".

http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/witness/2010/11/2010117125155900568.html



Great blog shout out:nativeappropriations.blogspot.com

PERFORMA-The Red Party 11-5-2010

I sometimes forget to mention that I work for one of my dearest friends, and mentor Kyle Goen. Kyle is a fine artist who works out of his DUMBO studio in Brooklyn. I serve as his loyal assistant and get to learn his process while taking on tasks of management and we design certain projects together, it's a joy in my life seriously.

Most recently, one of the bigger projects Kyle was commissioned to work on was the designing and creation of the Performa Arts benefit named "The Red Party". PERFORMA is an institution founded by the amazing RoseLee Goldberg. It was hosted by Allen Cumming and honoured renowned visual artist and filmaker, Shirin Neshat. The party theme was Russian Constructivism, and Kyle based the work off of that period of time and style.



Kyle felt quite inspired to create a gift for Shirin herself...and in the Kyle Goen fashion, this took form in a five foot portrait which he hand-painted from a projected image he had recreated in halftones. On the day of the party we set up the instillations from 9am until 5pm, the banners, the canvas, the hundreds of hand-screened flags and finally the portrait. It wound up looking amazing.New York Times focused on, unfortunately not taking a single Anne Hathaway and Cindy Sherman were in the house showing support, and that is basically what the press from photo of the actual party....but the party was so fun, I was all pregnant in my red dress rocking out to Chica Vas who stole the show!
Marcus Hicks of SDN (Sara Dixon's Nova) Eco-Clothing Line

Alaina Simone curator at Damon Dash's DD172 gallery in Tribeca




Photo of Anne Hathaway and RoseLee Goldberg taken by: Amber DeVoss
Photo of Alaina Simone of The Dash Gallery taken by: Geraldine Visco

Who are these folks in NYC???

Little Syria it was...please, let's all read and absorb education.
Beloved NYC belongs to those of the world.
Learn: In the year 1890...

I'm Baaaaaa-aaaack

Creativity can be soooooooooooooooo scarce when a well deserved break is needed. I am amped up and ready to move one way...forward. Check out the fresh blood in the shop!

Thanks to Sotheby's and Saks 5th Ave from me!

Oh, I totally forgot to tell you...
Weeks ago I was contacted by the wonderful Amy K. of Sotheby's here in NYC. We had met at a craft show I participated in here in NY, and she contacted me because she was curating a benefit. The wonderful benefit was for an organization called City At Peace. Have a look at this amazing city youth development through the arts happening in our beautiful New York.
I donated a lovely necklace, with a vintage verdigris patinated leaf stamping and chandelier crystal dangling below. I will have a pic soon, I hope it raised some nice money for this amazing organization.

On another note, I will be at Renegade BK with the Better Than Jam Co-Op, and Renegade Los Angeles with my girl Miniature Rhino and new friend Monkeys Always Look.
Dooooope! I have never been to LA, but I am soooo excited. I have fam all over that city, finally I can hang Cali style with them :0)

Just wanted to share something I see more and more as I drive on the FDR. It's so strange, how you can pass something by all your life, but never really see it. Seeing and looking are such different things, my artists out there will agree. On Roosevelt Island there is an abandoned structure decaying. In a city of constant stimulation, over development and motion, this structure is just there, untouched, unshaken. I researched and found that it's an abandoned smallpox hospital built in 1854 when Roosevelt Island was still Blackwell's Island. It has a name- "Renwick Hospital".
I want to go peek around. I want to know what keeps it decaying and alive there, untouched. I found that it is built in gothic revival style and blah blah blah, but I want to know more than that. What ghosts are trapped in the sliced stone walls...hmmm...
photos courtesy of NY Times

wow

another inspiring picture from mr. jacob riis who has newly brought great inspiration into my life with his turn of the century new york city (particularly 5 points area) photography.

Two Thousand and Ten

...or twenty ten? you be the "decider".
one day when you write a memoir nostalgically, you'll call it out in full, but maybe i will go with twenty ten for now!

i want to wish all of you love, freedom, joy and health this new year, but i wish it for you and those i love everyday. be good to yourself, and be good to your human family. i want to grow seeds that i planted in 2009 this year, i really do. i feel like this is my year to shine...for all of us in our different movements and projects.

so, i have two shows booked for february and i will post them as soon as i just confirm travel plans for one.

all my love!

Blogging, Patti Wilson and VOGUE....

Ya'know...really need to get with it...I've been one of those that kind of was a non-believer when it came to blogs...i mean c'mon blogs are not hard to come by, saturation of fashion blogs and "look what my kid can do" blogs...and political blogs, they're just everywhere from everyone. I started this blog because sometimes I come across cool things I wanna share...and I'd like to say I make cool things I wanna share...and this past week I realized that I'd better get with the blog program and submit to its mystical power.

I was cleaning my toilet the other day...seriously, when a request for some items came in from non other than stylist extraordinare, Patti Wilson. The email from her Enterprise read "Patti Wilson, a stylist here in New York"...and out loud I was like "like I didn't know THE Patti Wilson!" The picture above in the blog post is one that I had blogged of in my first attempt @ blogging that was styled by Patti! It's one of my favorite fashion photos in the wonderous world...
So, it gets better, the pics that John, one of stylist on the team and her had seen were my Militaria brooches, that I only ever showed through the BLOG...
Now what were they pulling them for? A shoot styled by Miss Patti for VOGUE Italia shot by non other than Emma Summerton!!! Trust when I tell you, you've seen Emma Summerton's photography before if you're into fashion, wiki her and links come up to her ridiculously beautiful work. Let's hope they get used, huh? You know how it goes!

I raise my glass...of sparkling water to Patti for supporting indie, handmade, local NYC (homegrown at that) designer and artist like me, it means a hella lot.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXXOXOXO

Happy Halloween Y Feliz Dia De Los Muertos

Someday, I vow to go to Mexico during Dia De Los Muertos. It's amazing to see this infusion of indigenous culture with Catholicism. I can't tell you the fascination I have with this day. The color...the color!! I love Halloween so much fro the surrealism it brings into the mind of a child, to pretend and imagine in possibility. Unfortunately here on the streets of New York City, while we have a fantastic yearly parade, Halloween has become the following equation: skank+stank+1 gallon vodka=you're best friend holding your hair back while you puke on one of 1,000 "sexy cops"
I am all about originality baby, and there is so much, your eyes and heart have to be one sometimes to see it. Last night my husband (who is not pictured lol) had a blast. Above in the picture is Samii, who is absolutely the best belly dancer of the night in all of New York. That costume is an original, handmade in Bahrain, watch out you mass produced factory belly dancer costumes...chock full of pink organza...
As for me, I am hoping you can guess who I am...I was honored that I was received so well. I love you Frida, Yo te adoro! My hubby was Diego...let's just say that he had our son's Thomas the Tank Engine Pillow in his shirt to try and get that bulky look, lol.
Here's to La Vida...

The Hand of Fatima Design Loves Courtney Love

Thank you again Miss Love for supporting my work and the handmade movement.
The Hand of Fatima Design has been featured on the icon of style's Hot List.
Check it HERE.

I'm Not Morbid...Really.

So why all the casket tags and such...I don't know, but I love them...I like that they are strange and old. This bracelet is so a favorite of mine. While I was creating it I thought of that Hole song about "going to Portland"...I obtained two of these babies, and actually got to talk to a funeral home director in Oregon!
I wanted to be sure they were true vintage because the brass was so intact, so I called the home after coaxing my antique dealer Jeff into telling me where he got it! Ha! Sure enough, I was soon being quizzed by the director, he was asking me "what the heck" I wanted these for! I thought it was funny, so now I am telling you!

Just a little FYI, Portland Casket Co. does not exist anymore.

Freedom of Womanhood

Wow, this film looks absolutely fantastical...I must see it.

Trunk Show and The Handmade Cavalcade

Hey! So I am kicking off the season of shows with an intimate trunk show with Chez Marie. The show was by invitation only (as requested by the coordinator and owner of the space). It will be all women and a variety of ages, from early twenties to fifties. I will have pics for you guys because I have started a new display format...I picked up some awesome vintage suitcases and my Mom is helping me to distress some newer wooden jewelery caddies. Fun stuff.
On another note, the first trade show I will be doing is The NewNew's
Handmade Cavalcade in Tribeca on Dec.6th...check out this fabulous graphic flyer designed by Jamie Boyle Ibrahim of bluestitchbooks.