Photographer: Steven Vigar
Creative Director/Stylist: Rice Society
Models: Maxime Savage & Cresencio Victoria
Amazing Assistant: Jeremy Gordon
Special Thanks to Max & Justin Robinette for providing additional wardrobe, and for Emily & Mel for lending their rooftop! Also thanks to the Isis for letting us all come in and trash the place!
New Rice Society leggings!
TopMan briefs
Rabbit – Model’s own
Headphones – WESC X Bloody Beatroots
Rice Society leggings
I had the pleasure of stumbling on London designer Ralph Pink’s website, Gorgeois.
You should know him because he’s just embarked on a year long project to create and document his debut collection, consisting of 30 RTW outfits and 10 COUTURE show pieces. Not only a documentary, but as he explains on his website, “a basic/intermediate resource for undergraduates who are looking into fashion as a career. Alongside this blog will be a series of in-depth hands-on-tutorials, showing you the basics of many different aspects of Fashion Design.” Sounds interesting!
Here’s one of his previous garments from his portfolio:
He already finished Episode 1 and 2, which you should go and check out. He seems really quite sweet (as well as talented) and I’m excited to see what he comes up with and what I’ll get to learn from him.
He uses Flash, so it was hard to grab any images of his work to tell you about him. So, instead, you should go and watch the Video Blog and learn more about him. Ralph already seems like he’s doing something promising, and I’m glad he’s sharing his work with the world.
CHECK HIM OUT.
So the past couple days (during that lovely long weekend of sleeping, eating, watching movies and more lying around) I’ve been thinking about my New Year’s Resolutions.
I tried to approach it the same way as I explained to my students, “Every problem is an opportunity for a creative solution.”
{Which was inspired by Tina Seelig, a brilliant Standford professor I was introduced to through an iTunes podcast, go watch her video here. I wish she was my auntie, or my neighbour. Great life/business advice.}
Problem: I want new clothes. Fresh, exciting, new wardrobe! New year, new decade, new me!
Problem: Too many clothes in my closet I don’t wear/sick of/not cool/don’t want it — BUT– I paid money/it’s unique/I’ll wear it someday if only I can be creative enough. It’s hard to throw/give away even when you’re not using it.
WAAAA……. does your closet look like this??
Solution: My friends have the same problem. So — do a SWAP. Bunch of girls bring everything they can bear to part with, accessories included, and shoes – and anything that doesn’t get swapped gets thrown in the recycle clothing bin.
(Following flyer stolen from Google, click picture to go to actual website, thank you for great example)
I checked out some advice on the innanet. I saw half this shit months ago, but had to dive deeper!
First I saw Clothing Swaps.com - they have some alright advice – but I wanted to know – what doesn’t make everyone just go crazy and fight over the best shit? I could just imagine the cat fights over some items!
Bring those LOUBOUTINS back here, I saw them first! (um, ya, if only…)
Also checked out Clothing Exchange (based in Australia)which had the idea of using buttons for currency – people drop off up to 6 items to give away and received buttons which they later used to “buy” clothing swap items. (To make it fair – you donate 6 so you get 6 back.)
Many, many, many other sites give suggestions on how to host a succcessful Clothing Swap, and others are trying to make events out of it.
I’m gonna break down the diff – best advice for small or public. But first advice that applies to both:
The diff -
Close Circle of Friends Clothing Swap
Three choices :
Clothing Swap Events for the Public
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
I wanna do a test run first with my ladies. (watch out for fb event!! HOLLA) Then perhaps a big bad event. Oooh free clothes AND sustainability?? AND maybe, just maybe, some new shoes in size 40??? I have some shoes to swap!
This is an ad I found in the MRT at LiuZhangLi Station, a call for creative animations about the MRT going on until Feb 23rd. There is an Internet Popular Voting time to decide the winners from March 15 – 30th. You down? You could win up to 410, 000 NT. They got over 2000 entries last year.
Can you draw better than this?
There are 4 categories – Poster, Yonkoma Manga(wins 410,000NT), 30 second Creative Animation(240,000NT), and Saving-A-Yuan Digital Photo Upload. The later is due Jan. 18.
You have to Show Your Power – by following the rules and being polite on the MRT. Kinda like making a PSA.
Check the MRT’s website for more info.
If you read the Gay Pride post, then you already know my first outfit was Lady Gaga at the VMAs. I’m here to share with you how I made it, and my second costume, Lady Gaga in the opening scene of Poker Face.
Lemme get something straight here. I don’t think Lady Gaga is amazing, or she is great, or whatever. She was the style whore of the year last year. She has some crazy clothes and is super famous. None of her music is my fav, and I’m not a big fan.
I did, however, wanna test myself and see if I could pull it off. I came across a tutorial vid on Threadbanger and followed most of their instructions. I thought this was totally cheating and I actually wondered if anyone else was gonna do the same thing. It’s not my style to do one of the most popular Halloween costumes, I like to think I’m more creative than that. I also thought, ok, this makes it too easy for you and you should actually try and give yourself more of a challenge instead of just following a video. (That’s why I made the second one.)
*Things I changed from video instructions – I got red lace gloves (cuz I noticed she has them but they don’t mention it); instead of doing the pinch and pin method they describe to make the outfit, I actually did a pattern for the dress and sleeves cuz it’s easier for me and it wastes less fabric (I used almost 3 yards as it was, and they give you no indication of how much); I didn’t have spray adhesive for the crown, so I just used super glue. A lot of super glue. *
So here’s me quoting Gaga at the Parade:
And here’s the real Gaga on stage at the VMAs with the rest of her crazy outfits:
I had a real hard time choosing the second outfit, and I almost went for the triple. I tried to think a) what I could pull off, b) what was within my ability to make, and c) which one would be recognizable.
I ended up choosing between the white outfit from her performance at the VMAs where she bleeds all over it (which is very Halloween) and the Poker Face opening catsuit.
I went with the Poker Face one for a few reasons -
1} I’ve been wanting to make a jumpsuit all season, and I could wear it after Halloween as a normal outfit
2} It’s fucking hot.
3} The mirror mask is cool and would get some extra use too
4} I really wanted to understand how she did the spikes!
Here’s my shot:
And here’s a screen grab from the video:
Anytime you wanna make a new outfit, you gotta make a list of the details.So here’s what I noticed about this one, and what I needed:
-Blonde wig (actually got an awesome one by Taipei Main for $1500)Looks the same, right?
-Black jumpsuit (looks like she used either latex or pleather, both are a bitch to sew, so I used black shiny spandex)
-Cap in matching black (I just used a swim cap!)
-Spikes
-Peep hole half-calf boots (I totally just wore black shoes that would be comfy)
-Black gloves (I cut off the fingers before rewatching the vid and realizing they weren’t cut off)
-Mirror Mask
So the biggest things I needed to make were the jumpsuit, the mask and the spikes. I did the mask first:
I got a regular white full face mask and cut it off from the nose down. Then I put super glue all over it. Then I spend an hour and a half gluing tiny square shiny gems (I couldn’t find actual mirror tiles anywhere) on it. I used almost 200 small ones, and 3 huge ones. Then, to cover up the glue, I spray painted it silver. Um, ya, big mistake. The paint covered up all the spaces in between the squares that were white, but also the surface of the gems, which had made them shiny. FUUUUCK. Fixed that at Justin’s a day later with paint thinner. Works on plastic!
Then I made the jumpsuit. I fucked up cutting and didn’t have enough fabric to do it the long way, so I made a pattern for a one shoulder shirt, made a facing and sewed it to a pair of leggings. Halloween night I went to serge the waistband together and I (choke) broke a needle on my serger!!!!! I cried and then just restitched it.
I also had to make the spikes. Lemme share with you how I did it.
First, I went online and searched 3D shapes. Then I chose pyramid. Printed a bunch out and shrank them on the photocopier. This didn’t matter cuz I didn’t have them when I needed them at Justin’s. Went to S&L, bought gold and black card and a ruler. Measured 4cm x 4cm squares, made 4 triangles on either side 5.5 cm tall, and then added a tab on each side to fold and glue. I did this too many times.
I took each pyramid and glued it to the bottom of another pyramid. What is this new shape called? I dunno. Then I glued a surface (triangle) to another double pyramid group until I had something that looked like this:
Finally I taped a safety pin to it and pinned it to my jumpsuit. I used two on the swim cap. She had more on her hip, but I was freaking out about time and needed to leave my house so I could finally relax and get drunk:
It was a good night, but I didn’t get pics cuz my camera was still outta battery. I only grabbed a few on my phone. I also made Justin’s second Dr.Rockso costume, this time it was the EVIL Dr.Rockso(also a black spandex jumpsuit), pictured here with Greggo at the end of the night:
Rice Society Debut was a success! The rain however, was not so inviting to shoppers. Despite that, heaps of my friends showed up to celebrate the occasion! A big thank you to Sandi for the impromptu help with set-up. For some reason, I was hella nervous. I’m glad I got the first weekend outta the way. Popped my first sale cherry, and now it’s all uphill from here!
Some pics of my tent/booth:
Sandi @RS Booth
Rice Society Jewelery
My best sellers were the black crystal earrings, the Hacksaw necklace, and the 2 color small feather earrings. On the second day, I took off the $250 sign for the bottom feather earrings and sold more that way. I thought if I was a buyer, would I think those earrings worth 50NT more? No, but the big ones are 50NT better than the smaller ones. I also added little star charms on all the earrings for added value. Everybody likes stars!
Did you know you can choose any Slasher pendant (hacksaw, hammer, axe, saw, or pliers) and add it to any chain of your choice? I can do it on the spot and adjust the length to what you prefer. Custom is my favorite! Most end up being $450, but if you want a longer chain, the most it would be is $550.
Kiah @RS Booth
Kiah came and hung out for a bit and helped me make back stock of some earrings. The circle skirt (with the blue waistband beside the black discoball, which I wore on Day 33) got the most attention out of all of the clothes. Everyone wanted to touch it, more than anything else. Think I’m gonna make more of those but in different fabric, and warmer for winter.
I also had a lot of people trying on the red feather headband. I think the $500NT price tag scared them all off, but it takes over an hour to make. It’s kinda tedious, with all the superglue and feathers. I took special care to make sure it was good quality.
Here was the view from ZhongXiao:
I had quite a few friends call me driving by saying they saw my banner. The world will soon know about Rice Society! So glad I got two banners made. Not too many other people had banners, or Christmas lights, or even decorations. I guess that’s cuz they’re only selling their second hand junk. I wouldn’t decorate a garage sale either.
Me at my booth on Saturday:
On Sunday, it was a little drier, but still cold and shitty outside. There were probably 60% less people there on Sunday. I was kinda bummed there were not as many people, but at the same time I didn’t know if I could’ve handled a hectic day. I was hella hung over and feeling super rough. Had a headache and thought if I ate something I’d feel better.
I thought, oh my luck! All the VW vans are back with food. Sweet! I grabbed a delicious looking hot dog. However, it gave me the worst gut rot and the spins on top of that, so I closed a half hour early. It was a mission to get packed up and get home! DON’T GET THE HOT DOGS, at least not at the end of the day. Not a pleasant feeling to end the day with.
WHAT I LEARNED THIS TIME:
*Anything priced below $500 are what shoppers at HuaShan are willing to pay. There are some random people who come that are used to paying higher prices, but the environment makes everyone wanna penny pinch and try to get more bang for their buck.
*People are afraid to approach me. Not everyone of course, but a lot of people are shy to come up to my booth. I dunno if they’re afraid I can’t speak Chinese or they’re afraid to speak English or what.
*Having a group of foreigners in front of my booth intimidated some Taiwanese, I watched more than a few turn away. I wish that it wasn’t a problem, but I guess it’s just a culture difference? I really did love hanging out with all my friends while I was “working” and I really appreciated all their support. I can’t say this made me lose any money, but maybe it was the wrong scene to attract people to check out my stuff. Or maybe this is the wrong kinda place to do that at?
*Standing out kinda makes it hard to be casual.
*Listing all my prices was a good idea.
*Rain sucks. I don’t wanna leave the house hung over on a Sunday to shop in an outdoor market, and neither do many other people. The tarp (thanks again Chad) was a great foresight. Pray for sun next weekend.
*You can’t count on anyone to help you unless you’re paying them or giving them sexual favors (thanks, honey). That being said, I had a lot of unexpected help which totally saved me when I needed it. Also, thanks random vendor Justin for watching my booth while I went to the washroom. I was totally panicking and thought I was gonna pee my pants.
*It helps to make friends with your fellow sales people. Then it doesn’t make it a competition for buyers, but more neighbourly. The old lady next to me on Sunday was really sweet, and helped fill the gap between customers with some insightful conversation. The other vendors are shoppers too, and it’s a good way to cross-promote. I visited a few booths, and had them visit me too.
*I really need a Taiwanese person at my booth, so people aren’t so afraid to approach. I invited Lottie, as she has tons of awesome jewelry to get rid of, and she’s a blast to hang out, nevermind experienced in sales.
*Not everyone knows that all my stuff is handmade, or that I’m not some huge company. (It’s just me, with some help from friends!) I need a sign, and stop assuming people just know it’s handmade. That adds value and justifies my prices. (Even though it’s the cheapest I can go!)
*Not everyone knows the rules for selling at HuaShan – it’s gotta be second hand or handmade. Even some other vendors don’t know, and are selling shit they imported or bought. I kinda wanna tattle on them cuz I think it’s not fair, but I will do the right thing and say something to them first. It’s not a nightmarket, it’s a CREATIVE market. Make it, or resell USED items.
*Next weekend is gonna be even better, so make sure you come on down!
I’m all for variety. Made a mini-duffel between last night and this morning:
Rice Society Mini-Duffel
Got the idea from Threadbanger, recycling old umbrellas. Since I already had some nylon and waterproof fabric, I made it with that. It has a outside pocket on both sides and the zipper pull is a dog tag. The inside has black lining.
Cresencio came over last night and helped me cut it out.
There were some issues with the print, as the other side is rubber and completely waterproof. My sewing machine didn’t like that one bit, so I sandwiched it with black lining and was able to put it through the Juki Baby and my serger without any problems. The straps are long enough to go over your shoulder and for your hand to reach the pockets and the zipper comfortably. I also used the eye part of a hook and eye as a zipper stop. I love it with the white mesh!
It’s going to be available at HuaShan, for $1500. It takes forever to make, lots of seams and pieces and cutting. But it’s all serged to perfection, and your stuff will be dry inside – we know it’s gonna rain all winter!
Geez, everything I make I want, so I have to make duplicates of everything! The best thing about buying my stuff is that you know I made it with love and care and attention to detail, and not many other people are gonna have the same one!
Here are a few pics of what Kiah and I have been doing. They look so much better on a person, so please don’t judge my floor!
The A-line dress/shirt is now $600 (aka mad cheap) and the high waisted ones are $700 a pop. You might wanna come down the first weekend and snap them up before they’re all gone. Limited runs, folks. That means we don’t make a lot of each style so you don’t show up at a party rocking the same frock. (Although if that happened and I was there, I would be so happy and have to take your picture and post it on here.)
I like to price my stuff using a formula which consists of material cost, time to make it, and difficulty of sewing/pattern. If it is complicated, I think it should cost more.
Rice Society A-line skirt/dress
Rice Society High-waisted spandex skirts
I also am super interested in beetles and bugs. Maybe my grade one boys are rubbing off on me, but they’re pretty cool. I used to take rubber centepedes and stitch them onto the back of my jeans. I’ve had a fake cockroach for months now cuz I dunno what to do with it.
Here I tried spray painting them:
Picked up the spray paint (DIY brand, haaha) at S&L, the magical wonderland of everything stores. IT DOESN’T WORK ON RUBBER. Now everytime I try to pick them up the paint comes off on my hands. I thought maybe it was just Taiwan weather and the humidity. Nope. The paint doesn’t stick to the rubber. FAIL. What to do with them now?
It’s confirmed. RiceSociety will be at HuaShan on these dates:
Oct. 3/4
Oct. 10/11
Oct. 17/18
Oct. 24/25
Oct. 31/Nov.1
I can’t do this weekend cuz of the million of things I need to do, and next weekend they have some kinda picnic going down.
If you’d like to sell some of your handmade or second hand goods at my table, please contact me and we can work together! Go Team Rice Society~YAY!
So last night, Kiah & I got down to business. I showed her how to make a pattern for a skirt.
We pinned it to the fabric and cut it out.
Then I showed her how to use my Juki baby (the best ride on a sewing machine EVER!) We made a video about the waistband part. Check it out on YouTube
I fixed the serger (just rethreading and tensioning) and then sergered all the seams. I let Kiah have a go at that too because using a serger is jsut such a breeze to work with. I have a Singer, bought right here in Taiwan brand-new. The Juki I got 2 years old, but whenever I have a problem, the cute old Taiwanese man makes the trek over to my house and helps me fix it, free of charge. I love the no labor cost here, but I do wonder how they make any money.
Finished product! You can wear it as a shirt over some leggings or jeans, a dress (that is super short) or a high waisted skirt.
Going to the fabric market on Saturday to buy more fabric and make more. This is all in spandex. The blue is really shiny, but you can’t tell here. For sale for $550 NT. Contact me here or ricesociety@gmail.com if you have a color in mind you want.
Then we made some earrings and two necklaces:
I’m gonna use the saw and the hacksaw and other slasher flick props as the zipper pull on the hoodies. Oh I can’t wait!! Each necklace will be $420NT.
All earrings are $150NT. The red star ones have bells on them! We’re gonna sell all these and more at HuaShan starting the weekend of September 26/27. I’m booking my table today!
