Wrecked & Grey

Goodbye, Horses

2011-12-18T23:39:00.000-08:00

I'm switching over to Tumblr. New start, cleaner interface, blah blah blah. Peep it here.

Oh and how strange is it that I forgot how much I like horses until I posted this picture? Weird.

Gonna Buy Me A Graveyard Of My Own

2011-12-08T12:38:00.001-08:00

I've been spending my life in front of my machines. Working my fingers to the bone, stabbing the shit out of my fingertips.

After 18 hours of labor, the Skeleton Pants were finally born. Today I'm attempting to birth their sisters, the Skeleton Blouse and Skeleton Dress. Perhaps a Skeleton Skirt will find it's way into the family eventually.

Sneaky peekies featuring ol' Helmos...

Exquisite Corpse

2011-11-20T15:28:00.001-08:00

Just finished a rooftop shoot with Lydia Hudgens on camera, Ashley Spedale on cosmetics, and Maria Correonero on looks.

Maria looked muy caliente in everything. Total Spanish hottie. It's super weird and encouraging to see everything all together, making complete outfits that look sick. I realized I have a cohesive little collection on my hands... I mean, I should, right? This is what I'm doing, after all... Anyway, the pictures are for the webstore and will be up shortly.

Previews!!! Behind The Camera!!! Action Shots!!!

Let It Ride

2011-11-08T21:00:00.000-08:00

This is it: a classic motorcycle jacket in black fleece with lambskin sleeves, collar and placket. Fully lined in fleece with silk lining in the sleeves.

This was an incredible project. The pattern alone took me approximately 12 hours. Jeez, I'm slow at that. The jacket took three days of sewing, just bits at a time, of course, with snacks and soundtrack changes and a little bit of The Omen IV when I was cutting and pinning.

I finished it on Monday and wore it to get my aura photographed. The reading shows great things in store for me... business luck. I'm gonna need it, because this week I'm working out new colorways and fabric options for the jacket. Such a perfect shape, it needs to be offered in multiple weights and palettes. Look for it soon in the Etsy store.

Misty Mountain

2011-10-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

Just came back from a week in the woods. Upstate New York, so beautiful. I assisted three talented young men who are making a film. Christine played the mushroom goddess in a dream sequence, for which I made her a cream silk shift dress of the billowiest proportions. High neckline, pleats under the yoke and underarms, floor length with the bottom 20 inches in sheer nude silk chiffon. She looked ethereal. The shot was incredible. We went out chasing the mist at sunrise... Unfortunately we missed the mist, but Lucas captured the rising sun through the trees surrounding the field.

When I wasn't cooking delicious vegetarian dinners or composing magnetic refrigerator poetry with Christine, we were traipsing through the woods collecting deer skulls, admiring neon orange salamanders, visiting automotive graveyards and at night, sitting in spaceships and stumbling upon glow-in-the-dark mushrooms. I didn't want to leave and I can't wait to return.

Feeling Without Touching

2011-09-18T10:37:00.000-07:00

I've been re-reading Anais Nin's House Of Incest. Such a beautiful story. Her writing is so descriptive that I can visualize the worlds she's created. The House Of Incest is the hidden house of the zodiac, imagined as a physical house, where a girl searches for her brother. Everything about the book is inspiring: the words, the photomontages, the ancient symbol chapter headings... It's like a dream.

Recently I saw a documentary called Legendary Sin Cities. It covers the cities of Paris, Berlin and Shanghai in the Twenties and Thirties. These three cities were known for their hedonistic culture and raging nightlife. From the prostitutes of Montmartre to the opium dens of Shanghai, it delves deep into the most romantic era in recent history. Woody Allen's new movie just barely grazed the surface of the idea that les annees folles might have been the best time to be alive.

No new music has really come to me lately, but last night I did go see Dirty Beaches perform. I've known of Alex for awhile, and my roommates are friends with him, but this was my first time seeing him play. It was excellent. Mostly new material, and he had a saxophonist and a percussionist instead of his usual solo show. He's really got that distorted dream world sound on lock.

The weather has suddenly turned to fall. With the bright sun and crisp air come my desire for solitude. This couldn't be happening at a more perfect time. I've begun class at FIT, and I have resolved to make one new garment per day. Yesterday was Day One. I took a silk chiffon dress I made about two years ago and lopped off the bottom. To the hem of the top I attached my all-time favorite material, nylon chainette fringe. Three feet long. Now, I call it a dress but some people would beg to differ. I wore it with tights and very small shorts because tights are not pants, as we should always remember... Unless one is on stage, of course. But I digress. It was a wonderful step in the direction of my new collection. Photos will come eventually, hopefully soon.

At Night - With Us

2011-05-25T11:26:00.000-07:00

Just a lil' vid I made with Ana and Kish, featuring Alex... NBD.

Galaxie 500

2011-04-13T21:45:00.000-07:00

It's been a minute... I have my fingers in a few different pots. Starting a men's/women's/unisex line with my friend Joey Scalabrino, working on some costume design for various bands, discussing a line for a restaurant at which I work, and developing a new collection for W&G.

I purchased some floaty silk georgette (black, duh) and dyes to make nebulae prints. Fuchsia, brilliant blue and chartreuse dyes + color remover + bleach = radness. Checked out my new uptown penthouse apartment (!!!/???) today; our balcony is just begging for a dyeing party. Summer is going to rule. Hard.

Proto

2010-09-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

A few new samples making their way into wardrobe rotation... I still can't quite wrap my mind around working a year in advance, since I don't even know what I want to wear this afternoon! I have some ideas for collections revolving around Henry Darger, hand-dyed fabrics, witches (duh), you know, the ush.

Anyway, Autumn is upon us, so I'm making warm things like these sweaters.

Black poly fleece geometric sweater. Super long sleeves and turned scarf collar. Cozy much?

Heather grey poly fleece geometric sweater with stretch kidskin sleeves. Also featuring the turned scarf collar, with the optional druid-sized hood. Kapow!

Success

2010-07-22T17:08:00.001-07:00

Well, I did it! The costumes were completed no more than an hour before we were scheduled to leave for the airport. Fourteen swimsuits, six removable skirts, ten days, very few hours of sleep. Now my designs have been displayed at a Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week!

Pool Party

2010-06-30T01:08:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen such a pool? I haven't, and I won't, but I'm assigned with the task of crafting 14 retro swimsuits for the Aqualillies to wear while performing at an American Express party during Miami Fashion Week SWIM 2011. My, that's a long sentence with lots of names. The pictured pool belongs to the Raleigh Hotel, site of said party. 14 swimsuits, 6 reversible and removable skirts, 10 days. How in hell am I going to pull it off?

Shoot The Freak

2010-04-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

Here they are...

Starring Maddie Welch

Photos by Julia Chesky

All Clothes by Wrecked & Grey

Shoes by Dolce Vita

Sapphire velvet and lace mini dress

Red heart dress

Ultraviolet silk turban, Studded backless t-shirt

Lace paneled leggings

Lace short shorts

Ombre fringe mini dress

Necklaces: Crystals; Human Molar; Cow Tooth

Plum crushed velvet and feather cape

Studded shoulder mini dress

Chiffon and fringe cape

Black crushed velvet gown

Feather epaulet silk mini dress

Death Trip

2010-04-13T16:20:00.001-07:00

This was the Human Molar necklace... until I extended it, and added a Mink skull. Raw power.

Mink skull and Human molar necklace, $100

Cape Town

2010-04-02T00:46:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I forgot to tell you! Or show you, rather...

Right before the photo shoot, I was freaking out, trying to finish as many things as I could, which includes two capes twiddling their thumbs in my brain. They both came out wonderfully, and of course I test wore them... First, there's this one:

It's chiffon with 18 inch fringe falling from the collar, and 12 inch fringe curving along the shoulders. The neckline is lined with velvet ribbon, which is also the outer trim and extends to serve as the tie closure. It's light, floaty, and very fun to twirl around in. I particularly liked wearing it thrown behind one shoulder, almost Zorro-style.

Next, is this cape:

It's that deep plum crushed velvet I talked about a few posts back, but this time it didn't misbehave and it turned out lovely! This cape is a bit longer, and the hem is trimmed with shiny black feathers. The closure is a simple black corded frog, and it's light but a touch warmer than the chiffon cape. This one I wore out beneath the studded shoulder dress, which gave it a really great shape from the shoulder pads.

Did you notice? These photos are from the look book shoot! Isn't Maddie divine? She's so delicate and porcelain, I died when I saw she was going to be my model.

Photos by Julia Chesky!

Teenage Kicks

2010-03-28T21:49:00.000-07:00

I just got the final looks from our Coney Island look book shoot from Julia Chesky, and they are to die for. The ethereal Maddie Welch (Supreme) modeled, and the product is so teenage boardwalk witch, I'm freaking out from happiness. I had a witch candle made to help with confidence and success, and they told me to light it when I was working. I left it burning (in the sink, duh) while we were out last Sunday doing the shoot, and good job, witch candle, it turned out amazing. I'm sure that's due to the talented ladies who did all the work that day, but I want to give my witch candle at least a little credit.

I had a big date with my old man planned for today, but then I woke up with a throat infection, similar to strep. Bummer, except that it's forcing me to stay in and work on Kendra's dress. Human molar buttons, silk chiffon wings... why do I always push everything to the last minute? Witch candle, do not fail me now!

EDIT: Photos of Kendra performing with White Ring in her dress. The smoke machines and strobe lights make it difficult to photograph, but she looks super fucking dope.

Harlem Sunrise

2010-03-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about being inspired by a book about early Hollywood scandals (we're talking 1910's to 1930's) is an overwhelming obsession with turbans. They're so art deco, I just love them! Of course, I had to make one. A trip around the corner to the suiting store later, and I had a yard of sapphire silk charmeuse on my hands. A knot here, a stitch there, and voila! This little beauty. Below, my beautiful friend Laura is modeling it on a recent night out. To the left in the second picture is my darling Nichole, an avid supporter of all things Wrecked & Grey and a fashion inspiration.

Lend Me Your Teeth

2010-03-07T19:21:00.000-08:00

Last year I bought a lot of 25 human molars on ebay. I wanted to make necklaces out of them, but until recently, didn't know anyone with a jewelry drill. My friend Amanda Forman is a jewelry designer, so I tooth the teeth over to her apartment and we had a hilariously weird time cleaning and drilling through the teeth.

The tooth necklace featured was the very first one we did, and we have ideas for a whole range of human molar jewelry. The particularly gross looking ones are being painted, gold foiled, maybe even bronzed. Coming soon in the mail are over 100 Tibetan double terminated crystals, just begging to be paired with teeth...

Human molar necklace strung with copper wire.

Cow tooth necklace wrapped with gold colored wire.

My daily tangle of necklaces: Double Fantasy (crystals and nickname), Cow tooth and Human tooth.

Until The Night Dies

2010-03-07T19:16:00.000-08:00

These leggings are bad ass. Stretchy coated spandex for that faux-leather sheen, with diagonal lace panels on the thighs and calves. Very high waist.

(Leggings pre-op.)

Picnic Pants

2010-03-07T19:10:00.000-08:00

Love these. Tiny little lace short shorts with a super high waist and invisible zipper to help you shimmy into them. Non-stretch lace, so don't eat too much while wearing them! Helmies loves them, too.

Works in Progress

2010-03-07T18:07:00.001-08:00

There have been some garments floating around inside my head for quite some time now, and since Dan erected a sewing corner for me, they've been able to materialize. This one is still being finished, but I love it so and just had to post it.

It's a gorgeous deep sapphire colored stretch velvet mini dress with a modest neckline, low scooped back, and lace paneled sleeves. I created triangular lace panels facing different directions, with a horizontal panel in the center.

Put Your Head On My Shoulder

2010-03-07T18:00:00.000-08:00

Black stretch cotton long sleeved micro mini dress with shoulder pads and studs.

Shape Of Things To Come

2010-02-19T12:50:00.001-08:00

... Been working on some new things, all in preparation for the great big Look Book Photo Shoot. Dee Dee of Dum Dum Girls will be modeling and Marco Gonzales of Crocodiles will be photographing. Business cards are on their way, I almost feel like I should get incorporated!

Things for spring are long and sheer, furry and lacey, like the love grand-child of a "Bella Donna"-era Stevie Nicks and Jinx Dawson mixed with Theda Bara and Barbara La Marr.

We're Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together

2009-12-06T16:56:00.000-08:00

Grey cotton jersey and antique ivory lace oversized t-shirt.

Birds Of Prey

2009-12-06T15:28:00.000-08:00

Black silk V-neck sleeveless mini dress with black/green iridescent turkey feather epaulets.

Hearts Don't Change

2009-12-06T13:01:00.000-08:00

Black lace Heart three-quarter length sleeve shirt, also available as a dress.

So Young But So Cold

2009-10-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

This dress is one of my favorites... It's sheer black mesh, with rows of navy and black fringe in V- and inverted V-shapes, back and front

.

Love To Love You

2009-10-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've updated... in the months since, I've moved to a fabulously tiny apartment in the Lower East Side with my best friend, scored jobs, quit them for better ones, and made a few friends... and dresses.

This one is the aptly-named Heart Dress. It's sheer nude mesh with red cotton-shirting hearts covering girly parts. It's pretty fucking racy. This was my first foray into color in a long time.

Boys Are Boys And Girls Are Choice

2009-07-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

Two-piece zipper dress with grey fringe hanging off the top half. Silver exposed zipper. When I finished making it, my roommate A mused that girls are lucky because they can put some fabric "here and here" and be done with it. He makes menswear, hence the slight envy.

Disco Rough

2009-07-15T13:30:00.000-07:00

First full New York dress (half of Dee Dee's fest 'fit was completed in California). My sewing machines and fabric arrived on Tuesday, and on Friday I began crafting this bad boy. I used nude tulle to create a bodice and long sleeves, and sewed the sequined fabric to it with a sweetheart neckline. Exposed zipper up the back overlapping a few inches onto the tulle. Wore it to work last night and got lots of compliments (it was gay night).

Been super into sheer forms with embellishments making up the dress part, lately. Ideas abound for some rad, dark shit. The Dum Dum Girls line up is complete, can't wait for the ladies to come by for costume fittings... Congrats to Dee Dee for the Sub Pop deal. That's my girl!!!

Nylon Press

2009-07-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

Dee Dee and the rest of Dum Dum Girls killed it this weekend (in the fringe wing dress I made her!!!) at Woodsist/Captured Tracks Fest. And guess who thought so, too? Oh, just Nylon. Check out their blog to see what I'm talking about...

"Things I learned at the Woodsist/Captured Tracks Festival this weekend:

1. Yes, an overgrown lot in Bushwick really is the perfect spot to throw a two-day party. Too bad day one was moved to the sweltering Market Hotel.

2. No, a subway running overhead won’t ruin the sound, it will only add to it.

3. Yes, Vivian Girls killed it, and nThe Gutsies, Mayfair Set, and Dum Dum Girls (the latter two playing for the first time live) were pretty awesome, too.

4. No, Psychedelic Horseshit did not kill it.

5. Yes, that was my high school crush playing in not one, not two, but three of the bands on the festival’s bill (won’t name names, since at the time I knew him as “Borders Boy” and he had no idea I existed).

6. No, that’s not a new super-group, it’s just members of Blank Dogs, Crystal Stilts, and Crocodiles playing back-up for “Dee Dee” of Dum Dum Girls. At least, not yet… xxRebecca

Dum Dum Girls wins the award for best onstage outfit. Like Grace Slick’s outfit at Woodstock back in ‘69, only way more LA."

Aww, thanks Nylon! Now I just have to get them to rep me! Great way to end an exhausting day of fruitless job hunting.

Beginning of a Great Adventure

2009-07-03T05:53:00.000-07:00

Two days ago, I moved to New York, and I'm getting settled in. D is playing some shows, so I'm making her costumes and there will be a photo shoot today! That means pictures soon... can't wait. My sewing machines will arrive on Monday, and I will get crackin' on some new shit. In the meantime, I'm learning my way around and looking for a job.

Window Shop For Love

2009-06-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

Went to the swap meet and then the fabric store with R and K yesterday. Swap meet left me with chains, big crystals and snake vertebrae, and at the fabric store I got two kinds of grey jersey, black cotton spandex, super fine black mesh, nude tulle, matte silver sequined stretch, white spandex mesh, tons of zippers and a strand of black matte sequins. I've also been scouring Ebay for crap for necklaces... Bought some teeth, antique glass syringes and an amazing birdcage pocket watch. So much inspiration waiting for me at home...

Shadazz

2009-06-17T01:05:00.000-07:00

Fringe Zipper skirt... twelve inch black fringe dipping into a V on the front of the skirt, and wrapping around the waist on the back of the skirt.

My model is in LA at the moment, hence the makeshift photo below.

Still working on a harness... have ideas for a studded dress (must remember to buy shoulder pads), more zipper things (must remember to buy zippers), and have been asked to make a necklace. Speaking of commissions, made a Fringe T-Shirt today for M. She'll look lovely and stylish; she always does.

Bleach It Black

2009-06-15T05:13:00.000-07:00

While I'm not sure how much a part of Wrecked & Grey I consider this to be, I feel it's important to include the costumes I make for my amazing girlfriends. Right now, the only photos I have of the costumes I've been making are these two, which are of K. She's super fun to design for, and she loves onesies. This one I'm especially proud of.

She commissioned it right as I was getting back into spending a lot of time in front of my machines. It predates the fringe shirt I think, but not the dresses. It was my first onesie/pair of shorts, and I was pretty much just winging it. The idea was originally different, but a little trial and error mixed with doing whatever felt right at the moment, and this is what came out.

I made a cotton spandex onesie (mid-length sleeves and short shorts) and dyed it nude to somewhat match her skin. I dyed the fringe black from white, so it turned out a dark charcoal color. The fringe is crisscrossed along the v-neck and around the waist, which makes a skirt in the back. Because the fringe doesn't stretch, I had to insert a zipper in the side of the waist, and attach a little fringe flap to snap back in place and cover the zipper for continuity. It took for-fucking-ever, but was so worth it because a) it was fun and b) we love the way it turned out.

Also for K, I made a black onesie with sequined shorts, v-shaped sequined panels, and weird padded shoulder tubes. For my girl D, I made a sequined mini dress with a super low back and exposed zipper, out of this fabric.

D has some shows coming up, so before I move I'll be busting out some seriously rad shit for her... We're talking fringe wings, lace panelled leggings, and if I have time, I'm going to try to get her into an epic crocheted body chain. Photos of everything coming soon.

House Jam

2009-06-15T04:38:00.000-07:00

Zippers have managed to sneak into the mix. While in LA a few weekends ago, R and I went to the Fashion District and paid a visit to Michael Levine. I love living in a world where silk is seven dollars a yard, making it cheaper than cotton spandex (eight dollars/yard). The stalls and shops along Maple had bins of zippers, so we picked out a few and voila! Zipper skirts abound. Above is just a simple black cotton spandex pencil skirt with exposed separating zipper, but while making a few alterations, an idea popped into my head...

Bringing me this. It's a super hot two-piece zipper dress. Bandeau top with a high-waisted mini skirt, all connected with a twenty-four inch separating zipper. Fits like a fucking glove, and shows off the most flattering parts of most girls' bodies.

Apologies in order for the fuzzy photo, but I really liked this one.

I'm going to make a similar one for K, or maybe D, only the zipper will extend above the bandeau and come around the neck like a halter. Even more ideas for zipper shirts/dresses/skirts are growing, and they include: sequins, fringe and silk. But not all in one. That would just be crazy.

Etheric Device

2009-06-15T04:05:00.000-07:00

Double Fantasy necklace, created from two random chains...

Three crystals wrapped with gold wire, and a tiny antique silver flask my best friend got for me in Thailand.

Upper chain has my nickname twisted in wire.

Black silk racerback tank. The cut is oversized, with large armholes, to complete the dirtbag look. Sleeves and neckline are finished with cotton/poly double-fold seam binding, which has a wonderful stiffness and slight sheen that reminds me of raw denim.

The Guilty Have No Pride

2009-06-15T03:37:00.000-07:00

It all began with this dress... Black cotton spandex deep scoop back dress from American Apparel with hand-dyed ombre fringe in tan and black. Fringe can never be long enough, which led to...

...This beauty. This is yet another deep scoop back dress from AA, only I cut off the sleeves (I know, I know, alterations to another person's design do not make it my own) and added thirty-two inch black chainette fringe. I wore it to Coachella and was photographed and featured on Style.com.

Desperate for a more casual version of my beloved Fringe Dresses, I grabbed my AA deep-v and stitched some excess fringe around the neckline. I don't believe in embellishing only the front of a garment, so it goes without saying that all of these have fringe on the back as well as the front.

Communion

2009-06-15T02:34:00.000-07:00

photo from garbage dress

Well, well, well... first post on this blog, I feel sort of pressured to make it a good one. Good being subjective, I think an introduction will do. Wrecked & Grey is my "new" clothing line that grows when I want it to, in whichever capacity feels best. I say "new" because I've never really stopped/started making clothing, I just haven't always identified it as something specific, or following any sort of evolutionary pattern. For a little while now I've seen habits emerge in my sewing that I really like, and a few words of encouragement here and there have inspired me to pick this up again and start a new collection. It's ever-expanding, yet I call it a capsule collection because it's produced in truly limited quantities. I'm talking one or two replications, maybe three at best. Of course, nothing is concrete, and I expect my expectations to change routinely. I love making clothes, and love seeing people wear them even more. This is what Wrecked & Grey is about; I hope you'll enjoy it.