Photo Blitzkrieg

So after recently re-reading the syllabus, it turns out that you don’t actually get credit for having the blog short-cutted to your bookmark toolbar, visiting it only slightly less than ubiquitous facebook and imposing links to fashionista professors, polyvore/stardoll and virtual runways on your non-school friends via annoying forwards. So I guess in true, last minute style, I’ll try to sum up some of the importance this class (and blog) has had on me and my ideas throughout this semester.

I have to start by saying that I made a movie in my production class this semester, which I highly recommend. It brought a lot of perspective to many of the costuming articles we read this semester when you are actually going through the same process to choose clothing for your characters. Although I didn’t spend 14 hours actually sewing the clothes, I can sympathize with Nielsen and her Costumer’s plight so much more personally having gotten up at 6am on several occasions to make a trip the Universal Costume House just to make sure the soldiers, who are literally in my film for less than 10 seconds, are dressed for the part. Having to actually make costuming decisions has brought a new level of understanding to the link between fashion and identity. I am literally controlling and creating a world and characters based on the split second visuals of these characters, which is almost exclusively dependent on their costume. I won’t go into too much detail about my film, but it was heavily influenced by the ideas we talked about throughout the semester. It is a sci-fi piece about a futuristic yet regressive totalitarian government that is reprograming its “deviant” citizens to fit into 1950-esque binary models of masculinity and femininity. (Also, hugely influenced by Sarah Palin as our possible prez.) So to get this crazy complicated idea across in 5 minutes, I had to have my characters really dress the part. I have some (poorly captured) stills that I hope will give you an idea of what my process was for creating this world. Both this course and the production process in general have really given me an entirely new appreciation for costuming and fashion in relation to femininity, feminism and identity in transformative ways. Thank you all for sharing your thoughts with me this semester. It has been a pleasure.

My main characters, present day (which is the past in my film). Aren't they deviant?

In the regressive future, after being reprogrammed.


The Sarah Palin inspired nurses, most definitely willing participants in their own hegemony.

My men. Tough Soldiers enforcing the government's oppressive control in exchange for a modicum of power.

Also, so Patty doesn’t have to be the only one with an (embarrassingly?) out-of-character picture posted, I’ll include one of me at my father’s wedding. I wish I could say something cool like, “back 10-years ago when I was Prom Queen...” but unfortunately this was last year. Oh the things you will do for family...ugh.

My mom is also remarrying this year, but thankfully she has assured me that I can wear whatever I want because she loves me for me and just wants her daughter there. After years of rebelling against lace dresses (see below), this is about the coolest thing she could ever say to me.