Islamic Art - Paradise Found

Hello Gang,

As many of you know, for more than a decade, I was an art historian. Today, though I teach dance and costume design, I frequently find myself slipping into "lecture" mode as I talk about Islamic art. Many belly dancers choose to study the cultural arts of the Middle East, and are frustrated by the limited amount of imagery available to give visual context to written histories. Dance, as an ephemeral art form, was only recorded sporadically in visual representations and textual descriptions. Logically, we know that dancing girls existed, but where are they in the historical record?

Well, today I have the pleasure of sharing a fantastic documentary on Islamic art - the best I have ever seen. Paradise Found: Discovering Islamic Art features noted British art critic Waldemar Januszczak in a grand sweeping survey of the art and architecture of the Islamic world. The focus of this program are the myriad depictions of paradise that are found within Islamic art. The presenter takes us on a journey across time and throughout the far flung territories that compose the Muslim world. This is a lush presentation by a passionate historian and who genuinely adores his subject. He introduces the viewer to some of his favorites; images of sumptuous gardens, amazing architecture and beautiful objects. Each work is invested with the same lofty and yet earthly goal, to evoke a sense of paradise. As you watch, keep your eyes open for historical images of dancing girls, some of which are quite rare and unique. Because, what would paradise be like without belly dancers?

I hope you enjoy this program as much as I do.

~ Davina ~ Dawn Devine
Author • Costumer • Dancer • Historian www.davina.us

Paradise Found: A Documentary on Islamic Art and Architecture

Beyond the Red Carpet - Oscar Dress Contest

Behind the Dress - Designer Challenge
Fashion Design Contest for the Trophy Escort at the Oscars

Although the whole world was focused on the procession of starlets and handsome hunks slinking down the red carpet, I was excited to find out who won the "Behind the Dress" contest to dress the trophy escort for the 2010 Oscars. (Who knew there was a technical name for the model who delivers the Oscar to the podium?)

This is the second year of this Academy sponsored contest. The goal - have website visitors vote for their favorite team of designer and model. The winning model then appeared on the Oscar broadcast wearing the winning dress. A career defining coup for the chosen designer.

A bit like a mini Project Runway, the contest is presented in a series of short webisodes hosted by Carson Kressley of Queer Eye fame. If that wasn't enough reality TV for your taste, also appearing are Adam Shankman, producer of the academy awards (and noted judge of So You Think You Can Dance) and his assistant fashion coordinator Toni Pickett selected the models and designers that appeared on the runway.

How did the contest work? Designers from across the US submitted sketches. The wardrobing team at the Oscars culled out their top designers, auditioned the models and then paired the designers and models together. These teams then went head-to-head on the runway. The winning team, selected by popular vote ensured a job for the winning model and global exposure for the designer.

Didn't get a chance to participate? Didn't know this was happening? You can check out the six short webisodes and the runway presentation now on the Oscar website. I loved the sophisticated lemon-yellow gown sketched by Elda De La Rosa Design above and the lovely steely gown designed by Oday Shakar to the right. Visit their website to check out all of the designs. A lot of fun - and who knows - perhaps you will submit next year? (I have it marked on my calendar!)

View all the "Behind the Dress" webisodes

Turquoise - the color of 2010

Hello Gang!


Whew - after an epic month of whirl-wind travel, it's good to be back home. During my travels, I had a lot of time to read an epic quantity of fashion magazines, from London, Paris, Rome and right here in the US. During that time, I attended MAGIC - the largest wholesale buying event in the US, and looked at a myriad of styles for late summer/fall.

The biggest color trend – Turquoise.
Each season, Pantone, the color company, releases a trend watch portfolio of colors along with sketches from leading designers. “The” color of the year, 2010 is #15-5519 – Turquoise. Along with a palette of soft garden-hued tones, turquoise is a bright standout that is at once reminiscent of Hollywood pools and Turkish pottery.

In the fall, the brightness of turquoise is going to mellow into the rich glow of #16-5418 – Lagoon, a delicious warmer and greener tone that will fit in with both the warm chocolates and pale grays that will dominate falls neutral palette.

What this means for dance costuming is availability to fabric, trims and embellishments in these tones. If you are into slinky styles, swimwear fabrics offer a broad spectrum in watery shades from pale aqua to deep rich marine blues. For jazz or yoga style pants, tie-tops and cholis, mermaid style skirts and long elegant dresses, stretchy spandex fabrics will hug where you need but still flow and drape beautifully.

If your more of a buyer than a maker – now is the time to shop for costumes in every shade of turquoise, check out the styles available in this color palette from your favorite dealers!

Top 10 Costuming Tips

Hello Gang, As 2009 draws to a close, I'm struck by all the top 10 lists that appear. It seems that everyone is doing year-end reviews of events that have happened throughout the year. So, it seems fitting that this article I wrote back in Sept. should be published now. It encapsulates my thoughts on the essentials of belly dance wardrobing in a simple top 10 list. I look forward to 2010 and all of the new costumes to make, old costumes to renovate, dances to dance and shows to watch. I wish you all a happy, creative and profitable new year!
~ Davina ~ Dawn Devine
----
Top 10 Costuming Tips
Costuming is one of the most fun – and most challenging – parts of being a performing dancer. Your costuming reflects your taste, style, budge and if you make your own costumes, your talent! It’s a well-known style axiom - you have only one chance to make a good first impression. Here are some new twists on classic costuming tips to help put your costume wardrobe to work for you!

1 – Fit is it! Regardless of the style of your costume, your size, shape or even the cost of the garment, fit is extremely important. The bra should support and enhance the bust. The belt shouldn’t slip or twist. Skirts shouldn’t be too short or too long. Good fit will instantly make your costume look more expensive.

2 – Invest in quality construction. Buy the best you can afford! If you are making your costume, use construction techniques that you are most accomplished at for the best results. When you are shopping, be sure to inspect your costume pieces for good construction details. Strong seams, well applied surface details, firm beadwork and sturdy fringe.

3 – Prep your costume before wear. To extend the life of your investment, prep before wear. Strategically placed drops of glue on the back-side of your costume pieces will secure knots and prevent embellishments from flying off in a spin. On hip-wraps – often prone to abuse and breakage – mount hooks and eyes rather then relying on tying – which will abrade the embellishments. Take care of any hanging threads, repairs and fitting issues before you take the costume out first its performance.

4 – Coordinate your performance. Matching your style of music, movement vocabulary and costume choice will create the most balanced and harmonious performance. Tribal costuming, with classical Egyptian movement, and Greek music might lead to confusion – especially if you are performing to a discriminating audience.

5 – Don’t forget the “five layers” of costuming. Bring all five layers up to the same level. These five layers – Base Grooming – Makeup & Hair – Costume – Jewelry & Accessories – Props. The costume is just one, though large, part of your total presentation.

6 – Don’t forget class-room and event attire. Your belly dance wardrobe is not composed of just what you wear on stage. Dancers appear in three major settings: in performance, at events, and in class. Be sure to invest in buying clothing and costume pieces that will support all of the areas of your dance life.

7 – Keep a “Look Book” As your costume wardrobe grows and develops, making your own “look book” will help keep you on target with future shopping and sewing plans. What do you put into a look book? Whatever you helps you document your costumes. Photos of different combinations, spreadsheet of parts and pieces you own, notations about costume and accessory pairings, swatches of cloth – really – anything that helps. Use a binder, sketchbook, journal or go electronic with a blog, website or simply a folder with your dated photos.

8 – Build good costuming relationships. Consider your favorite vendors as part of your personal wardrobing team. Let them know what your long-term goals are so they can assist you in building your wardrobe. Most dealers keep their clients needs in mind when shopping – so establish a good working relationship with a vendor and they will keep your ideas, goals and budget. Not good at sewing? Find a seamstress, tailor or costumer who can fit your costumes for you.

9 – Invest in a good bag and check it twice. No matter what type of bag you prefer, be it a tote, suitcase or backpack, invest in the best quality you can afford and keep it stocked with performance basics so you don’t have to repack each time. Tuck in a packing check-list so even if you are in a hurry, you can consult your list to ensure you’re not leaving home missing an important component.

10 – Care and repair before storage. Develop an after the show routine that will allow your costume to completely air out before putting it way. Take care of any cleaning or repair issues before you put your costume away. If your costume gets stored in a clean and wearable state, then you can pull it out in a moment’s notice to go to your next performance.

Dawn Devine ~ Davina - Sept. 2009
Author • Costumer • Dancer • Historian
www.davina.us

Back at the Drawing Board - Period Impressions: Costumes of the Maghreb

New Book Coming Soon from Ibexa Press

Period Impressions:
Costumes of the Maghreb
By Dawn Devine ~ Davina


I’m back home after two weeks in sunny San Diego, California where I was hard at work as a staffer for Comic-Con and then off to play in Mexico at the Vita Spa. Now I’m back in my office and at the not-so-proverbial drawing board. Below is a sampling of illustrations from my latest book project. With a new set of Copic Lining Pens and the inspiration of spending so much time with the incredible collection of talented artists at the convention, I’m ready to go. This week, I will be working on getting back into the swing of drawing every day, and so I suspect that over the course of the next few weeks, I will loosen up and my illustrations will gain in strength, character and complexity.

Period Impressions – Costumes of the Maghreb is an overview of the evolution of dress styles across North Africa. Successive waves of conquest and cultural domination have each added their own special spice to what has become an exotic mélange of sartorial flavors, visually dazzling and regionally distinct. This book will include historical notes, pattern layouts and construction details for both men's and women's costumes.

I’ll tell you more about this book in upcoming posts – I hope you enjoy these samples from my collection of illustrations. There will be more to follow soon.

~ Davina ~ Dawn Devine
www.davina.us • http://www.facebook.com/DavinaDevine

Image Details From Top
• Berber Woman from the High Atlas Mountains
• Berber Man wearing Selham and Jallaba
• Man Pouring Tea - Khaftan and Vest
• Moroccan Musician playing Qarkabeb and wearing a Gandoura

Snippets and Clips - Belly Dance Books on Google Book Search

Hello Gang,

As some of you know, I've been working on my latest book, Period Impressions: Costumes of the Maghreb 500ce - 1500ce - For Middle Eastern Belly Dancers and Musicians. As this book nears completion (I'm in the drawing phase ~ yeah!) I've been checking and double checking my research and conducting a literature review. And wow - what a discovery I've made!

Google Book Search, a feature of Google that I've been using to check some old sources, has quite a few snippets and clips of belly dance books. If you are in the process of building your dance library, you might want to visit Google Book Search and check out samples of excellent books. Below I've included a few links to books that I recommend and include in my "Reading List for Dancers." Take them for a test-drive and enjoy!

~ Dawn Devine ~ Davina

Bellydance by Keti Sharif - This is the first 22 pages of this introduction to Middle Eastern Belly Dance. This portion of the book includes a great introduction to Middle Eastern instruments, and this is definitely one of the better belly dance history books.

Bellydancing for Fitness by Rania Bossonis
While I don't recommend trying to learn belly dance from a book, I started my own career by reading a book. There is something tactile and wonderful about looking at a book, memorizing the poses, reading the hints and tips. While videos are great, and classes even better, a book can hang out next to the bed, be easily pulled from a shelf, and shared with dance sisters away from TVs and computers.

Ancient Egyptian Dances by Irena Lexova'
This is the first 18 or so pages of this classic book that systematically analyzes Egyptian paintings of dancing girls to create a theory of ancient dance. I find this book fun and entertaining, challenging me to consider my own theories.

A Trade Like Any Other by Karin van Nieuwkerk
This is a fantastic book, recommended by many dance scholars as a must-read. In this 16 page sample, you get a sense of the voice, tone and point of view of the author. She presents her theories and methodologies in this introduction, so if you like what you read, you can seek it out and buy it. I have a copy of this one on my shelf!

Women's costume of the Near and Middle East by Jennifer M. Scarce

One of my favorite costume history books, this is essential for any researcher of Middle Eastern costume history. This sample skips all over the book, randomly providing a page here, a section there. Definitely worth looking at in this sample if you are interested in historical reenactments.

The Virtual Costume Exhibition

I love museums... In fact, while I was in graduate school I worked in a museum studies program, and used my education to provide excuses to visit as many museums as I can. My main focus, of course, is costuming; in my pursuit, I have been to London, Rome, Paris, New York and beyond seeking out exhibits.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of textiles, most costume exhibitions do not allow visitors the opportunity to take photos, and few museums have enough cash to create illustrated exhibition guides for sale. However, the web is mighty, large and mostly free, so many museums share their exhibitions with us via the web. Yeah! So periodically I surf the web looking for exhibitions and here is a crop of my recent discoveries.

From Paris to Providence: Online Exhibition of Fashion, Art and the Tirocchi Dressmakers Shop, 1915-1947. This exhibition is focused on one design house and is filled with both images of garements and details of the elaborate beadwork that was part of fashion during this era. Be sure to check out the amazing collection of flapper-style beaded dresses in the Art Deco section - Yum! Right: 1930's handbag from the exhibition.


Gothic - Dark Glamour - Fashion Institute of Technology - I've got friends who embrace the Goth style and integrate it into their costuming and daily wear. I found this exhibition and recommend it whenever someone buys patterns made by the Goth Dance Diva, Tempest. There are so many inspirations throughout this lush exhibition website, but be prepared to really explore, the site itself is a work of art - and just note - turn down the volume on your computer!
Image Left: Dress by Yoshiki Hishinuma from the exhibition.

Chic Chicago - Modern Fashion from 1861-2004. This exhibition is filled with lovely lovely photos of some fantastic garments. Especially look out for the Worth and Pingat gowns. Visit the Website to read about the exhibition, but more importantly, view the Slide Show!

New York City Ballet - Bedecked Bedazzled and Bejeweled: Costume Ornamentation at the New York City Ballet - This is a great exhibition of photographic details of the embroidery, beading and applique work crafted in the costume shops of the ballet. There's an introduction to the exhibition and a flash slideshow with images of their costumes.

Versailles - Fastes de Cour et Ceremonies Royales
Okay - Take a peek at this video of the curators and exhibition designers at work setting up an amazing exhibition of French courtly dress at Versailles. There are some stunning glimpses of the courtly wear as they appeared in the exhibition. This website has some amazing photos of the palace too!

LACMA - Images of Fashion from the court of Louis XIV - Like this amazing mantua on the right. Explore the virtual Exhibition. More information about the Mantua on the right circa 1700. This is an amazing garment, and I had the pleasure of seeing it in person when I was doing research at the Doris Stein research for my undergraduate degree. If you like more modern clothes - Check out: Breaking the Mode: Contemporary Fashion from the Permanent Collection.


Of particular interest to me, as I work on the upcoming Period Impressions book, I found a copy of the illustrated book "Habitus Variarum Orbis Gentium"(Costume of the Various Peoples of the World) by Jean Jacques Boissard 1581. His illustrations are charming and full of detail. Especially of interest to me is plate 46, "North African Women", located at Los Angeles County Museum of Art. In this plate, you can really see the shape and hang of the Haik, a rectangular overwrap, a descendent of the Roman Palla that is still being worn in parts of Morocco today.

Byzantium Ensemble for Sarah of Wicked Smileys

This spring, I worked on a lovely folkloric style ensemble for an accomplished dancer, but new performer, Sarah of Wicked Smileys. She performed with Troupe Celine twice this spring, first at Spring Rakkasah and at an Asian American cultural festival. Her ensemble is composed of four garments. Her Byzantium bra features a row of multi-colored inch-wide ribbon, 8 inch chainette fringe topped with three rows of Pakistani coins.

Sarah's belt is an assemblage of components that began with a blue embroidered belt with a row of kuchi drops. To extend this tiny belt, we mounted a collar from Pakistan onto grosgrain ribbon and filled in the space between with additional drops. To add texture and dimension, we further embellished the belt with a row of Turkomen buttons that matched the buttons we used to accent the stretch velvet baladi dress.

To get the rich, dark appearance that Sarah craved, we used a vivid red double-plush 4-way stretch velvet cut with the grain going upwards. Because the velvet had such a great hand and enough stretch to really mold around the body, I kept the cut simple, with shaping down the side seams and no darts. The neckline was cut low below the bust to reveal the bra. To add style and make the garment look beautifully polished, we added the sumptuous finishing details of fully lined sleeves and Turkoman buttons. The result is simple and elegant.

Sarah already had a functional pair of black harem pants. On her feet, she choose to wear classic Hermes style sandals. I also crafted jewelry using a kuchi drop with her signature Smiley motif and a pair of earrings.

But, what makes this collaboration so effective is the amazing headdress Sarah created to match this ensemble. Her work is breathtakingly complex and lovely.

Ultimately, this ensemble took into account Sarah's figure. The long lean lines of red velvet emphasized Sarah's height and the black fringe on her bra helped her waist appear slim and sculpted. Being stretch velvet, it's both easy wear and easy care (machine wash, hang dry.) I look forward to seeing her wear it in the future.

Need a Headdress?
Wicked Smileys by Sarah Lyons

Need Harem Pants?
Simply Stylish by Kathi Richards

Need a Byzantium Bra?
Byzantium Collection Bra by Davina
Dress, Belt, Jewelry by Davina

Bras of the Stars - Update

The Dancing with the Stars season is almost over, and Threads Magazine has posted a fantastic interview with the designer of all those sizzling hot costumes, the Emmy Award winning Randall Christensen. The gallery on his website has both front and back images of his designs, including many a fantastic ensemble that can be transformed, adapted or just used as is for belly dance. Although the prices are steep, I know many a dancer who has paid a princely sum for a unique costume.

I - for one - am totally inspired by his designs and really enjoyed his interview! Other pieces on him and his designs include:

Buddy TV has a great interview with Randall Christensen on their site.
Phoenix New Times - Another Article about the designer

His website is not to be missed! You could own a costume from Dancing with the Stars like the one on the left. Perfect for a sexy zambra mora, flamenco fusion, or Gypsy inspired performance. Totally couture!

#68L-0106-CA-JF
Peasant Top/Floral Skirt Latin Dress. Worn by Edyta Sliwinska Dancing the Paso Doble in Show #4. Size S. Price: $3200.

Resources for Re-enactors

I've been recently spent some quality time working on a research project. A book I began quite some time ago, is rapidly reaching its deadline, and so I dusted it off and started looking through my notes. To refresh my mind, I took a moment to do a quick internet search for new sources, and I found a few things that you might be interested in. I hope you enjoy these links and find them as valuable and interesting as I do.

This upcoming book Period Impressions for Dancers and Musicians will be a handy resource for SCA members, Renaissance Fair performers and performers looking for historic folkloric costumes to wear during traditional dances. Look for more information for

~ Davina ~

Metropolitan Museum of Art hosts the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History which has images, contextual articles that presents the flow of art history. There are quite a few articles about the Middle East, Islamic art and its relationship with the west. I particularly love this textile fragment. Read more about it and other works of art on their website.

If you are interested in the traditional dress of Saudi Arabia, there is an excellent website hosted by the Mansoojat Foundation, a UK charitable organization whose mission is to preserve and document the traditional clothes of Saudi Arabia. Their website is filled with gorgeous images of thobes from various parts of the country, with documentary text and descriptions. It's worth taking some time to check it out.

The entire book, Oriental Costumes, their Designs and Colors by Max Tilke from 1922 is available for view from the Reference Department of the Indiana University Libraries.

Tilke's finely rendered drawings of traditional garments from accross North Africa, the Middle East, Asia Minor, Central and Eastern Asia. His drawing allows us to identify the textile as an Ikat, and you can see the locations of the seams. This book is an excellent tool if you are trying to create a period dance piece, or are looking for models to inspire a historical costume.

US Belly Dance Belts Thinner than Italian Belts

Italian promotional poster - From Russia with Love - including fantastic belly dance image and Gypsy chick fight. Which got me wondering - what does the English language version look like? So I looked around and found the US version... Check out the differences in what the belly dancer is wearing. In the US version her costume belt is far lower and she is drawn with more clarity and detail. The artwork looks less like the same artist, and more like it was "redrawn" to produce a more aesthetically or culturally appealing message.


If you are interested in seeing

Bras of the Stars

Showgirls are Showgirls... Belly Dancers, Burlesque, Broadway, Vegas.. we all have one thing in common - we all LOVE to wear a hot and spicy embellished bra!

This season on Dancing With the Stars, we've been treated to a host of incredibly sexy, complex and lovely dance bras. Here are just a few of my favorites.

This first bra worn by Melissa Rycroft is cute-cute-cute. The bra has been worked into a cute little cropped top with a ruffled edge around the neckline and adorable cap sleeves. This style of top would look fantastic with a Mediterranean fusion costume. And isn't that jeans-style belt treatment adorable?

Another fantastic ensemble is this light and fluffy two-piece ensemble worn by Edyta. Her bra is covered with rows of pleated fabric applied as a surface embellishment. This technique, used for centuries is known as ruching and is very popular in formal and ready-to-wear as well as dance costuming.

This costume is so fantastic, had such great flow, I couldn't help but imagine an entire troupe in this simple, yet elegant ensemble. The sleeve treatment is fantastic, and though Edyta doesn't need them, they would cover a multitude of problems.

The silk has such dramatic flow, fluffy and light. This patterned effect can be achieved with a spray-bottle of dye or fabric paint. Just be sure to use a light hand as you spritz your fabric and follow the directions of the product you choose to use.
(Check Dharma Trading, they have a large selection and tons of information on dye, fabric and dying techniques.)

One inexpensive and easy to make style of bra is simply a "shimmy bra" covered with rows of rayon chainette fringe. This lovely ensemble features a parti-colored two-toned color scheme made with four rows of 2" fringe. Here Jullianne wears one, beautifully exicuted, proving that simple can look fantastic!

For dancers with petite bustlines, this style will add fullness when still and tons of movement as you dance. A simple row of sparkling trim can be achieved with rows of sequins, glass beads or a rich combination of beads and sequins together. To make a completely matching bra and belt, echo the same number of rows of fringe. Or, if you are feeling particularly flirty, you could make a straight skirt with a long slit, and apply rows of chainette all the way to the ankle.

Alternately, a chainette belt will look fantastic with a classic chiffon skirt or over a slinky mermaid skirt. You can find chainette fringe on the web. I buy mine from Lace & Trim online, but chainette is available from most retail fabric stores.

So if you are looking for inspiration visit the ABC website to view photos and full-length episodes of the latest season.

How do YOU put on a bra

Hello Gang,

It's been a few weeks - perhaps a few more than a few weeks. My six-week window for unpacking my studio has turned into two months. At this moment, I'm down in San Diego for the annual Comic-Con international. Since I'm spending some time away from home, I thought I might get some quality web-surfing time in before the convention begins.

With my never ending fascination with bras, I thought I would share some links to video clips, websites and lots of things all related to the magical and mysterious bra!

Enjoy!

Dawn Devine ~ Davina

1 - For the Bra Obsessed - Commercials with a sense of humor

• How do you put on a bra - from Just My Size
• Bravissimo from the UK - I love that they have their sizes on cards
• James Bond Parody
  

2 - Bra Info and Other Stuff - These videos on YouTube are all about bras - some are quite informative - others.. well... if you have the time and more than a passing interest in bras, check them out,

• Vintage two-hankie model from 1921 - Silent Movie era instructional!
  
• Make a cup-form from clay
  
• The Bra Business
  
• Measuring for a bra
  
• How to fit a Bra
  
• Fitting the band
  
• How to fit a sports bra
  
• How to measure and fit a bra
  
• Bra Fashion Show
  

3 - Need to get bigger-sized bra? Check out these webstores for the latest style. Don't forget to check out the larger department stores in your area, especially for a professional bra fitting - and of course - there are discounters with a wide variety of options and lower price points!

• Bigger Bras
  
• Fig Leaves
  
• Woman Within
• Bare Necessities
  

Last Night's Project...

Hello My Friends and Fellow Costume Enthusiasts,

In a departure from my standard "tribal light" style of jewelry, I've made one of my most elegant creations ever. Tiger eye, garnet, sterling silver and, amazingly enough, already sold!

Over the next six weeks,
I'm working on three major projects.

Project #1 - Jewelry for the Silicon Valley Open Studios - In May, I will be participating in the SVOS tour. If you are in the greater bay area, and would like to see my jewelry in person, it will be on exhibition the first two weekends in May at the Westerfeld Studio in Palo Alto. For more information about time, location and the other two artists I will be showing with, visit my page on the SVOS website. Hopefully, I'll have enough jewelry to exhibit. Wish me Luck!

Project #2 - Book Anyone? Yes, my new book is coming along.. but shhhhh.. I'm trying to keep it under wraps until it's at the galley stage! I'm drawing and writing daily, and I hope to have it finished before Tribal Fest in May. I'll be at Tribal Fest 8 hanging out, watching the dance, and enjoying one of the most FANTASTIC shows you can see in Northern California. And perhaps, if I am really good, I'll have those galleys done-enough to show! Wish me luck!

Project #3 - I'm Moving! Not far.. but far enough to require me to pack up my studio and move. This is an exciting time for me, as I move even deeper into the beating heart of Silicon Valley. Hey - if you work at Google - invite me over for lunch!

So.. I'm putting my head down and finishing up a few items on my workbench.
Like this lovely necklace and others like it for the SVOS show.
Now - if I can just make them and NOT sell them right away..

Dawn Devine ~ Davina
http://www.davina.us

I've made it to YouTube.

Costumer's Notes Revamp Underway

Hello Gang!!!
Past time.. and overdue.. Costumer's Notes is getting the attention it has sorely needed and greatly deserves. As some of you know, I've had a great deal of trials and tribulations over the past four years. So now is the time to get things cooking. And like any good cook, it's time to assemble the ingredients.

We're going "old school" with Costumer's Notes...
I've been producing a 'zine - on and off - since 1988. That year solidified my path as a costume designer. I won a title in the Comic-Con masquerade for most humorous, was chugging through my third year in the Fashion Design program at Mesa College in San Diego, and dreaming of a career in theater. I had some fashion illustrations appear in the local newspaper, I was producing costumes for the Living History Center in Old Town San Diego. I was also making beautiful ballgowns, and even had the pleasure of appearing in the Society Column in the local newspaper. Costumer's Notes made its first appearance, a thin six-page tips sheet for wearing and caring for Victorian hoops.

Now - literally 20 years later, I've produced dozens of volumes on a myriad topics. Through my BA in Visual Arts and Theater at UCSD, to my MFA work in Art History and Design at UCD, I've managed to squeeze out these small publications here and there, responding to the needs of my diverse group of clients, friends, associates and fans. Costumer's Notes provided the original foundation for my first book Costuming from the Hip, and articles have grown and spun off, appearing in magazines, on other websites and integrated into the fiber of other reasearcher's work.

After a four year hiatus, I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and get back to work!

Old Concepts - New Features

Now that the .pdf is dominating the world of print and I've been producing all of my books in .pdf for years, it's common enough to place on the web and have it downloadable. So, instead of a big bulky website with lots of individual pages devoted to articles, columns, photos and advice, we're simply going back to our original concept of the 'zine. However, instead of sending it out for printing, then shipping via the mail, we're simply going to deliver the newsletter to the world as a .pdf that is easy to download and print.

When is the next issue coming out?
I've just paused for a moment as I work on it, and will be taking some photos in a moment. I'm hoping the first edition of this "third cycle" will be online before May 15. It will appear at Rakkasah West, just days away, in a crude form, to show around and get feedback from my friends and co-conspirators. The title? Spandex Fusion Pants

What else will be on the Costumer's Notes website?
So the new slimmer, sleeker website is reduced to a few simple elements.
- Main Page - Welcome, schedule and current issue.
- Archive page - A list of available back issues.
- Links Page - For dancing accross the web.
- About us - Every Page Needs a Mission
- Sign-Up - Basically, our policies page with information about signing up for our opt-in montly mailings. Also - links to the Costumer's Notes Yahoo Group - A way to connect to a bigger community of like-minded costuming types!

We're shooting for simple, clean, and user friendly.
Jakob Nielson would be proud! (And if you know what that means, e-me and we'll talk!)

Thanks to everyone who has supported my adventures. Keep the mail coming in, let me know what topics you would like to see in future issues. I look forward to hearing from you!

Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Author • Costumer • Dancer • Historian
http://www.costumersnotes.com
http://www.davina.us
http://www.ibexa.com

Adventures in eMail Marketing Software...

....The Monkey of My Dreams - Found!

On my quest for an all new-and-improved Costumer's Notes experience, I've decided to invest in some improvements in my infrastructure - especially in the way my mailing list works. Over the past few weeks, I've been experimenting with several services to manage e-mail lists and send out professional quality e-mails. Well - I've test driven three and the winner is MailChimp.


MailChimp has a great - easy-to-use web-based interface that allows you to create fantastic e-mails. Here's a sample of one I made recently for an SF/BA MECDA event with workshop leader Yosifa Rose.

I was impressed by the simplicity of the MailChimp interface and how quickly and intuitively I could navigate their system. So - Costumer's Notes will now be sent out using this fantastic service! If you are a business, organization, dance instructor or - anyone really - you may want to check it out. (I compared them to iContact and Constant Contact and chose MailChimp!)

Now - back to the sewing table!

Dawn Devine ~ Davina

The Lifecycle of Makeup

Hello Friends and Costume Addicts,

On Sunday I performed at Setareh's Hafla Grande and opened my "big" makeup kit to find an amazing assortment of truly old and icky stuff. My little "face case" that I carry in my dance kit has just the essentials, up to date and fresh products that can transform me from plain to performable in minutes.

However - that monster makeup box that lurks on one end of my costume dresser had some seriously scary products in there. Since I had packed up my mini face case, I had virtually abandoned the myriad products that were languishing in my big box. Time for a clean-out!

Makeup gets old, it goes bad and it spoils. There is a life cycle of makeup that starts with it being unpackaged and used until the ideal end date. Unlike the science experiments in the back of the fridge that look foul and smell worse, makeup looses its freshness without notice. Bad makeup can cause blemishes, skin infections, pink eye and worse! So how do you know when it's safe and when you should toss it?

Makeup should be disposed of based on age, and the general rule of thumb is:
Up To Three Months - Liquids that touch the eye such as liquid eyeliner and mascara
Up To Six Months - Sticks that touch the eye, such as eyeliner pens and pencils.
Up to Two Years - Moist Cosmetics for the rest of your face - foundation, lipstick, cream rouge etc.
Up to Three Years - Dry Products like powder eyeshadow and blush as well as mineral makeup.
Three Years and Beyond - It's too old to use safely. If you love the packaging - clean it out and clean it up. Save the package as a keepsake in a treasure box or refill with newer products. Never be tempted to try on old makeup out of nostalgia.

Of course, if a product smells funky, has separated, is of unknown life-span, or is just out of style - give it a toss. There's no use keeping outdated products that take up space or that you inadvertently use past its prime.

So - here is a hot tip I got from the ULTA website. Label your makeup when you open it. Good idea. My solution - Use a dab of nail polish! One dab for each "quarter" of the year, a different color for each year. So - if this year is "orange crush" then I would put four dots of that nail polish in an inconspicuous place on my new product. Middle of next year when I find that item, I will know it was opened in the fourth quarter of the year. Visit this page for more ULTA tips on makeup longevity. For inspirations new ways to apply makeup check out the instructional videos on the Sephora website.

Streamlining my makeup to just the essentials has netted me a savings in both time and money!

Now - off to rescue and clean some makeup brushes, toss some old makeup - monster box - here I come!

Dawn Devine ~ Davina
www.davina.us • www.ibexa.com • www.costumersnotes.com

Big Bra for Retro Styling - Inspiration for the Week

Hello Fellow Costume Junkies!

I recently got a hold of one of these babies and it is really a nice bra that makes a really nice vintage/retro look...

Here's the Bra - The Va-Bien - Available in Many Places - but take a peek at it on the Bare Necessities website. At $44 it might seem pricy --- but if your cups runnith over - and you
are making your own bedlah - this might be worth the investment. This model goes up to a G in some band widths! (I'm sure it's avaible from other websites - hunt for the best deal!)

Like the bra line? Here are some inspirations for how to use it to make a nice retro
look --- Here are just a few vintage dance clips from the '50's on YouTube Taheya, Naima Akef and Naima again.

Notice that in these clips the bra is essentially a strapless - but with a decorative "strap" that goes up the center to the neck. Think about the strap as more of an embellishement than a source of support.

Of course, with a convertable bra of this type - you can make your belly dance costume with any strap style you desire. But for women in need of true support for magnificent bounty, I would stick with a classic set of wide over-the-shoulder straps to a V in the back near
the closure.

Nothing like a little Retro/Vintage Bedlah Glam...

Dawn Devine ~ Davina
www.davina.us • www.costumersnotes.com • www.ibexa.com

New Website Underway

Hello Gang!

Today we embark on a new era of Costumer's Notes. This ongoing project is taking a turn for the better with a new and improved website and a new .pdf based format. Our mission remains the same - to provide helpful hints, tips, tools and techniques for designing and making your next performance costume.

As we work on this project, I am surfing the internet for new sources of inspiration, old gems that are hiding and most of all great products and information sources that can help us all on our road to success!

Stop by and see how we are doing!

Dawn Devine ~ Davina
www.davina.us -- www.ibexa.com -- www.costumersnotes.com