D A R K » Interview

April 7th, 2012

STAINS

I’ve been waiting to publish this interview for a while now. I was hanging out for a moment that I’d have enough time to make siiiq imagery for this but alas, that time never found itself to me. So, as per usual, I quickly rushed everything and the images aren’t that amazing. Not a big deal, nothing is that amazing on Dark Vice. I’m sure a lot of you have already heard of The Fabulous Stains. It’s a pretty awesome website run by the famous Bebe Zeva, Jessi Jae Joplin, Chelsea Rea, Misha McKagan, Violetta Ell, Norelle Rheingold, and the newest members Laura Cherrygrove and Lucia Ribisi. Some of the girls kindly agreed to answer a few of my questions.

HOW HAVE YOUR STYLES DEVELOPED SINCE YOU FIRST BECAME INTERESTED IN FASHION?

CHELSEA REA
I feel a lot more confident in expressing and creating my own personal style. I’ve been getting really in to DIY lately too.

BEBE ZEVA
I first expressed interest in fashion when I was 8 or 9 years old, so my style has progressed about as quickly as the trends have since 2002! In middle school, I desperately wanted to be popular, so I dressed in a style I assumed would get me noticed by the ‘cool crowd.’ Sadly, that entailed a lot of Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, and American Eagle. In high school, I went through a hundred and one rebellious phases, ranging from wannabe-mall-goth (think Avril Lavigne as a moody fourteen year old) to Woodstock hippie to Williamsburg hipster. To this day I can’t commit to a theme, that’s why each of my outfits represents something different: a decade, a movie character, an attitude, or a runway trend.

NORELLE RHEINGOLD
I’ve always loved experimenting with colors and shapes. Even when I was a child, I selected my own clothes and added buttons, patches, stickers, etc. to make them awesome. My parents were very liberal. They never prescribed me what to wear. Sometimes I mixed a ninja turtles blouse with a yellow-red dotted leggings and pastel pink ballerinas! I must admit that I looked a little ridiculous. But today I’m more stylistically confident! My style is now a mixture of Thrift store chic, Kitsch, Grunge, Pop-culture, Futurism ,Goth, Punk and DIY.

YOU ALL SEEM TO HAVE A LOT OF COOL ACCESSORIES, MAKE UP AND CLOTHES. HOW DO YOU AFFORD THEM ALL?

JESSI JAE JOPLIN
Many of my accessories are DIY (I make my own headbands and bracelets, etc) and I also get a lot of my jewelry at Halloween costume shops (mostly the goth, punk and hippie sections LOL). I’m not really into spending loads of money on makeup, other than MAC cosmetics, so I get a lot of that stuff at drug stores, and actually wear face paint instead of eye shadow (it’s much brighter and stays on way better).

BEBE ZEVA
I am fortunate to have so many incredible sponsors… most of my clothing is gifted to me from brands who believe my style parallels their vision and want to give me an opportunity to intrepret their garments. I rarely shop, and when I do, I try not to spend more than $15 on a vintage item. Not having a steady source of income means that I’m more price-conscious than the average consumer! I don’t take a good sale for granted.

CHELSEA REA
I always look for sweet deals and sales. I only splurge on things I REALLY love. And I get the majority of my clothing from thrift shops, which tend to have 50% off sales every couple of months.

NORELLE RHEINGOLD
When I go shopping, I always look at the price and quality!

WHERE ARE YOUR FAVOURITE PLACES TO SHOP?

JESSI JAE JOPLIN
Other than flea markets and thrift shops, I pretty much do all my shopping online, eBay, NastyGal and the sales at Urban Outfitters.

BEBE ZEVA
I imagine all five of the Stains will tell you that we LOVE secondhand (we do have an online vintage shop, after all!) Even though it’s a chain, I’m a huge sucker for Buffalo Exchange. It’s not the kitchiest thrift store in the world, but our Vegas location has some amazing options – especially in the shoe department.

CHELSEA REA
Thrift stores, Forever 21 (great for basics and cheap accessories) and Cherry Bomb.

NORELLE RHEINGOLD
My favorite places to shop are vintage boutiques, second hand shops, flea markets and thrift stores. The fact is you can find outstanding, unique stuff at very low prices, and each piece has its own history.

MISHA MCKAGAN
I love second hand stores and flea markets. You can always find something original to buy there.

YOU ALL SEEM TO HAVE A VERY UNIQUE WAY OF DRESSING YOURSELVES. I NOTICE A LOT OF STARES AND EVIL GLARES FROM PEOPLE WHEN I’M OUT, DO ANY OF YOU EXPERIENCE THIS? IF SO, HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH IT?

BEBE ZEVA
Smile, duh! It makes people immediately feel guilty for having such a rudely visceral reaction to something as innocent as self-expression. Having a fearless sense of style doesn’t make you a bad person, it makes you a CONFIDENT person. I guess people get confused when they see someone as comfortable in their own skin as we are, insecurity is all too common!

CHELSEA REA
Luckily I get more compliments than rude comments. When I catch someone glaring I just glare back or stick out my tongue, it usually scares them away.

NORELLE RHEINGOLD
If someone provokes me, I stay cool. Because I’m self-confident and I know I look good. I think people who harass others are stupid and intolerant!

DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVOURITE BLOGS? WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT BLOGGING?

BEBE ZEVA
Oh god, so many favorites but I’ll keep it short and recommend only these two: jean greige and VintageVirgin
The best part about blogging is literally having somewhere to put your creativity. I’d put so much effort into my outfits during high school, but they could only be appreciated for the 12 or less hours they were on my body. Style blogging gives me the opportunity to immortalize my art (my outfits) and also to inspire anybody seeking ideas. That’s what’s so great about the Fabulous Stains; our only goal is to share our influences with the rest of the world so that they can feel as giddy and excited about fashion and movies and music as we do. Spread the love.

MISHA MCKAGAN
My favourite blogger of all time is NYané. I love everything about this girl. When I look at her I feel I’m in the 80s or early 90s and I love it!! The best thing about blogging is the opportunity to meet a lots of amazing and inspirational people.

ARE YOU ALL ASPIRING TO WORK IN CREATIVE FIELDS?

JESSI JAE JOPLIN
Yes, I think that’s what draws us all together. I am equally passionate in fashion and music so I plan on bridging that gap in my future endeavors.

BEBE ZEVA
I can’t even imagine there being an alternative… I’d love a career in coolhunting since I’m so observant and obsessed with trends. Trend-spotting is essentially what we do on the Fabulous Stains blog, so it comes naturally!

NORELLE RHEINGOLD
Fashion is my passion and I’m dreaming of becoming an immortal fashion designer.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR INSPIRATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO THE WAY YOU DRESS?

JESSI JAE JOPLIN
I get most of my inspiration from films, such as Desperately Seeking Susan, Ladies and Gentlemen The Fabulous Stains (obviously), Modern Girls and Smithereens. I also draw a lot of inspiration from sub cultures of the past – punks, club kids, hippies, bohemians and grunge, although it was not a culture as such, rather a fan base for alternative rock.

BEBE ZEVA
Faded photos of friends getting drunk in the desert, someone I don’t know’s Road Trip 2009 facebook album, headshots in high school yearbooks from 1999, youtube videos of parties recorded on fuzzy camera phones, flash photos of a backyard in Hollywood Hills at night time, candid picture of two people snorting cocaine in a posh nightclub, a girl sitting on the curb at sunset, eating a cheeseburger with her sunglasses on.

CHELSEA REA
Rock ‘n’ roll, sequins, pizza, polka dots, 50’s/60’s, John Waters movies, Edie Sedgwick, stripes, punks and Halloween.

NORELLE RHEINGOLD
My inspiration mostly comes from movies and music videos from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. I also get a lot of inspiration from art, photographs, series, comics and japanese street fashion. I have a fondness for clothes with bright colors and dark elements!

MISHA MCKAGAN
I’ve always found a lot of inspiration in my favourite movies. I grew up watching olsen twins movies. I consider Ashley Olsen as my first ‘role model’.

Well, I hope you all enjoyed that interview All the photos I used were found on each individual’s own website and are credited to their respectful owners. I take no credit for the photos I used. If there is anyone in particular you think I should interview, please do tell.

It wouldn’t be a proper dark vice post without some sort of indication of what I’ve been wearing now, would it? I’ve been at work for the last few days and practicing driving in the free time I had, so I’ve basically been wearing the same boring outfit for the last three days straight.

This is literally it. Purple galaxy leggings with the pictured t-shirt, my work shoes look almost exactly like that, except there is no heel at all. They’re completely flat, I wear them when I drive because I can’t drive in heels, it feels weird and dangerous. I’m hoping to announce the winner of the giveaway tomorrow or the next day.

Tags: bebe zeva, black milk, chelsea rea, galaxy leggings, jessie jae joplin, misha mckagan, norelle rheingold, purple, the fabulous stains, the mountain, work
Posted in Fashion, Inspiration, Interview, What I Wore | 10 Comments »

Comments (10)

February 7th, 2012

MEET MY FRIEND, DANIEL

Daniel is a friend of mine, back from the Monash University days… which ended a few months ago. T_T I’LL MISS YOU MONASH. Sorry about my emotional outburst. Aaaaanyway. If you ask most girls about fashion, most of them will reply with some interest in the subject. However, with most guys, it’s a completely different story. Most guys don’t seem to really care. My boyfriend is one of them, he doesn’t really care about fashion at all, (sigh) it kind of sucks sometimes, but hey, we all have our different interests and that is totally fine.

My friend Daniel is nothing like my boyfriend when it comes to fashion, he is almost exactly like me! Actually, I’d say a little worse. Our styles are definitely influenced by entirely different things, but we’re both obsessed with online shopping to the point that we admit, it’s an addiction. A dangerous addiction. Still, better than gambling, or drugs, am I right, or am I right? I’m interested in Daniel’s addiction because I personally, don’t know any other guy just as obsessed as I am. Come to think of it, I don’t think I personally know any other girl just as obsessed either. Actually, I think I know a few, but that’s beside the point.

I wanted to ask Daniel a few simple questions about his fashion, or rather, style obsession. His answers are quite entertaining, I could definitely relate to them, I’m sure there’s a few of you that can too. I also took a few photos of him in some of his favourite pieces. Enjoy

WHEN DID YOU BECOME SO OBSESSED WITH CLOTHES AND WHY?

Ever since I got my first debit card several years ago I started getting into the habit of online shopping for clothes. At first it was things that I could only buy online or things that had great deals compared to most stores. I’m now 21 and as I’ve grown older I guess I can say that I’ve become wiser in terms of fashion and I’ve narrowed clothing and accessories into what I do and don’t like. I have this need to always look my best, to stand out from the crowd. I’m not going to lie, I like getting the looks! Haha! I always try to stop myself but for some reason I get really anxious and I can’t stop thinking about what to buy next. I’ll normally have multiple packages delivered to me each week. I tell myself not to, but I keep checking my favourite online sites almost every hour whilst at home to see if they’ve added any new items. After I make a purchase I feel relieved and calm. The worst thing about it is that I should be saving up for a car but for some reason I can’t stop. Everyone knows I have an addiction and I do too myself!

Daniel with his brand new Opening Ceremony x Levi jacket, which is… pretty damn awesome, huh?

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE?

I would describe my style as predominantly urban, but I like to mix my urban wear with rare/limited designer pieces. To be yourself during this day and age, which is constantly trying to make you conform is one of the hardest things to do. Everywhere I look people are trying to dress like their favourite music artist, so much to the point where they become a cloned replica. This is why I tend to only buy one-off or limited pieces so that I can stay somewhat unique, although I believe the idea of originality is dead now. I think what’s cool is the fact that I can flip my style up. One day I can be wearing a denim jacket with a snapback and the next I can be fully suited up. It really just depends on how I’m feeling on the day.

DO YOU HAVE ANY INFLUENCES?

Pharrell Williams (Music Artist, Producer & Designer) is definitely someone who influences me when it comes down to fashion. I think male fashion is very archetypal in the sense that all men dress the part to whatever their profession may be. But when it comes to stepping outside of this, I think Pharrell really peels off from the bunch and has unquestionably earned my respect in the world of fashion. Other than that I usually browse Tumblr in search of what combinations of clothes complement each other and how I can then bring those combinations into my existing wardrobe.

HOW MUCH DO YOU SPEND ON FASHION, ON AVERAGE, EVERY FORTNIGHT?

I cringe at the thought of how much money I spend every fortnight! On average I normally spend anywhere between $100 – $250. Then I have my bad weeks where I’ll drop $600+! I remember back in 2010 I ordered in bulk with one of my close friends in order to save on shipping costs and we spent roughly $1,500! It’s funny though, whenever I receive a package, I just lie to my parents about the real price of the items I purchased. I know they’d disown me if they found out how much I spend! Seriously though, I swear I’m almost at the end of the list of items I NEED to buy! (Magnet’s note: Ah yes, don’t we ALL wish that?)

Daniel wearing a jacket by one of his favourite brands, Pink Dolphin, I’m told it’s a brand based in LA.

I hope you all found that interesting, I personally found his answers highly amusing. I’m not sure why, probably because it sounds a lot like me. To end this post, here is what I wore yesterday. The state library security guard called me Cinderella. Meh, at least Cinderella is kind of cool.