Dress in progress...

My sister, who works under her Payton label, is creating a special dress for me, just for my signing at New York Comic Con! I'm so excited. I asked her for something with a post-apocalyptic vibe. She's totally making it happen! Here's some sneak peeks as it's being constructed into something awesome...

Interview with Project Runway Season 12's Miranda Kay Levy

Novelist Kendra L. Saunders interviews fashion designer Miranda Kay Levy for IPMNation.com about her kickstarter program, her plans for 2014, her time in the military, her feelings about Mondo, what she'd dress Zac Posen in and much, much more.

Make sure to check out Miranda's website: http://mirandaklevy.com/
Miranda's twitter: https://twitter.com/mirandalevy
Miranda's kickstarter: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1375067643/miranda-levy-of-project-runway-2014-collection

For more of Kendra's interviews with creative professionals, subscribe to this channel and visit her website www.kendralsaunders.com

Kendra's twitter @kendrybird / instagram @kendralsaunders

Half Lucid Jewelry

So... I did it. I did the thing. I finally, after loads of requests, opened an etsy account. http://www.etsy.com/shop/HalfLucidJewelry?ref=l2-shopheader-name Half Lucid is so named because the lovely Fabio Costa made a comment to me about some earrings I made while recovering from sinus surgery, and the name stuck. The jewelry has magical, colorful and somewhat melancholy themes. The main attraction, though, now and probably forevermore, are the "Babecatcher" earrings. They can be made in a variety of colors, and all of the details are on the etsy page. Enjoy! :)

Have felt very Brigette Bardot lately...

Cool Fan Art of Dmitry Sholokhov

Here's the awesome fan art my comic artist sister made for Dmitry Sholokhov, called "Dmitry Takes Over the Fashion World." Very cool!

Dmitry will be showing a collection in a couple weeks at Panama Fashion Week. Make sure to keep an eye on his twitter and instagram ( @dmitrysholokhov ) as well as his website for more information!

Interview with Fabio Costa and Rebecca Diele of NotEqual

The last time I spoke with NotEqual, Fabio Costa and Rebecca Diele were breathlessly caught up in the hurricane that is Kickstarter. Days before their crowdsourcing deadline, they had just returned from their fashion show in El Paseo and spoke to me early on a Sunday morning with an impressive calm and focus.
A couple months on, they have completed a successful Kickstarter campaign and are busy preparing for shows and fielding media attention...
Q: Fabio, Rebecca, congratulations on successfully completing your Kickstarter. I can’t help thinking your success hinges a lot on the unique perspective you bring to fashion through gender-neutral clothing that is still enviably hip. For the uninitiated, tell us a little about NotEqual’s place in the fashion industry.

Quite honestly we're still figuring it out, a discovery we're excited to experience. Our intention, however, is to embrace the idea of the organic human form, which fundamentally is gender-neutral and challenge people to find that part of themselves in our pieces, where self-expression is not man or woman, but both.


Q: I’ve seen comments from your fans about how much they appreciate your gender neutral clothing. Would both of you say that freedom for gender expression in clothes comes from your own lives?

We did not set out consciously to express our experiences in our designs; however, growing up, we played with various concepts of style, sending a personal message through fashion of who we were and how we wanted to be viewed. This message was usually unconventional and acknowledged sexuality, gender and social variables. Now, we have a clearer and broader understanding of these topics and we aim to help people express themselves through our clothing, free from social paradigms.



Q: Tell us more about your unique sizing structure.

In nature, there is a harmony in proportions, also repeated in the human body, this is referred to in scientific literature as the golden ratio. We create designs that correspond to this ideal and have based our measuring and pattern system on it as well. This approach has resulted in a new, genderless sizing scale, with three sizes.




Q: When you’re putting together a runway presentation, what is the most important element you focus on?

Cohesion is very important. Each collection proposes something new and a runway presentation is really all about telling a story, one that brings each audience member into the experience. They become participants in our vision and by the end of the presentation are excited and inspired by it. We hope, then, that they can see at the very least, a part of themselves in our collection.




Q: What about for photoshoots?

It's an opportunity for the actual concept to come through and for the collection pieces to have their moment in the spotlight (literally!). We look at our photo shoots as a collaborative experience, relishing the opportunity to work with different artists (makeup, stylist, hair etc.) to express the concept and show off the collection details.




Q: Well, for those who haven't seen one of your incredible photoshoots, they need to check out "Proportion Studies." Such a great shoot! Now, who is your NotEqual customer?

Someone with a sense of independence, with courage, who prefers to take a risk, especially risks related to our aesthetic. But we also think our customer is very aware of styling and will fit our pieces into her/his wardrobe with a certain joie de vivre.



Q: How much influence does Brooklyn have on NotEqual?

We get a lot of inspiration from our environment and since we spend time in Brooklyn, naturally there is some influence, however it is a secondary influence, not a direct one.



Q: I can’t help thinking, Fabio, that your taste for musicians like Andrew Bird, Grizzly Bear and St. Vincent comes across in the breezy, hip vibe of your creations. How much influence does folk and indie music have on NotEqual?

When you take the digital production away from music, you get to see soul. Folk music feels more like a simple, organic expression and I think this is what I also try to capture in my work.



Q: Fabio, what is your advice to artists who have achieved a major goal- say runner up on Project Runway- to keep the ball rolling after their success?

Partner up with a good friend, because you can't do it alone! No really, it's important to find those partners and supporters who will embark on the journey with you.

But most importantly, don't give up. Do whatever you need to do, just make sure you continue to do what you love. Because there is nothing better.

Fashionably spotted in NYC...

I feel quite honored to have been in at least two New York Fashion Week features!

1. http://www.buzzfeed.com/maceyjforonda/street-style-surveys-what-are-the-ideal-stats-for-a-fashion

2. http://tomseyeview.wordpress.com/2013/09/08/spring-2014-ny-fashion-week-101-beautiful-women

So cool!

Interview with Project Runway's fashion designer Angela Bacskocky

Over the weekend I had the incredible pleasure of meeting Project Runway designers, including Angela Bacskocky, a contestant from Season 12. Angela, who is petite, beautiful and amiable in person, is making the best of her post-Project Runway time, launching right into a new fashion line with a fascinating theme.

Below is the interview I conducted with her about New York City, her new Martyr line and why she changed from blonde to fiery red-head…

Q: It was lovely to visit with you recently in New York City during Fashion Week. How did it feel to be back in New York?

A: It's always great to be in NY. Fashion Week and Project Runway is always so hectic. It was a whirlwind. Great to see everyone again though! My soul sister from season 12, Kahindo, had her own show and pop-up shop during fashion week and that was a highlight. [http://www.modahnik.com/]

Q: How has New York influenced your personal style, if at all?

A: While filming Project Runway, I became obsessed with the Empire State Building as it was prominent in the view from my hotel window. I drew it and painted it and photographed it and the art deco architecture is playing into my new work.

Q: Do you wear a lot of clothes you make?

A: I do wear some clothes that I make. But I'm always selling all of my stock and that often doesn't leave anything left for me to wear! I definitely always try to carry one of my leather tote bags, especially when traveling. They're perfect weekender bags. [http://angelabacskocky.bigcartel.com/product/the-cocoon-tote-in-waxed-oxblood]

Q: You recently switched up your hair color from the delicate blonde pixie we saw on Project Runway to a fierce Tilda-Swinton-esque red. What influenced the change and how has life been as a redhead?

A: I have a habit of taking on the persona of each new collection I'm working on. My last line was called Ghost and I went from my natural brown hair to white blonde because it seemed the most appropriate for the concept. My new spring line is called Martyr and Tilda Swinton was definitely an inspiration, as well as Cate Blanchet. The Martyr is fiery and feisty and she seems like a redhead for sure. I'm constantly my own muse.

Q: I love that idea of you being your own muse. I think that organically makes for more interesting clothes and art in general. Now, I noticed something about a photography collaboration you did for the Ghost line. Can you tell me a bit more about that and if you’ll be doing something similar for Martyr?

A: Everything I do is personal and each collection is a reflection of my emotional state at that time. I relate more to artists Sophie Calle and Cindy Sherman, who immerse themselves in their self-exposing work, than most fashion designers. The concepts become the most important thing, the way to keep it interesting for me and give me something to obsess over. The clothes and accessories become sellable relics of the grand idea.

Several photographers and filmmakers and I were working on a short film (and several photography collaborations) for Ghost at the beginning of this year and I have not abandoned that idea. Each collection merges into the next, telling a progressive story, so I can see Ghost and Martyr meshing seamlessly and the film (already in progress) can include both bodies of work. Martyr is just the next chapter and I'm already daydreaming about the chapter beyond that... Maybe this short film will become a feature length..

Q: I love that. The fusion of photography, film and fashion seems like the way of the future- and truly a storyteller’s toolbox! Now, you have a show coming up very soon. When and where is that?

A: I'm showing during Market Week at Coast Shows on Monday & Tuesday (Sept 16&17). I'm doing an installation/performance piece for Martyr whilst also attempting to sell spring orders. We'll have a live model presentation inside a sculptural installation that we're creating. Craziness! Should be quite cool.[http://www.coastshows.com/]

Q: What is the best way for your fans to keep up with what you’re up to?

A: My site has all the pertinent information and links to all the good stuff on the web concerning Angela Bacskocky: http://angelabacskocky.com/ I have a Tumblr and I Instagram quite a bit and I still love Facebook...

Q: Thank you. It’s truly been an honor to speak with you, Angela!
Note: You can learn a lot more about Angela’s exciting fusion of creativity on her website, which I certainly suggest you visit. Her tumblr has shots from the Ghost collaboration, also worth checking out! Please feel free to leave a comment for Angela below, if you’d like. Thank you for reading!

*Kendra L. Saunders is the author of magic realism novel Inanimate Objects and the upcoming dark comedy Death and Mr. Right (Spence City, 10/2013). She is an author, interviewer, freelancer and fashionista. Find her on twitter and instagram at @kendrybird

Interview with Michelle Lesniak Franklin

Novelist Kendra L. Saunders interviews Project Runway Season 11 winner Michelle Lesniak Franklin about her final collection, what she's working on now, who she'd take with her to a desert island, steampunk and much more.

Michelle's twitter: https://twitter.com/michelleiswell
Michelle's website: http://au-clothing.com/

Originally aired 8.27.2013 on IPMNation.com

Here's a beautiful shot I got of Leanne Marshall's stunning Spring 2014 collection at New York Fashion Week.

An Introduction

During a whirlwind weekend at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in September 2013, I met a lot of wonderful professionals in all sorts of creative fields. Many of them encouraged me to begin a blog about my adventures dancing around the edge of the fashion world. As an author, interviewer and fashionista, my world collides with that of the fashion world quite often. Whether it's in making my own outrageous jewelry, taping an interview with a winner of Project Runway or appearing in an offbeat alternative fashion magazine, I seem to find myself in adventures that many others enjoy hearing about.

And so this journey begins! I chose the name Kendry Bird because it's a special nickname I've had for years and has always been my fashion persona. My real name is Kendra L. Saunders and I'm the author of indie-released Inanimate Objects, the upcoming dark comedy Death and Mr. Right and many other works of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. I'm the arts interviewer and reporter for IPMNation.com, a long time InStyle subscriber and lover of all things sparkly.

Enjoy, and be fabulous!