Monthly Archives: March 2011

White Lines and The Fever: The Death of DJ Junebug

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It is so fab to head out into the city on a Sunday night…especially to the Ace Hotel when you have a friend who has some work showing. The Ace has been hosting different film series in an awesome screening room, The Liberty Hall, on Sunday nights.

Last Sunday I was honored to check out Travis Senger’s film, White Lines and the Fever: The Death of DJ Junebug”.

His piece was a standout amongst the other documentaries that showed. The film produced by Lincoln Leopard Films and written by Travis, had soul, heart and told a story that anyone who loves music must see and hear.

The documentary highlights the scene in the South Bronx and the double life of DJ Junebug who was a true talent and iconic founding father of Hip Hop in the early 80’s. I want to tell you all about it, but I want more for you to see it. The film is showing around NYC for the next few months and the next time will be in Harlem at the Maysles Theatre on April 28. Please check it out if you can.

I will tell you while my eyes were full of tears at the end, I was proud to see a whole list of amazing Seattle filmy friends work on this award winning project [Grand Jury Prize at Tribeca Film Festival, South by Southwest Film Festival and Seattle International Film Festival]. A huge shout out to them. I am looking forward to more amazing films by Travis and Lincoln Leopard. RL

A quick Dial in on Fur Purse Charms

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As I entered my flat after a lovely dinner in the city with my film gals at Peels, I saw to my roommates bag. I said to myself “Oh No. She didn’t!”

Attached to her bag was a bag fur tail bag charm. A faux fox one fashioned like the Luis Vuitton one Victoria Beckham sported last year.

The trend of the fur tail bag charm has been an interesting one for me to follow. I don’t know… I like it in photos…but there is no way I can get around my history of costume roots on this one. As my friends and clients know, I love sharing those interesting facts behind clothing and design. This is good you guys…

The fur attachment reminds me of the periods both in England and France when the gowns and garments were heavy and layered, especially in the courts. Wigs were added and bathing was not an every day thing. Lice and mice were common in and amongst the garments. Yikes. So, the idea was to attach fur charms on the garments or carry a small fur pelt in their hand so that these little critters would go away from the person and onto the fur charm away from the body. Double Yikes. This practice in fashion history was during the Tudor Period (the first half of the 16th C. under Henry VII)

My roommate’s response to this story? “Mine is to keep dirty hipsters away”. Ha. RL

P.S. Special Thanks to my history of costume professor, Dr. Stella Warnick, for her help in confirming the details and finding a great example.