June 08, 2005
Love and Fashion, Phoenix Style
Sugar-Frosted Half-Jacket with Mound Circles. Fashion design and photography by Catherine King.
[Every bit of lace in this piece, and there's much more, was applied by Catherine King, by hand or with the help of good ol' Singer USA.]
by Jerome du Bois
Our love.
I think that's what they hate the most: the love Catherine and I have for each other.
Who are they, you ask? Here's one. A human calling himself J-wrock (Jeremiah Wrock?) posted a vicious, obscene comment on our "SoldierLeisure" fashion posting this morning. (The reader should consult that piece for background.) I deleted the comment, but will reproduce and fisk it after severe editing, to briefly sketch out a profile of the psychological style we encounter in emails and comments. How they hate us, in other words, as well as why.
Before I get to Mr. J-wrock's hissy fit, though, some background. Nine months ago I wrote a piece criticizing the local fashion scene and bragging about my wife's work, which she calls Outsider Haute Couture, because it's one of a kind for one --her. In that posting, I singled out and quoted Andy Brown of SoldierLeisure as an example of the many faux "fashion designers" in the Valley.
Eight months later, in early May, Mr. Brown sent us a disparaging, sarcastic email, which I used as the basis for the SoldierLeisure posting on May 8th.
We have not heard from him since. I repeat: we have not heard from him for a month. (We don't care if he replies, understand; he can go his way; it's just for the record.)
But now, a month later, J-wrock somehow finds out about our writing. Maybe he googled "soldierleisure" and saw, as items four and five on the first page, the two postings we've written which refer to Mr. Brown and his . . . work. As you'll read --and I hope you will forgive my severe editing, but he really deeply insults my wife --he is one vicious little bastard. And remember, people, this is not about fashion --fashion is just a cloak for his jealousy and envy. Beauty, integrity, and especially deep love --these all summon their nemeses from the seething hive of envy.
J-wrock begins:
"My wife this, my wife that" . . . Go [and here he refers to a literally infantile act in lurid, creepy detail, then tries to make fun of Catherine's practice of titling her creations, which dozens of other couturiers also do]. Oh Yeah, Don't forget the Armani Tag you punk little bitch.
That last epithet refers to me, not Catherine. And he criticizes us for dropping the Armani name --this, from a guy who's defending a guy who couldn't display his own brand name more glaringly than he already does. But our whole point is that she's not going to bow down to or be stopped by some label. As with the Three Flags t-shirt, in which she improves an Alexander McQueen. As with the black fusion skirt GaultiQueen. I always think of that scene in Amadeus where Mozart adapts, embellishes, and brings to life Salieri's tepid little Welcome March.
But note the opening. He hates that I love Catherine, and admire her many talents, and carefully share some of them with the world. Why would I do that? Because I think her behavior is worth emulating; because she embodies the archetypal American and the archetypal Woman: always working, do-it-yourself, demand the best, figure it out, overcome obstacles, keep improving, never give up, and never give an inch. Unsinkable. Unstoppable.
And that's what sets these twits off. They have no talent for fashion, or writing, or reason, or hard work, or the long run. They know how to hate, though. And they hate the most the ones who shine, because when the light reaches these vampires everyone can see they have nothing of themselves in what they extrude, only what they have managed to vamp from their betters.
Andy Brown has more talent and following than you or even you little [obscenity] wife can pick up off the street of San Fran.
An empty claim about talent --typical half-educated response: it's so because I say it's so (little foot stamp)-- and then the curious mention of "following."
We sure as hell don't want any following at all, even the kind you find in San Francisco. Look, sure, and read the writing. But keep your distance. Leave us alone. Go your own way. That's the whole point of exemplification and emulation. It always thrills me when I discover new talent or ideas or images in the many areas that interest me. It encourages me that the flame that burns so bright in my beloved wife burns in others. And the internet helped open those worlds up to me. It is a great big complicated world, Mr. J-wrock, not the squinty little hole you and your crew seem to want to create.
You are a punk like Andy said. And, if you have anymore slander you want spew you can bring to the street. I will step to you and your [obscenity] wife. Time and place [obscenity].
Sincerly yours,
j-wrock
J-J-J-wrock must have been getting j-j-jittery with anger, dropping articles like "to" and "it" and "up." He must really like Andy Brown. How dare you speak ill of of of-- while repeating an increasingly tired word, punk. (I acknowledge, for the record, that he's more willing to defend Mr. Brown than Mr. Brown.)
Speaking of the street, whenever I do get out and about I must say I have never seen any clothing I could identify as from SoldierLeisure. I'm encouraged, of course --is the inventory building up, I wonder?-- and also relieved that we do not frequent the same venues.
We'll write whatever we want, Mr. J-wrock, and we certainly don't slander. We give reasons for our assertions; we give examples and publish photos and provide links. We answer to reason.
And if you do see us on street, you'll forget about stepping up to us because you will be too busy set back on your heels admiring our outfits, our strut, and our style, and by the time the spell is over we'll be long gone. Then go home and look up glamour.
Fashion is about celebrating life. That's what we do in this broken world.
Posted by Jerome at June 8, 2005 09:45 AM | TrackBack