Sugar Art & Fashion Show

GIMME SOME SUGAR………

I attended an art and fashion show called, ‘Sugar’, hosted by 1981 Collection designer Timmery Turner at the 4300 Loft on Jefferson. Timmery wanted to create an “underground” environment where female artists and designers and network, but also showcase their talents and have a chance to sell their goods to the general public. In the future, she hopes to produce ‘Sugar and Spice’ a show for up-and-coming male artists and designers.

That evening, there were five artists showcasing and their wares. One was Timmery’s 1981 Collection. She was assisted by her graphic artist, Candy Parker. Handmade jewelry and purses were on display. I picked up a cute bracelet with blue, pink and black beads. For more information, go to www.1981 collection.com or http://www.tinseltokyo.com.

Jewelry made from recycled trinkets and other materials are definitely a trend here in LA. One example would be Wolfbird Art, designed by Samantha Hyman (or Bedouin, as she prefers to be called.) Bedouin started making jewelry two years ago while she was traveling. She credits the beads and trinkets for her inspirations. “When I make jewelry, I lay all my supplies out and look for colors and patterns that create harmony,” she says. For a year- and -a- half, she supported herself by selling her jewelry out of a small scarf. Since then, she has settled down for the time being and her work has really taken off. She stresses that her work is more sophisticated and her range of materials have expanded. Her prices range from $20 for a simple wire-wrap pendants or skeleton keys to $100 for more detailed pieces. She doesn’t have a website at the moment, but you can contact her at wolfbirdart@gmail.com or Facebook her at (samanthahyman@gmail.com). She sells at the Topanga Country Store at 115 S. Topanga Canyon Rd.

Another cool Indie designer, Kimberly Tabay of Tabaybe J specializes in rings. Her rings “are where my love and passion for art and fashion meet.” This ‘labor of love’ has taken her five years to master. Each ring is wire-wrapped and every ornament that adorns the rings are found either in Downtown LA to flea markets to thrift stores and even junk drawers. Each of her rings tells a story from every angle. Her inspirations come from her friends and places she’s been. “As an artist- my main focus is to stay true to my work, which means I have to stay true to myself…” Her “ultimate goal is to gain as much inspiration through simply living life out loud in hopes that it translates through me into my work and therefore is passed along…” Each piece takes about two-four hours to make. Her price points range from $125-300 depending on the amount of labor put into it. She also does custom pieces for specific purposes, like sets for sisters, friendship rings, etc. For more information, go to www.tabaybej.com.

The last jewelry designer is Chantala Parris of Hide Your Feathers. She specializes in feather earrings made from naturally molted feathers from a variety of birds. She feels that what sets her apart from other feather earring designers is her attention to the bead and wire quality. She gets her inspiration from nature. She is also a painter and she has been exploring many patterns with a nature-theme. She was attracted to the patterns on the feathers and wanted to expand her creativity into making jewelry. Her price points range from $5- 50 because some feathers are more expensive then others and she uses real gems. She sells at local art shows like the Downtown Art Park-www.citizenla.com. For more information, go to www.HideYourFeathers.Etsy.com.

The last artist is a rather unique illustrator. Lori McMichael had little frames with lips and nipple markings displayed. The Art Center College of Design grad finds inspirations through expressing her love to her friends. She takes something that would usually be romantic and twists it into something odd and humorous. She explains “that after the kiss marks, the nipple marks were an evolution of the medium and the expression.” For more information on Lori’s illustrations, check out her portfolio at www.lorimcmichael.com or to purchase one of her pieces, go to www.etsy.com/lorimcmichael.

The fashion half of the show featured seven designers (including three of the artists) and four tall, dark (some blonde) and handsome men decked out in sunglasses and black suits that helped keep the crowd controlled and off the runway.
I saw fun, avant-garde vintage-inspired street wear from the line Lade Lade by Tiffany Maxwell (tffnymaxwell@yahoo.com). There were tees with rocker-inspired graphics on them. They are Rock Thiz Clothing (an affiliate of entertainment magazine, Rock Thiz Magazine) by Lisa Snyder (rockthizclothing@yahoo.com). I “heart” the club/rave vibe of Beauty is Pain Couture by Rio Warner (beautyispaincouture@gmail.com). Lots of bright colors, corsets, tiaras and pink hair. The models rocked it! Vintage goodness and deconstruction were the themes for Reincarnation by Allesa Willis (Allesawillis@yahoo.com). The show also featured artists Kimberly Tabay, Chantala Parris and Timmery Turner. Timmery also had made little tutus that went down the runway with her jewelry line.

Check out Sugar Art and Fashion Show on Facebook! Timmery will also be having “Sugar Part Deux” on February 12th at Loft 4300. Check out the flyer on my “EVENTS” page for more deets!

SPECIAL THANKS: The designers, models, J, artists, Tom Kirlin (owner of Loft 4300 and Timmery’s partner), the DJ, bartenders, waitresses and Katie from Urbansalt.com…