Monday's Mission: investigating modern bohemian & hippie chick chic

-The 60s and 70s are Back in a Big Way-     
-I am Giving You A Mission This Week, Based on This Style-

1. Investigate the style and the designers working with this type of aesthetic. 

2. Email three looks to me at brookelundy@yahoo.com that are inspired by Hippie Couture. Ensure that your images are attached and sent by Friday, 7/29/11! Comment on the post to ensure I am aware of your participation! If you fail to post a comment and email your looks solely you will be vioded from the competition and the mission!

3. I will choose three favorites by Friday, 7/29/11 and post your selections by next Monday, 81/11! 

4. The 1st place winner will receive a handmade accessory made by yours truly. I can work in your favorite aesthetic, but it will not be a custom order! 

5. The prize will be mailed out by 8/5/11 at the very latest! I will pay for postage, but I am not fully aware of all the shipping rules for shipping outside the U.S.!

6. Good Luck! Don't mess this up. You are working for a style spy after all. You must impress!    

-It's a Modern Aesthetic With an Earthy Grounded Quality-                     

The Knightcap modern tie dye dress by Plastic Island demonstrates exactly what I am thinking and exploring this week. I can easily hearken back to the mid-late 90s when I was a doppleganger for someone transplanted directly from Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco circa 1969. My dread locks were blonde and down to my mid back and I wore patchwork clothing that was all handmade by yours truly. I did not get into the tie dye look because I was a nuvo/neo hippy, not some dirty, poor, gutter punk hippie that might be mistaken for an undercover cop at a Grateful Dead, Phish Shows or Merriweather. I was neither a trustyfarian nor a broke runaway. I was a different breed. I had permission to go and just had to come back alive, without disease, some dude's spawn and/or a severe drug addiction. It was kind of like shopping around for Universities while visiting various cities all over the country. I was learning which place I wanted to live and study! 

At shows I rode my Powell Perelta skateboard proudly around and I used it to protect me from sleazy guys while experimenting with an unbelievable amount of elicit substances. My job began as a seamstress, making clothing to sell and pouches for glass pipes, but that merchandise flew so quickly that I needed a new gig. I tried selling glass paraphernalia, but the profit margin was not so bueno, 18%, whatever! I cooked a bit and the same problem was that I made no money. Finally, I began getting illegal substances for wholesale from family (old school, real hippies from the actual 1960s who followed the Dead for years and rocked the most lovely tie dyed shirts, dresses and artisan made, batik, wax relief garments.)! 

I loved doing this and sharing my products with the abundant customers or consumers (custy's) so my girlfriends (my mamas) and I could sleep well that evening in a hotel suite not a mere $150 room! We were seeking class in our hippie heaven. A haven to rest our heads and talk about how much money we made working the lot at each show before taking more substances and doing the same thing all over again for a few more days before school terms began again. Ungrateful and with much regret, sadness and despair we would leave our friends and all the memories to return to the real world and the drudgery that we called High School and others experienced as work, college or permanent drug dealing (yikes)! 

-Departure-I Love That the Vibe is Uber Urban-

Upon reflection, I am now a High School teacher and don't know a single student who's attempted to strike out on one's own for over thirty days with less than $40 tucked away in a faded pair of denim jeans', sewn into a hidden pocket. I was absolutely wild and a free spirit. This is my story and it's nostalgic. I don't listen to the music, continue going to music festivals, go to Burning Man or even wear the clothing anymore. For me, it was a phase and it lasted too long in my opinion. Strangely though I feel drawn to these new looks based on old concepts from yester years. Somehow, I am loving the Haute Hippie line and I adore the trend to bring back all that is good about the fashion from hippie culture! Let us rejoice in updating the earthy goodness of the neo-hippie fashion resurgence and the almost alien, spaceship qualities of this lovely renewed trend. I will explore and investigate the glamour and newness of tie dye, batik, the new lines, shapes and a fair amount of the patterns being explored in this delightful genre. I am loving the newly hard edged hippie look that does not require Birkenstocks, Amish length dresses and ridiculously long hair matched with calico, quilted, patchwork tops and skirts. I am ecstatic that you are not required to match with corduroy! Although, I do like corduroy in small doses, done right. Today, the look is comfortable and classy just like our swanky hotel suites!

-Cut, Proportion, Scale, Computer Graphic Patterns & Line Are Fresh to the Genre Making it Stylish- 

I am so looking forward to your mission this week. I am excited to see what you find and if I get really excited I may post all the looks that are submitted! Now, I will post the closest look I have worn inspired by the hippie aesthetic. I do incorporate this style into my looks, but my camera is dysfunctional and I am making due with what few photos I have. Enjoy what I can offer you via iphone! 

By the way, I went to BloomFest with my husband and his youngest brother, Robbie, who is currently living in LBC not UT because he is going to complete flight school (so dope) locally! The festival was in the Art's District near Little Tokyo, but still in our hood, DTLA! This event was like attending a flea market with very specific wares of high quality or an outdoor, handmade craft show (except for the very cool/cheap American Apparel Flea Market, the free Redbull & iced tea). It felt very reminiscent of the scene I described navigating and adoring in parking lots across the country before shows! However, I didn't feel like I did as a teen. I used this as an opportunity to network, promote the blog, meet local artists, arrange blog giveaways and to find possible partners for styling (yes!) and for advertising on the site! Yippee! The Pictures turned out great even though they were taken with a phone. And I was able to capture most of the really talented vendors, showcasing art, accessories, soaps, candles and clothing in this Updated Hippie/Hipster style! I hope you like!

Shorts: vintage Levis cut-offs circa 1980s found in SLO at a rad vintage shop, T-Shirt: A. OK from OAK, Snap on Belt for Any Buckle: vintage 1970s thrifted in Utah, Buckle: Raleigh Street Lights bronze trucker buckle depicting a semi-truck found at a vintage store in Chesapeake, VA., Red Leather Hobo Bag: The Sack from Nordstrom's Rack winter, Sunnies: old Ray Bans, Light Blue Moccasins with Pewter Studs: Michael Kors (old), no jewels but my ring because I was sick and barely could get up to dress myself! 

I really like this man's work. It's respectable, but fairly simple!

Cute girl modeling! Why thank you!

Everybody was digging the Feathers, geode jewels and the goodies at this vendor's tent!

Cuteset kids' haircut ever, but maybe I am a bit impartial since he has a cut a lot like mine!

Mama's got her own good things goin' on too!

She is one of designers for MNKR. Super Dope!

More MNKR

Natural soy and glycerin products that are wonderful for the environment!

I hope you like all the fun iphone pictures from BloomFest! It was a lot of fun, the energy was wild and frenetic (all those free Redbulls) and people were so friendly, nice and helpful. I networked my butt off! Vendor names and links will be added when I edit tonight, but the light is perfect an we have to get outside since we only have two hours of perfect light left! Happy Monday!