We are all that we have met.

Emma Watson for Burberry?! Nice!

I don’t know if this is a recent trend, but browsing through Vogue and Elle, I’ve noticed that there are so many more actresses and/or musicianistas whom are strewn across white bedsheets, caressing perfume bottles, or sporting the latest, lavish accessories in editorial advertisements for the high-end players; i.e. Madonna for Louis Vuitton, Scarlet Johansson for L’Anti Marilyn and Dolce & Gabbana, Keira Knightly for Chanel, etc.

Emma Watson is my fav. though!

Muggle…out.
C

Project Inform: A Night of Hope 2009.

Themes of the noche:
The tasteful infusion of condoms and fashion
A different take on couture night gowns
Culinary bites courtesy of the Four Seasons Hotel
Live auction and gay humor a la Alec Mapa
*Raising money in support of AIDS/HIV victims

I recently participated in this very event that was sponsored by City Model Management, and organized by a non-profit based in SF called Project Inform [www.ProjectInform.org]. Proceeds from this event will benefit the organization’s advocacy, policy and treatment information program, which has offered support to people living with HIV for the past 24 years.

The affair consisted of a fancy dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel in the city, a live auction which included an African Safari and various other posh prizes- some of which were sold for up to $2500, the risqué humor of the Master of Ceremonies, Alec Mapa (an award-winning actor from the show Ugly Betty), and a “condom couture” fashion show exhibiting a charismatic collection of innovative and entertaining garments, all made partly or completely of condoms. Photographed to the right is Alec Mapa with the project coordinator of the event, Henry Lucero.

I got the opportunity to collaborate primarily with one of the 12 participants, Catherine Jane [www.CatherineJane.net], an incredibly talented and fun local designer who happened to be a veteran of this annual event. She created a beautiful crème and golden strapless gown, fluttered with hand-painted, glittered-gold condoms, and an ample yet graceful train affixed to the bottom. All was divinely accompanied by Russian Red lips and Retrospeck golden eyelids, courtesy a la MAC Cosmetics and its team of eccentric artists.

All of the designers used the textures, shapes, and colors of the condoms in numerous and artistic ways; painting them, knotting them, stretching, bundling, and cutting them…so many of the pieces looked nothing like latex!

Overall, it was a fabulous experience and I’m glad to have been a part of it.

Wear a gown made partially of condoms to raise money for AIDS/HIV…Check!

Keep it safe.
Chetna

As my dreaded seasonal blues kick in here in San Jose (which you’ll be hearing more about in the months to come, I’m sure) and the leaves transform initially to tones of dull yellows and eventually to deep reds, yet another beautiful Indian Summer yields the winds warm and the sun shining several miles north in San Francisco.

A few weekends ago, 2 very talented photographers, Anna Cone & Christopher Nelson, a creative student designer from the Academy of Arts University, and a funky make-up artist named Tamra-Marie, and I travelled to Montara State Beach, which sits peacefully off the windy Highway 1.

Unpacked and ready to roll, we decended about 100 steep, wooden steps, with our blankets, cooler box & snacks, cameras and lighting all in hand, to the flawless landscape and chilled waters of Montara Beach. Interesting tid bit: it turned out that half of the beach, hidden behind a few boulders that inconspicuously split the beach in two, was a nudist’s haven…now, I was warned of it prior to our arrival but I never realized just how awkward it would be until, standing there so proudly before us, was an old, gray-haired man…in nothing but the nude, mind you.

Anyway, the beach’s buff sands, terra cotta-esque rocks, warm breeze, and the slight overcast provided for an awesome photoshoot.

Sure, walking in the sand while wearing 5-inch heels can be a flexing challenge on the soles and calves…

And certainly, clambering up those jagged rocks in a delicate, hand-made silk dress may be an arduous task…

Most of all, laying on a boulder, while appearing more graceful than gawky, with 5-pound bangles on one’s wrists may prove to be more abrasive than it seems…

Yet…it was all so completely worth it, and ultimately, not demanding at all. Everyone couldn’t have made it easier nor more pleasant. Including the nudists, who not only added sufficient peculiarity to the event, but even, too often, strolled by to boldly inquire about a photoshoot of their own…minus, of course, the minuscule detail that is the fashion part of it…

Stay toasty.
Chetna

Beatnikz Bizaar (the land of funky earlobe decor, eccentricism, and cardboard models) now has its own blog and a few spankin’ new designs.

http://beatnikzbizaar.wordpress.com/

From now on, it will be the most frequently updated site on Beatnikz Bizaar’s latest creations and revelations!

C

Beatnikz Bizaar is my startup, extremely informal, little business endeavor. Since I love to not only wear but make costume jewelry (specifically earrings), I’ve decided to sell my incredibly affordable, creative and high-quality creations to those who share that odd passion for sporting eccentric and earthly earrings!

Presenting the first, funky fashion-earring collection of…

All ears to the Green Evolution [made of recycled materials]

 
Lemon-yellow glitter flower
Colors: lemon-yellow (above), pink, red, purple, teal, gray, black
Price: US $7.50

 A few ways to get high [without killing braincells]…

 
Seeds & Peasant Feathers
Price: US $6.25

          

Bird of Juno (Peacock) feathers                  
Price: US $7.00    
 

Jordan ain’t got sh*t on these hoops!

 
 
Colors: Any color and/or combination that your little heart desires
Price: US $5.75 (Basic-no beadwork)

          
Amber teardrops                                              
Price: US $7.00 

      
Legalize hemp! Edition, Hoops with customized beadwork
Price: US $8.00                                         

 
Simply turquoise
Price: US $7.00

Don’t forget to pamper those earlobes…

 
Dark diamond reflections
Price: US $9.50

 
Fancy lemon-yellow Ablas
Price: US $14.00

Pre-orders are most welcome [it's a win-win; you get exactly what you want and I get to make exactly what you want ;]
S&H is not included in the prices listed above
Additional earring collections will be posted once I have designed/developed them so check in here often :]

Contact: Via Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/people/Chetna-Mehta/6412354]
                Twitter [Beatnikzbizaar]

Peace