The Eclectic Romantic: A Field Guide

FIELD GUIDE CRAFTING A DIGITAL PRESENCE

WELCOME

It was important, no vital, to include this insert in a publication that takes a snapshot of the visual culture trends happening in fashion, social media and retail, because the contemporary shift pushing towards traditional craft and the handmade is a movement impacting those very industries in a major way. In today's digital age, it is now possible to stitch together traditional crafts such as cross-stitch, macrame and string art, interpreted in new ways through the convenience and edge of digital technology, taking shape as visual displays, interior design projects and simple recycling of ideas onto unconventional surfaces. Blogging and bookmarking social media platforms facilitate crafters into launching their own sustainable businesses, even collaborating with major brands and retailers for special DIY customization events and conferences. As a digitized handmade sketchbook, this guide showcases inspiring up and comers who are pursuing their passions and designing their careers with DIY projects. Here's a visual diary to crafting a digital presence.

The Eclectic Romantic

A WORD ON...

CRAFT TRENDS

While it's no surprise that the impact of Pinterest goes beyond the analytics of the business generating bookmarking site, do not be mistaken by the wave of mommy bloggers most closely associated with its success, spawning both social and psychological theories of domestic inadequacy and the light-hearted Pinterest fail memes to pop up throughout the media. In reality, the site, with the rising of Apple products, combined with the ease and usability of free blogging hosting sites, has influenced a generation of fresh-faced crafters who are putting their spin on grandma skills. What may have started as a way to pinch pennies on dressing, decorating or gifting in a post-recession job market has evolved into a full-fledged movement. The craft trends to ensue combine the millenial generation's penchant for artisanal heirlooms- using rich textures and materials like wood, metal and wool that emulate a sense of timelessness--with the instaneous need for customization similar to their arsenal of gadgets. They desire the look and feel of a handcrafted crossstitch wall hanging with the modern touches of neon pops of color, skulls, studs or slightly off details to provide a feeling of irreverence, that coveted look of not trying too hard.

MIXING CRAFT & DIGITAL THE PINTEREST DIY MOVEMENT

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THE NEW DIY ENTREPRENEURS ERICA DOMESEK, psimadethis

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series of major brands who shared her love for crafting trendy accessory updates, accompanied by her colorful and graphic inspiration collages. To date, Erica has worked with Vogue, StyleList, Domaine, Flour Shop and Who What Wear for sponsored DIY projects, as well as being featured in Daily Candy, Elle Magazine, Design*Sponge, Lucky Magazine, Refinery29, Good Morning America, CNN, Advertising Age, The Wall Street Journal and NYLON magazine as one of the most publicized DIY blogs of its kind.

ERICA’S BOOK P.S.-YOU’RE INVITED SET FOR RELEASE FALL 2013.

IMAGERY COURTESY OF ERICA DOMESEK AND PSIMADETHIS.COM. IMAGE OF ERICA COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES.

In 2009, Erica Domesek created her blog psimadethis.com out of her love for DIY projects. A veternan within the contemporary craft movement, Erica published her first book, P.S.- I Made This by 2010, having collaborated with a

AIMEE SANTOS, swellmayde.com

IMAGERY OF AIMEE COURTESY OF AIMEE SANTOS, SWELLMAYDE.COM AND PINTEREST.

Upon graduating, fashion designer Aimee Santos decided to create the design and lifestyle blog Swellmayde as a means to express her ideas for reusing and repurposing items in her closet and inspire

readers with easy to follow tutorials. With the DIY philosophy to create what inspires, Aimee lives by the mantra that making “otherwise unattainable trends” puts must have items “within reach and can save a little money along the way.” Her DIY gallery spans from asymmetrical wrap skirts, Paige denim inspired tiedye jeans, Free People inspired western shirts adorned with vintage printed scarves, of-themoment rhinestone ear cuffs, lucite clutches to nail art tutorials.

Aimee’s DIY’s have scored her coverage in Vogue Girl, Grazia, N.E.E.T., and Foam magazines, as well as features for H&M, G

by Guess, Lamb & Flag, Unique USA and Ebay. For more of Aimee’s jewelry, check out her onlineshop available at the link swellmayde.myshopify.com

In 2009, Geneva Vanderzeil started the blog apairandasparediy.com with the mentality to offer tips and how-to’s, not only for fashion and accesory DIY projects, but other life happenings like travel and lifestyle. “To start with it was about saving money,” she says, “but after a while it became more about feeling unique in what I wore and reducing my footprint.” Taking inspiration from high end designers like Balenciaga and Alexander Wang, Geneva created leg cuffs for Jamie Ashkar’s runway show for Sydney Fashion Week.

Featured in Grazia UK, Vogue Australia, Barneys New York and Cosmopolitan India, Geneva interprets fashion trends in an edgier way with body skimming crop tops and strappy sandals for a young, trendy crowd.

GENEVA’S BOOK DIY FASHIONISTA IS OUT NOW.

IMAGERY COURTESY OF GENEVA VANDERZEIL AND APAIRANDASPAREDIY.COM. IMAGERY OF GENEVA COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES.

GENEVA VANDERZEIL, apairandasparediy.com

ALICIA DIRAGO, whimseybox.com dism

IMAGERY AND LOGO COURTESY OF ALICIA DIRAGO AND WHIMSEYBOX. IMAGERY OF ALICIA COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES.

ountcreative.com

Alicia DiRago started her career life first as a chemical engineer. Upon a move from Chicago to Houston, where she felt the community lacked a vibrant craft and event scene, she decided to start her first blog dismountcreative.com in order to generate special DIY events. In December 2011, Alicia launched WhimseyBox, a monthly subscription service and blog turning similar sites on its head. Now based in Denver, Alicia works to develop the WhimseyBox concept, hoping to link up with other creatives who share her passion “to start blogging to connect with other DIY craft and fashion lovers and share my projects and inspiration.” Unlike other subscription services who focus primarily on ford and master a highly technical custom products like shoes and project. The site has been featured jewelry, WhimseyBox offers a on CNBC and The Wall Street Jourmonthly project with involved nal and features a unique markettools, processes and techniques, place and blog for other craft kits helping even less crafty users affor users to develop their own style.

ERICA CHAN COFFMAN & LAUREN KOLODNY, honestlywtf.com

evening. “It was an instant connection,” Erica notes, recalling the first time they met she happened to be crafting a beaded nose ring. Marking more than ten years of close friendship, the duo attributes their success in their bond and their business to shared style yet few differences marking their individuality. Having developed their famous DIY blog into a full-fledged media group, including extending the Honestly name into Honestly Yum, a foodie blog, the business partners have featured cool hunting, editorials, DIY tutorials, art, home and beauty on their famous URL expanding into new territories.

IMAGERY COURTESY OF LAUREN KOLODNY, ERICA CHAN COFFMAN AND HONESTLYWTF./HONESTLY MEDIA. IMAGE OF LAUREN AND ERICA COURTESY OF FOAM MAGAZINE.

scans from FOAM blogger Having met through a mutual friend during college, Erica and Lauren remember their issue offirstthe owners! encounter together while hanging out one

, ispydiy.com

JENNI RADOSEVICH

IMAGERY COURTESY OF JENNI RADOSEVICH AND ISPYDIY.COM.

Working at a NYC-based fashion magazine granted Jenni Radosevich the unique opportunity and access into the fashion world’s most coveted garments and accessories, an experience, she notes, that inspired the conception of her blog ispydiy.com, where emphasis is on putting those current trends within reach while still affording monthly rent.

Like her crafting contemporaries, Jenni published a DIY fashion book with her own unique spin, titled “I SPY DIY STYLE.” Jenni’s

innovative projects have gained her appearances with various TV shows, including Rachael Ray, The Today Show, New York Live and Martha Stewart, as well as features on Trend Hunter, Glitter Guide, Etsy Blog and Hello Giggles. Taking inspiration from street style trends like bikes and casual sweats and blogging heavy-hitters like Susie Bubble, her array of DIY projects spans from home decor, including a hanging jewelry organizer and adorned throw pillows, to accessories and clothing, like bright clutches, purse keychains, strappy flats, fringed scarves, chain headbands and thread-wrapped sandals. Jenni tackles high fashion trends like ombre and metals with an easy-to-wear realism and budget in mind for the every girl.

JENNI’S BOOK I SPY DIY STYLE IS ON SALE NOW!

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

BOTTEGA VENETA

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JOURNAL ENTRY: ONLINE BLOG CLASS

IMAGERY OF CRAFT PUNK SPREAD COURTESY OF VOGUE/STYLE.COM AND GOOGLE IMAGES.

(August 14th 2013)

In conducting research for this insert about crafting a digital presence, I reached out to the makers behind Altitude Design Summit, a resource and community of bloggers who help put on special events and workshops around the United States to encourage both seasoned veterans and first timers to pursue their passions for the web. While the Alt summit is most famous for its in-depth conferences including top American bloggers converging to discuss cutting edge trends in digital technology, for those who lack the means of transportation or cash for a highly coveted ticket (the summit is a collective of the best of the best in the blogosphere and a major opportunity to network with some of the key players), Alt recently launched Alt Channel, as they note, to make Alt Summit available to everyone, everywhere, all year long. Offering up hourlong classes at just $15 per class, the channel keeps the digital classroom small at 100 seats, with about two classes a week, including DSLR basics, working with sponsors and creating unique posts, where focus is entirely placed on helping readers realize their own digital dreams. When I perused through their site, I came across a DIY Blogging class offered that same night and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to showcase and journal about the experience as an online class virgin. The class was monitored by Alexandra Hedin, of alexandrahedin.com, as well as Melanie Blodgett, of youaremyfave.com, a collection of entertaining and DIY posts, admittedly catering to young mothers. Apprehensive to pay online for a class entirely dependent on my dodgy WiFi connection, I took the leap all in the name of research. Upon entering my PayPal details, a link via my email led me to an online chatroom courtesy of Alt Channel’s host worldfunction.com, reminding me of the initial days of AIM chat. As bloggers signed in, they begin chatting to each other as the speakers came on through a video box. As class began and Melanie signed onto the video feature, the class members continued chatting about their whereabouts, much like a group of schoolchildren continuing to giggle and talk as the teacher takes their seat in the front of the class. Admittedly, it was totally surreal and as someone who is planning on launching their blog, but definitely not at the established stage the rest of the bloggers were at who posted their custom URLs, I began doubting whether I walked into the wrong class—and I was a freshman while they were all seniors. I pushed through the doubts and told myself it was $15 already spent so I might as well make the most of what Melanie had to offer—and it would serve as incomparable insight into the world of DIY blogging by stepping inside the minds who actually make it happen. Melanie

IMAGERY COURTESY OF ALTITUDE SUMMIT, TAVI GEVINSON’S ROOKIE YEARBOOK, GOOGLE IMAGES AND MELANIE BLODGETT FOR YOUAREMYFAVE.COM

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MELANIE BLODGETT OF YOUAREMYFAVE.COM

started the class by asking the bloggers to consider what makes a great DIY: a solid idea, clean instructions, well lit and styled photos, consistency and editing and encouragement to think about what the audience should want to make. While some of the content seemed somewhat obvious, like thinking about topics you cover on the blog already, keeping it simple, writing every step clearly, double checking for typo’s and documenting everything, some was incredibly insightful, including thinking about asking yourself that if you saw the post on another site like Pinterest, would a reader know right away it was yours? The idea of authorship in this realm of blogging is an interesting and challenging concept—the Pinterest bookmarklet, which can be installed on any web browser and also features a web browsing tool on its iPad app, makes it possible to pin any image that’s technically pinnable, including JPEG’s, videos and even GIF’s, linking directly back to the original link where it was first pinned. What’s more, a range of other websites have developed the web design model, forever changing the way we interact with the web by evolving the bookmark list on the side panel into a live moodboard where images, links and text are extracted onto something wholly new. The possibilities are literally endless—used as a virtual marketplace with prices and online shop details, a stage for self promotion as a virtual portfolio including links to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube profiles, an indexing and academic appendix of articles, another outlet for broadcasting worldwide news or a setting to display infographics, tutorials, and resources. Melanie right away offered an interesting and vital detail for the life of a DIY blogger—embed watermarks, links and credit within all pinnable images in order to gain credit. It seems like an easy thing to do, but as she reminded her class, Melanie suggested that if you don’t have time to do it right, wait. It got me thinking about the DIY movement within the larger blogging movement—there are tons of ideas out there and more often than not, posts begin to resemble each other, if not blatant examples of copycatting, across a variety of URL’s to the point that the original source can sometimes be “virtually” impossible

to find and credit is vital for a DIY blogger, otherwise what’s the point, whether for recreational or business purposes. But what makes the bloggers featured in this insert the best at what they do, is their curation of ideas—blogging, especially DIY blogging, is separating those with true artistic and photographic talent from the amateurs, showcasing a range of talents from graphic design and layout, web skills, crafting, photography and prop styling to brands and publishers who recognize that same talent. For some, like Aimee Santos of SwellMayde, it serves as a platform to kickstart dreams of becoming a fashion designer, working as a live portfolio, for others, like I Spy DIY’s Jenni Radosevich, it serves as a free hobby to work within a post-college dressing and decorating budget and finally, for the persistent, it serves as jumping off point to launch companies that may be entirely focused on DIY like Alicia DiRago’s conception of WhimseyBox or DIY may be just a single element in a range of other features like Erica Chan Coffman’s and Lauren Kolodny’s HonestlyWTF/ HonestlyMedia group. The opportunity blogging presents acts a live knitting circle—a community of like-minded and passionate individuals who can develop their skills through interaction and continuous learning to adapt and grow with technology. But unlike a knitting circle, which is limited to meeting a few times a week to work on a single project at one time, blogging is live whenever there’s a WiFi connection and so the growth and interaction isn’t limited to a small town meeting place—it spans across the globe with people you would otherwise never meet. The delivery of an idea is most crucial to a blog’s success because of the live feedback and distribution of a global audience—rest assured, there is always someone awake reading the post somewhere in the world.

DIY blogging presents not only technical digital skills, but resourcefulness and budgeting, a mind for business and sponsorships, promotions through giveaways and contests, artistic hand and the desire and willingness to evolve and grow and progress with trends and technology. Yes, everyone can blog, but not everyone does and does it in a timely, consistent and beautiful way—that is what makes the creators featured in this insert and across the web the pioneers in the DIY movement.

HANDMADE 2.0 THE NEWMODEL Paralleling the recent movement towards handmade, digital technology has evolved to expand the ever-growing needs of its users. Through the power of the Internet and built to enhance its experience, these up and coming companies have shaped their businesses around facilitating online shops, blogs and brands. While craft-centric Etsy, a digital marketplace for handmade goods and vintage, is a veteran within the digital landscape, the new business model delves beyond a marketplace and into the moment of creative conception. Among them includes Makers Row, a recent start-up centralized on the idea of reshoring manufacturing back to the United States by connecting designers with manufacturers and factories for certain needs. WWD Magic, a tradeshow conceptualized by Womens’ Wear Daily, brings together independent labels with fashions most powerful buyers. Blogher, a similar concept, does the same but with famed bloggers and professionals in the creative industry. In an effort to cater to the detailed needs of bloggers, Bri Emery, of DesignLoveFest blog and Angela Kohler created Blogshop, a touring class devoted to teaching bloggers and independent labels Photoshop basics to better present and promote blogs in the blogosphere, spawning copy cat models. Finally, Skillshare, a site connecting talented art directors, designers and developers within their industries with eager users, offers subject oriented online and physical classes.

AN INTERVIEWW

ITH SKILLSHARE

How would you describe your typical user-- or if there isn’t one, what types of people might be drawn to the classes on Skillshare?

Our members are only typical in one shared trait: they’re all life-long learners. People who are curious and hungry to create things.

They’re drawn to Skillshare because we provide access to learn and APPLY practical skills from world-class teachers.

What distinguishes the services and classes offered through Skillshare from the other blog-centric classes and tutorial workshops now being offered?

Cohesion, consistency, breadth and depth of topics.

What do you anticipate for the future of Skillshare?

Continuing to focus on what we do best: enabling collaborative, project-based learning from world-class teachers. We’ll keep diving deep into enabling creative communities, both professional and aspiring.

What sort of connections and benefits can you gain from taking an online class with thousands of other students where the work is done virtually? Why might someone choose an online class versus a face-to-face class?

Collaboration through a global network of students fosters more creativity, and better understanding, not to mention that students help other students learn and push their limits.

Students often choose an online class because the barrier to entry is so low, and each member can learn at their own pace. Plus, you can learn from top experts anywhere in the world rather than only the teachers who are nearby!

How do you think the Internet has helped shape and cultivate entrepreneurs and what are the skills and tools not only necessary but vital in today’s techy workforce?

Immensely.

What are the classes or skills a blogger should seek out to be ahead of the curve? (What do you think will be the next trends?)

Responsive design, SEO, landing page optimization, and COPYWRITING! Video skills will continue to become more important but those first pieces for the time being are more important.

At the end of the day it seems the skills that are offered on Skillshare seem invaluable-who determines such a low cost per class? Is this determined by the teacher or do you set standard pricing?

They are suggested prices by Skillshare in keeping with our mission to democratize learning and access to learning. The purpose of Skillshare is to enable anyone to learn anything in order to fuel their passions, ignite their careers, and build new businesses.

Our platform’s whole purpose to help foster creativity and entrepreneurship.

(Crafting Playlist)

Free- Rudimental ft. Emeli Sande Hurricane (Chvrches remix)- MSMR Miracle Mile- Cold War Kids Wildest Moments- Jessie Ware Royals- Lorde Villages- Alpine