REVEALED: D'Jae Spring 2011 Portfolio

BODY

Stylist: Chyna D’Jae Photographer: Eddie Mosca

LANGUAGE

THE BODY WEARS THE CLOTHES THE CLOTHES DO NOT WEAR THE BODY

Credits Dresses, Modcloth Chunky Beaded Necklace, Old Navy Ethnic Jeweled Necklaces, HM & F21 Rings, Vintage/Stylist Owns

Snap Shot Bethanie Hines

Invites You to be Seen

Oakland based photographer, Bethanie Hines’ vision is to evoke who you truly are, “...liberating the essence of your being and capturing You in the moment.” Hines has always been fascinated with people, evident in her photographs, which capture moments – intense, sensual, mysterious, ethereal, and joyful. Her desire is to capture the power of You. Hines’ involvement in art is simply natural, she says, “I am passionate about the human experience. I love people, I love art. I love emotion. I love feeling. I love textures. I love colors. I love intimacy.

I love uncomfortable moments.”

Bethanie mentions that, ‘I invite you to be seen’ is her trademark.

“What I mean by it is, come over and let me document the beauty and the complexity that I see. The way that this culture is set up in society is for us to really not appreciate ourselves because if we liked ourselves more, we’d consume less.”

Hines has such a gift of electrifying the essence of one’s ultimate being – catching intoxicating moments where people are simply free with all guards down. She states, “I really love to shoot with natural light. It feels safe, it feels natural, it feels less obtrusive, less staged, and it’s what’s available. There’s something about being present and being in the moment.”

Her work documents the beauty of how people slowly blossom into the most ravishing of butterflies – people will begin by timidily posing in front of the camera but as the camera keeps snapping you will begin to see the confidence awaken and their essence will shine bright. “...photography feels like my way of showing people that we’re good.”

Complex simplicity – we’re more simple than we presume to be. It’s as though we are always aiming to live up to certain standards in life, but what we need is to just be. When Bethanie is behind the camera she allows one to let it all go. Be in the moment.

“When I pick up a camera, it’s as if time stops and I am able to see things that I couldn’t have seen without holding the camera.”

Bethanie Hines Photography

www.bethaniehines.com

TREASURES AWAIT YOU DIG UNDERGROUND

Put aside the idea of mainstream fashion for just a second. Yeah it’s understandable, sometimes a gal has got to splurge on a nice pair of Jimmy Choo’s once in a while and spending our last dime on a Gucci bag doesn’t hurt either. Right? Take a break from all the glitz and glam and allow yourself to open your eyes and take a peep into a deeper realm of fashion. It is here, in the Bay Area, that you will discover some of the best talent out.

Filled with a ton of underground artists and designers, take “EVarize Cut & Sew Boutique” for example.

The Berkeley based boutique, hosted by designer Erica Varize, is filled with a diverse amount of garments and a wide range of ethnic inspired accessories. Since 2005, Varize brought forth her boutique, which she claims is an outlet for other local artists and accessory designers to display their work.

The setting of the boutique is set up as if it were a gallery, giving you the opportunity to buy artwork displayed as well as choosing garments of your liking right off the mannequins. Her boutique is filled with a variety of styles to choose from--whether it be her widely known easy-to-wear sophisticated dresses made of jersey knit, or one of her crisp detailed woven garments she’s got hanging on the racks.

What’s so great about this cut and sew boutique is that if a particular garment were to catch your eye, but you weren’t so into the color or the fabric choice, you have the opportunity to have a garment custom made just for you. Guests are given a menu of the latest EVarize designs and once you choose a style, you then can decide which fabric and color you want the style to be in. Erica will then measure you and you can be sure to pickup your garment within in 10 days.

Spending your precious coins on articles of clothing that are most likely to be worn by everyone else is never a smart thing to do. It can be very frustrating when you spot someone sporting the same ensemble as you after you’ve spent hours in front of the mirror prepping yourself. For the amount of money that is invested into building your identity and creating your personal style, be wise about where you shop. Independently owned boutiques, such as EVarize Cut & Sew Boutique, are always great places to shop for something innovative to add to your closet. Not only would you be the fly girl on the block, you are also supporting the talent in your community.

In the end it’s always about giving back. When you leave the store with your shopping bags filled, know that the proceeds will go to Project Uganda. No need to worry about the guilty feelings after realizing you’ve spent your last paycheck on evening wear. It’s wearable art customized for your satisfaction, it doesn’t get any better than that.

EVarize Cut & Sew Boutique

510 845 0376 erica@evarize.com

2700 San Pablo Ave. ste. 100 Berkeley, CA 94702

INcognito

WISE MEN ARE NOT ALWAYS SILENT, BUT THEY KNOW WHEN TO BE Stylist: Chyna D’Jae & Sean Davis Photographer: Caro Ramirez

Stylist. Journalist. Entrepreneur.

Email: chyna.djae@gmail.com Web: issuu.com/so_djae flickr.com/ms.djae

My style is INTELLECTUALLY CHALLENGING but VISUALLY EXCITING. There are no words that can clearly describe my style as a whole. I am always undergoing the process of evolution so what you see is what you get. Clothes, to me, are used for costume. I dress and style based off of feeling. It’s all about being in the moment.

XO,

Chyna D’Jae