chromat process

new winter chromat press!

2012-01-24T15:18:00.007-05:00

in case you haven't been following the chromat facebook page, tumblr blog or twitter updates, heres a little press update just for you, lovely chromat blog reader.

chromat underwire bralette, side panniers, shoji necklace, phelps necklace, ring shoulders and asymmetrical dress shot by The Works of GL Wood, styled by Jenni Hensler for a really cool editorial in Bullett Magazine

chromat wing dress in antwerp-based attitude magazine

chromat ring shoulders and cross shirt, wrestler dress and white symmetrical cage in Fiasco Magazine, shot by shawn reinoehl, styled by stefanie cooper

happy winter! look out for the chromat aw12 collection to debut in the next few weeks! new york fashion week is just around the corner!!!

chromat webshop is here!

2011-11-24T00:09:00.003-05:00

happy thanksgiving, americans!

the chromat webstore opened on black friday (thursday, november 24th) at midnight!

you can find all the above looks along with lots more in our new online shop!

above: underwire bralette, bamboo belt, kimono harness, samurai armor cage, crane shoulders and symmetrical full cage

photos by lauren duques @ splashlight studio, h&mu by dakota heman, model: shilah @ red.

dakota metalepsis chromat partie

2011-11-13T21:40:00.001-05:00

check out my friend and amazingly talented hair & makeup artist dakota heman in a chromat shoji corset and kanye crown with chains by metalepsis, shot by lauren duque

do ho suh

2011-11-12T21:13:00.003-05:00

i've been in love with the work of artist do ho suh for forever. when i moved into my first apartment in lynchburg, va in 2007, i spent the first 3 months sewing 5" thick walls with real crown molding, chair rails, toe kicks, jamb details and picture frames in homage to do ho suh's sewn apartments.

so it was an incredible experience to be able to see his work in person for the first time at the lehmann maupin gallery in chelsea a few weeks ago. the architect inside me geeked out at the detail of his constructions and i was in complete awe of the hand sewing that went into his work. he has built entire houses, even the tiniest tiny details- like the lettering on the electric shock labels that come on the cords of lamps- out of fabric and thread. its an impressive feat of craftsmanship.

chromat fall press!

2011-11-11T15:56:00.025-05:00

hello chromat lovers! its getting dark early here in new york; there was a crazy snowstorm the other weekend and yesterday i biked into the city wearing just t-shirt (well, and pants). i'm guessing this is fall?

in which case, i figured i should do a little recap with some highlights of what chromat has been getting into while the leaves have been working on their new color schemes.

its always summertime in la, with singer skylar grey wearing a chromat zipper cage in the november issue of details magazine!

chromat warm up collar and more shot by christopher hench and styled by donald hicks for fiasco magazine.

chromat halo collar and more in the new issue of blink magazine, shot by anna thiessen, styled by stacy armand!

singer keri hilson wore lots of fresh chromat on her european tour! here she is in paris wearing the chromat bamboo belt and shoji corset.

chromat warm up collar and underwire bralette in the sanke fall lookbook!

chromat bolt bra and studded halo in open lab magazine, shot by delwin kamara.

musician tim william in a custom chromat halo collar with cross performing at white noise!

lisa roolant interviewed me for a designer feature on the fashion engine fidoo. "Somewhere in between Jean-Paul Gaultier’s iconic couture collections and Marlies Dekkers’ designer lingerie, there’s Chromat : a cutting-edge structural design label that brings avant-garde fashion design to the surface."

also, happy halloween!

the cages stocked at patricia field's store on the bowery flew off the shelves this october, necessitating a quick re-stock so all the club kids, drag queens and divas could be ready for halloween. here's a reporter from the new york times workin some white chromat crane shoulders with patricia fields in a video the new york times style section did in anticipation of halloween 2k11!

chromat symmetrical cage in s magazine, shot by sebastian smith.

this fall has been great so far! for more images from the above highlights and for up-to-the-moment chromat news, check out chromat facebook and tumblr!

and now that it's gettin chilly, go on and cozy up near your computer because i'm excited to announce the entire chromat core cage collection will soon be available online! the chromat e-commerce store will open on thanksgiving night to kick off your holiday shopping spree. so start savin!

pop souk!

2011-10-26T00:14:00.006-04:00

on sunday i had the pleasure of participating in the first ever pop souk: where downtown folks sell, not sell out. here's what it was all about:

Nightlife personalities, artists, musicians, DJ’s, designers, fashion sluts, drag queens and the rest of us who make up the creative landscape of downtown NYC are usually blessed — and cursed — with fabulously overflowing closets.

For one day only, on Sunday, October 23rd, from noon to 6pm, both floors of the majestic Hiro Ballroom will make way for POP SOUK. More than just a marketplace, it’s an event where some of the most talented New Yorkers will be hanging out in their own personal pop-up shops selling treasures from their own closets or of their own designs.

it was such a blast meeting everyone! heres a bunch of blurry hipstomatic photos of my sunday!

thanks to zana bayne for the above non-blurry photo!

chromat ss12 dark cross with hadar pitchon

2011-10-13T17:33:00.003-04:00

chromat ss12 dark cross collection shot by hadar pitchon, h&mu by dakota heman, styling by ryan richmond with davis @ red, and help from rachel lumsden. collaged by becca mccharen

vogue italia

2011-09-17T18:26:00.005-04:00

chromat is in the september issue of vogue italia!

the editorial was shot by steven klein,

styled by patti wilson.

model crystal renn wears

the chromat bralette for the story

titled 'a point of view.'

chromat ss12

2011-09-13T12:37:00.002-04:00

the chromat ss12 collection is up!

the collection of cages, dresses and bathing suits was inspired by ornate roman catholic cathedrals, devout hooded women and pagan rituals.

shot by lauren duque, hair by dakota heman, models lizzie arneson and kasimira mosich-miller.

fashion tonight out!

2011-09-08T11:45:00.003-04:00

tonight! fashion! out!

international playground is throwing down tonight!

at the retail store at 13 stanton st (between bowery and christie) from 7-10:

tequila, bands and CHROMAT SHOES!

tonight marks the debut of chromat's first ever shoe collaboration!!

each of the designers in the showroom- mary meyer, study, upstate etc- designed textiles to be made into oxfords by osborn shoes. osborn is a brooklyn-based footwear designer that hand-makes all their shoes in guatemala. tonights release will be a limited edition- 12 pairs to be exact- so get em while they're hot! chromat's are in white leather with aluminum zipper teeth. i can't wait to see them! and you! tonight!

jean paul gaultier!!!

2011-09-07T18:52:00.002-04:00

over the labor day weekend, i split town for an amazing little getaway to montreal, quebec! i rode around on the city-wide rentable cruiser bikes, ate (several) fresh baguettes, listened to electro music in a park next to a buckminster fuller geodesic dome, had a hilarious dinner in bitch-black darkness (with blind waiters!) and oh yea VISITED MY IDOL JEAN PAUL GAULTIER!!!!!

he had a retrospective at the museum of fine arts in montreal and it was amazing. with the mcqueen exhibit, the japan now exhibit at fit and now the jean paul gaultier show, i am filled to the brim with inspiration. it so cool to see how high the bar has been set for structural innovation in clothing. i much prefer these exhibits to runway shows or magazines. in the museum format, i can spend as much time as i want analyzing each seam and material intersection.

jean paul gaultier is the master of cages. waaaay before i started getting into boning and corsetry, pretty much before i was born, jpg was goin AT. IT. i loved seeing his original corsets and was impressed to see that almost all his cages were made of satin or leather. i'm assuming this means he manufactured his own satin boning encasement, which is really impressive. guess its time to step up my materials game to luxury level!

another thing i loved seeing was jpg's use of fringe. i've never really worked with fringe; coming from the south, i always associated fringe with country-western line dancing type outfits. however, the way he used the material transformed the tiny strings into a web of delicate gathers or long, lean musculature. it was beautiful.

aaaand here's three blurry pictures of me geeking out at the show. i wore my favorite chromat halo and underwire cage in jean paul gaultier's honor, to the amusement of all the guards and docents at the show. if i had to pick one, my favorite piece in the show would be the puffy black skeleton corset completely covered in black jewels. i loved the oversized bone structure and the detail to outlining the body.

in comparing two of my heros, mcqueen and gaultier, i read this from an interview with nathalie bondil, the curator of the jpg show and thought it was appropriate:

"Nathalie: I very much admired what McQueen did. McQueen is very dark and Jean Paul Gaultier is like joy, optimism. They have very different sensibilities of what is a human being. One is like dark and one is like light.
For Gaultier, fashion is for real people. McQueen is not for real people. His work is fabulous – like sculpture, but you cannot live in it. There is a corset is in wood, but you cannot move in wood. And with that dress painted by spray guns projections, it is like the woman is attacked. Gaultier said he would have done it with real painters – like a dance, like an interaction with human people."

wet chromat!

2011-08-26T20:02:00.000-04:00

former lead singer of the pussycat dolls nicole scherzinger shows off her flexibility in a chromat underwire cage for the video for her song 'wet'! she works that cage into all new positions!

reckless one

2011-08-25T20:31:00.001-04:00

the chromat symmetrical cage was featured in a new steamy shoot for von mode magazine, shot by christopher hench and styled by donald hicks!

casts and cages

2011-08-24T20:21:00.000-04:00

i lived in copenhagen while studying for my degree in architecture and became obsessed with how stylish the danes were. i'm talking heals with flowing capes on bikes, oversized shapes, layering, everything. so it is a huge honor to see danish pop singer medina rocking both a broken arm and a chromat underwire bralette on stage in copenhagen! tak medina!

chromat hot flashes

2011-08-22T19:50:00.004-04:00

whoops! chromat's first time in us weekly! kelly rowland was performing in a studded chromat zipper cage last week and had a bit of a wardrobe malfunction... but i thought she looked great in it! i've been listening to her song motivation on repeat.

summertime neonheat!!

2011-08-07T16:46:00.007-04:00

summertime has been busy here in chromatworld. but good busy. AMAZING busy.

the debut of the chromat spring/summer 2012 collection is just around the corner!

for now, look at some chromat cages with these beautiful neons shot by kat + duck and enjoy the heat!

chromat is looking for more interns!

2011-07-20T20:59:00.005-04:00

hey guys! chromat is looking for fashion assistant interns again! we are thoroughly enjoying our current interns and now we'd like to add to the roster. if you know anybody who is interested in getting some experience in fashion and accessories design, send 'em this way!

Here's what we're looking for:
- Be an awesome, fun and fashion- loving person
- Machine and hand sewing skills
- General understanding of garment construction
- Can work confidently and independently
- Organized and detail oriented

Responsibilities:
- Participate in production and sample design
- Source supplies in the garment district for samples and production
- Assist with photo shoots
- Work with stylists from various fashion publications

This is a hands on position with Chromat- an accessories and apparel design studio that currently handles both prototyping and production in house. We are looking for someone who is available 8+ hours a week, shows initiative and has a good work ethic. This is an ideal position for college students who are eager to learn and view first hand how an independent accessories and apparel company operates.

The Chromat headquarters is based in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Because the current team is small (2 people), the work environment is casual and we welcome new ideas and collaborations. The team keeps it positive, fun and productive. We love our jobs and have fun with the work we are doing at Chromat- we hope you will too.

Selected interns will gain knowledge and experience in all areas of the design process, from concept to completion. We will provide lunch, transportation reimbursement, valuable hands on experience and a warm feeling of accomplishment to each of our lovely interns.

For more information on Chromat, please visit our website at www.chromatgarments.com. If interested, please send an introduction with a little bit about yourself and pictures of anything you've created to becca@chromatgarments.com.

Thanks!

images of madonna

2011-07-13T14:37:00.013-04:00

for chromat spring/summer 2012 inspiration, i have been studying the gorgeous roman catholic cathedral a few blocks away from my studio in bushwick, brooklyn. the santa barbara cathedral has a gorgeously ornate white facade with layers and layers of bulbous plaster dripping off each outstretched ledge and arched overhang.

i was lucky enough to attend services on easter sunday and got spritzed with enough holy water to last for the rest of the year (or a few days, depending on my chosen weekend activities). the proceedings were completely in spanish which just added to the magical feeling of transgressing into an entirely new and sacred space. it also probably didn't hurt that i couldn't comprehend much of the catholic agenda in the sermon and got to focus wholeheartedly on the dazzling environment.

the walls were covered in bas relief pediments, depicting the bodies of catholic saints in hardened marble, massive ocular skylights which opened up to cast long white rays through the hazy burn of incense, a harmonizing choir filling the high ceilings with wails and moans, throngs of followers dropping to their knees, eagerly making the sign of the cross across their faces and chests, men draped in long golden robes pacing the aisle, fists clenched, pumping the air in heated emphasis.

the madonna/whore complex, a freudian psychoanalysis and sexist cultural dichotomy that positions women as either a holy mother figure or a dirty sexual object is another theme i've been exploring lately.

the collage above is one of two i made for a group zine called awkhold- organized by the brooklyn artist jason kachadourian. more info on the release of the awkhold zine and also the zine fair and rooftop party he's putting on in august coming soon!

nicki minaj//femme fatale tour

2011-06-22T18:46:00.003-04:00

nicki minaj has been spotted wearing custom chromat in several cities as her nation-wide femme fatale tour with britney spears kicks off!

i always imagined something i created would end up in a gif of this nature...

tell em nicki!!!

summer outfits

2011-06-15T13:01:00.007-04:00

this hot chromat summer spread shot by yossi michaeli and styled by deborah ferguson in the new issue of contentmode magazine has got me ready for coney island, swimming pools and beachy bathing suits! happy summer!

chromkat

2011-05-31T12:58:00.003-04:00

kat graham at the samsung infuse launch event in los angeles wearing the chromat a/w 11 vaulter cage bustier!

my hero, mcqueen

2011-05-24T20:39:00.013-04:00

i went to the new alexander mcqueen retrospective at the metropolitan museum of art on the second day it was open. twice.

bright and early on a thursday morning, i arrived with a friend and walked through the exhibit with a thick and steady stream of other visitors, taking it all in, letting the beautiful garments wash over us. that afternoon, i went back alone for more. i planted myself in each section with pencil and paper to absorb some of the constructions that i hoped to learn more about. and i'm going back again on friday.

i may as well start penciling in a visit once a week. it feels like what i imagine being in a church feels to evangelical christians or being in a mosque feels like to devout muslims. its like being in the presence of something bigger than myself, something otherworldly that i aspire to know. experiencing mcqueens work in person made me feel like a mere mortal in the presence of godliness. its overwhelming how much strange and interesting work he accomplished in his lifetime.

one thing i really loved about the exhibit was the unique spaces that the curators created for each different collection. they grouped collections together with visceral thematic environments like sound effects, videos and mirrors in unexpected places. the howling of wolves and the eery whistling of wind accompanied the dark leather pieces; a flowing cape actually fluttered in a breeze that emerged from between the seams in the floor.

i really loved studying the seams of the tailored jackets, the formed leather bodice pieces and the structured hips of the final fully realized collection, platos atlantis. it was amazing to see how mcqueen expertly controlled the materials to produce different volumes on the body.

gush gush gush, i love mcqueen, gush gush gush, he's my hero, gush gush gush, why did he end it all so soon???

CANDYLAND!!!!

2011-05-13T16:06:00.006-04:00

candyland, the sweet sexy summertime zine about i've been working on with jenna wortham (friend and writer for the new york times) is about to be born! we're throwing down this saturday at lady jays, a cool little brooklyn bar with a backyard and a jukebox (633 grand st at leonard). come celebrate the release with us and kick off the discosummer with candy, balloons, confetti and lollipops!

baby's first birthday!

2011-04-22T09:37:00.007-04:00

international playground turned 1 last night! there was dancing! wild, wild dancing. whip that hair girl! rap it out, rap it out. (also featuring the extra-special virginia guest ashley florence!)

arizona, me, six six sick party host tiffany and the masterminds behind international playground: virginia and johnny! i love all this daniel palillo! i hate myself and want to die=best shirt ever.

mary meyer and i in our tandem chromat/marymeyer combinations!!!!

#fashionsoulmatez

tara from study ny with johnny! and the one and only emily kappes partyin it up!

happy birthday!

international playground turns 1!

2011-04-20T11:03:00.003-04:00

this thursday (aka tomorrow) international playground is celebrating their 1 year anniversary!

the wild party begins at anchor bar in soho with the magical girls from six six sick, also hosted by a slew of awesome designers from the showroom- h. fredriksson, study ny and mary meyer (who is also having a hilarious/genius 420 stoner sale today). and designer daniel palillo is djing! should be tight!

see you there nyc friends!!!!

becca mccharen

2011-04-20T10:46:00.005-04:00

lately i have been spreading myself over the internet like warm apple butter on freshly baked bread. chromatgarments.com is currently undergoing a major overhaul and i'm working on 2 new zine projects (CANDYLAND and HOUSE PARTY), both of which should be debuting in the next few months. (release party info SOON!)

with all the new 2-D work i'm in the process of making for the new zines, i realized i've never really had my OWN website, just CHROMAT websites. so its time. please welcome beccamccharen.tumblr.com into the world and get ready for a summer filled with art and architecture and sex and fashion and fun!

at the skin

2011-04-14T18:29:00.005-04:00

chromat in the new issue of faint mag-
photos by lindsay adler, styled by lsc

jessica chastain in FLAUNT

2011-04-08T15:08:00.000-04:00

the gorgeous actress jessica chastain photographed by yu tsai in the chromat underwire cage for flaunt magazine!
she looks amazing, so excited!

USHER

2011-04-07T16:38:00.001-04:00

check out usher's backup dancers whipping around the stage at the french NRJ music awards in chromat shoulder cages!

REED & RADER chromat gifs!

2011-04-06T16:26:00.000-04:00

reed and rader are an amazing photog duo based in nyc. they make really strange and beautiful photos, and i love that the bios on their website include this description: "we enjoy cats, stuffed animals, nintendo, pizza, robots, outer space, augmented reality, pc's, deli sandwiches and computing on the internets." DON'T WE ALL?

i was so excited when i saw the chromat asymmetrical full body cage and the musclechrome dress in their latest set of amazing and bizarre gifs for the un-titled project! the gifs remind me of my favorite karen carpenter bio-pic. ya know, the one made by todd hayes staring all stop-action barbies? so awesome.

kat graham + BLUE BALLS

2011-04-05T16:22:00.000-04:00

kat graham and dancers in chromat crane shoulders performing at perez hilton's blue ball birthday bash!

TIM TIME

2011-04-04T16:13:00.000-04:00

the electro pop artist tim william has been stuntin in some chromat cages lately at shows with travie mccoy and the wild parties he hosts in downtown manhattan. this boy is wild, check him out!

NU-MODE REBELLION

2011-04-03T16:40:00.001-04:00

check out the new issue of NU-MODE magazine: its got the chromat samurai face cage on the cover, a great interview with fellow nyc fashion designer mary meyer, and some really cool editorials! and here's a little behind the scenes at the cover shoot:

Rebellion From Within (NU-MODE MAGAZINE ISSUE 2)

LINKSLINKSLINKS CHROMATCHROMATCHROMAT

2011-04-02T15:16:00.012-04:00

hey chromat blog friends! i've got a new chromat tumblr fetish, a freshly squeezed chromat youtube channel and have been goin nuts on the instantaneously gratifying chromat facebook and chromat twitter updates. CHROMATCHROMATCHROMAT!!!

here are some awesome things that have been happening this spring:

-got interviewed by iris magazine, the awesome feminist mag in charlottesville! thanks so much to lauren russo!

-got interviewed by enquire.it, the italian fashion mag! thanks so much to christina mainardi!

-got some big ups on wobblin betty, a gorgeous los angeles & milan based fashion blog. thanks so much to elisabetta giovi! (also, if you want to see the craziest website EVER, check out elisabetta's agency, GOLAB. the site is nuts x 1000 with flashy fun)

-got some sweetness on six six sick, my fav nyc fashion blogger friends. big thanks to tiffany gong! (ps we're having another party at anchor bar later this month- GET READY!)

-got a rad write up on kakofonie of sighlens, a sweet canadian fashion blog. thanks so much to stefanie kletke!

-got mentioned in the belgian marie claire magazine! big thanks to katrian and mieke fonck- the owners of closet, a cool concept shop that just opened in antwerp!

AND the weather in nyc is FINALLY nice today. my feelings about that can best be described by this inspirational song by big freedia:

design careers expanded symposium

2011-03-17T16:55:00.005-04:00

i'm so excited to be speaking at the university of virginia school of architecture this saturday! they are hosting a symposium about design careers expanded: exploring alternatives to traditional architectural design practice.

it's such a cool honor to be invited back to my alma matar to talk about what i've been up to. i'll be outlining my path from architecture student to fashion designer on a round table with a filmmaker and an artist/environmental activist. you can see the full list of speakers and bios here.

if you're in charlottesville, come say hi! my session is at 10:45am this saturday, march 19 in campbell hall room 160.

CHROMAT AW11: BLOODSPORT

2011-03-15T17:03:00.003-04:00

i am so excited to present the first chromat film!

directed and shot by video and performance artist Aaron Alexis

featuring model and visual artist Kelly Colley

Chromat A/W 2011

2011-02-23T20:50:00.000-05:00

The Chromat a/w 11 cage collection 'BLOOD SPORT' was inspired by the royalty, athleticism and dark sexuality of olympic athletes.

Design: Becca McCharen for Chromat

Photographer: Gemma Fleming

Models: Sam Mae, Lira Yamano and Raul Bussot
Makeup: Rhea Roxas

Hair: Dakota Heman and Lizzie Arneson

Photo Assistant: Ben Vaccaro

Production Assistants: Diana Meaker, Lune Brown

For sales and press inquires:

International Playground Showroom

262 Mott St, NYC

212-228-2700

Virginia Craddock: virginia@shopshowroom.us

John Pizzolato: johnny@shopshowroom.us

olympic royalty

2011-02-15T20:14:00.001-05:00

OLYMPIANS!

CHROMAT_PARTYTIME

2011-02-04T19:18:00.001-05:00

above photos of the chromat/upstate/six six sick/international playground party party by the amazing susie g at style caster!

thanks so much to tiffany gong and christina rodriguez from six six sick and anchor bar to making all the fun times roll!! and to all my gorgeous friends for sporting chromat and breakin it down on the dancefloor!

PS if you're not already, wanna follow my awesome twitter account? its called @CHROMAT_PARTY!!!! then we can follow kanye west TOGETHER!!!

KITSUNE

2011-02-02T14:50:00.000-05:00

fur chromat cages! studded chromat cages! magical foxes galore!

i'm so excited to present the debut music video by the talented musician and friend aaron alexis for KITSUNE the first track of his forthcoming EP. the video is all about magical foxes and i was lucky enough to design the costumes!

the beautiful actress tessa thompson in a studded asymmetrical cage with halo and fox ears.

actress broek johnson in a studded underwire half cage and bracelet with bustier and skirt screenprinted by artist patrick costello and custom lit accordion skirt. actress wallis currie-wood in a sequined minidress and half bustle and actor ryan spahn in white samurai shoulders.

aaron alexis in fur shoji necklace, white rib cage, grey deconstructed sweatshirt and triple gold crowns. wallis currie-wood in a white fur hoop skirt and arm bustle, tessa thompson in a lit accordion collar and broek johnson in a white full body cage under a red fox fur jacket.

hair was done by dakota heman and lizzie arneson with makeup by ashlee k. the video was shot by jan christian ferrar and edited and directed by aaron alexis. check him out at www.facebook.com/theaaronalexis. can't wait to see what sort of magic he comes up with next!

a chromat wedding!!!

2011-01-31T23:39:00.000-05:00

OMG! THE FIRST CHROMAT WEDDING!

this beautiful video was forwarded along today from the beautiful bride klara kjelberg: a photographer and artist based in nyc, stockholm and goteborg who rocked the chromat symmetrical cage to her wedding in -what looks like- city hall.

i love it!!! they love each other!!!

HAPPY VALENTINES YALL!!!

from the looks of the photos, this handsome couple is going to be enjoying quite a lovely time together!

fall 11 preview

2011-01-31T01:35:00.001-05:00

this thursday, the a/w 11 chromat cage collection will be unveiled at the six six sick/chromat/upstate party! before then, lemmi give you a lil taste :)

the fall collection of cages was inspired by the royalty, athleticism and dark sexuality of olympic athletes...

...see you thursday!

CHROMAT PARTY TIME!

2011-01-29T13:21:00.000-05:00

hey friends! i'm throwing a party next thursday, feb 3rd!

with the illustrious girls from six six sick, my fellow designer friends astrid and kalen from upstate and the gorgeous johnny and virginia from international playground!

and at said party, there will be beautiful men and women on the dancefloor. and on these beauties, the fall 2011 chromat cage collection will be presented! lookbook to come later, but for now, come bask in the glory of chromat cages on the dancefloor! alexis and drew from paper magazine will be spinnin some tunes and it should be crazy!

psychedelic summer at oak

2011-01-21T22:46:00.001-05:00

back during the haze of my summertime 2k10 wanders, i picked up the psychedelic summer zine at oak. issued by oak and cmrtyz in conjunction with an art exhibit at rare gallery of the same name, this newsprint wonder found its way into my sketchbook and one hot summer night i took some scissors and glue to it...

and now it's come full circle, with a new delivery of chromat underwire half cages to oak in nyc this week!

2 exhibits: constructed and deconstructed

2011-01-21T16:14:00.000-05:00

last weekend i slogged out through the snow and the slush to catch 2 great exhibits going on in nyc right now. the balenciaga exhibit at the spanish institute up in the upper east side (open through feb 19), and the japan fashion now exhibit at the fit museum in chelsea (open through april 2).

the museums only permit sketches in pencil (not pen, and certainly not with a camera) so i busted out my sketchbook and went to town.

the balenciaga exhibit, curated by hamish bowles, was amazing. i loved the way they separated out the many garments by influences instead of simple chronology. the references ranged from bullfighting, to traditional spanish regional dressing, to 'the glories of the church.'

the exhibit also included photographs and paintings from the different eras in which the garments were constructed. cristobal balenciaga's career spanned from the 1930s to his retirement in 1968, and it was amazing to see the beautiful hourglass figures that so typified the 1950s silhouette and the continuously large and lush draping. the dresses in the collection evoke a strong spanish sensuality; a very confident and adventurous but solely feminine sexiness.

below is a copy of a real balenciaga sketch done in the claude atelier. i always find it fascinating to see how other designers work out ideas on paper. i consider my own sketches to be mostly chicken scratch when i'm actually designing. its only later when i'm having to present the ideas to other that they get cleaned up and more coherent.

in a totally different speed came the japan fashion now exhibit. japanese designers like jun takahashi for undercover have caught my attention from the beginning of my own fashion research. as opposed to the balenciaga exhibit where it was really a beautifully preserved time capsule of a rich world i had never truly experienced, this exhibit read like bullet points from my own sketchbooks through the years. i remember in 2006 when the undercover fall collection came out with all the leather face masks with the nose-to-ear chains attached. i had the pictures pinned up on my bulletin board.

so it was really exciting to see these garments in person after becoming familiar with a few of them in 2d. one of my favorite things from the exhibit (see below left) was the pale blue dress from the undercover ss05 collection. the long grey hair extensions drew me in, but as i sketched i realized there was a row of googley eyes trimming the dress at chest level. and little silk flowers hand sewn to the mesh gloves. genius!

and i feel like i can't not mention the founding fathers and mother of this whole crazy fashion revolution: issey miyake, yohji yamamoto and rei kawakubo of comme des garcons are in full effect at the exhibit. one of my favorite comme pieces in the exhibit- and there's quite a few- is the pink gingham skirt (see below right). i love the tiered levels cascading down each side, deconstructing the formal hourglass silhouettes from the balenciaga exhibit!

antverpian chromat

2011-01-20T11:28:00.000-05:00

in just a few weeks, chromat will be making its european shopping debut at a new store in antwerp: closet! closet opens march 1, and heres a cool write up about chromat by belmodo- the biggest flemish fashion blog. i've always been a huge fan of the fashion coming out of antwerp, so to contribute my own project to the city is a big honor!

thanks to lies for the nice article!

chromat is looking for interns!

2011-01-17T23:23:00.000-05:00

hey guys! chromat is looking for fashion assistant interns! if you know anybody who is interested in getting some experience in fashion and accessories design, send 'em this way!

Fashion and Accessories Design Intern with Chromat Garments

Here's what we're looking for:

- Be an awesome, fun and fashion- loving person
- Machine and hand sewing skills

- General understanding of garment construction
- Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Microsoft Applications skills
- Good writing and people skills
- Can work confidently and independently

- Organized and detail oriented

Responsibilities:
- Participate in production and sample design
- Source supplies in the garment district for samples and production
- Assist with photo shoots
- Work with stylists from various fashion publications

This is a hands on position with Chromat- an accessories and apparel design studio that currently handles both prototyping and production in house. We are looking for someone who is available 10+ hours a week, shows initiative and has a good work ethic. This is an ideal position for college students who are eager to learn and view first hand how an independent accessories and apparel company operates.

The Chromat headquarters is based in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Because the current team is small (2 people), the work environment is casual and we welcome new ideas and collaborations. The team keeps it positive, fun and productive. We love our jobs and have fun with the work we are doing at Chromat- we hope you will too.

Selected interns will gain knowledge and experience in all areas of the design process, from concept to completion. We will provide lunch, transportation reimbursement, valuable hands on experience and a warm feeling of accomplishment to each of our lovely interns.

For more information on Chromat, please visit our website at www.chromatgarments.com. If interested, please send an introduction with a little bit about yourself and pictures of anything you've created to becca@chromatgarments.com.

Thanks!

chromat summer 11!!

2011-01-07T18:17:00.000-05:00

design: becca mccharen

photography: ashley florence

models: rachel albright and brittany bass

hair: dakota heman and lizzie arneson

makeup: ashlee k for muah

set design: ashley florence and heidi tullmann

piñatas: kristin smith

for sales and press inquiries:

please contact virginia craddock

international playground showroom

virginia@shopshowroom.us

262 Mott Street

New York, NY 10012

t 212 228 2700

f 646 478 9533

CHROMAT LOVEZ 2 BITCHEZ DEEP

2011-01-02T14:57:00.000-05:00

happy new year again! the impossibly- fly ladies jennifer le and cherry bomb over at 2 bitchez deep just posted some sugar for chromat! i live for the daily dose of sequins and studs on their blog and tumblr, so seeing some chromat work pop up on screen was a major thrill! and check out their bad bitchez neck piece. i need one stat.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2011-01-01T20:42:00.000-05:00

LADYFAG!!! IN CHROMAT!!!! at her very own FAGBASH at woodys.

also above: me glittering in dubstep at don hills, rachel at woodys, zana bayne at done hills and me... with a balloon hat.

if the rest of 2011 is anything like last night, it's gonna be a pretty fun year. thanks to all my friends and family and followers and fans for all the love in 2010. heres to a big fun wild crazy creative chromat party in 2011!!!!!

(oh and if you want some bizarre late night entertainment, i joined twitter! @CHROMAT_PARTY is now in the game...#happynewyear)

photo by zana.

chromat on infashuated!

2010-12-31T17:04:00.000-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR's EVE to all the chromat lovers out there!!!

this night is one of chromat's favorite holidays (only halloween comes close). go out and sparkle tonight!

sweet ups from infashuated yesterday! thanks!

Nicki Minaj in Christmas Chromat!

2010-12-28T15:11:00.000-05:00

MERRY CHROMATMAS! This past Saturday, December 25th, Nicki Minaj played a show up in New York City at the Paradise Theater in the Bronx for Hot97, decked out in a custom Chromat full-body cage!

It was really awesome designing a cage for Nicki. Her style is so bold and she's not afraid to wear outlandish costumes on stage, so the sky was the limit with this. I think of her style as a cross between sexy, feminine, intergalactic and structural, which is how I would describe what I've been doing with Chromat as well. So, thanks Nicki (and her stylist Jessica!)- you look great!

Watch her WERK below.

kitsune: behind the scenes

2010-12-21T18:34:00.001-05:00

over the weekend i had the great pleasure of costuming a music video for my friend and talented musician Aaron Alexis. the film was for his debut single 'kitsune' off his EP (which is dropping in the very near future!)

the concept for the video was magical foxes, obviously. behold a lil sneak preview:

notice the fox-hauk above. yep thats a real fox. attached to the adorable actress wallis currie-wood's head. and next to her we have the gorgeous broek johnson in a custom gold studded chomat underwire half cage above an illuminated skirt. ya know, magical foxes!

that's aaron himself in the top left vogueing in some triple crown action with a custom-built fur-lined chromat ss11 shoji cage necklace. and beside him, a giant glowing collar surrounding the talented and super sweet actress tessa thompson with wallis rocking a custom fur chromat cage skirt. all hair by lizzie arneson and dakota heman of platinum salon and makeup done by ashlee k. video work was done by jan ferrer, can't wait to see it!

chromat costumes waiting in the wings, and here was have another of the talented actors, ryan spahn rockin some chromat ss11 shoulder cages.

me costuming and aaron directing. WERK.

chromat in xxl!

2010-12-11T19:17:00.000-05:00

check out the latest issue of xxl: the magazine's 2010 eye candy of the year keyshia dior filled out some chromat in a real sessy way! styled by the glamorous and super sweet rose garcia and shot by sarah mccolgan. go get you some.

realness in full effect

2010-12-07T21:47:00.001-05:00

fiona silver- singer, musician in the chromat symmetrical full body cage.

international playground recently had an open call for their 'real people' shoot to show some new stock on the web. my lovely friend astrid from upstate and i went and they stuffed us into some amazing outfits and thrust us in front of the camera.

the looks were shot by the amazing leslie van stelten and the best part was meeting all the other 'models'- there were talented musicians, rappers, jewelry designers,architects, football players, djs and everyone in between.

international playground is always featuring new interesting up and coming designers that can get super conceptual and bizarre and exciting so i had a great time trying it all on. you guys gotta go check it out in person if you live in new york- 13 stanton st (at bowery) in the les!

and of course the double bonus is seeing some new ladies rockin some chromat. they really did it proud. so, without further ado, meet the fresh crop of young artists in new york...

astrid rocking the chromat underwire half cage with an upstate shibori dyed wrap.

me! in a chromat zipper half cage and a wackerhaus jumpsuit.

christina- jewelry designer for arms and armory and party promoter for six six sick in the chromat underwire half cage.

and tiffany- jewelry designer for triskaidekaphobia and party promoter for six six sick in a daniel palillo giant hoody...

... and leila shams sparkly butterfly dress.

kalae all day- hip hop artist and performer in the wackerhaus sequin jacket.

anthony taylor- fashion designer for his label taylor'd and football player (an amazing combination i might add) wearing his own paragon blazer and modeling the bowery boys book.

and neely moore- an adorable real estate agent in the twenty ten wooly beast scarf (THIS THING IS AMAZING!!!)

oh look here's me again! but this time wearing the most incredible sweatshirt that has ever graced my shoulders!!! it's by a team out of brooklyn called ruffeo hearts lil snotty. got that? and i'm working the press your luck, cry your eyes out crew sweatshirt. yeah. these guys really know about naming shit. i threw a chromat bamboo belt over it for good measure, of course.

and look what else they make! here's hal craddock- architect at his firm craddock cunningham architectural partners rocking the humanize master xxl hoodie by RHLS! work it hal!!

NICKI MINAJ BITCHES!!!

2010-11-30T18:12:00.000-05:00

last night, nicki minaj appeared on jimmy kimmel live workin it in a chromat full body cage!!! i'm a huge fan of her work and her styles so this is beyond exciting! a big thank you to jason at la bra for hooking us up! work it nicki.

birds of a feather

2010-11-25T10:20:00.001-05:00

happy turkey day!!! here's a little flashback to a few weeks ago- i was a rooster for halloween in some white chromat action! i know its not a turkey, but close enough for today, right? maybe the center of a turducken?

there was also a swan, and a gothy black crow!

a fellow chicken and bjork's swan dress!!

i had to include my favorite- the octomom. fitting on this family holiday right? and then these two adorable cotton candies can bring in the sugar plum fairy dessert...

happy thanksgiving!

full thanksgiving spread

2010-11-22T10:45:00.000-05:00

happy thanksgiving! here's a little dessert spread for your thanksgiving table. the new issue of iconography magazine: the naked issue. the entire stripped-down spread (...i can't use that word enough apparently) can be found online in its entirety here. yum!

lady lumps gettin looks on lost at e minor!

2010-11-17T21:01:00.000-05:00

big thanks to jess zaino from lost at e minor for the shout out! heres what she had to say:

"I love that Chromat is bringing back the days of yore when women were wound up tightly in intricate boning. But instead of wearing it under one’s garments, the Chromat Asymmetrical Zipper Full Cage is meant to show off the structured outline of a lady’s lovely humps."

yes! thanks!

and chromat in blink!

2010-11-08T15:18:00.000-05:00

chromat recently popped up in the 55th edition of blink- a magazine based out of guadalajara, mexico! check out the white full body cage floating over this white and gold spread styled by evren catlin and shot by filippo del vita.

iconique flashy spreads

2010-10-27T15:29:00.000-04:00

chromat was recently featured in a gorgeous black and white spread styled by nicole briola and shot by jason obrotka for iconique magazine!

iconique is a super slick online fashion magazine- it has a ton of really cool flash and great graphics: visual style stimulus to the max. you should check out the chromat-filled editorial here and then explore this internet gem further...

chromat in zink!

2010-10-26T14:44:00.000-04:00

a little chromat cage appeared in the october 2010 issue of zink! the spread, styled by allison st. germain and shot by filippo del vita, looks super rad so i'm posting the whole editorial. go pick up your copy today!

kakofonie of sighlens hollerrrr!

2010-10-21T12:00:00.000-04:00

i had the pleasure of meeting steff from kakofonie of si(gh)lens during the craziness of fashion week in the sexy dark basement that is good units. she brings in all kinds of interesting fashion from the corners of the earth to the surface of my desktop with her blog.

i love seeing the work she posts, and am honored to be a part of it with this sweet new interview she did! thanks so much steff!!

and mom, yes i did give you a shout out in the interview. :)

chromatic glitter bomb

2010-10-12T10:18:00.000-04:00

This morning a little glitter bomb exploded in my inbox. This wonderful write up from Tiffany of Six Six Sick and Tiskaidekaphobia fame made me laugh at an early hour:

"Becca likes to party as much as I do, and designs many of her outfits for girls like us, who live to dress up..." Hahahaha yes!

"For Spring 2011, Becca and her partner Emily Kappes expanded on their Cities and Cages collection, with more body-transforming silhouettes, and gravity-defying boning tricks. The geometric constructions were inspired by shoji screens in Japanese architecture, and with this in mind, you can easily see the influence of Becca's background as an architect coming through in the engineering of her work."

Thanks Tiffany!

la fashion week comin atcha!

2010-10-08T10:39:00.000-04:00

la la land friends! go check out this super awesome fashion/art/music festival that's going on in los angeles next weekend! chromat ss11 will be there and a bunch of other amazing designers and bands and artists will be too!

international playground

+ the shiny squirrel

are PROUD to present...

Artists & Revolutionaries

Study NY

Blood is the New Black

Half Light

Leila SHams

Miss Lonely Hearts

Fjallraven

Carlos Campos

The Sway

Shorts People

Mary Meyer

Wackerhaus

Christian Beaujean

Upstate

Spratters & Jayne

Vera Meat

Elizabeth Knight Jewelry

Judi Rosen

H. Fredriksson

Rocklove

Chromat

Ernest Alexander

Vibe Johansson

Species by the Thousands

Sir

LOS ANGELES FASHION WEEK

OCTOBER 14TH - 16TH
OPEN DAILY AT 10AM

FUN WHILE IT LASTED! is a wholesale and press market event during Los Angeles fashion week, showcasing spring 2011 collections from our international roster of fashion designers, as well as a retail experience, and art and music extravaganza.

events:

(cocktails)

thursday october 14th 7pm

RAIN PHOENIX

(of paper cranes)

saturday october 16th

2-5pm

DR. SKETCHY

ANTI ART

7pm

JULIETTE

COMMAGERE

find us!

click here 1106 MOHAWK ST
(just off sunset)

to schedule a wholesale or press appointment in advance, please send an email to:
info@internationalplayground.com

chromat spring/summer 2010

2010-09-15T12:09:00.000-04:00

The Chromat spring/summer 2011 cage collection was inspired by samurai warrior armor, folded origami cranes and gridded shoji screens found in traditional Japanese environments.

Photography by Johnny Fogg, styling by Vasha Thomas and model Lana Bianco.

For sales and press inquiries, please contact Virginia Craddock at the International Playground Showroom, virginia@shopshowroom.us, 212-228-2700.

foggy landscapes

2010-09-14T01:13:00.000-04:00

photographer johnny fogg's landscapes inspired the chromat ss11 collection with clean simple lines in shoji screens and horizon lines.

chromat ss11 inspiration

2010-09-13T17:58:00.000-04:00

before, after, and in between checking out the nyfw runway shows (more on those later), i've been folding pages and pages of origami and looking at gridded shoji screens and samurai armor.
anyone who has visited my new chinatown digs has probably made a crane with me. its so relaxing. so for the spring/summer 2011 chromat collection, i have been studying the angles of the folds as i make origami, the repetition in the armor of the samurai warriors, the intricate tying and folding of ropes and cloth on kimonos and the calm, soothing presence of traditional Japanese shoji screens.

fresh pastelzzz

2010-09-10T13:50:00.000-04:00

so as everyone knows, milky, dewy pastels have been in for a little bit now. i saw some last night at the concept korea show and i saw some more today at the lorick presentation.

i liked the clothes in the lorick presentation because they were so flat. they seemed to flatten out the entire body into a two dimensional garment, almost like wrapping paper doll clothes onto a real girl. the models were sooo beautiful and young and dewy- with the fresh faced hair and makeup there were a few in particular that looks like heavenly children. so pure. like i just enjoyed a green tea sorbet with a freshly picked rasberry on top by some natural forest springs surrounded by beautiful young deer sniffing clovers.

FASHION WEEK COMMENCES

2010-09-09T23:44:00.001-04:00

HAPPY START OF FASHION WEEK EVERYBODY!!!

Today was the first most exciting day ever. Prepare thyself for a verbose post of epic proportions below...

NUMBER ONE HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: I MET SUSIE BUBBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This morning I awoke from my dreams which actually involved the aforementioned world renowned London fashion blogger (that’s how excited I was- what a CREAP!) and went to the Independent Fashion Blogger conference at Good Units (which is a really cool, dark and sexy basement space at the Hudson Hotel) to catch Susie Bubble and the writer for another one of my go-to blogs for fashion news: the Cut @ New York Magazine website give talks about their experiences in the Fashion Industry.

It was really fun to see these digital people in the real world, talking about real things, to hear their voices and see their mannerisms that just don’t translate into 2-d. Susie was more than gracious when I came up to her after the talk, overloaded her with gushy smiles and awkwardly shoved two Chromat zines into her hand as she was swarmed with readers/admirers. Maybe I will see her around again this week and demonstrate I am a little more than just a gushing fan… actually, maybe that’s all I am.

I also got to meet a few other cool fashion bloggers, one of which is a rad lady named Buffy Leigh who writes out of Alberta, Canada at Kakofonie Of Si(gh)lens. She was wearing a really cool harness type thing (above) and it pretty much made my day when she recognized the Chromat cage I was wearing before I told her that it was my own design. FAAAMOUS!!! Another self-esteem highlight was when a hair salon owner named Paty Soto from Mexico City came over and took a bunch of pictures of my fancy hair-do and asked me how I styled it. Really? I’m notable at hair-related stuff? Sweeet.

SO THEN! OH YEA I ALSO WENT TO MY FIRST EVER FASHION WEEK RUNWAY SHOW!!! Through the kindness and connections of my great fashion friend Ethan Nguyen, editor of the blog/publication Titans & Company, I scored a ticket to the Concept Korea show at Lincoln Center. Last year, as some of you may remember, I lurked around inside the tents at Bryant Park but did not make it in to the actual runways to see a show due to the fact that my name wasn’t actually on anyone’s list. So it was a pretty cool feeling to be able to clutch/accidentally-crumple-from-excitement a real seat assignment in my sweaty little palm.

After I did my electronic check in, I lurked around the lobby for a while making first impressions of the new place (cool sunken room for all the media photographers in the middle of the tents, nice lights) and all the new people (lots of stilettos, blazers on ladies, skinny black pants, lots of black in general). I, like all the other fashion plebeians, also ran over to the stash of free magazines and piled them into my plastic bag. There was also free frappuccino and free wine! But for some reason, in all this glamour, the bathrooms were still ugly gross port-o-pottie-like contraptions! You would think now that the fashion shows are showing at Lincoln Center, where the city’s opera and ballet are held, that the toilet seats would at least be constructed out of facsimile gold leaf and not plastic. Hmmmph.

AAANYWAYS off I went to the show! It was a show of three Korean designers, the last of which left a major impression on me. Lee Jean Youn. The show was impressive for many reasons- for the range of styles (from jackets and suits to billowing dresses) to the use of color (which evolved from black to creamy peach with a single jolt of earthy green tea to a frothy white finale) and texture (hard and sharp to soft and bunched).

The show was so beautiful and had such a slow and steady build to the end that when it was all over I felt like I’d just seen a really intense dramatic movie. The kind where someone makes a huge life decision and then the whole movies shows them living out their dreams or nightmares or whatever. After watching one of those movies, I’m usually in a stunned daze and all I want to do is talk about the movie with a friend and unpack each of the issues. Well, this collection somehow triggered that same sort of emotional heaviness. It was composed of things I’d never seem before, things I loved and things that challenged me.

So day number one of New York Spring/Summer 2011 Fashion Week was a complete success. Tomorrow I awake to find more shows at my fingertips (again, THIS IS A DREAM) and then a night of parties and fun with Fashion Night Out! There are a lot of events going on but one I definitely hope to check out is the party with my friends (and stockist) at International Playground on Stanton (between Bowery and Chrystie). They are having DJs and booze and I hope to meet the other designers that are carried in the shop as well. See you there?

imminent parties!!

2010-09-06T10:10:00.000-04:00

new york fashion week is LESS THAN ONE WEEK AWAY!!! and guess what world? i got a real real invite! to a real real awesome fashion show! actually, more than one! :) so be prepared for some janky photos of runways from 10 rows back.
now i gotta figure out what to wear. i'm thinking... RED.

california chromat gurls

2010-08-30T16:48:00.000-04:00

just in time for the end of summer, chromat cages have washed up on the sandy beaches of california!

now all you hot california gurls have two new places in which to relish in chromat stock: the recently opened international playground in echo park at 1102 mohawk st (at sunset blvd) and the amazingly sexy la bra in west hollywood at 634 n robertson blvd!

kingdom of style hollerrrr

2010-08-23T08:03:00.000-04:00

thanks to queen michelle at kingdom of style for the props!

in reading the comments, i noticed this gem: "I love how the first one kind of looks like an angry cartoon face baring his teeth?"
that is awesome, i love it! i'm never going to look at this cage the same way again! rawr?

crushing on shannon sinclair

2010-08-21T14:42:00.000-04:00

shannon sinclair is an amazing photographer. working out of nyc and posting gorgeous images to her blogs crush me tender and the self-titled shannon sinclair, she explores shadows, cities and beautiful faces. her work has a sort of studied simplicity; it is at the same time clear, simple and deeply moody. i first saw her work when she shot images of chromat for international playground, and it has been a pleasure getting to see more of her work.

she recently shot some beautiful images of the chromat cages with lyoka tyagnereva at one management. so amazing.

i heart six six sick

2010-08-18T13:19:00.000-04:00

i had the pleasure recently of meeting tiffany gong from six six sick fame.

i have been reading the six six sick fashion blog for some time now, so meeting her in person was pretty exciting. as well as writing the blog, tiffany is known for the awesome parties that she and her party/design partner christina from six six sick host at websters hall and previously at happy endings AND shes also a jewelry designer of the cool metalworks label triskaidekaphobia.

tiffany is super nice and awesome! it was so fun to hear about all the cool parties she does and her experience working in the fashion and now jewelry industry. i'm really excited about seeing her out and about around town!

wooo! tiffany was kind enough to write about chromat for her blog! and wear the clothes out! and get lots of compliments! and tell me all about it! thanks tiffany!!

fashion rock and goth

2010-07-30T15:05:00.000-04:00

this cool brazilian blog described as 'fashion rock and goth' by gus magnago splashed up some chromat the other day with a sweet collage. check out the super sweet fashion metal t's on this site- i especially love the one of donatella versace.

thanks stylehive!

2010-07-30T11:26:00.000-04:00

thanks stylehive for the sweet post! read on for nice words:

"It's sexy. It's edgy. It's Chromat. Started by two architecture students from University of Virginia, Chromat is an experiment of human form and the unique structures and shapes it can take. Chromat features a strong architectural undertone in all it's collections, but each collection is truly unique and intriguing in it's own right. Using bright colors, somber colors, innovative silhouettes and additional exterior build-ons, student turned designers, Becca McCharen and Emily Kappes, not only show their creativity in merging architecture with fashion, but manage to keep it sexy and chic the whole time. Personal favorite is the S/S 2010 Collection: Cities and Cages. Corset like contraptions in black piping are fitted over body-conscious dresses, then flaring out to a crinoline like silhouette. Dresses range from black and white to soft greys and the occasional pop of red or fuchsia and are feminine and sometimes frilly, up until the bondage-inspired cage add-on."

i dont like mondays

2010-07-29T14:45:00.001-04:00

i dont like mondays has some fresh chromat up! it's great to be a part of this amazing lineup of designers!

spreading

2010-07-26T09:45:00.000-04:00

over the past month, i went through all my worldly possessions down in the lynchburg studio and packed it all up in anticipation of last nights nyc arrival (!!!). while going through everything, i found a book of letters that my lovely mother had put together before i left for el salvador three years ago.

the letter by my friend joy was so beautiful and profound, i thought i would retype it for you here:

"dearest becca,

your journey makes me think of flight, especially that of creatures who metamorphose and migrate. though birds seem to live in the sky, untouchable and safe in their disconnection, they are grounded in the cycles of the earth, continually leaving and finding home again. and
though beautiful in their independence and individualism, they are supported by a flock of friends and family.

in this period of our lives, we are like birds with an entire sky to navigate. baggage-less, light and optimistic, we have the freedom to comb the skies for adventure, alighting on fortuitous destinations, finding new niches, and creating new nests.

i feel so fortunate to know you, and although i miss you with all my heart, it makes me happy and proud to know that you are somewhere in the world, spreading your wonderful spirit. wherever you are, our friendship is a home to which you can always return, and find comfort and love.

i <3 <3 u, becca!"

i love you joy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my heart is melting... thank you to all my beautiful friends and coworkers and family for your well wishes. i'm so happy to be here.

colortyme

2010-07-15T14:52:00.001-04:00

i'm going to whartscape next weekend! wooohooo! heres a bit of color inspiration for my all-music-all-the time wardrobe...

CHROMAT SAMPLE SALE SATURDAY

2010-07-12T11:28:00.000-04:00

THIS SATURDAY!

HAUTE COUTURIOUS!

2010-07-09T16:03:00.000-04:00

chromat is now on couturious!

this is the coolest thing ever. chromat is in a video game for clothes!

couturious is a website where you can style your own outfits from their ginormous catalog of clothes, shoes, bags and jewelry.

they also link each piece to the designers website so you can find out where to get the looks.

i was so thrilled when lynn over at couturious emailed me to ask if they could feature chromat on their website!

now that they are up, i've spent the past 3 days playing with the site nonstop.

and i love to see what other stylists have paired with the chromat pieces. man, this site is cool.

bella loves chromat!!!

2010-07-08T15:16:00.000-04:00

thanks to bella magazine for the great article on the lynchburg fashion scene- featuring chromat!

at the water park

2010-07-06T16:41:00.000-04:00

this photo shoot is one of my favorite spreads of all time. natalia vodianova shot by craig mcdean. it came out in 2006, right when emily and i were starting chromat. the pages from the magazine (w) were posted on our fridge door in portland and i looked at them everyday as i sewed at the kitchen table. i love this shoot so much, and when i saw it posted on fashion gone rogue, i instantly saved all the pictures to my hard drive.

i love the simplicity of the color palette, the fluff of the dresses contrasted with the harsh shadows, the composition of the balls; basically, everything about it!

happy summer!

froth

2010-06-28T10:43:00.000-04:00

new york city!

2010-06-11T10:16:00.001-04:00

chromat is about to take a bite out of the big apple! i'm moving up from lynchburg, virginia at the end of next month, and emily moves from portland, oregon in september! new york friends- i can't wait to see you all!!!!

kisses and pictures

2010-06-10T09:26:00.000-04:00

louise ingalls sturges: i like your style. check out this little shoutout to chromat on her blog besosyfotos.

chomat would love to be docked on a yacht in st. tropez. in fact, i've been tryin to get myself on a boat all spring/summer long thusfar! can anybody out there help me with this? oh well, if i can't, at least the clothes can.

lets talk about dirty flaws

2010-06-02T00:14:00.001-04:00

dirty flaws: i love this blog. its like the dark thunder-stormy night after the bright summer day that is another one of my favorite blogs: sauvage. the thing i like about dirty flaws is its editing and very specific mood. almost everything is black and white. and dark. and sort of demented. sometimes gross or blurry or terrifying and kinky and rough and raw. thanks to nikki for introducing me to some amazing photographers and designers.

above is nikki herself.

musclechrome text

2010-06-01T14:01:00.000-04:00

MUSCLECHROME
by john hawkins

Silk doorway.
Mother stringing tendons,
wringing out deformities just right of frame.

See the body,
a hotel with windows.
the muscle strain, the blue-shelled architect starving with her books,
the gall bladder sisters, frail under shoulder strings,
the red sash prophet hanging from a flagpole.

Walk out with us.
Lights out, doors locked.

See the celebration, the saturday, the exit wound, the night walk, the ferris wheel, the escape.

See the life outside the fitness hotel.

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.
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Cotton candy!
Jumprope!
Purge! Protect! Sweatshop!
Transplant! Flex! Bend! Redeem!
Rescue! Ribcage! Coney Island! Trapezius!
Defend! Splenius! Scalene! Stewardess!
Latissimus dorsi!

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.
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Body makes body;
muscle swells muscle.
The thousand working parts:

All alive and meant for life-ing!

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.
.

Love is the guts slung low.
Wear the insides on the outsides!

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.
.

Fascia- a layer of connective tissue that gives form and structure to the muscle groups of the body, making movement possible

Your sister breezes in and past.
Your sister is the gentle touch,
the curve of the road,
the Kentucky morning water hovering breathless on the tips of the wild grass.
Grace ropes easy down her side.

Flesh-toned affection, hold her in her freedom.

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.
.

The extra deadbolt, the three hundred reps.
Still, they find her.
Rest, monster, rest.

How she looks up from her Lucky Charms and lets the laughter crack over her like thin early sunlight.

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.
.

How she steals all the bad from the blood.

Travel channel marathon! We’re going to the lake!

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.
.

We worked until our shoulders knotted.
We shrank our centers.
We made our bodies into hearts.

(get your copy here)

wooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!! bring on the confetti!!!!!

2010-05-27T09:41:00.000-04:00

<3 you all, internet friends. here's to another good year of life.

hawkins + chromat = musclechrome zine

2010-05-21T13:29:00.001-04:00

hot off the press: the chromat musclechrome zine!!!
featuring super sweet text by author and performance artist john hawkins.

john hawkins collaborated with chromat to write a narrative about this season's chromat girl. inspired by a fitness hotel where the girls live and work, the story weaves together tales of sisterhood, strength training and internal organs.

you can get your copy here!!!

(photography by lauren baker, ashley florence, and the duck duck collective. hair and makeup by sarah simmons, fusion salon, and emily garbee. )

i freakin love alek wek

2010-05-19T16:46:00.001-04:00

alek are you available to shoot my next lookbook??? i looooove you.

those are some nice colors and prints right there. photos by andrew yee. (fashion gone rogue)

summer headgear

2010-05-06T16:10:00.000-04:00

here is my personal summer strategy: its all about the headgear. i love hats! i love fascinators! i love masks and veils. my mission this summer is to bust these babies out more often!

lets start with a quick homage to the most amazing hat-wearer of all time. anna piaggi!

and these two are too much. i gotta step it up! immediately! (shes from white lightning, him... my dreams?)

some sweet hats vogue italia style from fashion gone rogue... (gorgeous red hair btw)

a little sprinkling of chromat...

(thanks natasha and lauren!)

and lets just go out with a bang, piers atkinson style!!!! i love that he used skype chat for the pix! this is giving me some serious chat roulette ideas!!!

happy summer!

shop o' the week!

2010-04-29T16:33:00.000-04:00

cool! international playground- where u can find chromat in the flesh in the lower east side in nyc- just got named shop of the week by papermag! go guys! johnny and virginia- the owners- are awesome and i'm so happy for them!!! now go check it out!

nighttime chromatic mysteries

2010-04-22T15:30:00.000-04:00

photos by ashley florence. h&mu by sarah simmons.

ha ha ha!!! springtime happiness!

2010-04-22T13:12:00.000-04:00

yeay!!!!!!! the chromat spring lookbook shoot hit the streets today! here are some highlights from the car wash- more to come tomorrow!

thanks so much to photographer ashley florence and h&mu stylist sarah simmons from rogue + arrival and photographer lauren baker! and of course thank you to the beautiful and hilarious models karissa grantham, leah embrey, audra darville, ashley hinkle and lauren shoff! the shoot was great and spontaneous and fun!

Six Six Sick reviews International Playground

2010-04-19T13:55:00.001-04:00

Toot Toot! (That's the sound of the Chromat horn a-blowin)

Chromat was recently mentioned on Six Six Sick!

This is a bit surreal because I have been following the blogger/party girls from Six Six Sick for a while now, and to see a Chromat cage splash across the page was incredible! They reviewed the opening of the new International Playground store at 13 Stanton St (between bowrey & crystie), which I can't wait to go up and see for myself!

CHROMAT SPRING 10 RUNWAY

2010-04-12T09:47:00.001-04:00

VITA POP UP SHOP

2010-04-09T13:32:00.001-04:00

this could all be yours!

thanks to everybody who came out to the fashion show last saturday. it was a huge success and lots of fun! and now all those beautiful clothes you saw in the show will be on sale! at the VITA pop up shop this sunday, april 11 from 1-4pm at the glass building at 1009 jefferson street!

chromat will be selling some of the spring 10 samples and taking orders for certain dresses. there may even be a few pieces from last season! also all the shoes donated from must have shoes for the show will be sold for $10 a pair! aaaand there will also be cds of the runway show music compilation- which is a pretty awesome summertime mix.

it will be fun. here is the facebook invite. please come!

lauren baker [[x]] chromat

2010-04-07T11:46:00.000-04:00

all photos by lauren baker. so amazing.