The week I pillaged LA
Jul. 26th, 2002 04:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anotheranonA tale of fun, a tale of gluttony, a tale of consumer excess. Learning, partying, shopping, and silliness - all this can be found in my week in Los Angeles for Costume College. It far exceeded my expectations. Be warned now that I'll probably be evangelizing the Costume College experience for the next few months - even to folks who I know have no interest in costuming. When you get sick of it, please feel free to tell me "yeah, I get it, I'm still not interested, you can shut up now" (but be aware that I won't shut up).
Thursday: College wasn't scheduled to start until Friday, and I didn't want to risk showing up early Friday and being exhausted all through class. My MIL kindly picked me up at LAX and drove me to the hotel in Van Nuys that would be home for the next week. I had planned to take the shuttle, but this was MUCH more pleasant - I don't get to see my inlaws often and unlike many people, I actually get alone with mine, so it was nice to be able to chat in the car.
Friday: Friday I got up at 7 for complimentary breakfast - no great feat if you're still on east coast time. The place was PACKED with folks sporting their Costume College (hereafter abbreviated as "C.C.") membership tags. I found out later that even though C.C. is limited to only around 300 people, many of them stay at the hotel so as not to miss anything.
I had misgivings about the social aspects of C.C. - I am not a social person and thought I'd just attend classes, gawk at the costume party, and go about my business. Everyone looked so friendly though, and I didn't have a class until 11, so I signed up at the volunteer booth and helped out at the info desk for an hour.
Which turned into 2 hours, just discussing costumes, heraldry, and being social with everyone. I particuarly met one woman and her college-age daughter who I ran into again and again - by Monday we were buddies in the Garment district tour and exchanging phone #s all over the place! My throat and jaw ached throughout the weekend from all of the conversation, and I am still recovering.
I go to my first class, "Architectural Devices for Ladies' Clothes", at 11. It was packed, informative, and hilarious - the instructor knew her stuff, and knew how to make the subject of corsetry, bustles, and hoopskirts interesting and funny. Did you know that in the 17th century men and women displayed their underwear to an extent not seen again until present times? I didn't either, until this class. Woo!
I attended orientation that night, even though I wasn't sure I needed to - I was waiting for my MIL and her sister to show up for the vending area and didn't want to miss them. I'm glad I went - the founder of C.C. explained how this was it's 9th year, 5th at the same hotel (the hotel staff are familiar with the conference and are VERY good about not disturbing the weird props and clothing left lying all over). She also emphasized that this was a place primarily to learn, and no snobbery was allowed (i.e., no "garb Nazis" or other critical snarking over not completely accurate historic clothing). This is part of the reason there is such a limited membership - huge class sizes would severely hamper learning.
It was at the orientation that I started to understand and appreciate the vibe and comraderie. There really WAS no rudeness, and C.C. is a level field, no matter if you've been doing costumes for 30 years or are barely learning to sew. Even the instructors (some of whom I knew by reputation) are approachable - no pedestals here.
The vending ballroom officially opened after the orientation. It was overwhelming - Alter Years now owns my ass - I went to them multiple times for books, patterns, and other odds and ends. The woman who ran the booth also started C.C. and is a veteran science fiction costumer (more on that later), and is also a hoot! I think my MIL and her sister were nearly as awed as I was. We hit dinner at a local restaurant later, the first of many rich and bad for me meals that were also very necessary to keep going, as rushing to and from classes would prevent a regular eating schedule.
Saturday: Up early again, ate breakfast with other C.C.ers to make up numbers at a table, and ended up talking for most of breakfast. They came out from Tuscon and have for some years. Still, most of the attendees were from CA or nearby, and I didn't see any other nametags from the east coast (until next year, because you - yes, you - are coming with me. But I digress).
One of the most refreshing things was to be with such a high concentration of other people who "get" the whole costuming "thing" - I have friends who make clothes and they get it, but it was like being with them x 100. People who understand WHY it's important to know if the Spanish used linen in the New World, or who get excited about a lucky bargain on a hard to find corsetry book.
The science fiction costuming was a real eye-opener. I have always loved the costumes from science fiction movies, but I always assumed that no one exercised their costuming expertise on science fiction costumes except isolated groups of painfully dedicated Star Wars fans. I was wrong - there are plenty of people making quality reproductions, and not just stormtroopers. An exhibit at C.C. had AWESOME reproductions of items from Farscape and Dune (Dune! I've always wanted a stillsuit!). I simply didn't know that that many people cared about such things. I'm not alone! Talking to some folks in the hall after the Time Traveler's Gala (costume party) I also heard about fan variations like cuddly Klingons and emotional Vulcans - ask me sometime.
My big class of the day was Hair and Makeup 101 - I went originally intending to try and figure out how to work with hairpieces to cover my own anachronistic hair, but learned so much more. I learned how to do marcel waves (those S-shaped waves done in the 1920s), and that Elizabethan hairstyles are very similar to 1940s hairstyles - rats rule! Aggh! So inspiring that I walked out to the local Sally's to get supplies so my costume would be just so for the Gala. (I wore my polyester budget Fortuny with 1920's style hair and makeup. I didn't have enough hair to marcel, so I just slicked it all down. Sorry, no photos - it didn't occur to me to take one, but perhaps I will in the future).
Speaking of the Gala - everyone there was turned out perfectly, not a flaw in the bunch. Everything from science fiction to Victorian was represented, and represented well. You have not lived until you've seen the Timewarp danced in a hoopskirt. Anything else I could say would be inadequate, and regrettably few of my pictures turned out - too much movement and too little light. I sat with a woman who is a maskmaker/bat-vampire collector, so we talked costume and Buffy. Most of the dancing was of the ballroom variety which I do not know how to do, but that was fine because I was happy watching everyone else - particularly one couple who looked for all the world like the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and did some outstanding (to me, anyway) swing and Charleston steps. Left at 11, ended up talking in the hall until 1.
Sunday: Up early with lots of coffee, for - you guessed it! - More classes! C.C. offered everything from history to construction classes, every concievable historical period, science fiction (though that was limited), needlework, beading, etc. So I am not exaggerating when I say that there really is something for everyone. I called my friend C., who I was to meet up with on Monday night, and told her that I should have just told her to attend - she enjoys crosstitch and embroidery.
Sunday night after my last class I crashed hard - I fell asleep for 2 hours and only woke back up because I was hungry. Because of all of the classes I wanted to take, getting enough food and water was a struggle.
After dinner with the folks from Tuscon (some are visiting DC next year, and want a full listing of costume stuff before they come here), I tried to go be social in the hospitality suite, and ended up going back to my room to sleep after half an hour. Pity I hadn't more energy - the discussion was good, as were all of the snacks on the table and all of the hand work that was being worked on while talking - kind of like a very loud quilting bee with food.
By the end of the evening I was so sad that it was all over, but also relieved that it was - I was exhausted, and perhaps pushed myself too hard, but we all did. It's that fun.
Monday: Garment district pillage! Got lots of garment-quality vinyl for making clothes - I've always wanted to try and now I have more than enough to experiment with. My shopping buddies were the woman and her daughter that I met at the volunteer booth on the first day, and we had a great, if sticky, hot, and expensive time. I had emptied my suitcase the night before and used it as transport. I ended up having to empty it at the bus once and refilled another time before we left at 3 - this suitcase has definitely made it's last trip.
C. had arrived at the hotel while I was out, and we went out for a big dinner and a long sleep, up for MORE SHOPPING in the morning!!
Tuesday, Wednesday: Hit the Wilshire Blvd. Ross and Loehmann's - may sound very pedestrian but the selection due to their locations was excellent. I even scored a (gasp!) Vivienne Westwood Anglomania jacket at a good price at Loehmann's! Funny, because we were so tired we almost didn't go, but my MIL strongly encouraged us. And it did seem like a good way to walk off a diner dinner from Ed Debevic's......Also went to the Santa Monica shopping area and did some damage.
Weds: Hit Agent Provocateur for extremely fancy lingerie - I'm not taking C. shopping anymore, she stocks up on lingerie like mad! Also hit Red Balls on Fire, but after that we swiftly got tired in the heat and pollution that is Los Angeles. C. had to go home after a takeout dinner of Thai food (yum!) anyway, and I needed to rest and figure out how I was going to get half of this stuff home. As it is, I ended up shipping a great deal of it (thanks, J!). It was a great visit with C. - I've known her since 6th grade and even though every time we talk on the phone it's like she's never gone away, there's nothing to compare with "face time" sometimes. We caught up on a lot, and I did more talking until my voice was exhausted.
So.... I got in last night. I'm sure this description is nowhere as good as being there, so you'll have to go with me next year.
Meanwhile I've got a pile of laundry to wash, some goodies to sort through (first box arrived today!), and some dehydration to remedy.
Thursday: College wasn't scheduled to start until Friday, and I didn't want to risk showing up early Friday and being exhausted all through class. My MIL kindly picked me up at LAX and drove me to the hotel in Van Nuys that would be home for the next week. I had planned to take the shuttle, but this was MUCH more pleasant - I don't get to see my inlaws often and unlike many people, I actually get alone with mine, so it was nice to be able to chat in the car.
Friday: Friday I got up at 7 for complimentary breakfast - no great feat if you're still on east coast time. The place was PACKED with folks sporting their Costume College (hereafter abbreviated as "C.C.") membership tags. I found out later that even though C.C. is limited to only around 300 people, many of them stay at the hotel so as not to miss anything.
I had misgivings about the social aspects of C.C. - I am not a social person and thought I'd just attend classes, gawk at the costume party, and go about my business. Everyone looked so friendly though, and I didn't have a class until 11, so I signed up at the volunteer booth and helped out at the info desk for an hour.
Which turned into 2 hours, just discussing costumes, heraldry, and being social with everyone. I particuarly met one woman and her college-age daughter who I ran into again and again - by Monday we were buddies in the Garment district tour and exchanging phone #s all over the place! My throat and jaw ached throughout the weekend from all of the conversation, and I am still recovering.
I go to my first class, "Architectural Devices for Ladies' Clothes", at 11. It was packed, informative, and hilarious - the instructor knew her stuff, and knew how to make the subject of corsetry, bustles, and hoopskirts interesting and funny. Did you know that in the 17th century men and women displayed their underwear to an extent not seen again until present times? I didn't either, until this class. Woo!
I attended orientation that night, even though I wasn't sure I needed to - I was waiting for my MIL and her sister to show up for the vending area and didn't want to miss them. I'm glad I went - the founder of C.C. explained how this was it's 9th year, 5th at the same hotel (the hotel staff are familiar with the conference and are VERY good about not disturbing the weird props and clothing left lying all over). She also emphasized that this was a place primarily to learn, and no snobbery was allowed (i.e., no "garb Nazis" or other critical snarking over not completely accurate historic clothing). This is part of the reason there is such a limited membership - huge class sizes would severely hamper learning.
It was at the orientation that I started to understand and appreciate the vibe and comraderie. There really WAS no rudeness, and C.C. is a level field, no matter if you've been doing costumes for 30 years or are barely learning to sew. Even the instructors (some of whom I knew by reputation) are approachable - no pedestals here.
The vending ballroom officially opened after the orientation. It was overwhelming - Alter Years now owns my ass - I went to them multiple times for books, patterns, and other odds and ends. The woman who ran the booth also started C.C. and is a veteran science fiction costumer (more on that later), and is also a hoot! I think my MIL and her sister were nearly as awed as I was. We hit dinner at a local restaurant later, the first of many rich and bad for me meals that were also very necessary to keep going, as rushing to and from classes would prevent a regular eating schedule.
Saturday: Up early again, ate breakfast with other C.C.ers to make up numbers at a table, and ended up talking for most of breakfast. They came out from Tuscon and have for some years. Still, most of the attendees were from CA or nearby, and I didn't see any other nametags from the east coast (until next year, because you - yes, you - are coming with me. But I digress).
One of the most refreshing things was to be with such a high concentration of other people who "get" the whole costuming "thing" - I have friends who make clothes and they get it, but it was like being with them x 100. People who understand WHY it's important to know if the Spanish used linen in the New World, or who get excited about a lucky bargain on a hard to find corsetry book.
The science fiction costuming was a real eye-opener. I have always loved the costumes from science fiction movies, but I always assumed that no one exercised their costuming expertise on science fiction costumes except isolated groups of painfully dedicated Star Wars fans. I was wrong - there are plenty of people making quality reproductions, and not just stormtroopers. An exhibit at C.C. had AWESOME reproductions of items from Farscape and Dune (Dune! I've always wanted a stillsuit!). I simply didn't know that that many people cared about such things. I'm not alone! Talking to some folks in the hall after the Time Traveler's Gala (costume party) I also heard about fan variations like cuddly Klingons and emotional Vulcans - ask me sometime.
My big class of the day was Hair and Makeup 101 - I went originally intending to try and figure out how to work with hairpieces to cover my own anachronistic hair, but learned so much more. I learned how to do marcel waves (those S-shaped waves done in the 1920s), and that Elizabethan hairstyles are very similar to 1940s hairstyles - rats rule! Aggh! So inspiring that I walked out to the local Sally's to get supplies so my costume would be just so for the Gala. (I wore my polyester budget Fortuny with 1920's style hair and makeup. I didn't have enough hair to marcel, so I just slicked it all down. Sorry, no photos - it didn't occur to me to take one, but perhaps I will in the future).
Speaking of the Gala - everyone there was turned out perfectly, not a flaw in the bunch. Everything from science fiction to Victorian was represented, and represented well. You have not lived until you've seen the Timewarp danced in a hoopskirt. Anything else I could say would be inadequate, and regrettably few of my pictures turned out - too much movement and too little light. I sat with a woman who is a maskmaker/bat-vampire collector, so we talked costume and Buffy. Most of the dancing was of the ballroom variety which I do not know how to do, but that was fine because I was happy watching everyone else - particularly one couple who looked for all the world like the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and did some outstanding (to me, anyway) swing and Charleston steps. Left at 11, ended up talking in the hall until 1.
Sunday: Up early with lots of coffee, for - you guessed it! - More classes! C.C. offered everything from history to construction classes, every concievable historical period, science fiction (though that was limited), needlework, beading, etc. So I am not exaggerating when I say that there really is something for everyone. I called my friend C., who I was to meet up with on Monday night, and told her that I should have just told her to attend - she enjoys crosstitch and embroidery.
Sunday night after my last class I crashed hard - I fell asleep for 2 hours and only woke back up because I was hungry. Because of all of the classes I wanted to take, getting enough food and water was a struggle.
After dinner with the folks from Tuscon (some are visiting DC next year, and want a full listing of costume stuff before they come here), I tried to go be social in the hospitality suite, and ended up going back to my room to sleep after half an hour. Pity I hadn't more energy - the discussion was good, as were all of the snacks on the table and all of the hand work that was being worked on while talking - kind of like a very loud quilting bee with food.
By the end of the evening I was so sad that it was all over, but also relieved that it was - I was exhausted, and perhaps pushed myself too hard, but we all did. It's that fun.
Monday: Garment district pillage! Got lots of garment-quality vinyl for making clothes - I've always wanted to try and now I have more than enough to experiment with. My shopping buddies were the woman and her daughter that I met at the volunteer booth on the first day, and we had a great, if sticky, hot, and expensive time. I had emptied my suitcase the night before and used it as transport. I ended up having to empty it at the bus once and refilled another time before we left at 3 - this suitcase has definitely made it's last trip.
C. had arrived at the hotel while I was out, and we went out for a big dinner and a long sleep, up for MORE SHOPPING in the morning!!
Tuesday, Wednesday: Hit the Wilshire Blvd. Ross and Loehmann's - may sound very pedestrian but the selection due to their locations was excellent. I even scored a (gasp!) Vivienne Westwood Anglomania jacket at a good price at Loehmann's! Funny, because we were so tired we almost didn't go, but my MIL strongly encouraged us. And it did seem like a good way to walk off a diner dinner from Ed Debevic's......Also went to the Santa Monica shopping area and did some damage.
Weds: Hit Agent Provocateur for extremely fancy lingerie - I'm not taking C. shopping anymore, she stocks up on lingerie like mad! Also hit Red Balls on Fire, but after that we swiftly got tired in the heat and pollution that is Los Angeles. C. had to go home after a takeout dinner of Thai food (yum!) anyway, and I needed to rest and figure out how I was going to get half of this stuff home. As it is, I ended up shipping a great deal of it (thanks, J!). It was a great visit with C. - I've known her since 6th grade and even though every time we talk on the phone it's like she's never gone away, there's nothing to compare with "face time" sometimes. We caught up on a lot, and I did more talking until my voice was exhausted.
So.... I got in last night. I'm sure this description is nowhere as good as being there, so you'll have to go with me next year.
Meanwhile I've got a pile of laundry to wash, some goodies to sort through (first box arrived today!), and some dehydration to remedy.
