Jaredgold's Journals

Jared Gold Runway Event LIVE in Hollywood Thursday July 30th

click above for tickets or go to www.jaredgold.com and sign up!

Thursday July 30^th, 8pm

A Fashion Event to premier the insurgent collaboration between designer Jared Gold and artist Joshua Petker. This is a rare moment to see the collection in an intimate environment as Gold’s runway events now have attendance upwards of two thousand spectators. The evening will also herald the announcement of Gold’s Tour Dates for his visionary Fashion Renegade Tour of the American West. This traveling runway event utilizes local models and talent to bring high fashion to the heartland in a large format, lavish event that is free and open to the public. The tour is staged to support the American Artisan Foundation (AAF).

The American Artisan Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on reinvigorating fashion in America. The foundation aims to support fashion education, assist in resourcing for manufacturers and cottage workers using a completely innovative work resource digital community, as well as inspiring youth to create and experiment through the sewing machine equipment grant. Ticket and sponsorship proceeds from this event will benefit the AAF.

I turned down Project Runway, here's why....

About four months ago I recieved two phone calls and one email asking me to show up to an open call for casting of the show. One casting in Los Angeles, and then again in New York. They asked me to" Just bring one dress" and the stated that "they would push me through directly to the finals." Here's a little reality check or reality tv check... I operate a successful company and I have had done solo shows at Mercedes Benz Fashion week. My collection has been sold at Barnys New York, Fred Segal, Beams Tokyo, Brown's Focus London, and Henri Bendel. I am a designer and I must design constantly in order to keep my staff of over 50 employees functioning and inventing. I have no time to spend 2 months working on completely rediculous projects so America can watch me suffer. I have been designing for about 10 years and I have never had to make a dress from Grocery store remenants, the clothes off my back, or design an exhibition piece in two days. The whole concept is exhausting and boring. Why not have a show about really ralented people designing really beautiful clothing?...I guess TV isn't interesting unless people are crying or screaming. So...I told them "No"...3 times...

Dress Me Up Photo Gallery needs photos of you!

Whether you bought the clothes in one of our wild stores, online, or even if I made a delicious piece of couture just for you, this is the place to upload photos of you and your new Black Chandelier and Jared Gold clothing. I want this gallery to be really funny and interesting so put on a show! Make sure the photo is oriented properly before you send it, or you will be sideways! also just put the caption you would like for the photo in the subject line in the email and viola!, it will magically appear. Email your photo and caption to jaredgold.fashion.dressmeup@buzznet.com. p.s. no nasty comments on other's photos or I will humiliate you and block you, this should be fun and positive.

Is fashion in you? Let's start here...

I get asked alot about advice as to where to begin designing and creating your own product, so I thought I would do a little blog with some useful information.

I attended Otis School of Art and Design in Los Angeles. As far as I am concerned this is definately one of the finest fashion programs in the world. There are reasons I say this. If you are going to educate yourself for a design career, be prepared for the torture. Having great style, loving to shop, or being addicted to fashion magazines, does not mean you are cut out for a life of fashion. There is so much required of you besides what I would deem as superficial fashion. Clothing is a necessity, people need to feel comfortable and special, you need to be able to make it about them, but still maintain a cohesive vision. So here are the skills that will help you pay the bills, If you are planning on attenting a school that does not offer complete efficiency in ALL of these points...move on.
Ok here we go...

1) You MUST learn to sew, and by this I mean actualy be able to tailor a jacket and build a foundation for a strapless dress, monitor grain, and have humor in the detail. No matter what anyone tells you, you must be able to do this yourself or you will never be able to be innovative and direct others working under you to develop patterns and a fit that is your trademark.

2) You MUST be able to pattern. This is difficult and technical, and this is where people will suceed or fail. All relies on your pattern cutting skills.

3) You MUST be able to sketch. Before I attended Otis I had never drawn anything. The school is very heavy on art education and this is the skill has gotten me further than anything else I learned there. Its amazing how easily unvisionary people can be swayed with a small drawing or sketch for explaination.

4) You MUST be kind. Being judgemental, and being a cunt never got anyone anywhere. People are always expecting fashion industry people to be just terrible. Be gentle and listen to people and they will appreciate your work so much more. NEVER judge what someone else is wearing, everybody deserves to have their own taste, but it is up to you to offer an alternative, and augmentation, or simply a humorous daliance that is disposable.

5) You MUST sell your clothing. This is a business, you must plan accordingly. I sold my first clothing at Lollapalooza, then at raves, then at Fred Segal. It's amazing where you can get just by asking. If you are going to approach a store to inquire about selling to them, which you will need to do, here are my pointers that seemed to work well:

a) DO NOT just show up and ask any random staff member if they buy things from other people or small designer. All buyers are looking for the next best thing, so the odds are on your side, so either call or ask in person "Who does the buying for your Women's Department?" Ask for a card, or inquire when would be a good time to reach them by phone. Always speak with the buyer over the phone before you go to the store, this way you can discuss what you are selling and find out if they are even buying items in your category.

b) Have a complete and perfect sample set made up of EVERYTHING you are selling. The sewing should be the best you can possibly muster for these items, as this is demonstrating the quality of goods the store will be receiving. Items should fit well, have labels, and be on hangers, nothing looks better than rolling in a complete rack of beautiful samples intot the store.

c) You must have some sort of printwork to leave behind, whether it be a full color catalogue or a simple one sheeter, they must remeber you and your image.

d) After writing an order you must be able to produce the items chosen and in the correct sizes, this is where your patternmaking prowess comes into play. This is my big sticking point with people wanting to sell clothing in my stores, items must be graded and reproduceable. VERY few stores are interested in buying items that are one-of-a-kind and look really do-it-yourself. Most people are getting pretty crafty and they will make these items themselves, as opposed to buying them these days.

e) Ship on time and follow up with the store concerning the selling of your clothing. If they need more and it is selling well, you need to know. If it isn't selling you want to know that too, this way you will be able determine the issues the clothing has and possiobly repair it or replace it. Keeping in touch with the store gives them faith in your work, and secures a rebuy for you.

6) You MUST promote. Is this a show? an advertisement? a flier? Never reach outside your budget, remember your money is best spent developing and selling product. Do not hang your dirty diaper out for everyone to see. Do what you are good at, don't print up a bunch of fliers if your graphics skills are iffy, or don't have a show if you aren't sure about your sewing, because putting all your half-way sewn items on a runway in front of people does nothing for your image.

7) You MUST be original. Own your vision and preach it. Design is beyond what is in the magazines. Your life, your influences, are much more interesting than what happened in Paris or New York this season, believe me.

Good luck, you really can become your greatest creation.

Tour My World

The one question I get asked most is: "How did you think of that?" I always respond, "Well that's my job, I just think of things all day."
The truth of the matter is I have engineered my life so I am constantly in contact with wild, eccentric, input at all times. Like a force field of cyclops rabbits, black licorice hotrods and a thousand piece marching band on the moon, it protects me from the real world and holds in the demons.
I thought as an opening to this column I would make a list of a few of my favorite things that inspire me to be more witty, more tragic, and more horrifying. So I hope you like it.

Anna Nicole Smith's Bed
I sleep in a bed every night that was Anna Nicole's. It has hot pink tuck and roll satin, and an outrageous Louis the XIV curved headboard. Sometimes I lie there and listen to the vacuum of space. It really is surrounded by uncompromised tragedy, a perfect place for nightmares to manifest.

Early Edition Oz Book Collection
I attribute almost all of the verve of my upbringing to the hours and hours my mother spent reading her Oz book collection to me. The Wizard of Oz was the first book in a long list of publications about Oz. Each detailing exotic lives of magical creatures from animated phonograph players and cities populated entirely by well-dressed rabbits, to dark underground parks of living trees and oceans of petrified sand. Frank Baum and his stories have a large presence in all I design.

Penny Farthing
This is the bicycle that has one enormous front wheel and a tiny back wheel. My bicycle has been outfitted with dirt bike tires and handbrakes, I still have to run behind it to get it going and vault onto the seat. There is something lovely about complicating something simple with style, just the same as style needs to be complicated with simplicity to be lovely.

Ice Cream Makers
I love making ice cream at home. All the ice, salt, and racket and then you get this ice cream that is delicious beyond belief and it's gone in 10 minutes. What lesson does this teach us?...All things beautiful should be ephemeral. That is why I love clothing, you spend so much time designing and producing it, and then in six months it's all gone.
My favorite recipes are creamed honey, saffron apricot, blackchocolate, gingersnap and grilled peach. mmmm.

BjÃ¸rn Wiinblad Lithograph
Just last month this illustration master died. He was an endless fountain of charming unpretentious art. His personages wrapped in exuberant ornament in true maximalistic style, depicting luxuriant scenes of glittering perspective rendered with a twirling brush and a soft, guileless sense of humor. One of my prized treasures is this large print of a geisha and peacocks, marked on the back that it was originally purchased in 1954 on the island of St. Thomas. Glamorous and mysterious down to the framing nails, jeez.

Bang and Olufsen Beomaster 8000
I have a record collection of thousands of classical records. I love early experimental electronic tape and orchestral works, as well as harpsichord recordings and ragtime. This Bang and Olufsen stereo has the finest turntable ever made by a man. As well as having a cabinet made of brushed aluminum and rosewood, it stings with giant l.e.d. readouts and smooth mind blowing power. Danish designed analogue high-gothic at its finest. One little 99-cent record can change your mind, or just blow it up.

Chemistry Manuscript Books
Everything I design starts out in one of those little notebooks filled with graph paper and has the speckled cover. I love seeing how cheaply I can buy them. There is something almost sexual about placing the designs for an entire year in a little book that costs less than a dollar. Sometimes the easiest solution to a problem is the most revolutionary.

Perfume
I always site perfume as a huge influence on what I do. It has such great teleportative abilities. My arsenal is pretty big, but every one was well thought out and tortured over.
I love Guerlain, the oldest perfume house in France and the most bizarre; their AprÃ¨s L'OndeÃ© is metallic, aldehydic, and vacant. Comptoir, Comme Des GarÃ§ons, L'Artisan, and Santa Maria Novella, have all taken me somewhere liquid and fleeting. Things you can't see are programming the things you do seeâ�¦right now.

Thank you for coming on my little tour. When you heighten sensitivity to your surroundings, you'll find they are dying tell you something.

20 things I love

My list of unexpendable commodities

Top 20 albums
My Bloody Valentine: Loveless
Kate Bush: Hounds of Love
Add N to X: Avant Hard
Insides: Euphoria
Damone: From the Attic
Dee-Lite: World Clique
Planningtorock: Have it All
The Breeders: Last Splash
Atari Teenage Riot: 60 Second Wipeout
Rasputina: Thanks for the Ether
Curve: Doppelganger
One Dove: White Love
Gus Gus: Polydistortion
Danielle Dax: The Dark Adapted Eye
Whale: We Care
RTX: Transmaniacon
Silver Apples: Contact
Siouxsie and the Banshees: Hyena
Comus: First Utterance
The Swans: Burning World

Top 20 Movies
Dune
Welcome to the Dollhouse
Nightwatch
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
The Black Hole
Looker
Naked Lunch
Thunderbirds are Go!
The Shining
Susperia
Institute Banjamenta
Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
Hairspray
The Demons
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Lola Montes
Pee Wee's Big Adventure
Aliens
Grey Gardens
Akira

Top 20 Books
Famous for 15 Minutes
Cruddy
The Philosophy of Andy Warhol
Ozma of Oz
Invisible Monsters
The Lonely Doll
Dining with Proust
Tesla
Joseph Cornell's Vision of Spiritual Order
Sweets
Color Theory of Wittgenstien
Paul Pioret
Cottonmouth Kisses
The Good Times are Killing me
Chapterhouse Dune
Ludwig of Bavaria the Dream King
FabergÃ©
Roald Dahl Omnibus
Raymond Loewy
The Collections of Peynet

Top 20 Live Shows
The Cramps (Look Ma No Head)
Gus Gus (Polydistortion)
Sonic Youth (Goo)
The Hives (Tyrannosaurous Hives)
The Stray Cats
Rasputina (Frustration Plantation)
RTX (Transmaniacon)
Coil (Live at Royal Festival Hall)
The Centimeters
Cybersonik (Ritchie Hawtin)
The Dwarves
The Sounds
Fatboy Slim
Ladytron (The Witching Hour)
Siouxsie and the Banshees (Rapture)
Lush (Gala)
Ministry (Jesus Built My Hotrod)
The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black
Radiohead
Morningwood

Dropping Names Like Mosquitos Around An Electric Zapper: or, The Jared Gold Fashion Show On March 16th (From Clint Catalyst's Blog)

Dropping Names Like Mosquitos Around An Electric Zapper: or, The Jared Gold Fashion Show On March 16th

O.K., total disclaimer here: I live in Los Angeles. I'm a crotchety old crow, and I was the Guest List Bitch/"Door Whore" during the heyday of legendary clubs like Cherry, Make-Up, Synthetic, Bang!, et al. Translation: I've had a lot of contact with celebrities. Some of them have become friends; some enemires, but most just holograms that go blip on my radar for a nanosecond of life. That being said, I loathe being around the "Stereotypical Angelenos" who can't utter a sentence that doesn't include some famous person that they're a friend of. What, they're going to be "The Most Famous Person Who Knows Famous People" or something? Everyone who lives in L.A. proper has celebrity stories to spout out like gumballs 24-cents-a-pop... it's not a big deal. However, since this Friday past was my first job as the PR person for a fashion extravaganza, I've gotta rattle off how much I surprised myself in the crowd I somehow managed to wrangle up.

O.K., for starters: since I'm a siiiick bitch who loves the surreal flash of celebrity that accompanies folks who put themselves on "reality" shows (and having worked on four seasons of one, I'm using the term reality loosely), when I was casting models, I came up with the so-wrong-it's-right concept of booking walking-sticks (the term I use for "moo-dels") from different reality programs; that way it'd be a smack-down in itself...on top of the clothes.

Lisa Dâ�™Amato (legendary party girl from cycle 5 of â�œAmericaâ�™s Next Top Modelâ�) opened the show. Now, not to be pedantic, but in the realm of runway shows, there's a hierarchy. The "first girl" (or guy, depending on the designer) is important...she's the bad-ass bitch who's setting the tone for the show, and is one of the people the designer has deemed either a 'muse' or a 'conduit' for what he's deeming the feeling "of the moment." The 'final girl' is also important, and referred to by some as "the bride"...but we'll get to that later.

So anyway, Lisa stomped her way out with all the power of a silent storm: an other-worldly atmosphere summed up by the name of Jared's show: "Quiet Army." Following Lisa was Joanie Dodds (runner-up, cycle 6 of â�œAmericaâ�™s Next Top Modelâ�), the proverbial blonde preacher's daughter whose stride conveyed There Is More To Me Than The Eye Can See. If any of you watched Joanie's cycle, I'll tell you this: home girl has improved her walk tremendously...a point duly noted by my old boss at ANTM who was at the show, as well.

Following in their wake, we had the fiery redheaded Amanda Blick (from season 3 of â�œProject Runwayâ�), whose poise at the press 'stop and pose' was really a force to be reckoned with. From season 2 of "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency," we had the pouty-mouthed blonde, Desiree Bick, the walking Adonis known as Dominic Figlio, the mega-fierce Pierce Ross (who looked flawless with every step she took), and a hunky "double-whammy": J.P. Calderon from "Survivor," who then went on to get signed in "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency," where viewers were treated to lots of body, body, body! It was adorable to see him in Jared Gold gear: one round a whimsical vest with hunter-orange hued buttons and free-flowing pants; another round truly stunning in a ruffled pelt jacket with oversized collar the designer accessorized by a cravat, strutting JG signature shorts that smack of the turn-of-the-last-century and side-striped baseball socks to complete the look.

Since casting only reality "Survivors," per se, would be too on-the-nose (we might as well have thrown a slab of Velveeta across the room), there also was a legitimate model/actress in the mix: Mageina Tovah, who's starred in Spiderman 2, the TV show "Joan of Arcadia," and plenty of other places you can find on imdb.com.

Performance artist Larva brought her own panache to the runway, slinking and physically embodying the insect motif of the clothes with such dedication, there was a transitory flash of "what lies beneath" none of us anticipated! She pulled it off like a pro, and the audience reacted accordingly: but no one commanded applause more than musician and MySpace celebrity Jeffree Star, whose vicious pink hair was partially cornrowed. The sparkle of Star's make-up combined with the inimitable dazzle of his first sequin-striped dress was almost too much to handle...and for that, we are all grateful. On his third round, Jeffree was the 'final girl,' functioning like an exclamation point for all the refined wit Jared's adroit ability led us up to. As "The Bride," he stepped onto the stage a final time along with Mr. Gold, flanked on the opposite end by the diva D'Amato.

The collection as a whole? The concept of "words cannot explain" comes to mind, though I despise the clichÃ©. Words can explain the genius and gorgeous collection Jared presented for Fall '07; it's just that I'm not adroit enough a wordsmith to do them justice. No hyperbole here: do a quick search on WireImage.com if you don't believe me.

I've been a friend and fan of the creative force known as Jared Gold for several years, and can whole-heartedly say this was his most artfully executed and unmistakenly cohesive collection yet. You'd be hard-pressed to find a single person in the packed-beyond-capacity Palace ballroom who'd disagree. And among them was a noteworthy crowd:

director Amy Heckerling (Clueless, Fast Times At Ridgemont High)

fashion designer Bao Tranchi with musician Jack Atlantis

the ever-flamboyant Bobby Trendy

celebrity party planner Bryan Rabin

Corey Granet from The Warlocks

Courtney Hanson, host of FOX sportsâ�™ show â�œDestination Wildâ�

director Darren Stein (Jawbreaker and the forthcoming Color Me Olsen)

Doug Spearman from the LOGO series â�œNoahâ�™s Arkâ�

Eric from the band Hole

visual artist Elizabeth McGrath with her husband Morgan Slade (from the band Miss Derringer)

Gina Gurewitz, co-owner of Epitaph Records

Heather Tom, two time emmy-award winner for â�œThe Young and The Restlessâ�; currently in new David E. Kelley show â�œThe Wedding Bellsâ�

Janet Fitch (best-selling author of White Oleander)

She-Who-Needs-No-Intro Jenna Jameson with Ultimate Fighting Champion Tito Ortiz

Jennifer Carpenter (from The Exorcism of Emily Rose and the Showtime series â�œDexterâ�)

actor and producer Joel Michaely

author and â�œcelebutanteâ� James St. James

tranny-sexy actresses Willam Belli and Kelly Mantle

actress Krysten Ritter (from â�œVeronica Marsâ�)

model Maurice Townsell (from the Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, but sat front rowâ�¦did not walk the show)

Pauley Perrette (principal character Abby on "NCIS")

Richard Glatzer and Wash West, co-writers and directors of the multiple award-winning film QuinceaÃ±era

a very-preggers Tina Minero from the bands Switchblade Symphony and Tre Lux

actor and model Tony Ward

celebrity photographer Albert Sanchez

reknown jewelry designer Tarina Tarantino

awe-inspiring photographer Austin Young

ALONG WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF L.A.'s HIPPEST:

Ali Maclean of Rock-N-Role and Indie 103.1, Ava Gardner, the researcher/compiler of Courtney Loveâ�™s latest book, twisted magician Christopher Wonder, visual artist Dame Darcy, club promoter Darcey Leonard, photosculpturist David Meanix (of â�œSix Feet Underâ� fame), eccentric director/writer/producer Lisa Hammer, designer Mâ�™Lynn Hass, musician Nora Keyes (from the band The Centimeters, among others), designer Pinar Eris, installation artist Plastic God, the extremely-opinionated queer author Dave White, Simone Williams, owner and head designer of Exquisite Restraint Corsetry, â�œRing My Bellâ� host Steven Corfe, World of Wonder producer Thairin Smothers, visual artist Tony Mech, fetish model Courtney Cruz, break-out author Matty Lee, choreographer Ryan Heffington, a slew of the coolest stylists in town (including Alicia Lawhon, Max Smith, Macon Brown and Tyrus Wilson) as well as the paragon of style, Laurie Pike of Los Angeles Magazine.

The imperium of a "Quiet Army"...the commanding competence of designer Jared Good-As-But-Never-Fool's Gold. I feel honored to have witnessed it.