Our Story
My name is Kathy Malone, and I am a clothing designer in New York City. I also founded and manage the
Brooklyn Indie Market in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, an emerging designers market with a revolving cast of creative types who design, make, and sell fashion, home décor, jewelry, and many more products for you to enjoy and own, now in our 4th year running.
This project is to fund a new, grand event space for the Third Annual Steampunk Day on October 24, 2010.
Three years ago I started to notice the term "steampunk" in the design world and wondered, "What the heck is that?" So I sidled up to one of the artisans in the market, Brittney Frady Williams, to ask her about it. She was very wonderfully attired in a gorgeous collection of jewelry and clothing from her line, Berit New York, and so I sensed that she might have an idea what Steampunk could be.
The next think I knew, we were planning our first Steampunk Day at the Brooklyn Indie Market, a fashion event and designer showcase especially for this unique design niche.
So, what is Steampunk? To begin, imagine Jules Verne living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn today. Our fashion Stylist Sylvia Holden says, "Steampunk is recognizable by its use of references to time travel or flight, fantastical imagery, and attention to handmade detail. At once opulent and vagabond...Steampunk is really now!" She adds, "Antique-looking silver pendant watches, Victorian up-do'sand long Victorian-looking skirts with lace-up boots are being spotted in fall fashion magazines. Now add a couple of tattoos, a severe hairstyle, mismatched gloves with a necklace made up of the inner workings of a timepiece, and you are fashion forward."
Designers traveled far and wide to participate in the first Steampunk show. Hundreds upon hundreds of onlookers and enthusiasts showed up to see the fashion show, shop and show off their own Steampunk trappings. Despite the bad weather and train delays, people trekked out to the show in their wings and goggles and bustles. They had to get there! Steampunk Day participants spilled out onto the streets of Carroll Gardens, milling about and transforming the neighborhood into a Neo-Victorian/Sci-fi punk otherworld. Outside of the market, the lines were so long to see the fashion show and spectacle. From inside the tent, I could hear the frustrated but excited comments of people straining to see.
The second year's event was even more crowded, even with the traditional bad weather and train delays. And so it was that I promised the designers, the mad scientists, the models, the time travelers and myself that I would get them a castle, or at least a palace, for the third year. Just not a tent. The caliber and level of work and the Steampunk community itself deserved it. The Dumbo Loft is the perfect location. It is a grand event space in an industrial building that manufactured steam fittings by Edward Cole, now repurposed for events and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In addition, photographer RA Friedman will be taking retro portraits of Steampunk Fashion. Friedman is a New Yorker who grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He moved his studio to Philadelphia in 1994.
Tsirkus Fotografika
is a non-profit, 501c3-sponsored public arts project that uses vintage
and DIY photographic methods and equipment to bring the creative stage
to communities. More information about Tsirkus Fotografika can be found
here.
Tsirkus Fotografika. There will be a fee for each photo, but you can take advantage of the $100 VIP Perk: Two VIP tickets to the event, plus a free photography seating, and no waiting in line!
Why Should You Care?
Your contributions will help us make sure that Steampunk Day 2010 is even more spectacular, exciting and fashion-forward than ever before!
Steampunk Day has become the premier fashion event for this singular design genre. This event offers fashion designers the opportunity to present their new creations to the art and design world and to their clientele. The Steampunk community gathers in one place, where the audience is just as important as the impressive show itself. The fact that the show has outgrown its original home at the Brooklyn Indie Market is a testament to its place in the Steampunk World and to fashion design in general.
What We Need & What You Get
The funds from this project go towards covering the essential costs of this event, including the venue, audio, props, set-up, and all the other countless costs that go into putting on a hugely successful event! We want to keep the entry costs low so that everyone can participate, and this project will help us do that without compromising the quality or energy of the event itself.
We also need your help in getting the word out about this project and the event itself! Please tell all your friend, share the link, and post it on your social media pages. Refer 25 people and get a VIP ticket for Steampunk 2010!
We are excited about the VIP Perks! If you've ever been to Steampunk Day, you know about the lines. All of our perks include entry tickets and no waiting in line! And they just get better from there, including a professional portrait of you in your best Steampunk regalia.