Abelardo Gil is the dude behind the one-man local music/art/motivational speaker project called Treasure Mammal.One of our favorite things about T-Mammal is the get-up. Gil has no fear when it comes to his on-stage fashion. Spandex is the cornerstone of his wardrobe, sequins are his best friend (or, BFF, rather),…
50: Monica Aissa Martinez Monica Aissa Martinez paints, draws, print-makes, and on occasion, mask-makes. She has a blog where she writes about her creative stuff — her stuff, his/her stuff, maybe even your stuff. And you may be able to catch her (and her work) at at the Modified’s Converging…
This weekend was all Gaga. And these fans waited for up to 30 hours in the concert queue, aka Gaga’s Monster Ball. The good is above, but who made the cut for bad and ugly? Check our picks after the jump or be your own judge and check out the…
In the age of digital presses where anything can be printed on demand at high speed, it’s only natural there’s a renewed interest in an old-school technique like Letterpress printing. The design team at SeeSaw Designs in Scottsdale are not immune to the love of vintage printing, and they’ve taken…
51: Chris Todd Chris Todd is a transplant from the Pacific Northwest and a self-described multi-disciplinary artist; he’s currently a professor of Media Arts at Mesa Community College. “Ranging from darkly humorous to contemplative, my art draws from personal experiences and an interest in how technology, consumerism, and media affect…
It was a sparse evening at the W Scottsdale last night, where fashion-savvy locals gathered to see Ted Baker London’s Spring/Summer collection and get a preview of their fall offerings. We were left disappointed — though the fashions weren’t the problem. The theme of Ted Baker’s upscale casual line seemed to be “funky and wearable.” All of the outfits were…
On the northeast corner of Main Street and Stapley Drive in Mesa, a Mervyn’s department store took a bankruptcy dive and re-emerged this morning as POOL Together, a self-described collaborative marketplace for small businesses, artisans and craftspeople. The $3 million brainchild of a team in California celebrated its soft opening at…
52: Mike MaasMike Maas is the byproduct of monster movies, punk rock, the Catholic Church, comic books, sugary cereal, toys and Saturday morning cartoons. Wearing these influences on his sleeve, the Tempe-based artist creates art that is dark and humorous, relying on his few surviving brain cells to remember the…
Christoph Kaiser dreams of his home being a hive of creative activity, kind of a bauhaus of downtown Phoenix. As co-founder (with Hayes McNeil) of plus minus studio and with the help of project manager Anson Chen, Christoph has made an outlet for his creative energy in terms of architecture…
Want to run with the in-crowd for less? The newly launched Enamor aims to score women (and men) of the Valley special deals at boutiques, restaurants, spas, fitness clubs and events. Co-founders Lisa Vukonich, owner of Fuchsia Spa in Mesa, and Sean Hill, a former NHL player, describe Enamor as not just another coupon site, but rather “a fabulous little secret between friends who adore getting insider deals.”
53: Tedd McDonah Tedd McDonah’s into metal. Heating, hammering, welding — these are words in his daily vocabulary as an ASU metals instructor and local metal artisan. Tedd was hesitant to take his first metals class, which a friend recommended, because he knew it meant jewelry. But in it, he…
Even though a federal judge blocked key parts of Arizona Senate Bill 1070 this morning, you can still keep your friends, family and distant acquaintances in the immigration-debate loop, postcard style.These postcards are designed by Irma Sanchez, a local artist who describes her postcards as a personal “bail-out” project. Just…
Hector Acuna gave us a few hints yesterday with How To: Dress Like an Illegal Immigrant. As a follow-up, the local designer, art direction consultant, and illustrator gives us his guide to blending…
54: Patti Parsons Patti Parsons used to paint abstract versions of houses and wonder about the people’s lives behind her painted facades. After raising two children with her husband (who happened to wander into the painting studio in college more than 24 years ago), she says she no longer wonders…
Hector Acuna is a local designer, art direction consultant, and illustrator. He also has an interesting theory on how illegal immigrants dress. Here he offers his own handy How To, just in case you feel like tempting the authorities…
But did you know that in some cases hoarding can be good for you? Take Corinne, owner of Travel Thru Time vintage shop on the corner of Fifteenth Avenue. and Thomas Road in Phoenix. In her travels, she’s amassed one of the largest and most stunning collections of vintage dresses, leisure suits and square…
Tom Leveen was born, raised, and lives in south Scottsdale, where he co-founded and was artistic director of both Is What It Is Theatre (1995-2006) and Chyro Arts Venue (2007-2010). His first young adult novel, PARTY, was published in April by Random House Children’s Books as their lead Spring title…
Nothing’s hotter (or cooler) than a good night swim. Lucky us, nightlife maven Jen Jen Deveroux has the hook-ups. She kicked off Night Swim at Hotel Theodore this past weekend. And we couldn’t resist. Who were the good (above), the bad, and the ugly? Check out the photos after the…
We recently had a death in the family.Little Brownie was born with splayed legs. It (we never figured out if it was a boy or girl) lived for four days after it cracked its way out of its blue shell. We fashioned a splint for it out of a pair…
Some things in life we have to work hard to make happen, but sometimes, if we’re lucky, things just fall into place. For Xoe McAleece, creating Vintage Mama was a natural extension of something she had already been doing; she designs clothes for real women who want to wear something…
56: Casebeer Casebeer was born in Madrid, raised in Flagstaff, and flew around a lot in single engine aircraft. She was inordinately affected by the movie Jaws. She dropped her first name in favor of her last, fell in love with Phoenix guitarist Joe Myers. Together, they raised his daughter…
Tiffe Fermaint is a local fashion designer who mixes party and dance scene inspirations with a sci-fi flair. She splits her time between Phoenix and Los Angeles and, along with maintaining her own fashion line, has worked in television and film. Yes, she can play the name-dropping game like a…
