#rachelsinger

[luisyonusg]

ELLA NO ES OLGA TAÑON ELLA ES RACHEL SINGER UNA ACTRIZ ESTADOUNIDENSE QUE ACTUO EN LA PELICULA “MILAGROS INESPERADOS” ¿LO VIERON? BUENO YO VI ESTA FOTO Y PENSE EN OLGA TAÑON POR QUE PARA MI RACHEL EN ESTA FOTO SE PARECE A OLGA TAÑON.

[jorgeclardiary]

Scooter LaForge Special Sketch Night at the Society of Ilustrators.

One of my all-time dreams was to be sketched in illustrations that capture the glamour and monumental stasis characteristic of Scavullo photographs or disco album covers I have admired since childhood, or for instance, the Tony Viramontes illustration on the cover of Duran Duran spinoff Arcadia’s So Red the Rose album.

On Thursday, November 5, I was mega excited and honored to pose at a special sketch night at the Society of Illustrators in the Upper East Side, which would feature Scooter’s fashion designs modeled by his friends. I was honored to join visual artist Gazelle Paulo (who is the subject of the brilliantly engaging Cesar Terranova documentary Gazelle: The Love Issue, which I recently saw twice at the NewFest and Big Apple film festivals) and designer, performer and neighbor Sparkle Princess Rachel Singer in the modeling duties, and to be hosted by this prestigious institution that brings together dazzling illustrating talent.

Scooter presented me on their Facebook page and mentioned I would be wearing iconic looks he designed for me, so I picked out some of my favorite outfits worn on emblematic occasions, including dresses I wore on my 50th birthday and for Gazelle’s Style Master feature on The Blot.

I arrived a little bit after 6 at the beautiful premises and headed straight up the stairs to a library room on the third floor, where I greeted Gazelle, who was already changing into one of her mind-bending, reality-redefining looks, which gave new context to her extensive collection of pieces commissioned from Scooter in collaboration. 

Rachel arrived soon after with bags of her custom Sparkle Princess headpieces, hats—which are now being sold at Patricia Field and Fab.com—and accessories, and garments made in collaboration with Scooter through the years. Soon it was time to step on the platform set in the middle of the first floor, where about 40 illustrators sat with materials on hand.

Upstairs, Gazelle asked if I wanted to go first and I said yes. She helped me with my tie and collar and down the stairs I went.

Host Ted Michalowski had come upstairs to welcome us warmly and soon headed down to dive into his master of ceremony duties. He had also put together a special playlist for the evening, which channeled many Goat Factory-favored selections like Nirvana’s “Lithium," Talking Heads "I Zimbra" and the B-52s “Planet Claire.”

I got on the platform and stuck my arm out to the left, and Ted said that was a good pose to begin. After two minutes, he asked me to change the pose, so I turned to show the back of the Scooter Corporate Suit with matching Chanel backpack I was wearing. After presenting, Ted would take a moment to draw, sometimes generating an image in as little as 25 seconds. From the platform, I was delighted to see Joel Handorff and Van in the audience, which made me feel at ease. 

I went upstairs and Rachel was putting the finishing touches on her look, including a necklace with nine nipples she had prepared for an event in Berlin and a multicolor helmet wig and a wing- or animal-like attachment for the back, which combined with her pompon flourishes, gave her an architectural and shift-shaping presence…all in combination with a Scooter dress.

After feasting the eyes downstairs, Rachel came upstairs and Gazelle was standing by the staircase, ready to model, a vision of biomorphic melting shape with face of dripping veil meshing into pearls, a face within a face. As she posed, I walked from one end of the room to the other and took pictures.

I went upstairs after, it was break time. We all changed outfits. Rachel came out from a room where she was looking at herself in a mirror and suddenly paused. We looked at each other and she said “This happened before. I was in that room and came out and I realized I had experienced all this before in another life. And you I knew you’d be there wearing what you're wearing." We pondered for a moment and felt grateful and secure to be in our path.

We carried on modeling alone and in pairs, and Ted would direct the poses to make them more useful for the illustrators. I quickly understood it was all about curves and angles.

Ted suggested I support my back with an arm against the wall, and I contoured my right leg fully to the right, showing knee-length socks. My body trembled as my nervous system adjusted to the pose, and listening to Blondie's "Heart of Glass" aided my concentration and made me feel like I was in one of the dreamlike photo shoots of The Eyes of Laura Mars.

Upstairs, Gazelle commented how it was so warm inside the Scooterized Chanel bag she was wearing as a headpiece, and we all agreed that modeling is hard work!

Scooter and Ted announced the hashtags for illustrators to use in posting their work, and towards the end of the evening we gathered our clothes in the library, put them in bags and got ready to leave.

I admired all the beautiful illustrations people had done of us and felt deeply honored. Van helped me carry my bags and Rachel, him and I said our good nights to Scooter and Gazelle, who were heading towards Gazelle’s place, where Scooter’s bike was parked.

Van and I walked Rachel to a corner where she could get a cab. We got in the subway and went to the Ranch, where he helped me put my clothes on hangers.

I would like to thank Scooter, Ted and everyone at the Society of Illustrators for this wonderful experience, the illustrators for their support and beautiful work, and Gazelle and Rachel for their camaraderie and love. 

Illustrations and photos: 1. elleluyah 2. dittofunkysketch123 3. edmarion 4. Patricia Thomasson 5. Ted Michalowski 6. Joan Chiverton 7. pontariver 8, 10. Jorge Clar 9. Gazelle Paulo.