I am also one-half of DJ duo, The Roustabouts!
We spin everything from Balkan Beats, Carnivalesque Cabaret, Electro-Swing and the filthiest guilty pleasures.
Thursday, June 13, 2013 at 1:01PM As promised in the previous post, here's the first set of photographs of Playful Promises Swim 2014 range.
I say 2014 but this drop is actually (hopefully) happening in July this year, which is why I can show the photos off now!
Model is the stunning Mulan from Body London, Hair: Doubravka Marcinkova, Makeup: Cheyenne Raymond
Wednesday, June 12, 2013 at 5:35PM What I've been up to during the past month, via my instagram @swiczeniuk!
Top Left - I finally got around to dragging myself out of bed on a Sunday, post The Burning Beat, to try to Wolf Roast (don't worry, it was beef) at House of Wolf. It's the same venue that we hold TBB, so it was a bit bizarre being there during the day, NOT WORKING. Crazy. The roast was one of the best I've EVER tasted.
Top Right - My look for the night before. Red glittery eyebrows! I also actually painted those red feathers gold.
Bottom Left - I took my boyfriend to go and see Fitzrovia Radio Hour at Crazy Coqs. Our ex-stage manager (and one of the people I'm very glad to have met through TBB), Jon, is one of the Fitzrovia founders/members, so it was great to finally see him in action. The gist of the show is a 1940's style radio show, done live in front of the audience, including the sound effects. It's hilarious and all the actors are so talented; it doesn't seem like an easy task!
I did originally pincurl my hair to fit the theme of the beautiful venue, but it fell out during a stressful day at work - at least I had this gorgeous vintage hat (bought for me by my boyfriend) to try to fix it.
Bottom Right - 2 weekends ago we had the pleasure of DJing at a lovely wedding in Dublin! The bride had originally seen us at TBB and booked us to perform for their party. We had a late flight the day after, so we did a bit of sight seeing/wandering around Dublin. Here's the Oscar Wilde statue!
Top Left - Almost directly next to our hotel (La Stampa, which was gorgeous) in Dublin was this absolutely STUNNING art nouveau cafe! Photos can't do it justice. I could just imagine throwing a lavish party there...
Top Right - What I looked like for DJing the wedding! Thought it best to go with glamorous 1920s rather than freakshow circus!
Bottom Left - I've been useless at blogging recently because I've shot and edited 2 lookbooks (and by friday, I'll be onto my third) and have generally been rushed off my feet. Here's Miranda and a kitty, post shoot for Playful Promises Lingerie SS14. We do like shooting in locations that come with animals.
Bottom Right - As I can't find a bookcase that I a) like and b) can afford, I spotted the idea of using apple crates as storage units! I've stacked three on top of eachother and I LOVE the way they look! Now I can display all my favourite books.
Top Left - Another snap from one of the lookbooks I shot. This time Playful Promises Swim SS14 with the jaw-dropping Mulan. I'll post up the results too!
Top Right - Visited the Fabulously Fetish HQ to test out my custom made boots! This is just an example of the shape, they are actually going to be red leather with that gorgeous fabric! SO EXCITED!
Bottom Left - Had the pleasure of going to see Woodkid again (I think I saw him the first time in late 2012?), this time in the Roundhouse. Epic doesn't cover it.
Bottom Right - Some lingerie blinging. This time with a What Katie Did girdle and... I think that's a Primark bra that I bought years and years ago and never wore. Unfortunately it's a cupsize too small, but damnit, I'll suffer for my art.
Post a Comment | Share Article tagged dublin, makeup, photoshoot, playful promises, travelling in Instagram Friday, May 31, 2013 at 12:09PM Hurrah I'm finally a cover girl!
When I went to shoot with the awesome Scott Chalmers, he mentioned doing some shots for Alt-Mu Magazine, that could go along with an interview.
Well, the magazine is out, and not only do I have a 4 page interview, but Im also on the cover! Click on the link to read my blatherings about the different things I do. Also the rest of the magazine is a great read, and particulaly well designed (I'm a real stickler for well-designed magazines).
I don't think I've shared the other images from the shoot here yet... even if I have, I love them so much I'll share them again ;)
Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 1:00PM The main part of my job is running social media for a lingerie brand (no surprise as to which one, although I'm keeping the name out of this article to avoid it being search-able), which, of course, includes a Facebook Page.
Now, people interact with Facebook Pages in certain, often completely bizarre, ways. There are those who "get" that they are currently interacting with a brand or a company in public, and that there is a possibility that their interaction will show up in their friends' timeline. Then there are those that seem to have varying degrees of understanding, ranging from kinda-understand to interactions that I can only assume are from someone completely devoid of social ability.
Most Page admins will have witnessed this at some point, either from someone posting a completely unrelated comment that seems to be personally directed at someone (I assume they have seen a notification that their friend has "liked" a status/post and assumed that it is a share) or some sort of spam. Or just the equivalent of someone that has wandered into a shop/restaurant/business and started shouting "WHAT IS THIS. WHAT IS THIS. WHAT IS THIS." at the top of their lungs.
But, you know, all of this is fairly tolerable, or completely insignificant. What I cannot tolerate are crude sexual comments. Either directed at me (well, their version of me - I can only assume that think there is a model sitting behind the computer in her underwear, completely stationary and awoken only when her knight in shining armour says the immortal words "Hey baby") or directed at the models in the images (some of which are my friends, which frustrates me even more. If the comment were made in a pub or club, I'd happily tell them where to shove it. Unfortunately that is considered bad business practice from someone representing a brand).
(We get about one of these messages a week; I've stopped responding)
This is my JOB, this is WHAT I DO ALL DAY, and just because I work in the lingerie business does not mean I should accept sexual comments. The brand I work for is fairly vanilla (i.e. not very risqué, and mostly fashion-based rather than boudoir-based), the marketing copy I write rarely, if ever, talks about sex. To say that I should expect that kind of response is like saying a woman should expect sexual advances if she shows any skin or wears a short skirt.
Sure, the comments are not personally aimed at me, because of course nobody knows who I am (for all they know, they could be "Hey baby"ing another man), but it's the sheer number of comments that is grating. If my only knowledge and experience with men was by running this facebook page, I'd be under the impression that all men are akin to rabid dogs desperately pawing at a butcher's window. And that's not how you Gentlemen want to be portrayed, is it?
Most of the comments are probably seen as "harmless fun" or "witty" jokes (the kind your male friends might say to wind you up, apart from these guys are not your friends) - and trust me, I've heard ALL the jokes. But they aren't harmless. Buying lingerie is an intensely personal thing. Women must have a degree of trust with their lingerie retailers, and to me, the retailer has the responsibility to protect their female customers' confidence. And could you imagine buying lingerie in a physical boutique while a man stands in the middle of the room making crude noises and commenting on the body of the models in the posters? Would that make you feel confident, to know that this man is probably comparing you to those models?
(You'd be surprised how many times we get comments regarding some sort of ownership of the model, and I usually respond in a similar vein.)
And really, what it boils down to, is the inability to disconnect lingerie from sex. The Lingerie Addict wrote about this in her article regarding the response to Victoria Secret's line of lingerie for young women -
"Lingerie does not always have to be about the boudoir. Yes, it’s fine if it is, but why aren’t we telling young women that you can totally buy that lacy bra and panty set just for you? No one else has to see it. You don’t have to be in a relationship. You don’t have to show it off. You can buy this beautiful lingerie and be completely, awesomely selfish about it, and wear it all by yourself. And that’s not only okay, it’s wonderful."
I couldn't say this better myself. And the way certain men react to images of women in lingerie just encourages this problem. Women see the way certain (keyword: certain. I truly believe that the majority of men do not have this mind-set) men objectify women in lingerie and assume they should only wear lingerie to please men. And even that wearing nice lingerie WITHOUT having a partner is "slutty". There have been so many occasions when I see women write "I wish I could buy this but I have no one to wear it for" and feel like screaming at the computer screen.
Another great lingerie blog, Under the Unders, tackled this subject very well in her post "(Don't) Sex it up". She also mentions that lingerie marketing is also to blame for the inability to separate sex from lingerie, and this is a very good point. I don't care if you buy my lingerie, or a competitor's, as long as you are buying it to make yourself feel good. Having a healthy relationship with lingerie will allow you to truly appreciate your own body in all its glory, and that is more important than sex (that will come along with the confidence!).
You want to wear that lacy lingerie on a day-to-day basis? Wear it. Wear what YOU want to wear. And this includes wearing plain or sports bras - not wearing lace or frills doesn't make you any less of an attractive woman (but that's a whole other rant!).
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at 6:00PM Oh how I could (and do) waste hours scouring etsy for hidden treasures!
Some of my favourite pieces have come from independent small brands and designers selling through Etsy.
As with any shopping website you can find some junk on there, but most of the time the products are good quality and unique. Plus there seems to be a thriving community of small lingerie designers, which is ALWAYS great.
These are my picks of Etsy's lingerie offerings!
Honey Cooler Handmade - Rox Moonshine Chemise £230.93
Way out of my budget but how adorable is this chemise!? I loved it even before I noticed the cute fox print fabric. All of Honey Cooler Handmade's items are beautiful and unlike anything I've seen before. One day maybe I'll own something from them!
MajoRey - Santa gold and tulle set £65.32
The great thing about Etsy is that I'm constantly findind new brands to love, and MajoRey is one of them. Handmade in Uruguay, this brand offers something for everyone: lace, floral, rompers, and bodysuits. Including me, the gold lover. I think I'm just going to HAVE to get the set above, and this bra, and this:
Sparklewren custom corset - £2,000
I'm not REALLY into corsets. I don't tend to wear them. Probably because I feel that if you are going to wear them, you better wear a good one. And thus, Sparklewren corsets make me cry. They are that beautiful.
Lilkitty Ko - Dark Knight Custom Bra with LED lights £56
Although I wouldn't necessarily buy this Batman one, all of this designers bras are AMAZING. Customization gone crazy, there are a few pieces that I have my eye on. At first I thought these were just altered bras, but apparently they are created from scratch!
Have you found any lingerie gems on Etsy recently?
