Fille de Joie

This time last year, I was definitely a fille de joie (girl of joy), enduring sleepless nights as I multi-tasked working a job and creating a dream. I interacted with commodious amounts of rodent poop and mold in search of the best vintage finds at somebody's mother's mother's estate sale. I traveled to seven cities, racking up frequent flyer miles and wearing out Iceberg Slick (my car). I  unpacked years of memories from beach cruisers to family photos to recreate a decade. I enlisted 22 friends and family and prepped them to become overnight sensations and lifelong loves. I prayed, as I usually do, because in the midst of all of this, from conception to creation, I knew then, what I know now, that I am but a vessel for my creator's gifts.  Lastly, this fille de joie, sought inspiration, from people, places and decades that shared my love for vintage and my passion to share it with you.

As Strange Fruit Vintage prepares to celebrate one magnificent year of creativity, collaboration and vintage exposition, I can't help but be reflective on all that we've accomplished and hopefully inspired others to accomplish on your journey.   We are working to create a robust online experience so that supporters worldwide can experience what Memphis has enjoyed for a year.  We are streamlining the SFV inventory to feature only the best of the best vintage items that you aspire to own and we sought to find. We are preparing for our Spring/Summer look book which will continue a world changing theme of love. We are planning our one year anniversary festivities and lastly, this boutique de joie, is continuing to seek inspiration.

Last year, this time, Brooklyn's own Fille de Joie held an intimate fashion show plush with persian rugs, props and pretty people. They inspired us to not only sell vintage clothes but recreate atmospheres.

This year, during New York Fashion Week, Fille de Joie, held it's very own peep show.  May you be so inspired by my rant, and by pictures from the peep show, to show us (the world) what you got!

-Petey

Ease on down.

Art: Drive By Press stops in Memphis

The Dirty Printmakers of America came to Memphis last weekend from good ol' Texas, and thanks to VINI (Five in One), to help folks make some art at Live from Memphis' Season 2 Premier of Flipside.

According to their currently under reconstruction site, "The Dirty Printmakers of America are dedicated to the perpetuation, growth and understanding of printmaking and exhibiting contemporary American prints."

All those fancy words basically mean, for years they have created art that they love and then one day, founder, Joseph Velasquez had an epiphany that others just may love it too! And more importantly others may want to create a little bit themselves...like moonshine. So they began an extension of DPA called Drive By Press and they literally took their show on the road.

This past weekend Drive By Press made a stop in Memphis and several of us got to create some pretty fly art on scraps of clothe choosing from a plethora of wood cuts. I chose their logo, of course, because I wanted to remember them and I wanted to share them with you! 

A little birdie (not Twitter) told me that VINI (Fiveinone.org) will be bringing them back soon... below is a video from their visit to VINI last spring.

 

Adore: Selfridges & Co explains their love for fashion

Selfridges & Co in Manchester featured this intricate and thought provoking window display recently. A light shining on an decadent garment with the word ADORE at the foot. Beautiful right?

Well what if I told you that decadent garment was designed by the late Alexander McQueen who committed suicide in February and saddened the fashion community worldwide.

Honestly, in my opinion, McQueen was fashionably morbid like that and he saw art in everything and created art of out anything. I think, wherever he is, he loves it. He was adored and still is. For those that are left, here, Selfridges & Co. has released this statement...

"Presenting a fashion item from the new Alexander McQueen collection hanging was never intended to be linked to the designer's untimely death or how he died. Nearly all the new season items from our new window scheme, The Desirables showcased in both our London and Manchester stores, are hung artistically on their own to present them as even more extraordinary. However we do acknowledge that, in retrospect, presenting the Alexander McQueen dress in our Manchester Exchange Square store in this way was a mistake and would like to apologise if this particular window has upset anyone. The dress has been removed and replaced by another designer's garment."

Inspiration: MJ's We're Almost There (cus we are)

Every single day for the past two weeks I have listened to this song twice a day. Inspired by the amazing sample in the Raekwon/Meth/Ghostface banger "Our Dreams."

It's Hump day, it's 3 days to the Strange Fruit Vintage Launch Party and it's day 4 of less than 5 hours of sleep. But you know what....WE'RE ALMOST THERE.



I LOVE YOU MICHAEL JACKSON, FOREVER, FOR ALWAYS.

A taste: I shot with the lovely Piper Dandy

Here is a taste of what's to come.
I had to share one because all of the pics are just soooo juicy. <--Strange Fruit reference.

Twiggy and Piper. fierceness all up and through.

Strange Fruit: OUR history month - because we are all forever changed.

Wild Style, released in 1983, was the first hip hop motion picture and the entire world's first look at breakdancing.

I heART HAITI - A Day of Love

Friday, February 12th
5p - 9p
Caritas Village, 2509 Harvard Ave.
Memphis, Tenn.

I heART HAITI is an art exhibition, silent auction and benefit for the beautiful country of HAITI.

More than 20 artists from around the country will be exhibiting donated work including Margarette Louiseau (Haiti), Dail Chambers (St. Louis), frank d. robinson jr. (Memphis), Johnnie Mayberry (Jackson, Miss.), Carl E. Moore (Memphis), Krista Franklin (Chicago), John Bullock (Memphis), Shalishah Petey Franklin (Memphis), Edwin McSwine (Memphis), Marcellous Lovelace (Chicago), Siphne Sylve (New Orleans), Morris T. Howard (Memphis), Terry Lynn of TWIN (Memphis), Brandon Tolson (St. Louis), Darlene Newman (Memphis). Artwork from members of NIA Artist Collective and students at Memphis College of Art will also be on exhibit.

Presented by Strange Fruit Productions and NIA Artist Collective at the Caritas Village, we encourage you to come, hear live music, spoken word, and most importantly help our creative community rebuild another community.

I heART HAITI. DON'T YOU?

ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT HAITI THROUGH GSL HAITI PARTNERSHIP.

9th Wonder in the 901.

“There's not a school that teaches you how to mix well. Either you're born with it, or you're not."
Pat “9th Wonder” Douthit
















All of Talented Tenn. came to Memphis Music Foundation's Plug In event. Connecting creators with resources to reach that next level. Didn't know I was gonna get a sick show by none other than @9thwondermusic and @e_jones_music. So HOT literally and figuratively. Oh and The Phat Mack himself was in the building...8Ball.

Flierarts.com Interviews Petey

So I was interviewed a few months back by a creative sister I adore, Intisar Abioto. I had no idea how it was going to be used or when. So this morning when I woke and saw this I cried and now I'm sharing. Support flierarts.com and please continue to support me.


IA: With The People Could Fly we like to talk to people about what dreaming, imagination, what possibility is.. Being in a place where you can feel your dream and bridge the seeming divide..between. For me flight is a symbol of so many things. What is your definition of flight?


SPF: I think flight.. It's so funny because last year I probably would have said something completely different. I recently became really spiritual. I think I got back to God. Last fall I got back to God - not religion, but spirituality. So, I would say flight to me is letting go and letting God, because there's a lot of unknown. There's a lot of fear. There's a lot of different things, that if you let reality or people control it, you won't do it. You won't jump. You won't leap. You won't even go to the edge to look. So, I think it's . . Flight is letting go and letting God. To read the full article and hear soundbites click here.