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At just 23, artist Johnny Gloom- the pseudonym of a Parisian tattoo artist (a she, not a he,) is a name that's on the come up in the realm of minimalistic, blackwork, traditional tattoo artists.
Finding inspiration for designs in everyday life things, and describing herself as "sensitive to her own emotions," and using that as a guide for her work. "Love, Hate, Violence, Passion... Love is the burden of humanity, everyone recognizes it.... Graphically, I love simple things."
Obviously taking inspiration from fetichism, BDSM, film noir femme fatales, doomed lovers, etc. I love this style so much, because it shows that you don't need loud colors, lots of detail and intricate designs to convey a short story.
Johnny Gloom and Ball & Chain dropped the brand new "ADORE" collection on Monday, August 8th, featuring apparel and accessories featuring the works of Johnny Gloom! My girlfriend and I are obsessed with the work of both Johnny Gloom, and Ball & Chain, and the two working together can do no wrong. She actually ordered a bunch of items from the ADORE collection drop from this past Monday, for her and myself, and words can't explain how excited I am!
Follow Johnny Gloom on Instagram: @JohnnyGloom
Follow Johnny Gloom on Tumblr: @danslamaisonnoire
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MEL
If you love special effects makeup artists, optical illusions, and scary real prosthetics, you're going to love Erika FX! Body painting, and SFX makeup is something I've always wanted to take up as a hobby, ever since I did my Halloween makeup as a Pop Art Zombie! I love featuring SFX artists here on the WCW blog, so here's another for ya!
Check out her Instagram, because it was really difficult to choose only a handful of pictures to put in the slideshow, because I love all of her work so much!
ErikaFX Instagram: @erika.fx
ErikaFX Facebook Fan Page
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MEL
Ball and Chain Co. is an apparel, accessories, brand that makes high quality, patches, jewelry, and pins! B&C paired up with one of my favorite artists/tattoo artists, Johnny Gloom, and used some of his signature designs on a varsity jackets, pins, lighters, banners, and more! A shop close by to my house actually sells some patches and pins by B&C, and I have a few of their patches that I've put on hats!
It's really my life dream to get tattooed by Johnny Gloom. His work is minimalist, and a lot of his work is really sexy, kind of dark, and always very clean. I really like art work done by John Willie, who is best known for his bondage comic strips, and fetish photography, and I get a similar vibe from Johnny Gloom's work!
Last week, I was visiting some friends of mine in Asheville, North Carolina to celebrate my 21st birthday, and when I finally crashed on an air mattress in the middle of my friend's living room, the TV was on a channel called Viceland, and we were watching a really great show, about the fashions around the world, and what the modeling/fashion industry is like for women around the globe. The channel seemed to have a lot of pro-women advertisements, and previews for upcoming documentaries, etc. Suddenly this flashed across the screen.
I instantly hopped up, because the phrase "Art Hoe" is in my daily vocabulary, and you don't always come across internet phrases like that plastered on a television. Instantly completely taken by whatever was next to come, I was SO PLEASED. I can't figure out how to get the video onto this post so you'll just have to watch it HERE HERE HERE HERE!!!!
Mars and Sage
Co-Founders of the Art Hoe Collective
“Artists of colour are constantly being underrepresented and exploited. If we’re not getting swept under the rug, our bodies are being overtly sexualised and used as muses,” -- Mars, 15 year old co founder of Art Hoe Collective
After watching this stunning, progressive, brave, and entrancing commercial, I shuffled for my phone to look for more information about the Art Hoe Collective.
"The Art Hoe Collective was started by QPOC to provide a space for all creatives of color. This is for us, by us."
Artists and activists are what really come out of Art Hoe Collective. Artists of color submit art work, photography, poetry, dance videos, and really so much more. Everything that is submitted that makes it through to be posted on Art Hoe Collective's Instagram page, is posted with the artist's name, age, location, Instagram handle, pronouns, race/ethnicity, and a little written background about the piece of art that is being posted. Everything that is posted, is so worth reading the bios about. This online movement is giving POC to portray themselves the way they want, free from stereotypes, preconceptions of who they are. Art Hoe Collective has been supported and embraced by Amandla Stenberg, young activist and actress, who I've blogged about here awhile back, and teen polymath Willow Smith.
As a queer woman of color myself, who identifies as an artist, this is the most inspiring thing I've come across in months. It's inspiring as an artist, as a woman, and as a person of color.
Follow Art Hoe Collective on Instagram: @ArtHoeCollective
Follow Mars on Instagram: @SensitiveBlackPerson
Follow Sage on Instagram: @Sageaflocka
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MEL
I talk about a lot of beauty and glam makeup artists here, and just about everywhere else, because those are quite easy to come by nowadays with YouTube makeup tutorials being such a huge way to learn the art form.
After doing makeup professionally for 3 years, she has began to use all that she's learned about makeup, to take on body painting, and more creative and whimsical styles of makeup. When beauty meets fantasy, that is where you will find miss Kimberley Margarita! When looking for inspiration for a look for RuPaul's Drag Race Battle of the Season, I came across this gem! Kimberley can make something look so beautiful, even if it really is something still very grotesque, and creepy. There really is something very romantic, fairy like, and playful about her looks, but also never going without some kind of a eerie, and haunting vibe to it as well.
She's really inspired me to start trying some fantasy looks, and watching her YouTube videos, I feel like I've been able to pick up a few new tricks, that I'm really excited to play around with next time I do a more creative makeup look!
Follow Kimberley on Instagram: @kimberleymargarita_
Subscribe to Colour Creep on Youtube
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MEL
Hologram prints, fabrics and textures have been my obsession since about two summers ago when hologram came back in style, and hologram came back stronger than ever. It was on backpacks, purses, makeup bags (which I have,) skirts, dresses, accessories, YOU NAME IT it probably comes in hologram! There's just something very 90's about it, and since fashion and style is being recycled heavily from the 90's right now, it's understandable why hologram took over when it did. ONLY RECENTLY have I seen THIS trend taking over. With all the hype about silver, white, lavender and pastel hair has become to popular, it really was only a matter of time until someone made hologram hair happen!
Really the first time I've ever seen this actually done, was by Guy Tang, the HAIR ARTIST of our time. He is really so sooo so talented, and he really is a master of his craft. Watch the video below of how Guy Tang achieves this fabulous hair look! Definitely not to do something on your own at home, because it very well could go completely awry!
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MEL
Rose Ellen Swenson's work is best described as portraying women as ethereal sensual dark goddesses that are entrancing to say the least. The way her pieces translate beauty, in a bold and powerful way, is absolutely effortless with the way she paints these beautiful models whose stares you can just get lost in. I feel like each of the girls she paints are something like Sirens, who lure you in with their beauty, but then eat your head off basically. I love that she paints her women looking so beautiful but not society's typical, standard, vanilla version of beauty. Her use of textures and mixing shapes that would normally seem like they would clash like geometric shapes and florals, seem so fluid and give the art a fantasy feel.
PORTRAITS & ILLUSTRATIONS
http://roseellenswenson.com
http://instagram.com/roseellenswenson
http://roseellenswenson.bigcartel.com/
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MEL
I found my new obsession. Aren sent me a video about the Moxi Girls earlier this week, and instantly, I was OBSESSED. You guys know how obsessed I am with girl gangs, and anything that shows women working together and doing something they all love so much, and empowering other women in the process! The feeling I got when I discovered the Longboard Girls Crew, I got when Aren sent me the mini documentary that Refinery29 did about the Moxi Girls (video below!) These girls are a combination of The Confetti Crowd meets Longboard Girls Crew, and those things together just makes my little girly heart explode with happiness!
I think what I love most about these girls, is that they really do embrace their femininity when they skate, and you'll always find them wearing bright colors, in their cute little booty shorts, and knee high socks. Not to impress anyone, but because it's just what's comfortable to skate in, and it's what makes them feel powerful!
"We are tall and short, we are thick and skinnny. The most important thing is that we're all strong."
In the video they mention how the skate world is dominated by men typically, so when they go to skate parks, it's a bunch of guys on skateboards, and the girls show up in their colorful cute outfits, and roller skates, but do not be fooled... These ladies can do some badass things on these skates. Moxi is all about spreading a very positive message about being body positive, proving people wrong, breaking down barriers, and most of all having fun! The video below explains just about everything I could say about this badass girl gang, so I'll let them explain it all!
ALSO, I think I know what I want for my birthday.... ;)
SHOP MOXI HERE!
Follow MOXI GIRLS ON INSTAGRAM: @MOXIROLLERSKATES
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MEL
I remember this babe from the MYSPACE DAYS! She was one of my scene inspos back in my scene days. Many many many years later, she's still so so so inspirational to me! She definitely appeals to the more girly, pink, fluffy, and glittery parts that exist somewhere in me. Miss Luna Lovebad is one of my favorite models, because her look is so sweet, but I also feel like her stare also says "I'm cute as fuck, but disrespect, and I will cut your tongue out."
Luna Lovebad is a trans female model, that works closely with different clothing, accessory, and makeup companies, like Deandri, SugarPill, DollsKill, Valfre, So So Happy, and so many more! On top of being a beautiful model, she also makes music, and does amazing cosplays as well!
Follow Luna Lovebad on Instagram : @Lunalovebad
Follow Luna Lovebad on Tumblr: LUNALOVEBAD.TUMBLR.COM
Follow Luna Lovebad on Sound Cloud: Soundcloud.com/lunalovebad
Alisha Murray, or going by her pet Pomeranian's name as her artistic alias, "ScoobToobins," is an amazing artist, based out of Detroit Michigan, and a family friend of us here at Vile Company! Heavily inspired by tattoo art, and actual tattoos themselves!
I think what I love most about ScoobToobins work, is that it's mostly hands! I have this obsession with hands, in art and in real life of course. It's something about hands that can tell you so much about a person. Tattooed hands have to be my favorite, and she's always giving us tattooed hands with her art.
Go check out http://www.scoobtoobins.com/ where you can purchase art prints, apparel, stickers and even ORIGINAL pieces!
Keep an eye out for a new design for Vile Company, by ScoobToobins coming very soon!!!
Follow ScoobToobins on Instagram: @ScoobToobins
"I make work centered around strong female characters and often use themes of literal violence as figurative representation of power."
Tuesday Bassen (Yes, Tuesday is her real name,) is a 26 year old independent illustrator based out of LA who designs everything for her online shop called ShopTuesday! Not only does she design everything for her shop, but she also does freelance design for clients like The New Yorker, Playboy, Adidas, and Paramore! She's even supposed to be designing for Sophia Amoruso's second book, "Nasty Galaxy!" ShopTuesday will soon be expanding into a store in HIghland Park, Los Angeles! You can even find Miss Bassen featured as one of the "New Faces of Feminism!" in Teen Vogue magazine!
Follow ShopTuesday on Instagram: @TuesdayBassen
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MEL
I didn't get to do this post last month because of my Black History Month topic last month, so I'll pick up this month!
BEAUTY
Brown Lip Colors & My New Big Bald Head
Brown lip colors have been so addicting at the moment. Probably because it's an obvious trend throw back to the 90's of days when celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Drew Barrymore and many more could be found rocking the dark lip anyday. I remember my mom having so many different shades of brown and red brown lipsticks! One of the first lipsticks I remember stealing from her makeup box (Sorry mom...,) was actually a liquid matte brown! Which thinking back now, was so long ago for the liquid matte lipsticks being such a huge trend now, like it was new or something.
Also, yes I did it finally. I've had a a shaved head now for a few weeks now, and I'm so happy with it. My mornings take so much less time when it comes to getting ready. My showers are shorter since I don't have to wash my hair for like 20 minutes like before. I could go on forever about it, but I'll just say I LOVE IT, IT MAKES WEARING WIGS EASIER, AND BEING BALD IS FUN.
FASHION
Baseball Caps / Hat Patches and Buttons
I've seen tons of hats like this from so many clothing and accessory companies recently. The baseball cap is definitely a really big trend at the moment. As someone who wears hats every day of their life, this fits to my tastes very very well! Specifically hats with cute patches, embroidered designs, or buttons on the front are what I'm seeing a lot of. UNIF put out a whole line of baseball caps with little fruit embroidery on the front of each one, also different color caps to go with whatever fruit is on the hat. I've seen a hat similar to the UNIF ones at PacSun (wonder where they got the idea.......) I've taken to thrifting different caps, and putting patches / buttons on them myself to create one of these designs myself!
I've been SOOOO obsesesd with this Tomboy Style page on Instagram. Tomboyish style is something I love so much, and I have my tomboyish days for sure, but it's really been taking over my entire style, and it has a lot to do with this Instagram page.
"My latest painting "Make America Great Again"
Because no matter what is in your pants, you can still be a big prick.
Meet Illma Gore, the brilliant artist behind the infamous painting of Donald Trump hunched over with a micropenis, that has swept the face of the internet within the last couple of months. I've been following following Illma's instagram for quite awhile now, because of her Human Canvas project (I'll get to that in a minute,) and when this piece of Donald Trump started circulating, and finding out Illma was the one responsible for it, it made me sooooo happy! The illustration has cause quite a bit of controversy, and in turn social media pages like Facebook, Twitter, and even eBay have tried to censor and ban Illma and those who are sharing the image from their internet platforms. Watch Illma's response to these internet powerhouses trying to censor her art, below!
“There is something absurd and beautiful about having absolute strangers’ names draped over my pale goth skin, even if half of them are ‘Penis Butt’. Why, you might ask? Simply because I can. I am my own ultimate canvas.”
I first came across Illma when I heard about this artist who was getting people's names and stories tattooed on her body for just $10 through her Human Canvas GoFundMe Page. Through this gesture, people just donate at least $10 and submit what name, nickname, phrase, etc they would want tattooed on her body. Illma has had live tattooing exhibitions of her having these submissions tattooed on her. I'd love to add to her tattoo project! She's inspirational, she won't backdown, even when threatened by Facebook to be taken to court, to defend her art, and free expression.
LA Weekly has said "Artists like her make life beautiful. Well, more beautiful than life is... Without people like her, we would have no creativity in this world."
Follow IllmaGore on Instagram: @illmagore
Official IllmaGore Website
Human Canvas GoFundMe
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MEL
The Confetti Crowd is the UK's leading "girl gang of creatives!" These women have all come together to give you excellent, rainbow fashion, create on levels that are absolutely unimaginable, and empower women and girls everywhere about being whoever you want to be, wearing whatever you want to wear, and supporting other women, creating an extremely unbreakable support system, of a girl gang! These ladies are a representation of the strength and determination of women, and they aim to empower young females! With a message like that, I think any girl can get behind these ladies!
They are a group of five creative, ambitious, goal driven female creatives, who all are working in different parts of the fashion, music, art, and TV industry!
You definitely need to check out all of their individual sites, and blogs! I linked them all below, just click on the image of the Confetti you'd like to visit the page of!
Snoochie Shy - DJ / Presenter / Model
Instagram - @SnoochieShy
Lulu - Fashion Designer
Instagram - @LuluTrixabelle
(I've been following Lulu for YEARS now. She's the blogger who inspired me to start getting into fashion, and made me want to start a blog of my own!)
Heidi - Singer Songwriter
Instagram - HeidiPetite
Heli - Stylist / Photographer / Owner of Vintage Brand "Sassy World"
Instagram - HeliBells
Tiger - Fashion Photographer
Instagram - TTigerLilly
What I love about these ladies is that they're all in their 20s and they're spreading such an amazing message!
I'm on a constant personality struggle between wearing all black all the time, or just being super colorful and fun like these ladies, and The Confetti Crowd really inspires me to embrace the rainbow more this upcoming Spring and Summer seasons!
Follow the Confetti Crowd on Instagram: @ConfettiCrowd
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MEL
I know it was yesterday, but my posts go up on Wednesdays so I'm going to post about it anyway.
"To all the baby girls who were killed at birth because they weren’t boys. To all the girl children who were sold into “marriage” sex slavery when they were much too young. To all the girls denied an education because they were expected to grow up to be housewives.To all the girls who made it to school but were discouraged from being “too smart”. To all the girls who, even though they needed food as much as “a growing boy”, starved themselves to stay thin. To all the girls and women who have been raped, assaulted and murdered. To all the girls and women who constantly look over their shoulders while walking home from the bus stop at night, or who otherwise have learned that walking alone, even in their own neighborhood, is dangerous while men can walk about with no trouble at all. To all the women who were pressured into or forced to have children they didn’t actually want.To all the women who did work but whose accomplishments were stolen by men who did none of the work and took all of the credit. To all of the women who watched their male coworkers get raises and other perks while they stayed below the glass ceiling. To all the women who were assigned male at birth and who still struggle for recognition as themselves today.
To all my fellow women–this is a small recognition in the face of what we go through on a daily basis. May it be one push of many towards a better world for all of us." - Shelby Prevatt (Facebook)
I really do these posts every week, because I love to celebrate women in any way possible, and doing these posts gives me a platform to be able to spread the greatness of the women that I look up to so much, so I can share the badass women, and their ideas, skills, designs, art, business, etc with all of Vile Company's followers! Go celebrate women today, tomorrow, next week, and every other day!
XO
MEL
I know a few months ago, I did a post about Bald Babes, with shaved heads! I've been seeing a lot of something that's called "Undercut Tattoos" in the past few weeks, on Instagram a bunch! Basically what it is, is people are shaving just a little bit of under their hair, and putting cute designs on them, from geometric line work, flowers, mandala designs, stars, and so much more!
I feel like the shaved hair trend has been very big since last Summer I'd say! I know it's nothing new of course, but I'm seeing a lot more recently amongst more than just very "alternative" styled people. A lot of people are doing it for utilitarian purposes like, their hair is really thick, and they want to take it down a notch as far as how much hair they have, so shaving a bit off definitely does the trick, and looks really awesome, and since you're shaving your hair, why not give it some pop, but adding a design, or some color! It looks great when your hair is in a ponytail!
XO
MEL
Starting yoga at the young age of 17, by watching instructional videos, to signing up for her first yoga class her first semester of college, all the way to currently being a yoga instructor of her own private and public yoga classes!
Her philosophy of why she does yoga is that the human body is fascinating, and she wants to study more about it through yoga and dance. Jess also maintains a predominantly organic diet, to go along with her physical, and spiritual wellness. Jess also has a Instagram segment called "#YogaAfterDark" where she shares pictures from her practice with all of her instagram follows, and yes, they're sexy. She says the photos reflect how she feels on her mat: "strong, sensual, in-touch, confident, funky, and unapologetically me"
This is the last WCW post of Black History Month, and I can't explain how amazing it has been sharing these beautiful, strong, and inspirational black women with the people who read these posts, and follow Vile Co. Week after week this month, it's been very hard to pick who I wanted to do these posts on, because there are so many inspirational black women I follow. All of these women really show what #BlackGirlMagic is all about.
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MELANIE
Miryam Lumpini the self titled "Swedish Elf" with Congo Blood, insanely talented and very well established tattoo artist who is now based out of Los Angeles, California! Miryam was a young artist who wanted to find a way to make money off of her art, but if you're a small time artist as she was at the time, you know it's tough to make a ton of money off of just selling your art, unless you're widely known, and well established. The idea of tattooing came to her! The only problem with that, was that she was just 17, and nobody would tattoo her obviously, let alone allow her to tattoo them. So, 17 year old Miryam took to purchasing her own tattoo kit online, and began tattooing friends of her's, and allowing them to tattoo her.
"I was like 17 and we were just a bunch of punk ass kids getting wasted every weekend and tattooing each other- all my tattoos looked like shit."
So her next goal was to find someone who was in need of an tattoo apprentice, and once she was connected with an artist, only for it to turn out to be a shady situation, that ended up being a bust. She talked to her boyfriend at the times' tattoo artist, and he saw so much potential out of her, and offered her a new apprenticeship with him. It worked out very well, and she worked under him for about 3 years! She participated in her first tattoo convention, ended up winning 2nd place in Best of Show for a piece she did on a friend at the convention, and was on the cover of Nordic Tattoo magazine, all at the age of 20!
During her apprenticeship, was also designing posters for Emmaboda Festivalen music festival, because she's also an amazing painter on top of all of this other talent this queen holds. I could really go on forever about her accomplishments and milestones. Her upbringing and experience starting all the way back from when she was living in Sweden, with a single mother, chopping wood, and living a frugal life. This girl's got thick skin, and that has really taken her a very long way, which is so inspiring. As an artist, that's the kind of personality you have to have, and being a female in a male dominated industry like the tattoo industry, she's very much well equipped for the job.
Reading her story has really really inspired me to begin making art again, and makes me want to push myself to start being creative again, before I lose the drive to!
Follow Miryam on Instagram:
Miryam Lumpini Website
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MELANIE
Sonjdra Deluxe has to be one of my favorite YouTube makeup artists, hands down. I was searching for a tutorial for an all black lip, using my LimeCrime black liquid lipstick, and that's how I came across Sonjdra's channel! She reminds me so much of my sister, with their personalities, so I instantly loved her, and watched her channel for a few hours. Sonjdra was born in Canada, and currently calls Vancouver home! The 26 year old is self taught at makeup, and works as a MAC makeup artist!
I love her channel so much because it doesn't seem like she's so scripted, and robotic with her channel. You can tell she just has a great time doing makeup, and she's really just doing what she loves most! If there's one thing I don't like, it's watching someone on YouTube whose channel sounds scripted, rehearsed and boring, which is the case for a ton of YouTube makeup artists! OH. Maybe it's also worth mentioning that she was the inspiration for me getting my philtrum lip piercing! That's not an exaggeration either because I remember finding her on YouTube that night, thought her's looked SO great, and literally went out that night and got one for myself! Call it copying, call it inspiration, but I love it!
Follow Sonjdra on Instagram: @SonjdraDeluxe
Subscribe to Sonjdra on YouTube: CLICKHERE