Last weekend was… as surreal as it gets. Describable in one made-up word: WARHOLMANIA.
The Tuscon Museum of Art is now showing an amazing collection of original Andy Warhol screenprints so they wanted to do something special for their opening. And special always means dead people impersonation, right? So Friday the museum invited Drew Krewer and I to come in full costume and full character as Andy Warhol and Edie Sedgwick, making a surprise appearance directly from that “Factory in the Sky.” We were even featured on the Six O’Clock News!
While Drew could easily sashay into the room with only his charm, his usual styling finesse and a spritz of silver hairspray, it took an entire team to get me in fighting Edie form. First off? The fabled dress by my beloved roommate and besty, Jamaica Cole of Sapphire Cordial (pictured in the previous post).
 photo by Jessica Castillo  photo by Omer Kreso
(Hair by Addam Moreno, Makeup by Lynette at Toni & Guy, Tucson – Thank you!!)
And, of course, the ever-important jewels, designed by my dearest Laura of Wingflash Designs!
 Paula Taylor and Amber Mortensen - photo by Tucson John  Necklace by Wingflash, Whipped Cream by Diana 
While Edie managed to last about 27 years, I lasted exactly 10 hours – through the epic POP! Afterparty at the Rialto, complete with a Velvet Underground cover band, mylar photo booth, gallons of whipped cream, a Warhol Death Reenactment, endless dancing, and a good slathering of Tomato Soup. SPENT.
But no rest for the weary, because the next day we had a request to transform into go go dancers at the Eric Firestone Gallery. They had THE most amazing exhibit, including some never-before-seen Andy Warhol photographs. Unbelievable.
 Jamaica Cole photo by Tucson John  Danielle Theriault Sit-Down Dancing photo by Tucson John 
The gogo dancing lasted for 5 hours straight with no less than 4 costume changes each. So it goes without saying, I spent the last three days in bed. Sick as a dog. Like Edie coming down from a multitude of barbiturates.
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Have you ever had that feeling that life is happening at you? That you’re suddenly caught up in a wave of good news, exciting prospects, turned corners and open doors?
I have.
How did I possibly manage to: score a room at an historic luxury hotel from the City of San Francisco), model for an incredible photographer in clothes dropped at my hotel by up-and-coming local designers, encase my face in faux lashes and whopping earrings courtesy of Mac Cosmetics and a collaboration with Wingflash Designs in bustling San Francisco locations, attempting to echo one of my favorite personalities, Edie Sedgwick…. and NONE OF IT WAS MY IDEA??
And that was only the beginning of this epic tour. Right now I’m in Chicago receiving more luckbombs, having a soul-illuminating few days with close friends and bracing myself for:
-another roadtrip, starting wed, with a rough and tumble all girl band who just happen to be as obsessed with thrift stores and fashion as I am.
-a stylist gig back in San Francisco with my first legit celebrity, the Hipster Prime Minister himself. I will not deny it if you guess correctly! Think ironic. A little Brilliant, slightly sleezy. Think vacant, traffic-stopping gaze…
I keep having to check for the horseshoe in my ass. That would be embarrassing…
Thank you all so much for reading.
Continue reading…
photography by Cecilia Austin
couture fray dress by Abi McCannon, Your Crutch
t-shirt dress from Painfully Hip Vintage
other clothing by Danielle Due Citta, Dyno-Solo
earrings by Laura Adney-Kepner, Wingflash Design
hair by Addam Moreno, Iso Hair
makeup by Oaeza Pathan, retail manager at Mac Cosmetics, Nordstrom – Westfield Mall San Francisco
styled and modeled by Amber Mortensen
Continue reading PHDC Painfully Trip: Edie Sedgwick Takes San Francisco
Ah roadtrips. It always surprises me what a sucker I am for the promise of all those endless asphalt ribbons luxuriating ahead of me. All that newness. All that possibility. All that Taco Bell.
This is going to be seriously next level. I am giggidy giggidy giddy about this trip.
November 20-23: San Francisco – For the SF Vistors’ Bureau. Feasting of San Francisco’s bodily delights and rooting out hidden gems, details forthcoming. A photo shoot with the indescribably talented Cecilia Austin featurning pieces by local designer, Danielle Due Citta with the theme: a stylized Edie Sedgwick about the City. Thanks to Cecilia for the concept. I believe she must practice mind-reading, I am loving this idea so much.
November 20-25: Sacramento, CA
November 26-27: Hawthorne, NV
November 27-December 2: Visiting dear friends, Ira and Andrea of Forkable and BTSIC fame, and then joining Agent Ribbons for the second half of their month-long tour. I might be drunkenly hawking vintage jewels at the merch table or attempting to infiltrate the spotlight with my sub-par ukulele twanging. Either way, there’s sure to be public apologies of, “Sorry, we only invited her because she is self-employed and has a drivers’ license.”
Here are all their entirely unmissable tour dates, in case you missed them in the summertime:
 photo by Ryan Mihalyi and the Painfully Hip Design Collective, Tucson
Agent Ribbons Tour Dates
Nov 14 2009 9:00P
Lil’ Red Lion w/ Monster Women and Barbara Manning Arcata, CA
Nov 15 2009 8:00P
Ground Kontrol w/ Swallows, Helen Money + DJ Nate C
Portland, Oregon
Nov 16 2009 8:00P
Rotture w/ Lost Lockets
Portland, Oregon
Nov 17 2009 9:00P
Sunset Tavern w/ Slow Skate
Seattle, Washington
Nov 18 2009 9:00P
Empyrean
Spokane, Washington
Nov 21 2009 9:00P
The Woodshed
Salt Lake City, Utah
Nov 22 2009 9:00P
The Hi-Dive w/ Fissure Mystic and Weed Diamond
Denver, Colorado
Nov 24 2009 9:00P
The Zoo Bar
Lincoln, Nebraska
Nov 25 2009 9:00P
TheSlowdown w/ Beep Beep and Thunderpower
Omaha, Nebraska
Nov 27 2009 8:00P
Ames Progressive
Ames, Iowa
Here’s where I join up. Shall I see you there?
Nov 28 2009 8:00P
Turner Hall w/ Papercuts and Camera Obscura
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Nov 29 2009 8:00P
Beat Kitchen
Chicago, IL
Dec 1 2009 8:00P
Daytrotter Session! (www.daytrotter.com)
Rock Island, Il
Dec 2 2009 8:00P
TBA
Chicago, IL
Dec 3 2009 8:00P
Bauhaus Kaffee presented by Unique Ink art
Fredericktown, Missouri
Dec 4 2009 9:00P
O’Dowd’s Plaza
Kansas City, Missouri
Dec 5 2009 9:00P
75th St. Brewery
Kansas City, Missouri
Dec 6 2009 8:00P
TBA
Oklahoma City, OK
Dec 8 2009 8:00P
Trunk Space
Phoenix, Arizona
Dec 10 2009 8:00P
The Bootleg Theatre with Finches and Evan Way (Parson Redheads)
Los Angeles, CA
Dec 11 2009 9:00P
Soda Bar
San Diego, CA
DO it. Please? If you miss it you will die a slow death of Ribbonless regret. Plus, I want to see how you’d interpret “cabaret-inspired victorian punk garage” in your garb. Best outfit gets a free beer.
PS Let us know if you live in Chicago or Oklahoma City and can help book those dates. If you needed an excuse to have a madcap house party and/or wedding, look no further.
One more thing! Jamaica of Sapphire Cordial designs and Concrete & Cashmere fame moves into the Painfully Hip adobe tomorrow! Its going to be a renaissance, I can feel it.
So I hadn’t been planning on dressing up for Halloween at all until about 45 minutes before launch time – sometimes it feels like getting dressed up these days qualifies as “work.” By the time I had resolved to pull the trigger on an actual costume, I was rather stumped – my wardrobe has dwindled decisively over the course of my transient lifestyle.
By pure fluke, however, I had wandered into the “Free Room” at my local thrift store earlier that day and found this pristine early 60s ivory brocade A-line… not something I would normally wear, fit so well and was free-not-to-mention, that I scooped it up. Not having time to dramatically alter my hair, a half-assed Betty Draper of Mad Men was pretty much my only option.
While I’m addicted to Mad Men, I’m not usually one to costume myself as the Flavor of the Year. But considering that about 48% of the population likely dressed as characters from Mad Men, I could be overstepping by using the jaunty little word- fluky – when I tell you that my best friend Richard in Vancouver had corresponded inadvertently by dressing as Betty’s philanderous husband, Donald… but that’s just the way I am.
Rich photos by Janos Sitar and Jillian Mccavour
Amber photos by Abraham Cooper
Mad Men photo from Fabric Magazine
We received the following comment today:
I’m loving the hair, & I was kinda shocked I found your lovely face in one of my town’s local bar’s flyers
other than that I love reading your blog.
keep it painfully hip <3<3
-Denisse
We, of course, knew nothing about this. And, Denisse, we’d really like to know the name of your town so we can, perhaps, have a go at the “sexual piñata.” This is the best day ever.
The image is below. Let me prepare you… I am never going to stop laughing at this. Ever
The following post is Rory’s reaction (he’s the handsome devil with the thumb on the right). Who was the other guy, you ask? No idea. Another victim of bad photoshopping… which was also inflicted on my formerly 2D digital boobs (I mean, you can’t pull off a Hooters shirt ironicly if you own actual boobs. C’mon).
via AwesomeAllDay.
-Amber
Original post where our Fayetteville souvenirs go wrong on our Painfully Hip Roadtrip.
Wow… this gives me the cold dead feeling in my insides previously reserved for films by Todd Solondz.The photo is taken from the Awesome All Day Good Will Tour outside of Fayetteville. I’m not sure who the hispanic stubbly guy is but, I’m choosing to believe that he is Diana’s new boyfriend Lorenzo Lamas.
My Spanish is wonky, but I’m pretty sure the flyer roughly translates into:
October 23rd
“NIGHT OF SOLIDARITY”
For tornadoes and people suffering from tuberculosis
LIVE BOOZE of 8-11
And yes a Tornado can coincide with a tuberculosis, they are the two love lives in the Jungle at night!
Discuss this with your sexual Piñatas!
And yes a Tornado can coincide with a tuberculosis, they are the two love lives in the Jungle at night!
Discuss this with your sexual Piñatas!
ummmm…… wow.
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All images were either used with permission or found on the web and believed to be in the public domain. If any images that appear are in violation of copyright law, please let me know and i will remove them immediately.
Thanks for reading,
Amber
painfullyhip at gmail.com
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