Painfully Hip » celebrity style

Glory Be! Painfully Hip for JewelMint

amber — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 07:15:58 +0000

You guys! Kate Bosworth and her stylist have come up with a sweet-as-gold jewelry line called JewelMint, which “gauges your style and recommends a curated collection for you.” Yeah. Nevermind that each piece is less than $30! Ridiculous. Their editorial team asked if I could style a few pieces for them and I couldn’t keep my claws off this sherbet tasseled necklace set and scarab ring, so we had at it. In return they gave you guys a not-f&%$ing-around discount! 50% off with code PainfullyHip50! It’s only good for one week (ends Wednesday, Sept 7, 2011), so get thee to thy wallets!

Oh, to always shoot with a team like this. Heaven.

Photos by Trumbo+Flynn
Model – Beck Trumbo, CAST Images
Styling by Amber Mortensen
Clothing by Van Der Neer

Painfully Hip 2011: Spring / Summer Trend Editorial

amber — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 01:56:18 +0000

If you know me, you know how exciting it was for me to put thrift store clothes and seconds-from-the-grave candy apple platforms on a recent Harper’s BAZAAR cover model. Have you ever felt preemptively intimidated by a 16 year old before?
Yeeeah, I mean …me neither…

I could also mention that this editorial was thrown together in less than 24 hours, but I won’t. The inspirations ranged from “punk” and “tomboy” to “feminine 1940s-60s silhouettes,” with sources from American Apparel to St. Vincent de Paul… all with a decidedly juicy color pallette. Our team was perfection and we had a blast.

Photos by Matthew Priestley
Written and styled by Amber Mortensen, Painfully Hip
Model- Jeanne Johnston, FORD
MUA – Lizzy Marsh
Hair – Amy Freudenberg

Special Thanks to Abraham Cooper, Jasmine Jarrett and Matt Wade at American Apparel, Tucson.

Check Me Out: Impersonating Edie (…or attempting to)

amber — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:15:32 +0000

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.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

PHDC Painfully Trip: Edie Sedgwick Takes San Francisco

amber — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:47:22 +0000

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.

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

Painfully Trip: On Tour. Here we go again.

amber — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:17:40 +0000

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.

Painfully Fluky: Halloween 2009

amber — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:13:09 +0000

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

One of these things is not like the other…

amber — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:55:00 +0000

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.

Painfully Extraneous: Miranda July

amber — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:59:06 +0000

Miranda July cracks me up. Inexplicably, every time.

Here’s the “fashion spread” she recently shot for Vice Magazine’s Film Issue, where she morphs, Cindy Sherman-like, into extras in classic films.

************************************

Painfully Hip Design Collective and Agent Ribbons

amber — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:40:47 +0000

by Amber Mortensen
(co-authored by Rory)

When Agent Ribbons (vaudeville outlaws, theatrical bandits, our only hope of making it out of monotony alive…) rolled into torrid Tucson like a three ring circus of unquestionable awesomeness, we were excited to reimburse the stratosphere some of our couchsurfing karma. Natalie Ribbons, Lauren Hess and their fanciful dancing bird, Christopher, hit the road from my old stomping grounds (Sacramento, CA) and have been on the lamb since January. We couldn’t let them make their escape with out documenting their dangerous levels of va-va-vaudeville vavoom.

I was feeling a definite Bonnie & Clyde streak brewing. Voila, our very first band shoot!

They chose their performance outfits from the “Painfully Hip Closet/Room” for their performance at the gorgeous Solar Culture Gallery – a mustn’t miss in Tucson – which they rocked without question. After the ensuing spectacle, they left the crowd hankering for more and decided to sing for their supper at the Red Room later that same night. Better believe they had the entire restaurant up and dancing! Quite the feat… especially when late night mozzarella sticks are involved.

photographer: Ryan Mihalyi
styling: Diana Deaver and Amber Mortensen
Hair and Makeup: Amber Mortensen
Special thanks to Stacey and to Solar Culture!

Is it Vaudeville? Or “cabaret-inspired victorian punk garage?” Pictures are always nice, but I’m going to let Natalie’s green wiggle dress do the talking:

Follow Agent Ribbons on Twitter.

If you are a touring band rolling through Tucson, and would like to raid our styling skillz and alliances with amazing photographers like Ryan Mihalyi for some promo shots, launch us an email at painfullyhipATgmail.com!

Red Carpet Event at TJ Maxx

amber — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 19:17:22 +0000

I don’t know if a red carpet event qualifies as such if it starts at 8am at a discount department store and there is no booze or paparazzi involved… If, however, it means that a corporation spoils the spit out of you for 24 hours, then yes, I attended a red carpet event. In Glendale, California.

Thank you very much to TJ Maxx for inviting me, putting me up at the Hilton and then, so very kindly, offering to buy my “return” leg to Tucson. You could say that the price of my interstate move was on the dime of a corporation. That’s how I roll. Thanks again, TJ Maxx.

Two rad DKNY dresses. The one on the left is, like 99% off. Or was it the right one.

photos by Kimberly of My Good Cents

Anyhow. Style expert and TV personality, the lovely Alison Deyette, explained to us the ins and outs of why off-price retailers, Marshalls and TJ Maxx are so effing rad. In the words of legit wordsmith, Well-Heeled With a Mission:

TJ Maxx buyers travel 40 weeks out of the year to speak to vendors all over the world.

Off-price retailers engage in “opportunistic” buying, i.e. when forecasting mistakes, canceled orders, or overproduction result in more items that a full-priced retailer can buy, an off-price will come in and buy the merchandise at vastly discounted prices.

Most of the merchandise at off-price retailers are in-season, and are released at the same time as full-priced merchandise at department stores. (i.e., you can find a dress at Nordstroms and the same dress at TJ Maxx in the same week.)

Off-price retailers have a fast turnaround time of as short as 2-3 weeks from the time a shipment is ordered to the time that the products are delivered, processed, and shown on the floor.

Department stores have the option of shipping back merchandise they don’t sell, but off-price retailers’ purchases are final.

As you know, I am not huge into “labels” and “names,” but I do, indeed I do, appreciate quality and a good deal when I see it. At this TJ Maxx, I managed to score:

A cozy blouse for $1

A gorgeous liberty print tiered halter dress by Grass (missing the neck tie – a 2 millisecond fix) for $3

Some Amplify styling mousse with moisturizer sample for $4

An amazing zebra print backless one-piece swimsuit for $15

And… a pair of wowza 70s-licious cornflower J Brand jeans made out of the softest denim in the known universe. I literally had to close my eyes as I smoothed them on. Only $39. A splurge for me, but leaving them in the store would be akin to leaving my first born on Michael Jackson’s doorstep (Ok, sorry! Even I cringed at that one. TOO SOON).

I am currently editing photos from the Preen Glam Rock Fashion Show! Here’s a teaser:

These WILL be joining the ranks of my closet soon enough. That is legit vintage python. BELIEVE.