Painfully Hip 2011: Spring / Summer Trend Editorial

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.

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Jeanne Johnston model spring 2011 vintage trend american apparel crinoline petticoat


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.

March 20th, 2011 | Category: celebrity style, fashion photography, PHDC, seasons change, trend alert, Tucson Hip, vintage | 7 glorious comments

Painfully Hip for Buffalo Exchange – Spring/Summer Trends for 2011

I love working on these sweet little trend direction shoots for Buffalo Exchange Fashion for several reasons. A) I get to raid Tucson’s Buffalo Exchange locations and try on 18,000 incredible outfits without getting flack for not buying anything. B) Buffalo locations here are some of my favorite EVER because of an overabundance of vintage which many a non-desert dwelling vintage fiend might consider poisoning their grandma for. C) My friend Bradley at Buffalo Exchange is the equivalent of a handsome and sophisticated golden retriever puppy. D) Because Bradley unkowingly reads my mind and assists with buying all the new merchandise Buffalo carries on a daily basis, it could remain unsaid that their selection for me personally, is to-kill-maim-or-die-for.

So we just decided to do two shoots this season.

Presented in an easy-to-view, thoughtfully embedded slideshow – just click the full screen button in the bottom right corner of the screen to zoom. See if you can spot the intensely rubbery jello jigglers we made just for the shoot.

From Buffalo Exchange Fashion:
“Think about the fifties, girlish pan collared blouses and flirty a-line minis. Think vibrant splashes of orange and yellow, blues and citrusy greens amidst a palate of soft neutrals. Or lightweight boxy cut knits in dusty pinks and desert-like tones with high-rise cutoffs and a sunhat so big that you could shade your entire crew. Think about headscarves and ikat, turquoise and stacked wooden bangles, studio frames, wedges and tooled leather saddlebags.”

Photos by the incredible Krysta Jabczenski
Styling by Bradley Rhea and Amber Mortensen
Model is the lovely Ann Thayer

From Buffalo Exchange Fashion:
“Full minis and mid-calf length skirts, chambray boyfriend blouses and satin shorts. Striking pops of classic red, brushed metals and PRINTS! Big 40’s-like floral, geometric shapes, tribal interpretations and a whole slew of different sized stripes. This spring definitely promises to be a stylish one! If it ever arrives, that is…”

Photos by Abraham Cooper
Styling by Bradley Rhea and Amber Mortensen
Model is Amber Mortensen of Painfully Hip

February 24th, 2011 | Category: PHDC, seasons change, trend alert, Tucson Hip, vintage | 6 glorious comments

Painfully Hip Collaboration: Nicole Hill Photography

It was the day after the hottest day in the known history of Los Angeles, and the weather was finally behaving. The wetlands’ wind was flicking up the model’s wavy wheat hair, and it was the perfect temperature for combining jackets with hot shorts. Nicole Hill is an incredibly talented photographer and we were very excited to work together. The spoils…

Photographed by Nicole Hill
Styled by Amber Mortensen, Painfully Hip
Clothing is vintage. Blue top and shorts by Sapphire Cordial

January 24th, 2011 | Category: fashion photography, Jamaica Cole, PHDC, trend alert, vintage | 6 glorious comments

Painfully Hip Fashion Show: Every Dog Has Its Day Benefit

If you know me, it would make sense that Painfully Hip’s first fashion show would take place on the same stage that Leslie Hall melted my face from a few months previous… and involve dogs somehow. That’s just how I roll.

My inspiration for this show? Prep school kids from the desert with hippy parents. A back to school theme, just in time for all the ASU students to go, well, back to school. Four full days of pulling, sewing and styling later, I ended up with this recipe: 15 models, 6 dogs, two parts buttoned-up, 3 parts buttoned-down, 11 parts hip. Yes, my models were stunnahs, but it was the dogs that really got fierce on the catwalk.


For the full immersion experience:
1. Press play on the Caribou soundtrack below
2. Press play on the slideshow player
3. Click full screen button (bottom right of slideshow player) to zoom

Documentary photos by Andrew Brown
Fashion photos by Allan Sturm


Every Dog Has Its Day
A Benefit for Hope Animal Shelter
Aug 27th, 2010
Hotel Congress
Styled and directed by Amber Mortensen in collaboration with Bradley Rhea and Abraham Cooper

Many thanks to Preen Vintage, Buffalo Exchange and Wingflash Designs (who custom-designed a collection of single carved bone feather earrings and necklaces for this show) for contributing to the cause of benefitting Hope Animal Shelter. We raised over $1500 for Tucson’s only no-kill, no-cage animal shelter and for surgery to help save the life of Atticus the rescue dog.

Special thanks to Dan Hernandez, Club Congress, Adrienne Lake, Caroline Palmer, David Jon Muse, Aveda Institute and to all of my loverly models and wonderpup owners.

September 12th, 2010 | Category: fashion photography, Fashion Shows, PHDC, trend alert, Tucson Hip, vintage | 2 glorious comments

PHDC: The Perfect Periwinkle Patterned Dreamsuit

In training for my first Arizona summer, I am quickly learning that owning 2 or 3 swimsuits will not suffice. So I’ve been on the lookout for a 60s swimsuit without those dreaded torpedo cone cups. You know, the ones that the less blessed-of-bosom have to be constantly monitoring in case an errant elbow suddenly renders one concave?

Never have I been known to curse my lack of mammary fortitude more than last week when I was buzzing around Phoenix styling a test shoot for fashion photographer Mark Morgan. I was ransacking the lovely Butter Toast Boutique oohing and ahhing in an annoying fashion, when it hit me that the perfect periwinkle patterned 60s swimsuit was balking at me from its high horse on the mannequin at the front of the store. It was from Merry May Handmade and it had all the perfect elements… except that it was not made for a 30-something woman who would likely still fit into her 7th grade training bra. Luckily, there was a shapely 16 year old Ford model standing in the wings, ready to fill those cups with aplomb.

Oh… curses.

Vintage Swimsuit

Photo by Mark Morgan
Model – Victoria Klemme, Ford Models
Hair & Makeup – Haley Irene
Styling by Amber Mortensen

Today I asked a $100 question! Answer it in the comments at BlogHer and you could be $100 richer! Think of all the socks you could buy to stuff your cones with!
$100 Question Promo Graphic

July 6th, 2010 | Category: PHDC, vintage | 6 glorious comments
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