wastaworks

WiggerJen: wastawear parties

2006-06-08T01:29:00.000-07:00

I've been doing some creative research all morning and came across this. The concept is good - but we can also tweak it to the region - shisha parties / arabic sweets / henna parties / ramadan tents.

http://www.johnnycupcakes.com/cupperwear.html

this is possibly something we do down the line - or while you do your fashion week venture, i can work on the party venture.

i've been talking to a friend at work - and been talking about setting up a service to organise 'parties'. birthdays/ hen nights / weddings - whatever there is. from various converstations in various places - it definately is a required service in Dubai. The double decker bus girls do this and are making a killing.

Ferry: Another Developement

2006-05-19T03:10:00.000-07:00

I've been busy also with another project which is also taking shape - I am looking at becoming an instigator for Dubai fashion week.... watch this space. Cld all help with wasta's future. I think however, we need to get wasta growing organically.

Jen what do we need to do next. I suggest we meet sooner rather than later!

f.x

Ferry: Anal

2006-05-17T05:28:00.000-07:00

Having scanned over the posts to date, i come across like some kind of anal control freak.

sooooooooooooooo wrong!!

Ferry: Urban Dictionary

2006-05-17T04:28:00.000-07:00

i liked this... wigger!!

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=wasta

1. wasta
1. White Rasta. Person of caucasian decent imitating aspects of rastafarian religion (hair in dreadlocks, use of marihuana) whilst not holding rasta beliefs. Much like term 'wigger' (white nigger)2. Name of white reggae/punk band.3. Place in South Dakota, USA.

That white boy says he's a rasta but doesn't care for Jah, what a wasta.
by wasta amsterdam May 17, 2005 email it

3. wasta
n. a person of Caucasian decent acting like a Rastafarian, but not actually practicing any of the religion's principles.

I seen this wasta at the reggae fest an' I attempted to reason with him on the principles of Haile Selassie, but he says he don't know nuthin about that. I told that wasta Selassie is Ras Tafari, and he gave me a fake-ass smile...freakin' wasta.
by truthbtold Oct 21, 2003 email it

4. wasta
connections and to a lesser extent street cred..usually the people you know who can help you in a way...can be singular or pluralarabic street slang

my wasta got me a car and driver for tonight
how did you get onto the guestlist for tonight? wasta?
by faraaz Dubai May 5, 2005 email it

Ferry: Logo

2006-05-17T03:58:00.000-07:00

yeah have a chat with Jay. I am also going to speak to my designer - who might be able to do me a bit of a freebie. do you still have that best nuts bag - i really like their arabic font.

i am thinking this font working into the english - quite retro. deep blood red?? will coem up with some initial ideas...

Ferry: Packaging

2006-05-17T03:23:00.000-07:00

must remember packaging

at the brideshow when i was with Nick Leighton, Nett Results he was quite amused to find that abu haleeqa supplied their stuff - ie robes & abaya's in boxes... which looked like pizza boxes.

i know the main companies who do packaging and bags. hav already been looking at a couple of options - this can some later - but will get an estimate on pricing. an idea wld be to find out who prouced pizza boxes etc, and use an existing die-cut - and/or when one of their outher clients are doing a run - is to get a 250 of these - unprinted.

screen printing:

also i have a label from tough jeans - it is a really nice screen print on rough fabric. jen can you look at what you can find on setting up our own small screen print frame. we can build it ourselves / get a carpenter. look at inks for paper and fabric print. i remember screen printing at school one and it was a really simple frame - approx A3 size with fabric/silk/nylon streched on it. i have some ideas on how we can use this.

Jen: Bchartik bit'ooleh heyk lall kell.

2006-05-17T01:59:00.000-07:00

wowwee,

that was a pretty serious brain dump.

personally, i like wastaworks - it's more asthetically pleasing than wastawear, although wastawear is better on the ears.

I have been looking up on the web various patterns to make poofs, stools - general fabric sitting apparatus. Also - how to wire up you're own lamp (and there were other things that i came across that would be fab, but can't for the life of me remember what they are now)
i had a look at the arabic thermos coffee pots in Geant - they retail there for 58 dhs. Need to have a hunt around the dodgy places like al nasr square to see if they're cheaper.
Dragon mart may be good as a general place to scope out for suppliers of tshirts, fabrics, beads etc. I'm back from Abu Dhabi on Thursday 25. we can possibly have a scope of the place on Saturday.

but i reckon what we need to start asap on is the image of the brand - get a logo in place, sort out a corporate image. and whip up some bizniz cardz. i'll see if i can hunt down the best nuts font and see what my man jay can do.

Saturday my mad event starts - so i'll be able to unleash my fashion forcasts and ideas.

Za is brill on building websites. although she may not be able to translate our vision - may end up a bit anime/goth. Summer project? just keep her away from your computer.

Translation:

Bchartik bit'ooleh heyk lall kell = Bet you say that to everybody.

Ferry: Thoughts & Things To Remember

2006-05-16T10:17:00.000-07:00

brain dump. no time to proof / spell check. need to go home.

need to sort out:

website
logo
copyright
wastawear designs for 1st collection (x8 shirts) (x4 cuffs)
jewellrey i think will come at a later date - need perspex, acylic factory works. jeni to ask jay. ferry to check exhib contractors
cost fabric, trimmings, embellishments, production
wastaworks designs. identify achiveable projects: camel stools, shisha lamps?
need to eval upholstery
need to decide on single or dual branding: wastaworks and wastawear, or just have wastaworks?? verring to the latter??
make initial sample collection
plans to launch - eval what is happening with fusion 06 exhibitition
do we produce limited stock, test what moves, or make to order?
already hv ideas on stand design - thinking white bathroom tiles, logo mounted, red fur, washing lines, need to paint wooden dressing table white to use as a counter. contrasting textures.

other stuff:

have got initial web design in head. publish myself or get free lance web designer - or anyone better than me at frontpage etc?
can easily push to arabic & english lifestyle media
need a retail outlet - not existing boutique. explore sentinel, rent space, hv selfstorage unit? can x-promo?? is cool venue, fits in well with our ID. also like the 'industrial' feel. ref brand spaces / pop-up retail
what are uae trading legalities? set up offshore? how manage distribution, credit card / cash or local partner for invoicing / trading? commission?
at a later date cld push into UK market. Selfridges has arab design sector - it figues with the edgewear road. sho & her mum?? connections: uk fashion exporters, emap/drapers, sam at topshop, emsit - fabric designer, eric musgrave new pr company, sian - publishing connections, style london and production of villa moda book, pop-up retail opportunity london launch - lord hugh and dishdash - need to ask will?
once established need to explore villa moda for dxb, kuwait and forthcoming london store, and in dxb harvey nics, saks, 5 green, sauce. don't really want to go down this route. define to be different.
hv also got rough idea on styling and shoot. cld do stills and short clips.
will prob do in desert. like over exposed colours or very bleeached, cinecam style footage / polaroids. or is this really passe. cld use zahra to model, or hv clothes wire and pegs on old desert tree, dry heat desert wind.
need to start adding music inspirations. listening to fleewood mac. like the folky-ness also a bit retro - think growing up memories.

product design ideas:

womens shirts - X4 black abaya inspired, X4 loud jabilbaya inspired
X4 indep cuffs - to be worn with own shirt
hv been exploring designs and arabic names. will put in another post to blog
embellished t-shirts with kanjar, camel (tacky??) may work for lux tourist souvinirs - think madinat souk
also sleeping eyemasks - hand painted with khaleejiya eyes - again touristy also 1st class emirates airlines might be interested? compete with virgin altantic onboard products
t-shirts women reworked with jalibaya styling/embroidery, neckline
men's t-hsirt - printed dishdasha with gold pen, longsleeve with cufflinks, neck thing, how to incorp gutra and cord?
arabic / omani bangles and necklaces reworked into clear acrylic
shisha lamps
camel stools
pouffs - leather / other?
kitch coffee pots - saw a company at thebrideshow who where already customising coffeepot thermod flasks. very bling. great. need to visit dragon mart
camel head folding table with brass plate - rework in acrylic - finally a table!! beyond the nori roll coffee table and concrete coffee table I have designed and redesigned in my head...
acrylic / fabric box stools - abaya / jalibiya / arabic embroidery inspired
majilis seating
need to islamic art, arabesque, orientals, islamic geometric, 8 pointed star, arabic fonts, caligraphy
need to explore current style trends for abayas/ jalibiyas.
need to explore global colour fashion trends autumn/winter 06 & sping/summer 06

done. leaving. must get laptop fixed so can do this at home with a glass of wine!!

Ferry: The Concept

2006-05-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

OK here is the start of WASTAWORKS

This is a pet project which I hope by using a blog that I get the 'creative drive' to finally make an idea become a reality - and not remain archived in my head like all the others. I also need somewhere to start documenting all the ideas, plans and actions we need to do to make it happen.

Creators: Jeni & Ferry Lee [sisters]

Overview: A limited collection of fashion (shirts) and accessories (shirt cuffs and jewellrey) and a few select interior accessories. I think we may label this wastawear and wastaworks respectively. tbc.

Why: Both pretty creative and need a project outside of the 9-5 to challenge us and possibly make a bit of cash. Nuff said. I have a background in fashion events and consumer exhibitions, worked with Arab designers; and Jen also in events for a major automobile company, but has studied interior design and fashion pattern design. Between the both of us we have huge experience in marketing, event management, product launches, business, as well as not forgetting are equally very artistic. Different styles though, so we may see a clash of minds. But as with any collaboration, the outcome should be interesting.

Where are we: Dubai, UAE. Having lived here for nearly 30 years, you could argue that we are expat brats. More realistic would be to say that we have 'an acute understanding of the subtleties in cultural diversity' from the cosmopolitan city in which we live, dah-link!' Time to make something out of it.

Do we take our selves seriously? Yes incredibly.

What is wasta: Living in the Middle East you grow up with wasta. It is Arabic and has a meaning like connection, influence or network, the who you know to make things happen. For some it means corruption, if not somewhat Masonic or Mafioso. Every culture has its own form wasta. Either way you can google it

Creative direction: Taking Arabic styling, both traditional and contemporary, and reworking to deliver modern-boarding on kitch, but always practical and beautiful designs for fashion and interiors.

Want to email us: wastaworks@gmail.com

Doing this in public domain also means we are open to input. And if wastaworks [ever] happens, this makes a really nice record of how we got there. Hmmm additional PR spin??? We shall see about that....