so, yeah, i spoke at the maker faire last sunday, about my baby, wardrobe_remix!

what's the maker faire all about, you ask? you who weren't there, and don't live in the bay area? what did i talk about there?
well, i'll tell you! it'll be almost like being there! whee!

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according to the makers of make:, who make the maker faire, the maker faire is this:

A two-day, family-friendly event that celebrates arts, crafts, engineering, science projects and the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset. It's for creative, resourceful folks who like to tinker and love to make things. We call them Makers.

(for those who are living under a rock/don't know, make: and it's sister mag, craft: are two hugely popular periodicals devoted to making and crafting. both make: and craft: have blogs, too, for you RSS fiends. check 'em out!)
twas a huge, huge event for crafty girls, resourceful boys who love to tinker, and everyone and anyone in between, as long as they appreciate creativity and making stuff. kinda had some burning-man-like qualities, some said.
seen around the faire (held at the san mateo county fairgrounds): mini-rocket launches, a huge mousetrap/rube-goldberg style contraption, a swap-o-rama-rama where people donated and then re-styled used clothing with sewing machines and silkscreening, tricked out bikes of many a stripe, bike RIDES (meaning fairground-type rides utilizing bikes!!), a big thing that picked it's nose with the help of people walking on a giant hamster wheel, battlebots, all sorts of scary fire-breathing machines and even a tesla coil!
and on the more crafty tip, there was the bazaar bizarre, with the cool goods of many a crafter ye might know (like, cathy of california, my paper crane, or the new orleans craft mafia, of which miss malaprop is a part, for starters!), craft booths from some major companies, and a craft: demo area where you could peep and learn about a myriad of ways to get your craft on and be creative (i especially enjoyed the demos by susan (jewelry-making), nancy (sewing), and bonnie (make your own yoda doll!)).
look, i can't even begin to describe all the kick-ass stuff and people there. suffice it to say, it was all extremely cool and more than a little overwhelming!

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at the maker faire, i told the world about my ever growing DIY street fashion community, wardrobe_remix! i spoke in that craft: demo area. for those of you who weren't there, here's what i talked about in a nutshell:

how i started wardrobe_remix in 2005 (i was inspired by street fashion mags and sites like fruits and hel-looks)

how wardrobe_remix got off the ground (it started with me in my NYC apartment and a self-timer feature on my digital camera, and me posting the photos and pics in my blog, and soon i started the group on flickr, with the prodding of some online pals)

what wardrobe_remix is like today (over 4100 members, over 17,000 photographs)

what makes wardrobe_remix cool, and why you should join (diverse, egalitarian, DIY-feel/ethos, great photography, envelope-pushing fashion, no rating, being kind to others, etc.)

how you too can get on wardrobe_remix (get to flickr, join the group, upload your photos)

what makes a good wardrobe_remix photo (head to toe shot, clear/well-lit/high-res, YOU looking awesome in your everyday clothing)

not just that! that's not all! i also showed off the cool peeps and cool trends around wardrobe_remix land of late, and made suggestions on how people, like you, can do it themselves, whether it's styling a cool outfit, or making their own clothes and accessories.

i handed out this fun flyer, with info about how to get on the group, but also tips for "remix(ing)" their clothing and being creative. since you weren't there, i've decided to make that flyer available to you, too! click on the image below to download the PDF file (which is actually 2 pages total). enjoy!

(print it out! share with a friend, spread the word! just give credit where credit is due, of course.)

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thanks to natalie z. of craft: for getting me to speak at the maker faire despite my trepidation, and thanks to all the wardrobe_remix(ers) who make the community what it is, and whose participation and awesomeness allows me to get out there and do stuff like this. rock on!