The life and crimes of a fashion designer

Hello outsourcing!

2011-11-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

I realized i havent updated in a while. I blame reality tv and my job.

alot has been going on these past few months, so im going to take the time to catch you up to speed and lay the foundation for whats ahead.

So, as some of you know, during the last GFW I announced I was going to be partnering with 330 couture, a local boutique, to create our own collection and help pave the way for future designers. Im happy to report our first collaborative collection was a success and there are going to be many more together, as well as additional projects. I have started the "GainesvilleFashionCollective" as a way for all of the people in the industry in gainesville to network abilities and use it to gain employment with one another( also, successful).

now, im moving into china. ive met a young lady who is acting as the liazon for all of my clothing in china. its amazingly exciting, and exhausting at the same time. if youve ever thought making clothes was easy, imagine explaining to someone who doesnt speak the same language as you or understand your slang. I cant be like " put that little ruffly thing over there"...google translate isnt gonna help you.

Im also gonna be rebranding all of the bobbyk info in the next few months. the website, my image. its time to grow up.

obligatory high school slam

2011-05-15T16:29:00.000-07:00

Ugh, my high school reunion is around the corner.

I had truly waited for this day to come, so that I could show up see everyone married, fat, etc. Recently, only due to the onset of this horrific event did I begin to do my research. my romy and michelle moment was at hand.

I hated high school. Passionately. I was bullied within an inch of my life, from everyone. I attempted to find solice within each specific group, but never truly found a niche. Even the gay kids at my high school sucked and made my life a living hell.

So here we are 10 years later. Im over it in the way that it doesnt affect me, but not in the way that ill forget it. Im successful, happy, and doing what i love, so how could i hate these people that have steeped and settled into mediocrity so fitting, it was like they invented middle class!! I want to go to show people that I survived and actually did what i wanted despite their past behavior, and on the other side of the coin I want them to see me succeed from afar and feel the loss of not being apart of my life.

Oh well. I guess ill just have to wait.

LORD JESUS!

2011-05-09T23:32:00.000-07:00

SO, i find myself in this familiar place once again.

Im at a high point in my career, which is basically what im focused on 24/7, and someone, as usual, very close to me, decides to try and stop me.

foolish!

I design with the spirit of 1000 vikings, a drag queen, and 4 obese jazz singers.

I ASSURE YOU, I WONTSTOP/CANTSTOP.

also, i have like 80 looks im gonna be posting at some point soon. VOTE on the best!!

SWEDISH FISH

2011-04-19T08:27:00.001-07:00

Im sorry, but Robyns " bodytalk" series are by far some of the best pop music in the past 10 years.

PHEW, THAT WAS CLOSE!!

2011-04-18T21:52:00.000-07:00

Well, its been awhile since ive posted, so lets see....

I just had two really successful shows, one in jacksonville and one in gainesville. I won best collection at Jacksonville fashion week, which was pretty awesome. Everyone says my dresses in GFW were too short, but do you expect a party girl to wear a robe out?

I want you to check out my website in its entirety and stop by the store!! pick up a shirt, or a couture dress, whatever you like.

Ive been transitioning recently with my boyfriend just moving in. Its weird sharing your space. I have to be conscious of the fact that i leave beer cans everywhere and my sewing room tends to look like some sort of fabric genocide happened there.

I also signed a really cool deal with 330 couture to design a collection for them called 330 by bobbyk. Im pretty excited, as it will allow me to do sooo many cool things.. I know you guys will like it.more details to come soon.

well off to figure out how to organize my office....

BK

Whats new pussycat?

2011-01-21T08:57:00.000-08:00

So, I have a broken foot. It is obvious the universe is telling me to get some work done. Got it- loud and clear.

Im working on 2 collections right now, one for jacksonville fashion week, and one for gainesville. Id like to think they personify me- black and white. very different, polar opposites actually. i cant wait to post some of the finished garments.

I also had a great conversation with a gentleman who does private label production. Im going to start getting these things into stores before i know it. I even think im going to have some stuff to sell at my shows.

creatively, there is ALOT of great music out right now. If you didnt watch the mugler show, you missed the new lady gaga song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io1pXNEYrvk

BOBBYK

recent events

2010-11-02T17:19:00.000-07:00

SOOOOOO

BOBBYK WILL BE SHOWING AT JACKSONVILLE FASHION WEEK!!!!

March 27th, at 7pm. metro park, jacksonville.
Pretty big news. Im super stoked.

THE WEBSTORE IS ALMOST HERE!!!!

Also, pretty big news.

THE NEW COLLECTIONS ARE AWESOME!!!

DAG, yo.

2010-09-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

HAs anybody seen my dear mr. kravitz here? im LOVING this look. I die for those boots.

FINALLY!

2010-09-20T16:57:00.001-07:00

The website is finally getting done by the fabulous chrissy sedgley and the TEASER is up!!!

bobby-k.com

2010-09-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

WOOOHOOO!!!

ITs been a busy couple of weeks, in the best way possible.

Im working with the fabulous Chrissy Sedgley to build a faboosh website and store, and as of last tuesday, got the ability to get my name back online. done.

Cranked out a fabulous photoshoot with Kyle Bromley and Avant Garde salon to get the website up and running sooner than later. done!

I also feel like Ive been under a rock, frankly because the good music fairy just hit me in the face with a baseball bat of good shit. Junior boys?Lindstromm and Christabelle???NEW ROBYN???

I cant wait to show you guys whats happening in my head.

can you hang with me?

2010-08-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

it has been a rough couple of weeks.

A three week lapse in judgement, a collection that im struggling to work on, the little family I have at odds, the prospects of moving have been really overwhelming.

But... I am alive.

Im picking up my boot straps, cutting out all the drama( even though its entertaining), and getting this shit together. I have survived so many things, and I have fought my way up. I made a place for myself. Im not gonna be one of these people who always wish they could have, because Im gonna be someone who will.

BOBBYK news

2010-06-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

Its been a busy few months. about 18 of them.

I used to design a collection like every six months, and then go from there, maybe do a show, maybe have a cocktail party, whatever seemed best at the moment. The last downtime I had was in 2008, things arent slowing down, and im not getting any younger. I decided it was time to either go big or go home. There are alot of things happening in the next couple of months. The BOBBYK webstore will launch in september, in conjunction with my next runway show. The website will prolly launch within the month.Im doing my first mens show in september.

I also want to talk about how effing awesome true blood is going to be this season.

I also wanna thank everyone for their continued support. Im gonna make you proud.

summer

2010-05-10T23:39:00.000-07:00

Im trying to get into summer, i guess i need to dust off those cut off shorts.......

FASHION POSTS: Trend deaths come in 3's

2010-05-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

As we round the corner to another 100% humidity summer, I want to take the time and remember those we lost this year to over exposure and mass production.

1. 80's neon

Dont get me wrong, neon is a great thing. Hunters need it for protection, and Ligers use it to be awesome. The problem here, much like everything else in america, is that its WAY overdone, to the point of nausea. The point is to throwback to the 80s, add a pop of color to your look, or stand out under blacklights. They didnt wear neon like this 20 years ago. Let it go, Let it go.

photo courtest of hotghettomess.com

2. FUR - How did an eastern european neccessity become a staple for sluts to accessorize their tampons? There is something very wrong in FLORIDA when its 99 degrees outside and you see a sorority girl wearing them with jean shorts and a halter top( I hunted facebook for a good 2 hours for a picture and realized sorority girls dont take pictures of their feet- just air kissing.) Unless youre an inuit go-go dancer, dont even attempt it.

I should have known that when a lower socioeconomic class got their hands on this one, it was doomed. Like any good ghetto girl will tell you, "If it aint got eeerings to match, it aint wurf it." I havent seen fur earrings. yet.

3. men wearing womens jeans. heads up boys, the world has caught up.

2010-04-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

Great article from Julian Andrews.

Growing up

2010-04-27T16:48:00.001-07:00

You know, its funny to see how fast life changes.

I recently got out of a relationship, and fell victim to the pitfalls of loneliness that generally is attached to it. I cant honestly bare the sensation of knowing that I dont have that other person. Sure, I could have fuck buddies and friends around, but just the missing of that partner for me is the hardest thing in this world. I havent been really, truly single since i was 16, so to imagine as a grown man what its like to really enjoy yourself without another person was just not possible, especially with the looming fear of not finishing my line for the biggest runway show of my life.

I worked really hard on my runway show for Gainesville fashion week, and was regularly missing sleep and meals. To deal with a breakup at the same time literally pushed me to my limits.

The show was a success, and every article that was published was amazing. I admit I had a crying spell after reading some, just knowing how much emotion and energy was spent for the shred of acceptance that it brings. This happened while I was washing dishes, which made the moment sooooo Joan Crawford( im convinced I should have been standing on a little girl as a stool to seal the deal).

My friend Natalie came into the kitchen and was like " what happened?", and all I could do was stammer praises for all of the people involved with GFW. All she had to say was " Bobby, you deserved it.", and I realized how special the people in my life truly are and honestly, how awesome it is to build your own family. You are the people around you, and its important to keep good company. Lesson learned.

Thank god I hate boys.

2010-04-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

Check out this link to all of the press from the Gainesville Sun.

2010-04-21T07:08:00.000-07:00

Heres some cool pics from the alligator!

2010-04-21T07:04:00.000-07:00

Heres a GEM from back in the day, ya know, 2009.

2010-04-21T06:57:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, here is the link to the video from my most recent runway show. Im no roger corman, but it does the trick.

2010-04-11T10:00:00.000-07:00

Heres the link to an AWESOME review from Insite magazine- THANKS GUYS!!

Form or Disfunction?

2010-04-01T14:24:00.000-07:00

Fashion design is not an easy job, folks.

I interviewed an intern candidate last year, and to my surprise, wasn't surprised at all. When I asked him about his sewing experience, his response was " sewing? I thought you just made people look good and drank all the time." While one of those things may be true in my case, playing dress up and raiding your sisters closet is NOT design.

I always find it funny when someone says they are " more fashionable" or a " designer". These terms are thrown around so loosely these days, they tend to become slightly diluted.

With fashion week LITERALLY days away, I cant begin to say how proud I am of my former intern Kenneth McCraney for debuting his first collection. He has spent so many tireless hours, sewing until dawn to make our shows happen. Its awesome to see him coming into his own. As designers, the one drawback you find, and one that can become quickly defeating, are the people that advertise themselves as "designers". All they tend to do is rummage the thrift store and porn shops to slap together some hell-acious disaster. We can quickly become categorized with these WABs, but they dont put the blood, sweat, and tears that we do into seeing our vision come together, and there is nothing more rewarding than seeing something go from your head to the runway.

It would be like telling a teacher that the internet is doing a better job than they are.

With that off my chest, heres to an AWESOME GAINESVILLE FASHION WEEK!!!

FASHION POST:track suits and lipstick

2010-03-28T16:31:00.000-07:00

I dont endorse track suits. How many have you actually seen on a track? If you were to wear it on a track, would it need to be velour , and would you need to be in full hair and makeup?

A few weeks ago, I was at the gym next to the treadmills and was literally staring at the girls next to me. They were both in club wear, wearing flip-flops( white) and literally looked like they were having wedding photos done, due to there WHORE-endous updos's and makeup. I was gagging because they were both hosed in marc jacobs perfume. I was mesmerized. I couldnt believe someone would take the time to " get ready" to go to the gym like that. I looked over at her speed to see how fast one can walk in platform flip-flops. She was walking at .5, meaning not even "1" speed. how tragic. I pause my ipod so I can listen in on these bitches ramble, and this plastic bitch is explaining to her friend that if she doesnt get her grades up her mother is going to CUT HER CLOTHING ALLOWANCE!OMGLOLZ! Her friend tries to contort her face into pity, when the girl says" UH MU GOD! HE IS SSOOOOO LOUD!" talking about me working out next to them. I was like " YOU ARE AT A GYM. IT IS LOUD." She freaked because she didnt realize that sound travels.

MY point is that, if you must dress frumpy, look frumpy. Dont try and cute it up. If you need to look frumpy, smack a belt on a tank, throw on some big sunglasses, rat your hair up a little bit, like really look casual. Grasp the concept of what youre doing. Dont look like a pageant queen about to run some cancer charity 5k in full hair and makeup. Its not called " make down" for a reason.

The Case of the EX

2010-03-26T18:54:00.000-07:00

I often wonder the legitimacy of " ex" relations. Do you try to be nice, even though you want to choke them? How passive IS passive aggression?

I am the worst boyfriend ever. I love the notion of having a boyfriend, but when it boils down to it, I either attract jerks or I expect to much. I want a compassionate, caring, attentive guy who understands the mutual masachism that being in a relationship brings.

I always end up dating some apathetic introvert that gets his feeling hurt by my need to go out and dance, or have friends over. I CANT SIT STILL. What can I do?

Im too creative to handle jerks. I just had to sit through watching my haggard old friends stare at me, as if I had committed some crime and wiggled my way out of justice.

So my official stance on ex's is this: If you cant handle the bobbyk, you should probably go fuck yourself. I can make a wedding dress out of a curtain!

KE$HA

2010-03-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was a rats nest and a little boy. The little boy decided one day that he should place the nest upon his head and suddenly, he became voltron. Or the guyver or something, but most importantly, he looked like this bitch kE$HA. THE FACT THAT I HAVE TO HIT THE SHIFT KEY TO TYPE THAT ANGERS ME.

I am a fine taster of pop music, a conniseur if you will. I have tasted every britney b-side, every rare madonna remix of " holiday", and have taken like a pup to the teet over Lady Gaga, so I KNOW POP MUSIC. I turned on my TV tonight to have some ambient noise, and thooought I heard " rupauls drag race", since I clearly heard a feminine man complaining through song about something. When I ran into the living room, it was actually this bitch singing. To my surprise, this tranny was trying to be a few things she ought not try:
a. a woman
b. edgy/manly( or hardcore)
c. dirty?

I just want you to know something KE$HA, seriously, from the bottom of my heart. Lady gaga and Justin Beiber are TRYING TO FIX SHIT AROUND HERE. MAKE IT PALATABLE. TAKE A BATH. FIND A CHURCH. Dont fuck it up for us.