i won't be weird i'll be whatever what you want me to be

(RP Encore headpiece, Topshop velvet dress, Jeffrey Campbell Climber boots, vintage wool poncho)

Some people love to wear new things immediately..I am the opposite (to a fault), I have to wait to feel like I'm in the exact mood to wear something. Colin had been egging me on to break this headpiece out for a few months and we finally came upon the perfect place to shoot it while running around one of the canyons by our place in San Diego. Although arguably a happened upon tepee is the perfect place to take pictures of anything. RP Encore is a fascinating label, as in one of those sites you click on that makes you stop and stare to figure out exactly what is going on. The idea behind designer Reid Peppard's designs reminds me of American Beauty's Ricky Fitts' take on ordinary or grisly sights taking your breath away if you just take the time to see them right (I'm sure everyone remembers the plastic bag scene):

Ricky Fitts: I was filming this dead bird.
Angela Hayes: Why?
Ricky Fitts: Because it's beautiful.

That scene pretty much inspired the entirety of my interest in photography, and is probably why I take way too many shots of like, the ground and broken things. Anyway, Reid uses animals that have already suffered their fates and transforms them into everything from cufflinks to necklaces. This is of course visually upsetting to some people and some of the pieces may be hard to translate into daily wear, possibly including this headpiece she sent me, as much as I may love it. But the final message I get from her work is the possibility of finding and creating beauty from unlikely sources. Check out this Huffington post article here if you remain curious.