Need I say more?

Do I really need to blog on this? This has been a three day feat and quite frankly I feel like my job here is done. Pictures tells stories so with that...jag saint joi - making of a lifestyle

I'll take two of those...

Ok, I'm done making you wait...Ok ok, just get off me, GET OFF Me. I'll show you...dang! Relax *lol*

Actually, I was done about a week ago, sorry it took so long to post the blog. Sometimes coming up with a blog can be difficult when your mind is everywhere...nonetheless, it's here! I took so long because I love being in control of anticipation. Shhh, but the truth is...I love you guys company, I really do, you should come more often.

But anyhow, you know how I always say that I never know what I want to create, but I always have a vision. I initially planned on using wooden buttons, *toggle buttons* for this jacket. I was looking to do something unethical, out of the ordinary maybe a long trench with a nautical feel, something high-end; jag saint joi'ish. Although that "vision" didn't necessarily happen the way I intended, something even better came of it. In the process of heading to the city to run some errands I walked pass this zipper store in the fashion district, so I went in to entertain the curiosity *curiousity killed the cat but I'm a beast so I had no worries*. I must say this is the part of creating that I love the most; being able to walk into a store unwarranted and picking up hardware and accessories that can change the entire dynamic of a garment: bliss! I appreciate the craft to the fullest to say the least.

Well, back to the story. I stopped into the store with no idea what to get *well I had an inkling* but not that much of an inkling. I was in here lost, but through it all I looked up and found myself focused on...zippers, huh, zippers? No, I want buttons...wooden buttons. Soooo, I grabbed a red zipper, a drawstring for the hoodie (oops, I think I just spoiled it)...and the rest is pretty much history.

So, what do you think? You like? Because I LOVE IT! Don't lie to yourself...this jacket is DOPE and I made sure of it.

Its jag saint joi...making of a lifestyle, it’s soo difficult to suppress this passion to create a style that is essential for breath. I guess I try to articulate a lifestyle for everybody but I am coming to realize that...It ain't for everybody!

OK....I will post the rest of the pics tomorrow. There's more details because the details are ALWAYS in the garment...did you think that was it? Silly kid, this is what I was destined to do.

Construction Zone...Men at Work

Halfway there! Are you guys still with me? This is when the story really begins. This is when I began messing up and things start to get dicey. Blood is boiling and frustration is peaking. I don’t even think words on paper *or screen* can even explain how mad I am at this point. Why is this NOT coming out right? Why does this look like trash? I don’t even care anymore, lol *baby temper-tantrum, you know how you tell yourself you don’t care but in actuality you are maaaaadddd), well yea I was mad, lol!

This is day 2 and I needed to finish this! I must finish this. Well, nope, not happening! Clearly my sewing machine had it out for me, it was not cooperating nor was my idea coming to fruition. I had spent days and probably wasted a roll of thread on nothing. I had nothing to show but a pinned up garment, a garment that wasn’t even dope (at the time). It was so standard, lol, I give up; I need to just start over.

...WHAT!!!! Quit and start from scratch, umm no! Sometimes you have to make the “best” out of a bad situation. So I did just that! I made the “best” jacket I’ve probably ever made out of a poorly constructed garment. My motivation is sometimes stemmed from my will to be meticulous, prideful and a perfectionist. “I know I can do this, I had a vision and if I don’t complete it - it would have forever been a failed mission.” So, now I have to finish what I sought out to do.

The previous weekend I met a very dope guy by the name of Tafiq...dope guy! He said dude, “designing is problem solving and when you have solved the consumers problem you have design!” *screwed up face with confusion written all over it* that is just silly! Ok, this blog is done, that statement alone is something that should carry you through next week. Catch me tomorrow, I’m done, no really, I’m done. jag saint joi...making of a lifestyle. *drops mic and walks away*

Get Fresh Campaign - Pt. 1

Random Person: Sir, I love your shirt it’s really nice
Me: *Frazzled and in a complete daze* Thank you, Thank you very much. I really appreciate it

...Yep, you guessed it, that’s it, that’s all that happened *confused face*. I said nothing in repsonse but thank you. Can you believe that? Me? Said NOTHING? Weird?


So many things could have stemmed from that compliment but since I was caught off guard and completely shocked, I missed the opportunity. Did I just allowed this moment to past me? I think I did *guess you can’t live in the moment forever...so I didn’t*. Don't get me wrong, it's not that it took that compliment to make me realized this jag saint joi is dope; it took my inability at that moment to sell facts to a complete stranger, a stranger that was obviously digging by my designs *drops head*Ok, that was random *it was a soft spot*, lol, but back to jag saint joi. Do you remember the floral shorts I posted in “Sniff sniff, Ahhh...I smell Fresh"? Well, after I finished those floral shorts, I started a new piece. I told myself I would take my time with this piece, no games! It has to dope...this has to be another classic peice!


Remember the second piece of fabric that I purchased from "For the love of Fabric" post? This fabric is the same crazy upholstery fabric, something not meant to be worn on a human’s body, lol. I laid the pattern out and unrolled the fabric...

A.O. (Lil Bro): Man, this is crazy how you’re creating something from this.

Me: From what?

A.O.: Nothing, a flat piece of fabric!

Me: *Laughs and continues to cut...can’t let spectators mess up the flow, lol*

I’m on a roll and the way this fabric is laid out I didn’t have enough fabric to finish off the top of my sleeve *blood is boiling*.

Me: Bro what should I do, i'm out of fabric

A.O.: I don’t know

Me: Oh, Oh...I’ll use the denim I copped from "Ring around my collar" post

A.O.: Yea, that’ll be dope (You have to remember he’s the King of Cool)

I continue to cut and the creative juices are flowing. I decided that I would make a jacket; despite the color combination I will wear it this fall and spring. The idea I had in my head was an ummmm, a mid-thigh length safari jacket, some sick hardware and collar, leather trimming with a waistband drawstring. Oh my goodnesss!!! This will be insane. *how do I could up with this stuff, I have NO clue but I do, lol*. I begin to cut out the fabric...ok, ok; scissors to fabric, there’s no turning back now.

For the love of Fabric...

Please forgive me...crazy week and weekend. Traveling for work, lil bro was in-town and he was able to witness greatness from jag saint joi first-hand and I must say he came to my town and showed me around, lol. Thanks Bro! But, crazy things popped of this week (end), something that I could not even make up if I wanted to. Funny how word-of-mouth is still the greatest form of marketing.

Well, I’m convinced this is what I was cut out to do, you know...sewing, creating and designing. When I can go into a fabric store because I’m bored and leave with an unconventional fabric, a fabric that was woven for something totally different than the purpose I used it for...that’s when you become a designer: improvise. It baffles me to this day that this innate talent was suppressed for 20+ years, it’s all good because I’m a firm believer that nothing is given to you before your time or even before your mental capacity has the ability to accept and appreciate it. And with that said...






The same day I bought the fabric for my floral shorts, I kinda didn’t tell the whole story *shy’s away*. I bought more fabric! I purposely kept this a secret but I KNEW it was going to turn out to be something incredible*Safe to say...it is*. So I pulled my camera out to take a picture and mistakenly started to record. EUREKA!!!! *It’s time to switch the blog up. Try something new, step into 2010*

So over the next few days I will sporadically post pictures and videos of the piece I’m working on as a mini-series to display creation and concept of making a dope garment. I am going to let you sit on pins and needles for a day as I breakdown this epic season in a series of dopeness...trust, grab some popcorn *stand up kettle corn lovers* this right here is the making of

...jag saint joi...I’m so sincere about this I get cold chills in 100 degree weather.

Sniff sniff, ahhh...FRESH

...Sometimes you gotta stop and smell the roses. I did, but this time I decided to wear them. Yep, I said it! I wore them. I challenged myself last week, time was my opponent. The challenge was to time myself on how fast I could finish a piece, a dope piece. I put so much time into my pieces that I’ve never timed myself. I had a 3-4 hour window to sew something to wear for a rooftop party I had to go to on Friday. *yea, I know I’m fancy huh, lol*

Well, I got caught up in the store; fabric store that is...to the point where I was looking for fabric in the upholstery section of the joint *who shops there but grandma’s looking to re-upholster their chairs*

I was lost like an American tourist in Brazil during carnival: travesty. But during my impromptu detour in the wrong section of the fabric store, my creative 6th sense kicked in...I immediately stepped back, dropped my head in deep thought, envisioned and BOOM, I grab a canvas piece of fabric; “Excuse me ma’am can I have 2 yards of this, thanks”.

She looks at me and asks “why are you so excited?”

I responded, “Give me 3 reasons not to be happy and I’ll buy all the fabric you have in this store.” She laughed and cut my 2 yards...

As I’m leaving the store she yells,” I want to see what you make out of it and she laughs!” And me being me, I laughed, looked back, pointed at her laptop and said goggle me and I’ll show you everyone else who’s wearing it...

I get home and the heat is on, I started cutting my fabric at 3pm and at 6:23pm I was ironing my floral print shorts with leather trim, took a pic, hopped in the shower on the 25th hour and made it to the rooftop party. Trekked all the way there just so the guy at the door could tell me...”sir at 9pm we have a strict dress code and I will have to ask you to leave at that time.” I said, "that’s fine!"

Safe to say, in NY dress codes don’t apply when dopeness is the standard, I left the party at my will at 12am.

Jag saint joi...join the movement or watch me move!

Parallel Universe...

It’s too often that I hop the train to the city when I go on excursions and embark on different ventures; aimlessly walking through the city. I’m mostly trekking to fabric stores, an event or what I like to call “randomium”. But during the train ride it's like I immediately put myself in someone else’s shoes or even back in my own; sort of like an out-of-body experience: surreal. During these train rides I feel like I’m completely out of control of what happens between my pick up and drop off location. I start as a blank canvas, go through this tunnel, an underground world where nothing is seen but yet and still I look out the window...thinking, wondering, meditating about what...what could be or what WILL be. Am I the only one that does that...looks out the window and wonders? *Maybe so, but you’re not cooler than me. I take that back we’re all cool in our own way, I just think my cool is slightly cooler, lol*

This ride feels like a parallel universe! I LOVE and wish I could experience this daily because when I’m in this underground world, creativity re-invents itself and the left side of the brain kicks into gear like adrenaline before a foot race, big speech or what about when the girl/guy next door that everybody likes actually acknowledges your presence: optimism.

It’s actually soothing knowing that for once I don’t have to think for someone else, think if the driver next to me will hop lanes, I can blur out the background noise and close my eyes without repercussions. I enjoy the sounds of people, experiencing their fashion choices, like a conglomerate of ideas...overjoy at its finest.

By the time I’ve reach my stop, I’ve reached a capacity that requires a camera to envision and capture the essence of this underground world, this parallel universe I’ve created on this full canvas that was blank at the start: collage...the making of a lifestyle...jag saint joi. It ain't for everybody.

Oh, after the excursion...I went to the fabric store. One word: Suede!

Allow me to re-introduce myself...

Hello, my name is jag saint joi and I’m addicted to FLY!

I guess all good things don’t have to come to an end. So, I thought it was time for me to start “fresh”...I guess I’ll go ahead and re-introduce myself *smiles hard*. Ok, I’m done! I think that’s more than enough fresh for the day *smiles and tilts head in innocence*.

Why re-introduce myself? Well, a lot has happened over the last few months and I’ve learned a lot and did more than I thought I could. Lived in the moment, stepped back watch the moment pass, jumped at the moment, got pushed back... I’ve done it all. Turned over a few leaves and met awesome people, got re-acquainted with my love for fashion and art. Found inspiration and it flowed through my body and shook my nerves; you know, like a cold chill on a 98-degree day: abnormality.

But often times for me, through this journey these types of things are needed. It assists in my creativity. Helps to be sad, mad, lonely and depressed – happy, blessed, favored and vehement in my daily disciplines of overachieving. It helps create the inner tenacity, the tenacity hidden deep down in the pits of my soul.

But what better way then to re-create jag saint joi...I’m here! I’ve “blurred out the background” and went through some “transgressions” but through it all my “happy place” is where I found the “ring around my collar”, threw on a neck tie for my big day, you know..the re-introduction ceremony. I can feel it like a blind man feels his way through life...touching and feeling the seams and hems of a garment to find that one "fresh" piece; that’s why I create “fresh” pieces because with both eyes close you’d still “feel” jag saint joi...CATCH UP YO, whew! I’m done.