Who is WebMistress
Melissa ***
Why is she going to AIP?
*** What's
the money really
going towards?
Who is WebMistress Melissa?
I am WebMistress Melissa- the creator, owner, and fashion/web designer of X's For Eyes: Alternative Clothing and Accessories. Here is my bio (IE worthless information about myself) for those curious
Name:
Melissa
Personal Email:
fashionvixen@xsforeyes.net
Personal Website:
http://www.geocities.com/x_fools_devotion_x (it's not up yet, don't bother)
Internet Journal:
http://www.deadjournal.com/users/fools_devotion
Birthdate & Age:
7/24/1984 -- 19yrs
Birth Sign:
Leo/Cancer
Height:5'6"
Weight: 130 lbs
Eye Color:
orange/amber, sorta like a cat's eyes
Hair: straight,
almost to my ass, and black
Current Location of Residence:
Sterling, Illinois
HS Graduate Year:
2002
Current Employment:
Professional Sales Representative (That's a
fancy name for a telemarketer)
Religious Affiliation:
a mixture of many various things- mostly Buddhist/Wicca/Pagan
Musical Interests: KMFDM, Bile, Razed in Black, Babes in Toyland, Placebo, Pigface, Tori Amos, ohGr, Skinny Puppy, Switchblade Symphony, Jack Off Jill, Bjork, Rasputina, Genitorturers, Bauhaus, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Placebo, Kidney Thieves, Portishead, Bjork, Snake River Conspiracy, Prick, NIN, Joy Divison, Type O Negative, Dimmu Borgir, Interpol, Otep, The Prodigy, David Bowie, Blur, Radiohead, Danzig, Old Mans Child, Mindless Self Indulgence, The Residents
Personal Interests:
Industrial music, collage art, sewing, photography, Sushi, kitties, video
games, RPGs, anime,
catholic stuff, Dance Dance Revolution, tarot cards, angel statues,
neon
colors, Hello Kitty, Victorian decorations,
theology, creepy artwork, shiny things, body modification, Japanese culture, fantasy
literature,
cemeteries, non-conformity, corsets, thought provoking movies, 80s new
wave, ebay, second hand stores, psychology, unnatural colored hair, fur - vinyl
- leather - lace, animal rights, pro choice,
Why
is she going to the Art Institute of Portland?
Well, ever since late junior high and early high school I have made and altered my own clothing. I never was really satisfied by the normal style of dress so I was determined to make my own. Eventually I realized that the style I best fit was gothic, a mixture of all aspects- Victorian, Lolita, kinderwhore, cyber, and fetish. A few years later Hottopic boomed for all the little kiddies and I decided it was blasphemy. I was so SICK of having only one store to go to with overpriced cookie cutter designs that EVERYONE and their mother was wearing. I mean, the very definition of the store's name- a hot topic- a trend... They're taking a 20+ year old counter culture (gothic) and making it a trend. Gag.
That's when I started X's For Eyes. I dedicated my site to selling high quality but decently priced altered, original design, and retail clothing & accessories. Aimed directly for various counter cultures and alternative lifestyles.
Of course you can only go so far with the minimal knowledge of self-taught sewing. I quickly realized I needed real guidance and experience in the fashion industry to be able to produce my designs on any professional level. That's when I decided to go to the Art Institute of Portland OR for apparel design.
Why did I choose Portland and the Art Institute of Portland specifically?
Portland is a large city, yet still retains the natural wilderness aspects. Unlike dirty grungy Chicago
The mass transit and public transportation is one of the best in the US. No car maintenance or gas expenses.
My friend MissVanity lives there, and offered me a place to stay. So I won't be completely on my own alone and I don't have to worry over room and board
There's a thriving local fashion design scene - I can get an internship easily
AIP is a highly accredited college for fashion/apparel design
It also has a very high job placement rating for apparel design graduates
The teachers actually work in the industry- they know exactly
what I need to know and how to develop my talent and how to apply it towards
my career goal
Eventually with what I learn I will be able to get my foot in
the door to the fashion world. While I'm working for some other company, I'll be
able to start making a lot of my own designs for XFE.net on my down time. Eventually
with a lot of persistent work I will open my OWN physical store where I sell my own
designs- and then help other budding fashion artists of the same design style
get on their feet by showcasing and selling their work as well.
What do the purchases and donations really go towards?
Like I said, right now I live in Sterling IL. Portland OR is 2,000 miles away- a 30 hour drive. I don't have a car, I don't really drive, and there isn't anyone available to drive for me so I plan on taking a plane out to Portland and having only my essentials (computer, sewing machine, clothing, and CDs) shipped out to me via UPS. Until I get settled out there every extra penny, nickel, and dime I make goes towards my plane ticket, shipping costs, and purchasing the things I will need while I'm out there- a bed, a dresser, etc. Currently I'm working full time as a telemarketer... but $6.50 an hour doesn't go very far. Personally I think such pay for such a horrid job... I'm being robbed. We can all thank Mr. Bush for the crumbling economy and therefore my failure to find a more suitable, better paying job. But hopefully going to college will fix my personal employment problems.
Anyways, my living quarters in Portland are being provided by my good friend MissVanity so rent is not an issue. I'll just be the cleaning bitch for a while.
Now after I am settled in, we have the little issue of college tuition. Private art colleges aren't free. I've already looked into FAFSA and other financial aid services... They don't get me very far due to my father's income. Of course my family is helping me out as much as possible but I will still have about $25,000 worth of debt in my name- and that's only for 2 years Associates Degree for Apparel Design. If I choose to go another 2 years to get a full Bachelors Degree then double that.
I'm going to get a part time job while I'm out there, obviously. But considering the expenses of food, public transportation, personal expenses, and eventually I would like to contribute to rent... I'm still going to be paying out my poor little ears. $25,000 is a lot of money for a 19 year old to owe. Any tiny bit of help would be greatly appreciated.
SO BUY MY STUFF!