I know we're not supposed to laugh at costumes any more....

[shimarella]

The thing is that I love that outfit whether or not it was meant to be comedy....

The point about couture being outrageous is so true! It's meant to be "love it or hate it"... and then we'll see what the trickle-down effect is on "regular design"...

[latriamou]

i like the bird eman costume. i think it is totally outrageous, which is why i like it. of course i would look fuggly in black and yellow.. but if it was in purple.. with some tan short underneath....... but that's my style. i may not have loads of outrageous costumes but it's nice to have one or two once in a while. there are some costumes that i look at and think... is there a silver rim from an SUV dangling on the front edge of that bra????? but to each his own. as long as i am not being forced to wear it and that costume is making that dancer feel like princess sparkle, what's the harm?

[latriamou]

... sorry... to each HER own, not his.... is this work day over yet...

[kina]

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Exactly -- I'm sure you've seen it, Andrea.
I actually put "YES, this was comedy" on the pic itself so that wherever it goes the info goes with it.




wait...dude....did I just post MYSELF on the UBDC thread?!?

I love this costume and how it looks on you, nothing wrong with it, but I agree, it needs a "special" venue,

and yes, you did put yourself in the UBDC.

Taste is subjective.

[Shaunte]

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Exactly -- I'm sure you've seen it, Andrea.
I actually put "YES, this was comedy" on the pic itself so that wherever it goes the info goes with it.




wait...dude....did I just post MYSELF on the UBDC thread?!?

Lauren I really don't think that this is an UBDC. It's not my style or anything I would wear or could pull off, because I'm 5'4 and I don't have the figure that I think this costume calls for. I think you rocked it though! Very Pucci-esque (always comes back to fashion for me) You're totally owning the costume in this picture and I actually wish it didn't have the caption about being a comedy-kinda takes away the fire a little bit as if you're justifying it.

From what I can tell the costume is well-made, fits you PERFECTLY, and is paired great with the bra and belt. It's a fun costume and it looks like you were having a lot of fun in it! I can feel the confidence there. That's what it's all about

I agree that unless you're in Egypt (where this would be perfectly fine) it calls for a specific venue.

Originally Posted by LILI GAMAL

EMAN IS A PRO........ Her costumes are off the hook........ the bird costume is cute!!!!!!!!! Not for evrybody though.so please haters don't cry and stop making voodoo dolls!!!
I'm not a pharaonics lady anyways .that's why I sold all of them.my wardrobe is made of Sahar's and Emans..........

..

no one is hating and making voodoo dolls, whatever that means.

pro's don't keep people waiting for costumes and then come in the wrong size.

[Shaunte]

Originally Posted by LILI GAMAL

SHAUNTE................... I AGREE WITH YOU IN EVERy SINGLE POSSIBLE WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love outrageous costumes...... the least the best.......

EMAN IS A PRO........ Her costumes are off the hook........ the bird costume is cute!!!!!!!!! Not for evrybody though.so please haters don't cry and stop making voodoo dolls!!!
I'm not a pharaonics lady anyways .that's why I sold all of them.my wardrobe is made of Sahar's and Emans..........

I had my wardrobe malfunction times.I laugh at all of them. but I liked every single one of them........

Hey Marcela!!!!!!
I Love that you always keep your sense of humor!

BTW; Maybe, just maybe I'm getting cranky, but I really am getting a bit tired of the designer name craze.
I'm detecting a slight bit of
"I'm a bit better than you 'cause I only wear "insert your fav. designer here
What I'm saying is I don't want to see a bird trend, like the cut out trend.
It's becoming over the top,
In My Opinion.
You ladies want to wear bird feathers, and cut outs up the ass, go for it.
But if someone doesn't like it, well, that's a matter of taste.
I'm not hating or making voodoo dolls.

[Shaunte]

Originally Posted by *maria*

BTW; Maybe, just maybe I'm getting cranky, but I really am getting a bit tired of the designer name craze.
I'm detecting a slight bit of
"I'm a bit better than you 'cause I only wear "insert your fav. designer here

Hmmm, not sure where that is coming from. Actually one of my favorite costumes was made by an unknown designer.

[latriamou]

my favorite costume of all time is not a designer name. i will never sell it. i bought it from another dancer.. i think it was a rising star or something like that. i never paid attention, it is a perfect fit and i feel wonderful in it.. it's on my business cards.
i am guilty of being designer crazed.. but not so much because this is an eman or a sahar, but for the way it fits or the originality. i would love to see a "no-name" with something gorgeous and i would buy it. but if someone starts coming up with great costumes, do they stay a "no-name" for long.
and i mean no offense by "no-name" it's just shorter than non-designer-brand-label costume.

[Lauren_]

Wow, such strong reactions on all sides.

For the record, since I was the one who posted the yellow bird Eman, I love Eman's designs for the most part. I don't have a single favorite designer, but if I were forced to choose one, it would probably be Eman. That doesn't mean I have to love every piece of fabric she ever touches.

Criticizing one costume is completely different from critizing the designer.

[Shaunte]

Originally Posted by latriamou

my favorite costume of all time is not a designer name. i will never sell it. i bought it from another dancer.. i think it was a rising star or something like that. i never paid attention, it is a perfect fit and i feel wonderful in it.. it's on my business cards.
i am guilty of being designer crazed.. but not so much because this is an eman or a sahar, but for the way it fits or the originality. i would love to see a "no-name" with something gorgeous and i would buy it. but if someone starts coming up with great costumes, do they stay a "no-name" for long.
and i mean no offense by "no-name" it's just shorter than non-designer-brand-label costume.

That's also my feeling when it comes to costumes. Of course Eman is gonna get my attention, because she is my favorite designer. And if there was no such thing as "Eman Zaki" and I saw her designs out there, I would still by them! But then again I agree that the costumes would get attention and she would become a known name within the dance community, so it's probably a moot point.

BTW, I still browse Swap Meet and Ebay for something that is gonna grab my attention and it's not for Eman, because I can get it directly from her.

[Shaunte]

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Criticizing one costume is completely different from critizing the designer.

Agree, but I think discussing how Eman needs to be reigned in qualifies.

Just to put it out there, the reason that I made the original post is because I felt like there needed to be another perspective here. Just to clarify once again I don't expect everyone to like every Eman design, regardless if she's a favorite or not. I don't personally like everything that she has put out. Some just don't appeal to me. That bird costume is a love it or hate it costume absolutely. If she had used a pelican head for example, I wouldn't like it either! But knowing Eman I know she put a lot of thought into it, and she didn't just put it together for shock value. Although I can't speak for Eman, I hope I helped at least a little to get that point across.

[badriya_al_ahmar]

Originally Posted by Lauren_

We hadn't had a UBDC thread in a while (that's Ugly Belly Dance Costumes if you're new here) so I thought it might be forbidden. I feel sorry for the poor explodiing crotch costume, but I ain't wearin' it!

Can we PLEASE talk honestly about this one? It's an Eman, but hey, everyone's entitled to a heinous mistake. I can't believe no one's said anything, even though it was in Dahlal's newsletter and everything.

(snip image)

I just edited what I originally wrote here, because after reading more of the thread I felt like a jerk. To me, it's not a successful costume in photos in the black and yellow because the contrast is just too strong and the feathers look a little artsy craftsy to me, but I am quite willing to believe that it would look different in person. I do think the embroidery on the skirt is gorgeous.

and from my original, unedited post:

I really, really like her other bird costumes though, the more pharaonic ones. I could never wear the color, but I love the design of the green Pharaonic Eagle on the front page.

[naiyahayal]

Wow! To think that one costume lit all these fires! Just to add a few more thoughts:

First, I'm a Leo. GENERALLY speaking, we love attention. Some Leos like the bad kind of attention, some like the good kind. EVEN if we are deadly shy underneath. I took an F in college for a course because I couldn't read my final paper, but it was costumes (whether elegant, conservative or outrageous) that got me out of that very lonely place. My passion is for classic and modern Egyptian style. But I also love doing comedy in good taste. And I posted in a thread that comedy must have a solid base of technique and intent in order to pull it off. Otherwise, it's just silly or doesn't work. I bought this costume because I felt there would eventually be the perfect event for it. It is obviously noted suited to every venue. This is an outrageous costume, of course, but it is in no way vulgar. (I think most Bhuzzers have some middle ground where they agree on what generally constitues vulgarity. The turkish snake is a great example) In my case, for MY PERSONAL TASTE, I feel the need to close what I guess are called "ass-outs" on Bnuz. Because I know I personally can't pull it off, even in comedy. I personally hate anything that in my opinon even hints at vulgarity or coarseness. AND SORRY FOR "SCREAMING", BUT I'M NOT SURE ANYONE IS HEARING ME THAT I WAS NOT OFFENDED THAT SO MANY OF YOU DIDN'T LIKE IT, OR THOUGHT IT WAS HYSTERICAL, OUTRAGEOUS, WHATEVER, I SPECIFICALLY SAID IT WAS THE COARSENESS, INSENSITIVITY, VULGARITY OF LANGUAGE, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, I MEAN IT WAS LIKE VENOM, THAT WAS USED TO DESCRIBE THOSE OPINIONS--and no matter what you say, it does imply that the dancer who bought it is described in those terms as well. I felt a "holier than thou" undertone. I agree with Lauren, if I'm going to wear something like that, I should be prepared for the shock and not have a chip on my shoulder. I didn't! AND, PLEASE, PLEASE HEAR ME--I read the apologies for the WAY in which the opinions were expressed, and I thank you for that, I truly do, I appreciate it. I am not one to "sulk and stomp my feet," that's just silly. ... am I running out of space?

[naiyahayal]

.....okay, I'm going to start another related thread.....have I earned the points now to do that? Since I haven't been here that long, maybe it's been done .... well, then you can shut me down..... but I'm just dying to start this ....

...and I still like the costume ....how 'bout if I post a video clip when it's finally danced in? Then we can all have at it, including me!

I am glad that it generated so much heat....
I was starting to feel like a "thread-killler" .... usually when I post something, the thread dies.......no one is interested ..... this one opened a can of snakes ....

[Shaunte]

Originally Posted by badriya_al_ahmar

I just edited what I originally wrote here, because after reading more of the thread I felt like a jerk. To me, it's not a successful costume in photos in the black and yellow because the contrast is just too strong and the feathers look a little artsy craftsy to me, but I am quite willing to believe that it would look different in person.

I can respect that. You may not even like it in person, but I can assure you that it takes on a completely different look in person. The colors are extremely rich. She uses the rich dark (blue, green, purple) peacock colors in the beading for the bra. It's actually very elegant close-up and the black feathers have a shine to them. Each one btw is attached to the costume with a single jewel at the stem.

[Shaunte]

Originally Posted by naiyahayal

.....okay, I'm going to start another related thread.....have I earned the points now to do that? Since I haven't been here that long, maybe it's been done .... well, then you can shut me down..... but I'm just dying to start this ....

...and I still like the costume ....how 'bout if I post a video clip when it's finally danced in? Then we can all have at it, including me!

I am glad that it generated so much heat....
I was starting to feel like a "thread-killler" .... usually when I post something, the thread dies.......no one is interested ..... this one opened a can of snakes ....

Naiya, you know I'm dying to see it!

[naiyahayal]

By the way, I did consider dying it -- I also thought it would be pretty in another color .....

But then how would you recognize an exploding canary when you saw it?


PS -- Shaunte, glad you brought up the beadwork, it's very delicate -- you really can't see it on the monitor, and those really pretty crystals. I think I'll keep my outrageous, thought-provoking, inflammatory costume. Starting to loooooove it even more

[naiyahayal]

OK -- I just started a thread about what constitutes vulgarity in a costume ..
if it hasn't been discussed before, can we do it now? Not two camps with
one side being accused of snooty designer standards and the other accused of being unappreciati