Fashion Diary | Andrea Mai

LIFE UPDATE: EVP DURING QUARANTINE – May 11, 2020

I’ve been so busy here, filling orders for face masks. The days seem to melt together and I wake up confused about what day it is. One morning, I woke p from a dream where I was in a car, travelling through a tunnel, and there were theses raised sidewalks along the tunnel walls, there were racks of clothes for sale, like a street market, there were signs that said 11-11. When we reached the end of the tunnel, we were in a major city, perhaps New York. I honestly don’t know what this dream could mean, But that morning happened to be on the morning of May 11th.

I try to fill the orders as quickly as I can, because I know that these are people on the other end, waiting desperately for masks. I feel honoured that people choose to buy from me, and that I am able to offer up my skills for a worthwhile cause at this time. The struggle is real though. Most people will have no idea what a task it’s been to acquire supplies during corona lockdown. Trying to purchase fine quality fabrics; Shopping online, I’ll put things in my cart, but by the time I am ready to check out, items will be sold out. Elastics: I’ve attempted to purchase on five different occasions. Items do not arrive as expected, and I am having to keep searching for other suppliers that can deliver faster. I am having to pay for shipping and inflated prices for things that are normally not that highly valued.

I have not had time to review EVP very much lately. But I am still recording. It is only today that I did not have so many orders, that I can make this post. I got some interesting EVP clips while I was outside walking to the mailbox.

These clips are recorded outside, so they are not necessarily the best sound quality. But I have tested them on my laptop speakers and I can hear them without headphones just fine. They are repeated on loop.

Here, someone says, “Quarantine”. I wonder the the spirits are thinking about this pandemic? Especially after so many deaths have occurred in such short time…

Here is P saying “Hello”.

Someone offered P an orange, “Want an orange”. I have heard him being offered an orange before, while we were walking. I wonder if it is the same person?

P accepted, and he said, “Here you go, Prince”.

Someone asked, “How’s it going?”. P replied, “Gotta mail the masks”.

Someone said, “Look, there’s an angel“. I assume it’s one from my group. I have a group of angels that stay with us, and follow us for our protection. Every night I pray to God to give thanks for them.

There hasn’t been much time for me to work on my art photography as of late. But occasionally I do get a shot in here and there, when I see something that catches my eye. I took these photos of the cement moon, one evening while walking to the mailbox. In this one, you can see a bird flying.

These recordings were recorded using my EVP Wrist Recorder 3 on May 11, 2020.

Image above: “Spring moon” by Andrea Mai.

MY LIFE AS A MASK MAKER IN THE TIME OF CORONA

Since I last posted, I have been extremely busy. I have been sewing masks and filling orders from around the world. I am taking some time out to write this post while some orders wait for me to return. I did not expect for this level of orders coming in. I’ve been getting some days where it is like 10 to 12 orders, and I cannot keep up. I’ve had some days where I had to stop sewing so that I could source supplies in anticipation of running out.

I timed it one day, to see how long it takes to sew a mask. With the pieces already cut and some pieces pre-assembled, it takes me about 45 minutes, if all the prep work was done. So I estimate that without the prep, it would be more like an hour per mask. There is additional time to package and send out the orders. In a day, I could do 6 make, but ti would be a struggle to do more because I have other things to do, of course! When I am not sewing, I am doing prep. I find myself working from morning to tis night before I go to bed.

A small miracle can make a big differences.
I found that bed linens make the best linings for the masks. They have a high thread count and have a good thickness. I had some pieces cut up from brand new sheets leftover from making a duvet cover and I used them to make linings for my initial batches of masks. They happened to be the perfect color to co-ordinate with the leopard print masks. But that was all I had left. I told my mother that I wished HomeeSense was open, so that I could buy discounted bedsheets. Then something urged me to look for these brand new pillow cases I found in a bag of random things given to us by a family friend last year. Brand new in its packaging. It said that it is 100% cotton. What a lifesaver! It was only because of this that I could continue to make masks! I know the spirits in my house must have been rummaging in the storage room as I searched top and bottom for apiece of cotton lining that I still cannot find.

Price “elasticity”.
I feel that it is my civic duty to participate in providing this service for others. I went to school for fashion design, and it has been a skill that I did not get to make much of a career out of. I feel it would be a waste if I choose to sit back doing nothing, instead of answering the call to make masks. As I have collected personal resources over the years: An industrial sewing machine that I inherited from an aunt who died of cancer. A collection of cotton fabrics stashed away. A personal supply of dressmaking tools and materials. A studio space already set up in my basement. I do not do it for the money, (though it is true, that art sales are less likely in these times, I must pivot), but I am most motivated to answer the call to serve others in this time of great need by offering my God-given talents for this challenging time in society.

Which is why I am so greatly disturbed and disappointed by the behaviours of venders. I bought two rolls of elastic on Amazon two weeks ago, in anticipation that I will need more. After producing almost 40 masks, I am at my last yards of quarter-inch elastic. My order has not yet arrived. I am growing very, as I do not know if this order will ever get here. In my past experience, some sellers have made false listings, so that you would pay them, but they would send you nothing, while you wait thinking that it is coming. Fraud like these are on the rise at these desperate times. I do not have time to waste. These make are waiting for its final touch, which is the elastic.

I decided that I needed a contingency plan. Instead of just waiting, I would try to source something more local, at least within Canada, so that the delivery time would be shorter, possibly arriving next week. I saw this ridiculous posting from Amazon. I think it is gone now, as I cannot find the listing. But still… the thought alone is revolting that anyone should attempt to sell a single roll elastic at $1,457.27.

I thought, I will not deal with another third-party seller on Amazon, at least not for elastic, as I suspect that that they are all shipping from China and that will take ages to get here. Trying on Etsy, I find a seller, whose price is 3 times its worth wss before corona, but it is still at a feasible price to use, and they are shipping from a province away. $120 for 150 yards with are shipping. I’d heard through the grapevine that wholesalers were selling rolls at $80 right before everything shut down. Still an inflated price. After I placed the order, I cheekily messaged her, “Thanks for not totally gouging the price”. I saw that others have asked for more. A few hours later I looked at her listing again, and she has ramped it up to $165. I feel sickened by this. She is also a mask maker. Two days later, I ams still bothered by this and it hasn’t shipped yet. I tell her that I saw her gouging and I don’t want to deal with her. I send her a screenshot of her inflated price. I ask for a refund. She refunds me immediately, no questions asked.

Everyone wants a piece of the pie.
An online retailer has approached me for “collaboration”. She tells me that she can see a market for “stylish masks” like nine. I asked to know what price she expects to sell the mask for. She answers, $10 USD. I was selling mine for $14. I tell her that it’s an impossible price to work with, due to the scarcity of materials, lack of available labour, and shipping expenses all mounting up. I asked her how does she expect to make a profit, as she would obviously want a higher profit margin for herself within the price point. I do not need a middle man to sell my wares, so that I can work more to receive less. I tell her that I do not have the time to deal with her.

People are seeing the pie that the makers are producing with their hard graft and creativity, and they want a piece of the pie without having to do the handwork involved. Whether it is to profit by gouging on supplies, or low balling the work of labourers. It is insulting to those who are doing the work.

I have no more elastic for orders right now as we speak. But I refuse to quit. I could choose to just stop taking orders and wait for the elastic, but time is of the essence. People need make. Even when things re-open again, they will ned masks. I am working around the clock to produce them and ship them out as soon as I can.

Even in such ugly times, there is still beauty to be found.
I have always been obsessed with Liberty print fabric. I feel that they are truly the best, especially the classic Tana Lawn collection. Butt they are expensive. When I was in my mid-twnties living in England. I would venture out from Brighton on day trips to London. I could barely afford anything in Liberty. But there was this hidden treasure trove bin of fabric remnants sold at reduced prices. A quarter yard of a rose floral print, a little piece of a paisley print. I would buy whatever I could get my hands on. I made hair accessories for myself. Over the years, I have saved up these fabrics, as my personal collection, imagining what I would make with them.

I have offered some of these fabrics for making masks. Some are actually my favourite of them all, but I feel that it is a worthy sacrifice to use them to create masks that people will love to wear. My greatest motivation for creating masks is that I want to take something that people dread wearing, and turn it into something of beauty, something that they could enjoy, or at least make it a little more bearable. I feel like a bad ass rock ‘n roller when I wear my leopard print one.This is where I think high fashion can serve a beneficial and worthy role in society. No longer a frivolous whim of desire, but a life saving necessity for now and the future.

When I package an order, I wrap it up as if it were a gift. I want the customer to feel that they have received something special. Especially in times like these. Small joys like these can make a world of difference. Beauty is the saving grace that makes life somewhat more bearable in times like these, something worth living for. When I am making these masks and styling them for photo shoots, I do not think of them like just a piece of utility. I feel like I am designing movie costumes. For these unprecedented times, wearing masks in public will likely become a necessary norm. I am creating masks to go with fashion. I am inspired by movies like Painted Veil, and Love in the Time of Cholerra, both movies taking place at the turn of the century during cholera outbreaks. I feel like life has become like a movie set. What the world has become, It does not feel real. I am imagining a historian sic-fi drama.

And you can call it vanity, but I know that there will always be people who still crave fashion even in the worst of times. Like a school girl customizing her school uniform, people will want masks to express their individuality. A love for, an appreciation for, a touch of beauty is what helps some of us get through these difficult times.

I imagine Who some of my customers are. Maybe they are a nurse needing a mask for when she’s off-due. Or a hairdresser or a make up artist preparing for when he goes back to work. Or a mom who needs a mask for when she goes to pick up groceries from the store.

I heard from one of my customers who received her masks. She told me that they fit perfectly, and that she will enjoy wearing these masks. That alone gives me great satisfaction.

Stay safe, everybody.

Image above: “Shadows” by Andrea Mai.

DESIGNER DIARY: CAN WE MAKE WEARING A MASK FUN FOR PEOPLE DURING CORONAVIRUS?

It is no doubt that coronavirus has made life more difficult. And even after lockdown, life won’t return back to quite what it was before the virus, at least not right away. In some countries, it will probably be mandatory that people wear masks while out in public. Some will choose to wear it voluntarily as a precaution. Many people will really hate it, but understand that it is necessary for public health safety. Others will downright refuse.

That is where I think fashion designers have a role to play in this pandemic. While many businesses have pivoted to sewing masks for healthcare workers during lockdown, a designer can make wearing a mask, a somewhat more bearable ritual for the general public. Fashion influencers can help to bring down the stigma of wearing masks, as I know that many will refuse to wear one for various reasons such as; it’s not comfortable, it’s ugly, it’s not socially acceptable. I can imagine parents having a hard time convincing their kids to comply with wearing one.

But what if a mask could make you feel more interesting, unique, attractive, more rock ‘n roll or superhero in these challenging times, would you feel less repulsion to wearing one?

There has been so much argument as to whether or not wearing masks could help reduce the spread of the virus. Some argued against it, citing lack of supply, and concern for the public not being educated enough to wear one properly. Others suggested that it is not really that effective for protecting one’s self and that it could cause one to feel a false sense of security. And yet, common sense should tell you that a mask is better than a bare face, should anyone sneeze on you. Since it is the case that one could have the virus and not know it, they could be unwittingly spreading it to others. If everyone wore one, it would be effective as a whole for flatting the curve. After all this rejection of the mask, the West has come to suggest wearing masks despite their earlier refusal. I would say, perhaps this is a societal issue? There was no argument about mask-wearing in Asia.

In Asia, wearing a mask is viewed as being considerate or cautious. It is normal to to be seen wearing a mask when one has a cold, or when air quality is not good. But here in the West, it is viewed as alarming, making people feel uncomfortable.

I think those of us, as fashion designers could play a vital role in motivating people to stay on course with wearing masks, by designing a mask that people would want to wear.

I started making masks at the request of others. I already had a mask that I bought in China, made of silk, which I wear for my dust allergies. I have over a decades worth of fabric scraps from design projects, all in luxurious silks and cottons. Since I cannot go to the fabric store, I’ve had to rise t challenge of working only with what I have on hand.

I made this leopard print mask for myself. Leopard print foes with just about everything, and yet it is bold, but classic. It has played a large-time role in the history of fashion. Jackie O made it really popular during the 60s, and it continues to be fashionable. Prince always wore it on his guitar strap.

After this exercise, I decided, why not offer what I’m making to the rest of the world? So I have added this leopard print mask to my shop. Each purchase of a mask will come with a surprise gift from me! Be sure to take advantage of combined shipping when you order other stuff too.

Stay safe, everyone!

Image above: “Leopard Print Mask” by Andrea Mai.

ART LIFE UPDATE: CREATING THE PRINCE ARTIFACTS TOTE BAG

Ever since I graduated from fashion school, I’ve wanted to create a merchandise line. At the time, I wanted to be a fashion illustrator and sell branded items, like Hello Kitty or Lisa Frank. Of course, I didn’t know how I was going to do that. As I did my research, I discovered how costly it was to design a product range and have it manufactured. I gave up on the idea as I moved onto other things.

Having made the decision in the last five year, to focus solely on my photography, the idea for a merchandise line rose again. I felt that my images could be more than just artworks hung on a wall. They could become part of everyday items, like bags and home accessories. I saw that the technology for printing mediums had advanced greatly since I last experimented with them as a student. I could print high resolution images on transfer paper and heat press them on to fabric. New ideas were born!

I bought some transfer paper and the first product I designed was this tote bag. I really just wanted a lightweight tote bag to carry my shopping, or packages I need to bring to the post office. It’s a large size, but it folds up nicely to go inside my purse. It’s made of muslin fabric. Muslin is a staple for any fashion designer. It’s a cotton cloth used to make initial samples of a design to test out the pattern. The fabric is lightweight, but tough wearing. I love the shabby chic vibe of muslin.

I printed my Prince Artifacts photo on the front side of the bag. But then I got some more ideas… I added these strips and arranged them to look like stickers. I was inspired by the way sometimes guitarists like to paste up stickers all over their guitar cases. I designed a piano keyboard pattern on one strip. I was inspired by the way Prince had piano keys incorporated into his decoration at Paisley Park. I designed my own leopard print pattern, emulating the look of washi tape. I was inspired by Prince’s signature leopard print guitar straps. And then I added a strip with the words “Love God” in Prince’s own handwriting, that I traced over from a Christmas card that I saw online. And of course, I added my own brand logo with the textile label.

The process was several weeks in the making. Initially, I thought about just buying ready made tote bags, but I didn’t find any I liked. They were poor quality and made using cheap labour in foreign countries. They weren’t what I envisioned. So I decided to design and make my own bags. I ended up making three prototypes to get it just right. First, I did a sample to test out the transfer paper on some leftover fabric I already had (from over 15 years ago when I was in fashion school!). Then I ordered more fabric, but it was different from the initial sample. I decided to wash the sample to see how well the artwork would hold up. It shrank. Then I realized that I should have pre-shrunk the fabric. So then I washed the fabric and I made another sample. My first sample didn’t have the strip of leopard print. That came later when inspiration kept brewing, and one night, I spent hours designing leopard print on my iPad Pro with pencil.

My experiences have taught me that if an initial idea doesn’t come out the way you hoped it to, don’t give up. Just set it aside. Ideas came return in new ways later on. Keep working towards your goals. I try to spend everyday working little by little towards a goal.

A Special Offer
I just listed the tote bag in my shop. As a promo offer to coincide with the fourth anniversary of Prince’s passing (April 21), I am offering free custom monogramming when you order this bag. Normally, I would charge an additional $5 for the customization. I will also throw in a freebie, two Cosmic Duo Art Greeting Cards, Comic Day and Cosmic Night, its design was inspired by Paisley Park (the cards are a $14 value). Offer will end on my birthday, May 5, 2020. No promo code needed. See here for details.

Image above: “Sewing” by Andrea Mai.

SPIRITS WATCH ME DO A HANDBAG ALTERATION – EVP December 20, 2019

Now that it’s winter, we stay home a lot more and I spend time doing activities like knitting, sewing, or playing on my guitar. One night I watched a video of a leatherworker doing alterations on a handbag for his customer. It got me inspired. I had a bag I wanted to do an alteration on. I was so excited that as soon as I woke up the next morning, I starting taking apart the lining on my Michael Kors “Jet Set” tote bag. I bought this bag years ago when it was really trendy at the time, hoping that it would be a bag I’d use a lot. But instead, it sat in my closet most of the time, because I found the bag too heavy. There is a padded pocket divider in the bag lining meant for carrying laptops. It was taking up too much space in the bag. Otherwise, it was a great bag. I decided to rip out the laptop pocket and sew it back up.

I was curious to hear what was happening on the other side with P while I’m working on stuff like this. I know he is always with me, but what is he up to? I recorded EVP to find out.

Some of these clips are harder to hear because there is the noise from the sewing machine in the background. I tested it on my laptop speakers and I can still hear it, but I recommend headphones for a better listening experience.

I was surprised to hear P say, “Take a picture”. Was he snapping a pic of me working, or something else? It still boggles my mind to know that they have technology over there. But then again, my dreams are filled with technology. I remember dreams where I am using a camera to take photographs. Why would it be different over there?

I could hear that there were others with him. He told them, “We’re sewing”.

He explained to them, “Took the lining out”.

Someone there offered to make P a smoothie. P said he wanted raspberry flavour. They made him one and said, “Raspberry”.

They seem to be able to do all kinds of activities over there, and it seems to come about quickly, which leads me to think that things are done through thought and imagination.

I decided to rip out the original Michael Kors bag charm on the handle and replace it with this Prince Love Symbol charm that I got by mail order from Paisley Park.

After taking out the lining, I can happily say that I am getting much better use out of the bag, as the interior is more spacious without the divider. I can throw everything in quickly and go.

These recordings were recorded using my EVP Wrist Recorder 3 on December 20, 2019.

Image above: “My sewing machine” by Andrea Mai.

EVIDENCE OF THE SEPARATE-BUT-PARALLEL LIVES OF TWIN SOULS

I’ve talked about twin souls having parallels in older pasts; twin souls living separate but parallel lives, showing evidence for their psychic connectivity. I’m about to show you how deep the parallel goes.

I went to school for fashion design and graduated in 2004. At the end of 2007, I moved to England to take a knitwear design course in the town of Brighton. Meanwhile, Prince had completed his 21 Nights in London concert series, just months before I got there.That whole year I was planning and dreaming of being in London.

During the course, we had to design knitwear prototypes for sweater designs as we learned the machine knitting techniques. We would learn a technique and apply it to a design prototype for each week o the course. Above is an example of a design with inspirational images. This design was inspired by Surrealism and exaggerated ribbon bows.

There was one week where we used intarsia to create graphic designs on knits. I was creating a kind of uniform look. I was thinking of what a baton twirler in a parade might wear.

Now have a look at what Prince is wearing in this photo.Look how similar his coat design is to my design. They look like they belong together, like a his and hers version. Prince wore this in 2004.

Here is a design I did when we were experimenting with stripes. I saw in my mind, a vision of organic, fluid looking stripes, almost like zebra stripes.

I also designed this.

But what I really had in mind turned out to be exactly what Prince is wearing in this photo. I couldn’t quite achieve what I was thinking in knitwear. I saw this fluid line design in my mind very clearly. I even bought some white silk and black fabric paint to create it, but I never got around to it, because I didn’t have some good brushes to work with. Now so long after, I see this photo of Prince wearing this exact thing I saw in my head. Prince was wearing this for his appearance for at Webby Awards in 2006.

Here is a design I did on my own, not having to do with the course. I hand knitted it. I designed it in 2007. I was obsessed with this kind of cutting to make the front drape over the body like this.

Now see what Prince is wearing in 2014 on stage. Look at the similar cut of his knitwear piece.

There are the more obvious examples of ideas that I had floating in my mind, where I later discovered that Prince had these similar ideas and had applied them to his wardrobe or art direction for his marketing. It was really strange for me to start to notice Prince only after his death and then to see all these similarities. I had really little idea of who Prince was prior to the twin soul discovery experience. This goes to show how twin souls can be connecting, but have no idea that they are connecting with another actual person that they never met in real life.

It was during the two years that I stayed in England that I was having these dreams of a man that I felt very similar to, almost like a brother, but he was shorter than me. I would wake up feeling very confused. My brother in real life is actually taller than me. So this didn’t make any sense. It was also around the time when I bought these black framed glasses in 2008, and it turned out P was wearing these similar glasses on his tv appearances in 2009. I forgot about these dreams. But it would come about again in a strange incident in 2013, of an energetic visitation. Again, the same man, shorter than me. But I had forgotten about the dreams, so I didn’t put two and two together yet. I even had the strange idea that I supposed to be with a prince. Of course, later after Prince’s passing and meeting his spirit presence, I would realize it was him all along.

Image above: “Designs” by Andrea Mai.

FOR THE LOVE OF CLOUDS: MORE TWIN SOUL PARALLELS

I can honestly say that it’s rather funny it is to know that there was someone out there that shared so many similarities to you and to learn how far it goes is extraordinary. Most of my early life is well documented in photos because my father was a photo finishing professional, so he took many pictures. My later life is less well documented. Being a teenager, I didn’t like having my photo taken. Looking back, I wish I had been better at documenting m life, particularly, my outfits.

Last week I was watching The Hits Collection, a DVD of Prince’s early music videos. I was watching Raspberry Beret when I realized something. The print on Prince’s suit was of clouds. Clouds? I had a shirt painted with clouds back in middle school! You see, when I was young, I wanted to become a fashion designer. I made many of my outfits starting from middle school. I had an aunt who was a tailor, and I studied with her during the summer holiday before eighth grade. For water reason, I wanted a shirt with clouds on it. I bought the paints and painted it myself. In the photo below, I am wearing it on a school trip to Quebec City.

This is just another example of the twin soul parallels I’ve been talking about. The further along the journey, the more we find…

Speaking of clouds, another thing I found was that we both love Joni Mitchell. Back in high school, I had the Both Sides Now album and the Hits album (which reminds me of of the title of his HITNRUN albums). Now you’ve got to keep in mind that I was in high school during the late 90s, my taste in music wasn’t exactly of the times. My absolute favourites were Clouds and A Case of You. Prince covered A Case of You, and if you know P, he rarely does covers. He has to love it so much that he can’t resist.

Image above: “Landscape” by Prince in spirit.