When I went to Star Trek conventions many years ago, they called it the “dealers room”. At Emerald City Comicon, they call them “exhibitors”. GeekGirlCon calls them “exhibitors” as well…and there are some AMAZING exhibitors coming, y’all! I don’t have room to tell you all of them here…but I’ve spotlighted a few for you, our dear GeekGirlCon devotees.
The first one to catch my eye is a vendor I’ve seen before called cutebricks. They make “up-cycled LEGO jewelry”, and I have been drooling over them since my first sighting. (Don’t worry, it was figurative drool–no cleanup necessary!)
Cascade Rainbow earrings, a dark blue chrome heart, and a Battlestar Galactica Viper!
The next vendor on my list–and one I’m saving up to buy something from as soon as GeekGirlCon ‘14 opens on Day 1–is Unicorn Empire. They make screenprinted t-shirts from various fandoms (Doctor Who, Supernatural, and Captain America to name a few!), pillows, paper dolls, and this exquisite clock that I have absolutely no real reason to own, but desperately want!
Do you have a magic wand? Do you need one? Of course you do! If you can’t get to London, Diagon Alley, and Olivander’s Wand Emporium, you can just come talk to the friendly keeper of the Hungarian Wand Shop. They have a selection of wands ready-made in various woods, and with different types of cores, depending on the type of magic you are most likely to be performing. And don’t worry–if they don’t have a wand on hand that responds to you (as a good wand should), they take special orders. You can have any kind of wand you want!
LARPing (Live Action Role Playing) was featured in an episode of Supernatural last year–and those of us who watched that episode (with guest star Felicia Day!) kind of geeked out about it. We saw knights, queens, faeries, and all sorts of other medieval people and creatures. Sinister Metalworks has everything you need to outfit yourself and all of your friends for your next LARP session. From metal crowns of all different kids to custom-made body armor, their work will help keep you safe from swords, axes, and magic spells of all strengths!
Butterfly Frillies has Steampunk costuming supplies–from outer garments to under garments and everything in between. A friend of mine is looking for a custom-made, over-bust corset, and I have sent her the website information; this is the kind of thing they do! They have a selection of ready-made apparel and jewelry, as well. The fabrics are amazing, and the craftsmanship is beautiful.
LuvCherie Jewelry has what you’re looking for in the “elegant geek fandom and nerd whimsy” category. Necklaces, charms, earrings, rings, and many more pieces will grace their booth in the vendors room. Here are a few examples that I can’t wait to see in person:
I’ve spent some time looking at FiveLeafClover’s Etsy shop, GeekStar Costuming, and I’ve got to say: I need glowing cat ears, if only to make my own cat jealous!
Looking back at this partial list of exhibitors for upcoming GeekGirlCon ‘14, I realize that I could be in some trouble: there are a lot of items I want to buy from these peeps. And this is only some of them. Here’s the whole list!! I may need a loan…
Written by Kristine Hassell, Twitter Administrator and President of the Board
Fat. It’s such a small word, right? For such a small word, it carries so much baggage and let’s face it, it’s rarely used positively. Even if someone chooses to use plump or pudgy, chubby or chunky, stout or solid, their meaning is inferred. Fat has become this pejorative term, a way to mock someone, or define their value based on their size. Equating someone’s worth because of their size happens often in our society and fat-shaming has become one of the last socially acceptable forms of discrimination.
GeekGirlCon design manager (and I’m proud to say, friend) Rachelle Abellar had enough. As a proud fat girl and self-proclaimed fat activist, she wanted to create a safe space for people of size to celebrate their bodies, have fun, get inspired, find support, and connect with others.
Rachelle Abellar
After Rachelle participated in the “Fat Girl: Fan Girl panel” at GeekGirlCon ’13, she spoke with many women who felt like their struggle with being fat and geeky was a lonely one. Many felt intimidated to be fashionable, let alone cosplay for fear of criticism and fat-shaming. It wasn’t until attending that panel that many of them realized they weren’t alone, and these women voiced a desire to continue the discussion and find support in person. Despite Seattle’s progressive views, there was not much in the way of a fat-positive community so she decided to take things into her own hands.
PNW Fattitude Logo
In December of 2013, Rachelle created PNW Fattitude – a fat-positive community with events would be open to all self-identified fats. PNW Fattitude welcomes people of all genders, including those who do not identify with any gender. A couple months after the group began, their inaugural fat fashion swap kicked off on February 1st! The fat fashion swap was going to be a day of body positivity, support, and taking back fat.
Fat Swap Poster – Art by Michelle Volansky
It was a typical grey winter day in Seattle – the kind of chilly day where you really would prefer to hibernate while marathoning something on Netflix. But folks didn’t hibernate and when I arrived early to assist with set-up at the Phinney Centre, there were already several women waiting in the lobby, all with overflowing bags of clothing to swap! The excitement was palpable and once the event began, the room teemed with women of all shapes and sizes.
Full House
There were swag bags for the first 50 folks and a lovely table laden with nibbles to keep us energized while we sorted and shopped our way through stacks of clothes. Some women found armfuls of stuff immediately and gleefully traded for their new goodies.
Goodies
Clothes
Throughout the event, I kept overhearing unsolicited and genuine compliments given freely to the women who were trying on clothing and you know what? It was pretty damned awesome. It didn’t take long to notice the women who cared not one iota about their VBOs as they tested out pencil skirts or dresses with ruffles. I saw women who rocked sleeveless shirts and tank tops without fear of showing their upper arms to the world. And there were women beautifully sporting horizontal stripes proudly!
Wearing Stripes
VBOs
You see, when you’re fat, you don’t really see yourself represented anywhere, much less in geek culture. When you do see a plus-sized female character, they tend fall into comic relief roles that centres around weight-based jokes at their expense. They aren’t defined by their humanity and after a while, the negativity feels insurmountable. But that’s a whole ‘nother blog piece…
I was proud when Rachelle asked me to write this blog posting to cover the event. In those short few hours, I met people that didn’t judge me (or anyone else) based on my jeans size. I was able to sift through clothes at my leisure and find some really beautiful retro dresses. My swag bag was chock full of amazing items and the whole day was spent with folks who were supportive of everyone’s sizes and shapes. New friends were made and I left in such a good mood that I realized why Rachelle did what she did. I like to think that every person who attended the swap, left with a tremendous boost to their ego like I did.
At the end of the event, several attendees stuck around afterward to help separate clothing into two piles: professional clothing items for the Seattle chapter of Dress for Success and the remainder divided among local thrift stores. My VW was packed to the roof with bags full of clothing earmarked for Value Village. It felt good knowing that plus-sized women might discover some sweet discounted items on their thrifting outing.
PNW Fattitude aims to provide a safe space for people of size to celebrate their bodies, have fun, get inspired, find support, and connect with others. If you want to get involved, find them on Facebook or tumblr! Definitely stay tuned for the next event. I’ll be there, for sure.
Photography by Deanna Poppe from Lemons and Poppies and more photos from the event can be found here.
Ah, shiny baubles! For those of us who like to adorn ourselves, poring over displays of jewelry, clothing, accessories, and other luscious accoutrements never gets old. In any store or at any event that features crafters and artisans, it’s the first place I gravitate to, hoping to find the next little treasure that I just can’t live without.
Unfortunately, my geeky jewelry is sadly lacking these days. In high school, I had one of those dragon’s claw necklaces (you know the ones), and a ring in the form of a snake wrapped twice around, which I pretended was my own personal Sning (this was my Piers Anthony phase).
Happily, I plan to rectify that situation at GeekGirlCon ‘13. Here’s a small sampling of some of the many jewelers and other makers of pretty things you’ll see on the 3rd floor Exhibitors Hall.
Image courtesy of Surlyramics
I love it when science-minded artists create works that are sort of sneaky. Like this pendant from SurlyRamics: it looks a bit like an abstract drawing of a flower, but wait! It’s actually a neuron! She carries plenty of other science, skeptic, and geekery designs, too, from Feynman diagrams to trilobites and robots.
Image courtesy of idolatre clothing co.
For fantasy-lovers who have maenads, faeries, unicorns, and the like on the brain, check out the fantastical creations of idolatre clothing co. Who needs the Younicorn app on your iPhone when you can have an actual unicorn horn sprouting from your head, complete with ears and a flowery headdress?!
Image courtesy of RetroPopNamu
If screenprints are more your thing, RetroPopNamu has got you covered with hoodies, t-shirts, and bags, all inspired by retro Japanese motifs. Some of their designs include octopus, squid, kitten, and dragon themes. It’s officially fall in Seattle, so I’m already coveting their cozy owl hoodie—you can never have too many hoodies, right?
Image courtesy of Tea Time, Inc.
Vendors like Tea Time Inc. and Christal Blu Creations appeal to the steampunk aesthetic, with their intricate hats, fascinators, and other apparel. With Halloween and New Year’s Eve both around the corner, you’ll find good use for items like jaunty mini top hats and saucy underbust vests. You’ll need some jewelry to go with these, of course, and Verona the Mad is just the thing, with brass filigrees, delicate gears, and colorful beads.
There’s more, including Lego-inspired jewelry, duct tape bags, and astronomy-inspired necklaces—but you’ll have to come to GeekGirlCon ‘13 to check it out!
Hi everyone! To kick off this segment of “Ask GeekGirlCon,” we staffers will start off with the question “What is your favorite geeky accessory?” Here’s what some of the staffers have shared:
I love my D20 earrings because they are discreet and not in your face. When people do recognize them for what they are, there is usually a small ‘bonding’ moment, which is always fun! But the best part is that if I ever need to make a skill check, I’m good to go! Terra Clarke, Street Team Coordinator
My favorite geeky accessory is my Wonder Woman purse. It was handmade by AllThingzBeautiful. It has such wonderful shape and serves as inspiration for making my formal nights a bit more fun. Plus, Wonder Woman’s my hero, and a reminder to be strong, graceful, and empathic to all is a great thing. Erica McGillivray, President and Marketing Director
My favorite geeky accessory is my library card! I am a huge fan of books, in particular sci-fi and fantasy books. I “Geek the Library” because it gives everybody the opportunity to explore their passions and discover themselves. Librarians also are the most punk rock people I know. Every day, they advocate for freedom of speech and expanding our minds. Where else can you get all that — and for free?! Susie Rantz, PR Manager
Shoot us a comment below about your favorite geeky accessory! What’s the Geek of 2012 toting in the new year? Look for more Ask GeekGirlCon! here on the PR Blog.
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Shubz K. Blalack
PR Content Producer
prcontent@geekgirlcon.com
GeekGirlCon now has a Cafepress site open, with various GGC merchandise! Apparel, accessories and other goods are available, and all proceeds help fund GeekGirlCon. Show your support for GeekGirlCon, and wear it on a shirt too!
I must have this!!!
