Rooted in free spirit, fun, the sounds of house music and a passion to create stylish, quality clothing for Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender and Gender Queer women, without trying to be everything to everybody...Lipstick + Wildflowers was born.
In the Summer of 2005, inspired by edgy, confident and fashion forward women "in the life" at a trendy New York City lounge one night, CEO and Creative Director Tracey Robinson came up with the concept behind Lipstick + Wildflowers.
Tracey noticed the cool and unique style of bois, butch, gender queer, drag kings and androgynous women in men's clothing, oversized tees and neckties from the boyishly slim to those with the natural curves of a woman. She became painfully aware that so many women, herself included, loved the style of men's clothing...the mixture in textures of fabrics in an outfit, rich colors, attention to detail in construction and creativity in design. However, she found it extremely difficult to find such clothing in mainstream fashion for women. The more feminine woman, while it isn't difficult to find clothing, Tracey noted they wanted clothing that wasn't so frilly and girly from the juniors department. LGBTQ women wanted clothing that was fun, sexy and edgy.
In that one evening, it became obvious that while the fashion world claimed to be daringly innovative, provocative and gay friendly, they had neglected a large portion of that community, women...particularly those who identify as butch, boi, aggressive, gender queer and transgender. Gay men are perceived as having all the style while the women are left to fend for themselves, shopping in the men's department and fighting the stereotype of mullet hair cuts, combat boots and flannel shirts. Seeking to fill this need, Lipstick + Wildflowers, Alternative Lifestyle Apparel for Women was born, setting out to prove that you can be a woman "in the life" and have a sense of fashion.
THE LIPSTICK + WILDFLOWERS WOMAN
Who is the L + W woman? She is confident, secure in who she is and what she wants out of life. She is free, adventurous; healthy in mind, body and spirit or aspires to be; she loves music from the soulful sounds of house music to the guitar riffs of her favorite all girl rock band. She aspires to have the finer things and loves quality. Yet to her affluence is not just how much you may have materially, but a state of mind. Her life is busy, sometimes complicated, pushing her to the limit...and she loves it. She watches independent films yet will watch the occasional blockbuster, craves obscure books and places off the beaten path. She is a tom boi yet romantic; feminine yet strong. She doesn't want to wear a rainbow or pink triangle on her tee shirt, but likes graphic and vintage tees with subversive slogans, that are tongue in cheek with a nod and wink to gay culture, music, politics and fashion of the past and present. She wants her clothes to take her from the office and a day of classes at the university to drinks at "The Abbey"; from a weekend trip to Fire Island to a Sunday afternoon stroll in Fort Greene to her favorite bookstore. Her clothes cater to her free spirit, lifestyle and individuality not only as a woman, but a gay woman.
LIPSTICK + WILDFLOWERS. . . THE BRAND
Alternative: -adjective "employing or following nontraditional or unconventional ideas, methods, etc.; existing outside the establishment."
-noun "a choice limited to one or two or more possibilities, as of things, propositions or courses of action, the selection of which precludes any other possibility."
The Lipstick + Wildflowers tagline "Alternative Lifestyle Apparel for Women(TM)", conceived in 2006, puts a positive spin a word used in the past to refer to a "deviant" lifestyle. Our alternative...that one has a choice to be free with their feminine, androgynous and masculine sides. You can either live as others in mainstream society expect you to live...a lie or the "Alternative Lifestyle"...being true to yourself to BE FREE to live your life as the person you truly are. The Lipstick + Wildflowers brand is all about thinking outside the box and not following the crowd...being unique.
The Lipstick + Wildflowers logo, created in 2007 represents the softness and strength of a woman. The logo is a hybrid of a wildflower and a labrys--a double headed axe. The labrys can be found in many ancient civilizations from Africa to Greece and was said to used by Amazon warriors. Today, it is often used as a sign of identity and solidarity among gay women and feminists representing strength, self sufficiency and matriarchal power.
LIPSTICK + WILDLFLOWERS . . . CHASING HERSTORY
We wish to provide clothing for those women who have a hard time finding stylish, well made clothing that has a "masculine attitude, feminine fit". We also have an eye for the feminine woman who has outgrown the juniors department and wants clothing that is sexy, stylish and edgy. We want you to take our fashions and make it your own, as opposed to just wearing what we create. We take the utmost care in designing and selecting our products, focusing on small details and craftsmanship. The items you find in our online store whether its a Lipstick + Wildflowers original, a design made exclusively for L + W by an artisan (Lipstick + Wildflowers Design Edition(TM)) or a item that we feel our client will love from an outside designer (L + W CO-OP(TM))...we wish to take you on a journey of personal discovery in fashion, to be who you are.
We are chasing herstory, revolutionizing the clothing industry and taking fashion to the next level for women in the LGBTQ community. We offer clothing that lets one exhibit their style whether it's feminine, masculine or androgynous and feel comfortable about their spirit and personality. Some days you can go either way with your feminine or masculine side or combine the two. It's your prerogative to play with and blur the lines of gender. So lets throw out the boxy tee shirts, ill fitting men's clothes and oversized sweatshirts. We want to bring sexiness and style to women to the LGBTQ community as well as a fun and flirty attitude.
The grassroots production of all garments is in house. . .from designing and packaging to marketing and advertising. We will continue to produce distinct clothing that is feminine, as well as cutting edge, androgynous and masculine in style...never putting anything before product quality. We are moving beyond screen printing to cut and sew. Look for the debut of the Velvet Label(TM) collection featuring bags, jackets, pants, skirts and dresses. We will continue with our high quality, buttery soft, hand dyed, eclectically colored vintage and sheer t-shirts, hoodies, "tricked out" shirts, L + W Limited Edition(TM), hats and jewelry. We want you to experience Lipstick + Wildflowers and take you on a viral journey via our websites and online store. We wish to awaken your senses by introducing books, film, music and home goods that we feel, you our client will love, while offering a showcase for up and coming artisans in the L + W Co-op and our Velvet Lounge.
We assure you that the Lipstick + Wildflowers brand will live up to the high standards that we set not only for our clients, but for ourselves. We will continue to deliver the unique attributes and benefits our clients count on, and we promise you quality clothing made with an attention to details and craftsmanship with beautiful soft and colorful fabric.
We will maintain an edge, superb customer service, service and respect by keeping our products, online store and websites unique with you...the client's influence. Customer service is extremely important to us. We want to hear about what you want in your clothing, from style and fit to fabrics and colors. Lipstick + Wildflowers is not just a brand, its an experience, lifestyle...its you.
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SHOP Lipstick + Wildflowers AT THE FOLLOWING EVENTS
GAY LIFE EXPO - BOOTH #234
NOVEMBER 15-16, 2008 JACOB JAVITS CONVENTION CENTER, NYC
THE 15th ORIGINAL GLBT EXPO
APRIL 5-6 2008,JACOB JAVITS CONVENTION CENTER, NYC
JERSEY PRIDE,
ASBURY PARK
SUNDAY, JUNE 1, 2008
CAPITAL PRIDE,
WASHINGTON DC
SUNDAY, JUNE 15, 2008
JERSEY CITY PRIDE,
JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY
SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2008 NOON TO 8PM
GLBT EXPO AT JACOB JAVITS CENTER, NYC APRIL 2008
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SNEAK PEEK...L + W PHOTO
SHOOT, SOHO NYC
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Lipstick + Wildflowers would like to meet hetero flexibles, lipsticks,
wildflowers, gender queers, gays, lesbians, bois, aggressives, femmes,
trans, straights, artistic, creative and positive people, fashion designers,
graphic artists, textile designers, Jennifer Beals, Phillip Lim, Zac Posen,
Oprah Winfrey, Donna Karen, Marc Jacobs, Suzie Orman, Carolina Herrera,
Tom Ford, Kathy Griffin, The Cliks, Margaret Cho, Meshell Nedegeocello,
Jackie Warner and Ellen.
Favorite Designers/Clothing Lines/Boutiques:
Dsquared, Diesel, G-Star, Free People, Stella McCartney, Tracey Reese,
James Perse, Ralph Lauren, Anthropologie, Ben Sherman, Steve Alan, Lucky
Brand, Urban Outfitters, Triple Five Soul, Lounge, Abercrombie & Fitch,
American Eagle, Marc Jacobs, Armani and Dolce and Gabbana.
~~~NOTICE ON FRIENDS~~~
Lipstick + Wildflowers will be rotating our top friends from time to time.
This is NOT a reflection on our loyalty to anyone, but rather a reflection
on the diversity of our friends, customers, supporters and themes for
the moment. We may focus on our musician friends, those who have purchased
our products, our models to female DJs etc. We wish to thank ALL of our
friends, for their friendship and support, we truly appreciate it.
Friday, October 16th Happy Anniversary PANDORA Please join us for Pandora's Annual Event of the year! DJ Alex H and Dj Meesh spinning hot house, dance, hip hop and salsa pumping all night long! doors open at 10pm Reduced admission before 11pm Drink specials 10-11pm $5 Martinis and $4 Budlights (all night) Sexy Go-Go Girls Galore Sponsored by Kittystoybox.com VIP Tables available please call yesi at 305 495 6969 Bongos American Airlines Arena 610 Biscayne Boulevard .Downtown Miami for more information visit www.pandoraevents.com or call 305 495 6969 or email amy@pandoraevents.com also if you are in Facebook find us by Pandora E vents
S.H.E. Productions Presents: HOMO-Ween 2009 "Saints and Sinners Masquerade"!!!Join us for our annual HOMOween Bash as we transform Sapphos as you have never seen it before! Costume Contest, Great Drink Specials & Music by DJ Image.
This Weekend @ Boycott/Club Vibe Is Gonna Be Hot! On Friday CeCe Amore' And Her Crew Will Be In The House With A Fundraising Event And Non-Stop Entertainment! 2-4-1 Drinks All Night On All Well And Draft Drinks. Saturday We Are Celebrating Dymond Studded's Birthday, It's Gonna Be A Pink Panty Party! Be Sure To Come Early Cause We Are Having $1 Drinks From 8-10, You Can't Beat That! The Boycott/Club Vibe Halloween Party Is Goin Down!!! Don't Miss Out on Halloween Night For What Promises To Be The Sexiest Costume Party There Is! $200 In Cash And Prizes Are Goin Out To The Best Costume Of The Night! So Get Creative And Be Sure To Celebrate Halloween With The Sexy Ladies Of Boycott/Club Vibe!
LADIES! WE'RE BACK ON PARK AVENUE! NOW IS THE TIME TO STRUT YOUR WAY INTO THE HOTTEST EVENT TO HIT FALL '09! TIME TO PULL OUT THIS SEASONS BEST! EVERYONE KNOWS A WOMAN CAN LOOK BAD AS EVER BUT.... "HEELS SEAL THE DEAL"
Thank you so much for the add, we really appreciate it. Our profile is still new, but we have had such a wonderful response so far. We are about sharing stories, pictures, giving advice, getting advice, keeping up on future pride events. Its not just about "us" its about "you" also. Please let us know of a topic you would like us to touch base on in the future and please, please share your advice and opinions on our blogs...check them out~ Let us know what YOU think!
INITIAL 028 ENOLA / WORDS IN A BOTTLE (FEAT RODRIGUEZ JUNIOR REMIX) / DISTRIB DISCOGRAPH :
After a fistful of EPS for Initial Cuts or Dave Clarke..s White Noise with NOIRDEGOUT, Mathieu Monnin takes off as ENOLA with a first EP, taken from a forthcoming album to be released in September. Take NOIRDEGOUT trademark motorcity fuelled sound, pitch it down a little, make it a little less nostalgic, dress it in 2009 fashion, and add a devastating remix from RODRIGUEZ JR (The Youngsters), you get ENOLA..s "WORDS IN A BOTTLE" :
A - ENOLA - WORDS IN A BOTTLE - B - ENOLA - WORDS IN A BOTTLE (RODRIGUEZ JR) -
AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD ON BEATPORT HOMEPAGE!!
OUT ON INITIAL CUTS / IN028 / 12" / NULOOPS / JUNO / DECKS / etc.
HIGHLY SUPPORTED BY DJ HELL, LAURENT GARNIER, HERNAN CATTANEO, DANNY HOWELLS, DAVE SEAMAN, UNDO, GREGOR TRESHER, JULIAN JEWEILL,MATZAK, KIKO, OXIA, ANGEL MOLINA,SCAN X VINCE WATSON, TIESTO, DA FRESH...
TONIGHT
Panty Raid @ Here Lounge
OPEN BAR 9-10PM!
$5 WELL / $2 SHOTS ALL NIGHT!
696 N. Robertson Blvd
West Hollywood
Gay owned and operated
SATURDAY JULY 4TH!
Party at the Beach this 4th of July. We’ll be at Hamburger Mary’s in Long Beach this Saturday so after you catch the fireworks at the beach, come burn it up on the dance floor with the girls of Fuse.
$1 drink 9-10pm with your VIP card, printout of this comment or text from Fuse.
(limit 1 per guest, draft or well cocktail )
Guest DJ Sharlene
General Admission $8/10pm VIP free before 11pm/$5 after
Hamburger Mary's Long Beach
740 E. Broadway 90802