Quincy August Moon Festival EVENT

26th Annual August Moon Festival 

Sunday, 11am-5pm

In North Quincy (Greater Boston MA)












I haven;t decided whether I will dress-up, or not... 

But, I'll bring my camera nonetheless.

If it rains, the rain date is right before my birthday.

Blue Custom Dragon Qipao From Manchuria

I'm sorta sick of always blue qipao dresses! This one was custom made for me in China. It's slightly blue-green.

But it's not really what I wanted. Anything I actually liked, everyone would veto. So, I got stuck w this. No one in the family even likes it either. No one lets me wear it anywhere.

But, Westerners think it's dandy. Whatever... 

I already have another qipao that's blue....

Also, this is probably the most expensive item of clothing I own.

Props, Ideas, gonna be something...

Ideas, props, gonna be something...

Marshall Kändiß's Pyrate Teasure: Silks, Silver, Money Cowrie Shells

Pyrates Are Eclectic & Exotic!

Tribal Silver, Tribal Jewelry, antique & vintage, precious stones, crystals, baroque pearls, money cowrie shells, silks, exotic plumes...

A few things I've collected over the years from all over the world. Mostly given to me.

Money Cowrie shells, used in most cultures as a form of money, including in the Chinese Empire, Trading with "Indians" in the Americas.
Moonstone set in silver. Baroque pearls (hand picked & hand strung on wire), yellow jade, Tribal Silver beads, rooster tails (feathers).

Vintage sari silk from India, silk from China.

Peking Opera Bridal Costume NYC 2002

Peking Opera Bridal Costume in Flushing, New York City Studio, May 2002

In Peking Operas (Beijing Operas) this is what a bride would look like.

I really liked the hat, and noticed it in a portfolio of samples. So, I specifically booked the photo shoot so we could have that hat.

It looks really great in the photos, but it's totally made of plastic, felt, and metal springs.

Here's one in black & white. They used about 5 cameras at a time for the photo shoot, and each on different settings, with different lenses.

There were 2 directors, and a few extra photographers.

There were 3 makeup artists. And, my makeup took 3 hours, which they changed on-the-fly between shoots which went quicker than the 1st sitting to have my face done.

I only had 2 Chinese themed shoots. You had a choice between any 2 Asian themes, and had everything from Korean, to Japanese, to Filipino, Tibet, Mongolia, modern, period, fantasy, and these guys were VERY artsy-farsty. So, I just let them do their thing. It's a NYC thing.

I own the negatives to these, since we purchased the premium largest package you could buy. I also own the rights to these.

They were worth every penny we spent on them.

But, we sat through several kinds of photo shoots with different themes, makeup, and clothes, the entire day, and even went out into a nearby park & shot outside.

Chinese Qipao Glam NYC 2002

Another costume from the Bridal photo shoot in Flushing New York, in the studio.

These are Ming-Guo Shanghai throw-back inspired.

Qipao originally come from Shanghai, but sometimes people call them a "Mandarin Dress", but it's NOT from the North where mandarins come from.

I think the reason they call them "Mandarin" is because in the South they called these dresses the "Changshan" which is actually a dress worn by a Mandarin man.

Why did ladies wear these? Everyone disagrees, but I think it dates back to the Salt Traders of Shanghai & Hangzhou which were very wealthy. Their daughters became very independent, highly educated, and began to exercise the same rights & privileges as men. Perhaps that is why they made a feminine version of a Changshan.

During the Ming Guo period, much literature & culture began seeping into China from Western Culture, and in The West women began to wear shorter skirts to show their legs below thier knees, and wore red lipstick because of the Flapper Movement. Women wanted to be reccognized for their intelligence, strength, and also to openly express their sexuality through their feminiity, but also to do things before only reserved for men.

Much of this cultural materials, music, songs, literature, was mass consumed in the Hangzhou/Shanghai area, and spread throughout China.

But, who can say the exact, specific reason why they wore them?  Now, they are common throughout Asia, and often worn as formal wear for business, weddings, and special events.

Shanhai, today, is still known for being run by powerful women, business women, and so on. 
I actually have 2 Qipao, but this one here is NOT mine. It was the Studio's.