Introductions

Well, here we are, here I am- actually. It’s really only polite that I introduce myself properly, my name is Taeden and I own/operate/dominate the ‘Cult of Melancholy, otherwise known as Gloomth. As of today I’ve been doing that for about 4 years. Chances are 99% of what appears on this ‘zine will be filtered through the distortion mirror of my own perspective, for better or worse.

Below are fourteen questions I answered. Some were asked by fans on the Gloomth facebook, others are common questions I get, and I just made up the rest.

1.       How and Why did you start Gloomth?

I had recently relocated to another city to live with my soon-to-be-husband, I had quit my decent day job, recently graduated, and was having a lot of trouble finding work I enjoyed in my new area. After trying to cram myself into several ill-fitting and decidedly soul-crushing part time jobs I started altering/making clothing and selling it on ebay to cover my bills. It wasn’t very long before demand for my stuff outpaced what I could make. I opened a website for my work and thus Gloomth was born.

 2.  Why Gothic/Lolita/Alternative Clothing?

Well, the mall already had banal thoroughly covered. Honestly, I can’t imagine making any other sort of clothing. I make what I am attracted to, what inspires me; I’m pretty selfish that way. Average and standard is not something I am drawn to. I have always loved Gothic clothing/culture and fashion is something I have a lot of fun with. During the last few years I’ve pulled influences from all corners of alternative style into our clothing, Gloomth is constantly shape-shifting.
 
 
3. Why Clothing Design? 
 I have been making my own clothes since before high school, either editing things to suit or sewing from scratch. My mother taught me to sew because I could never find what I wanted in the stores near us (and also to keep me out of the way I’m sure, heh). I grew up in a very small town and there was no internet to shop on at the time. Alternative style was definitely out there and what little trickled down to my view enthralled me. Clothing design as a career was something I definitely daydreamed about as a teenager but ended up taking a different direction with my formal education, I never expected to be doing this job- but I love it!

4. What Inspires You?

Everything. I am an inspiration Pack-Rat, I am constantly amassing scraps; images, songs, fabrics and all manner of odds and ends that fuel me creatively. I can’t really pinpoint where the majority stems from specifically. I try to surround myself in things that make me want to create; people/objects/sounds. 

5. What’s Next with Your Designs?

Rumor has it, we are definitely working on a men’s line. It is taking longer than anticipated due to external forces and our new production system, but it is coming! I’m also working on jackets and coats for winter as well as Halloween themed goodies for the season. We’ll definitely be posting previews of upcoming styles here, so stay tuned.
 
 
6. Do you ever think you will come out with a more casual line with the same goth aspect for those not so dressy moments?
 Honestly, I am not sure. There are so many companies providing cute spooky t-shirts and street wear it almost seems crazy to do the same. We definitely have some office-suitable styles on the way for our fans with day jobs. A lot of our separates can be easily dressed down, pair a fitted t-shirt with our “Impetuous” skirt for a day look with a hint of Lolita or wear one of our dresses without a petticoat for a feminine casual style.

 7. Why did you wait four years to start a designer blog?

There’s no neat and tidy answer to that one. I could blame it on being really busy, which is true, but that’s really not the only reason. I tend to be a fairly private person. I like to do my own thing, and I was always concerned that my personality or peculiar tastes would cast a negative light on the label. Over the years I’ve been asked time and again to go public and to write about the daily aspects of this job and myself, so we’ll see how it goes.

8. Where did you grow up? Where’d you go to school?

I grew up in a very small town, under 1200 people, in Northern Ontario, Canada. I am a bumpkin. I moved to the “big city” to attend the Ontario College of Art and Design and have since been unable to part myself from it. I have a B.A. in design.

9. What do you do when you aren’t working?

Sleep. Gloomth is my little monster and like any new parent I tend to over-coddle it. When you run your own company you don’t really get “off” time in the typical sense. As far as hobbies/interests I dabble, I do a whole lot of stuff but none of it very thoroughly. I read voraciously, I love dancing, I spend a lot of time being a goof with my friends, I take stupid pictures, go to lots of concerts, and I make silly crafts (many of which you can spot in our photo series).

 10. You also style the majority of your photoshoots, how’d that happen? Do you have training as a stylist?

My lineage is half Scottish and if outdated stereotypes are to be believed- therefore I am cheap. We originally used stylists and makeup artists at our shoots but I’m picky, to a fault. I’m also a very do-it-yourself type of person, I like to figure stuff out. So I bought a bunch of books and experimented on my own head and a couple of patient model friends, and it wasn’t long before I was enamored with styling and makeup for photoshoots. I have zero professional training in makeup or styling, in fact I did not wear makeup until I was nearly 19.
 
 
11. What was the craziest photoshoot you’ve ever worked on?
 
We are always pushing limits with our shoots. We did one in an abandoned hotel once which had had no electricity for about a decade and it was January, you could see everyone’s breath in the flash so the models had to hold theirs while we snapped the pictures. I was on hand throwing blankets and extra coats/sweaters and heat-packs on everyone in between their sessions. We did a roof-top bikini photoshoot where we all ended up just goofing off and throwing water at each other. There was no water system on the roof so we had to bring about six of those giant refillable water containers used for office dispensers. At one point we all attempted drinking out of them as it was very hot, that task is less easy than it sounds.
VIDEO PROOF:
 
 

 

12. How would you describe your personal style?

Ha! I am very eclectic when it comes to style, and maybe a little sarcastic. I like to play with everything, mess with definitions and try to blend in things that seem contradictory. I pretty much only wear black, I’ve been various types of what used to be called “gothic” for as long as I’ve been able to pick my own clothes. I can remember wanting to dress like a “vampire” as a preteen. I’ve always dressed somewhat exuberantly, taking it as far as I can (and then maybe a little further). Now I just play with everything- silver studded chucks with a cute club dress or a Lolita dress with punk accessories, I still like to dress like a cinema vampire if given the chance. I love hats and vintage/antique clothing. I have a pretty fierce hat collection, there’s nothing to perk up your day quite like a totally frivolous chapeau!
I’m a shapeshifter, my style changes dramatically one day to the next.  

A picture of Tae's headTae in her eyepatch 
13. What 5 things do you always have in your purse/bag?

Aside from my wallet/keys/predictable girl stuff? I have my little Japanese Pentax camera within arm’s length at all times. I take an abnormal amount of photos of my own head and of my two cats (Atticus/Smokey), I am also the jerk putting stupid stuff on my (or my friends’) heads at shops and then taking photos of it. The best part about my little camera is that all the buttons make a mewing noise when you press them, as though my camera is haunted by a phantom cat. We call it the “Kittycam”. I always have my MP3 player, I am a music nerd, if I am alone I likely have my enormous headphones stapled to my skull. Band-aids, I am forever wearing irresponsible girl-shoes and then walking halfway across the city. I also carry a couple of little things friends of mine made me everywhere, just cute crafts that remind me of my near-and-dears.

 
14.  If you weren’t designing clothes what job would you have?

Ideally, something fish-related? I am completely obsessed with sea life, specifically deep sea species. I would happily spend my life documenting and studying odd fish. Otherwise it would have to be something creative. Perhaps costume for film or teaching armies of house flies to do my evil bidding. “Attack my miniscule pretties! Attack!”….

 
15. Why don’t you like sandwiches?

I have no idea. Logic states that if I like bread and the majority of contents in a standard sandwich that I would like them combined as a sandwhich, yet this is not so. I am oddly grossed out by trying to eat sandwiches, things between bread, much to the amusement of my friends.

-Tae

One thought on “Introductions”

  1. Pingback: About Taeden | Gloomth & the Cult of Melancholy

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