This video was created by Video Vision 360 through the Detroit Creative Corridor Center to publicize activities going on during the first Detroit Design Festival. The Abandoned In Detroit project is celebrating six years, since 2005! Check out the event posting on the festival site.

Through the week long festival a photo wall will be exhibiting work from project photographers as we've held over 25 photo shoots with various fashion designers, stylists, models, and have grown the community involved.

Sunday from 3-8pm we will have a fashion show featuring talent from the project and the runway path winds through Red Door Gallery, giving views with the photo exhibition as a backdrop and a walk through the main gallery. There are plenty of close viewing opportunities during the runway show.

There is no admission fee, a donation is welcome as we are partnering with The Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium during the event. Photo sales will be donated through their organization toward the maintenance, restoration and efforts to reopen the aquarium.

Scouting Belle Isle Aquarium (closed)

Yes the aquarium has been closed since 2005 - it needs funding support for maintenance and recovery to reopen. This excursion was to prepare for a large group fashion shoot on-site in a few weeks.

PHOTO SHOOT

The Abandoned In Detroit fashion showcase project will be holding a photo shoot with models, designers, stylists, and photographers on Sunday, September 18 at the aquarium. The project works with registered members to keep their portfolios up to date, bring talent together through the project's community, and assist members in growth in the fashion industry.

EXHIBITION AND FASHION SHOW

The project will be holding a photo exhibition and fashion show during the Detroit Design Festival from September 21-28 (Wednesday-Wednesday), at Red Door Gallery. On Sunday, September 25 a fashion show will be held. During the week-long event series a portion of proceeds is being donated through the Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium toward renovation and repairs to the aquarium.

PROJECT MISSION

The mission of the Abandoned In Detroit project is to document the emergence and evolution of fashion set against the changing landscape of Detroit. Noting how change influences the designs of the city. A list of designers and locations the project has worked with since 2005 for 25 photo shoots is on the official website - AbandonedInDetroit.org.

CONTACT

If you have any questions about the project and events coming, please contact Stephen Boyle at 248-632-6156 or info@fuzzytek.com. Advertising and vending opportunities are available with the upcoming events during DDF. Our advertising campaign extends through print, online, and video. Email your request for an ad kit to info@fuzzytek.com.

EVENT LINKS

Photo shoot on EventBrite
Photo exhibition & show on EventBrite
Project registration for models, designers, stylists, photographers (on official website)

Sept 25 Fashion Show post on Yelp

Details about the upcoming fashion show are being spread around - onto Yelp now!

Sitting in the middle of Detroit Design Festival on Sunday, September 25, the Abandoned In Detroit fashion show and photo exhibition are going to reveal past and current work.

Production Staff Sought
The project is seeking staff for production, promotion, and advertising. We are working on plans to provide live video from the event - needed live video controller & camera setup for 3 views or more.

Abandoned In Detroit | Detroit Design Festival

Show support for the proposed upcoming event series during the Detroit Design Festival, please follow the link and give it a LIKE or TWEET out.

Abandoned In Detroit | Detroit Design Festival

Seeking production | promotion | advertising staff persons, please inquire with Stephen at 248-632-6156. Meeting for staff being arranged for Wednesday September 7 from 5pm-8pm. 

Project Council

Members of the council are offered the opportunity to guide the project. Five people will be on the council at all times. The project founder will be a member of the council until such time he elects to remove himself or all other members of the council vote to remove him, with the approval of a majority of votes from participants as responding over one month.

Council members will serve a term of one year, with three consecutive terms possible. Council members are nominated from all participants in the project, then selected by the current council. Council members will be participating project members at the time of nomination.

Council members will meet bi-monthly to review overall project status, issues, and vote on relevant matters as presented to the agenda in advance of the meeting. A simply majority of total present for the meeting will rule. This includes the selection of restricted publication works as defined elsewhere.

PROJECT PARTICIPANTS

Two categories of talent and participants may be in both depending on role.

• Creative team - includes fashion designers, stylists, makeup artists, hair stylists, production coordinators, graphic artists, and publicists
• Subject team - consists of models, photographers, and videographers creating images used for show, exhibition, and publication.

PROJECT ENTRANCE

Everyone benefits from this project. The level of investment into the community of the project will include a project entrance fee. This fee will be imposed once and subsequent activities for the project are then made available to registered participants. The determination of current entrance fee is made by the project council based on funding needed for activities. The creative team makes an investment of materials, time, and skill.

Fall 2011 Referral Rewards Program

You may have been thinking about getting into the project with a few friends. There is an affiliate program for you to make some money back through your publicity and signing people up.

Use this link to signup for the Referral Rewards program and you'll make 10% of each new member registration that lists you in the referrer box. Groups of 5 or more registering together are entitled to deeper discounts. Call 248-632-6156 to discuss.

September 18 - Fall 2011 Flyer & Registration

Above is the flyer for the Fall 2011 photo shoot. The registration page has been updated to collect information for the upcoming shoot.

Key Dates to Note

A planning meeting and phone in conference will be held August 18 from 7-8pm. It is being planned a full month in advance of the shoot to enable and encourage project members to bring additional talent to the shoot. If group arrangements are to be made this gives more time to work details through. The location discussion will also be of interest as a status report will be offered on where we are planning to shoot - and plans are for a space that all will love.

The Detroit Design Festival starts the week of the photoshoot from Wednesday to Wednesday Sept 21-28. A rehearsal for all talent registered for the project (existing and into the upcoming Sept 18 shoot) will be held on September 16. We will be creating the presentation sequence for the fashion show coming September 25. This will also be the time for designers to fit models for both the shoot and the upcoming show.

This is an exciting time coming up for the project with many activities.

August 7 flyer - Summer 2011 Shoot

New talent referrals

You may have been thinking about getting into the project with a few friends. There is an affiliate program for you to make some money back through your publicity and signing people up.

Use this link to signup for the Referral Rewards program and you'll make 10% of each new member registration that lists you in the referrer box. Groups of 5 or more registering together are entitled to deeper discounts. Call 248-632-6156 to discuss.

Postponing July 10 to August 7 - Summer 2011 Photoshoot

Planning for the July 10 photoshoot hasn't come together very well due to work assignments during the month of June. I'm proposing moving the date to August 7, which seems to be outside conflicts as best known at this time. If anyone does know of another activity scheduled for August 7, please call 248-632-6156 and discuss. If you'd prefer email, send to info@fuzzytek.com.

Thank you,
Stephen

Proposed Dates for Summer & Fall 2011

Polls have been added to the official website to select the date for the next two photoshoots. Votes will be tallied on May 15, setting the dates. Please visit the website and make selections on the top right of the sidebar you'll find the polls.

Summer 2011 Sunday, July 10 - after 4th of July weekend Sunday, July 17

Fall 2011  Sunday, August 28 - before Labor Day weekend Sunday, September 18 - after Patriot Day on 9-11-2011 which will no doubt have events

Please vote soon and encourage others interested in the project to make a vote as well. The entry forms for the upcoming shoots will be setup in the next couple days and an announcement will come through the blog. Referral rewards programs are anticipated to continue through both shoots for 2011 - recruit your community and make some money!

What To Bring

The Spring photoshoot is just a few hours from now and you might be thinking... what is supposed to be in my bag for the event? The base location for this shoot is Red Door Gallery, 7500 Oakland St, Detroit 48211. The locations will be in the Northend / Central neighborhoods which are going through a lot of change at present. A number of community meetings have been happening plotting out a vision for the future of the neighborhood and this shoot will have appropriate placements.

Everyone

Bring a bottle or two of water, a snack, comfortable shoes for walking, a flashlight, and a cell phone for communications. A recharger or extra cell phone batteries is a good thing as well.

Models

Two changes of clothing to include a casual look and something dressy and easy to accessorize. The outfits should be foundations for creating a look. Layers work well as they permit mix and match and for group photos it becomes easier to bring together common styles. Casual jeans, a dark t-shirt, a light t-shirt, a couple belts, about 4-6 pairs of shoes mostly heels, plus the walking shoes. Underwear options such as strapless/convertible bra makes for easier wear under a variety of outfits, colors for underwear should be flesh color or black. A night-club style dress. Fun separates for going out - skirt, pants, tops. PLEASE don't OVERPACK. If there is anything you need to bring in abundance it is accessories... for some reason we haven't had many accessories designers/stylists at the photoshoot events. We will likely leave a lot of what you bring at the base location and return to pull from it as needed.

Photographers

Make sure you bring lots of memory/film for camera. A recharger for your batteries or spares is a smart thing. Reflectors and bounce boards help bring natural fill light into images. The weather forecast says we'll have GORGEOUS partly cloudy skies and highs in the mid-60s.

Stylists

The responses from models for this specific shoot have been lower than expected, especially given six months of awareness. We will likely have less than a dozen models to work with. That makes it easier to bring outfits and styling accessories. If possible please prepare for 12 models and if we have fewer there can be change-outs to cover what is brought. Model sizes vary a lot for these shoots with an average size of 3-4, and going from 0-16 generally.

Can't Make It?

Don't let transportation stand in the way - call 248-632-6156 between 8:30-9:30am and a fast network of carpools will be created. If you know someone else attending it is recommended to travel together as community.

Summer and Fall Shoots

Dates for the next shoots can be discussed at the Spring shoot. Tentative dates are Sunday July 10, and Sunday September 18.

Rescheduled Spring 2011 - April 30

Saturday I looked at the date for the shoot - checked the upcoming weather conditions (55 degrees and a 60% chance rain, currently 30%) and evaluated the activities going on Easter weekend.

A poll was placed on Facebook and this site asking people to weigh in on changing the date from April 23 to April 30. Factors influencing were:

• Weather conditions
• Conflicting event activities for people interested 

The majority of people voting felt the change of date would be good. Some have conflicts that prevent them from coming on the 30th. Remember the project has 2 more shoots this year. Those dates are under review and will be post this week. Moving the date forward one week gives a few more days to gather registrations.

Weather conditions are currently trending about 7-9 degrees cooler than usual, lets hope in the next few days the forecast comes close to the average high of 65 degrees. Best recommendation is to bring a jacket and an umbrella. Photographers make sure your gear is kept water proof and I could be checking around for assistance holding umbrellas for photographers shooting. The project typically has about a 30% chance of rain being forecast and about 20% of those times anything has happened - so we've remained a pretty fortunate outdoor event!

Many thanks for keeping up to date - please spread word of the change and make sure people use your name on the REFERRED BY entry on the registration form (if you are coming this must be filled out).

Stephen "Fuzzytek" Boyle
Call if you have questions 248-632-6156

Change of Spring 2011 photoshoot date

Saturday I looked at the date for the shoot - checked the upcoming weather conditions (55 degrees and a 60% chance rain, currently 30%) and evaluated the activities going on Easter weekend.

A poll was placed on Facebook asking people to weigh in on changing the date from April 23 to April 30. Thus far the majority of people voting felt the change of date would be good. But I've also promised to keep this question alive until 11pm on April 19!

Realizing not everyone is on Facebook -- a poll has been added in the right sidebar of the website inquiring which date you would prefer.

Planning Meeting THIS Friday - Apr 15

Next weekend is the Spring 2011 Abandoned In Detroit photo shoot. This planning meeting is to answer questions, provide information, and coordinate the upcoming shoot.

BE PRESENT or PHONE CONFERENCE

You have two ways to participate. The meeting should last about an hour. We're gathering at 6:30pm at Red Door Gallery, 7500 Oakland St, Detroit - the same location as is shown for the start of the shoot next week and appearing on the right sidebar of the website. The gallery is NW of the intersection of I-75 and I-94.

Phone Conference Instructions Dial 1-605-475-6350 Access code 443118 Start time 6:30pm Fri April 15

Phone lines will be open 5 minutes prior to the meeting and remain open for about an hour, when the meeting comes to an end. I will also check into streaming video from the meeting as well, the gallery has wi-fi and wired access.

AGENDA
Very simple ...

• Introduction to the project - go over the history for 10 minutes
• Review list of registered participants
• Review what to bring for various roles 
• Go over the structure of the shoot - what happens when, where and with whom 
• Go over the rewards programs that are offered to paid registered project members

The website can now be easily found at http://AbandonedInDetroit.org
Pages within the site at present are still referenced through http://abandonedindetroit.blogspot.com

Photo by Click Photography - contributed to the Flickr pool of photos from the project. View the Photo Gallery to see more.

Referrals for 2010 Talent

I can understand some confusion for talent from 2010 when they are looking at the registration process. I made a special exception in the 5th year of the project to spur interest. In appreciation for your time, effort, and dedication the following terms are being offered for the Spring and Summer 2011 shoots only. So if you shot in 2010 these are the two shoots to make it count for you.

Talent NEW in 2010 - Special Deal

You'll get a special referral rate of 20% rather than 10% - so you pay the $100 and when someone writes your name in you'll get back $20. Do that 5 times and you'll get the entire $100 back. New people coming in that did not shoot in 2010 will be at the 10% referral rate.

PLEASE NOTE IT IS IN YOUR BEST INTEREST TO GET IN EARLY AND GAIN REFERRALS.

All referral rewards programs are for members of the project that have paid an ENTRANCE FEE at some time in the last five years. If you need further clarification please call me and I'll discuss your individual situation with you. There are several hundred people that have shot with the project - meaning : a LOT of variations to go over.

Spring 2011 Promo video

Want to create your own videos like this one - click here, it's FREE!

No Spare Tire

Photo taken June 2008 of Windy near Eastern Market by Fuzzytek.

Avondreal by Heather Joe

Avondreal,
uploaded by Fuzzytek.

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Heather began with the Abandoned in Detroit project in 2007 when we were shooting along the Dequindre Cut before it was transformed from an abandoned railroad / urban prairie into an activity path for bicycles, roller blades and walking.

This photo is from the Summer 2010 photoshoot held in Central Detroit. The building is early in the process of being converted to lofts. I remember being at the building in 2004 for a DEMF afterparty that went all night long. Within the building were some of the furniture items from the Blue Nile Ethiopian Restaurant's downtown Detroit location - which was closed a few years ago.

Heather brings bold colors, textures, and creative lines in her fashion creations.

Vyrula Zel

Vyrula Zel,
uploaded by Fuzzytek.

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Working with Vyrula and her design work was a wonderful thing... I simply wish we could find her NOW! (If you know how to reach her send an email to abandonedindetroit@thedetroitfactory.com please.) She was a project member from 2006-2007 and always brought awesome inspiring pieces to the shoots.

This piece is unbleached hemp fabric, hand painted with messages and symbols from her beliefs and followings of Buddhism and vegan regimen. Vyrula loved the animals and spirits of those around her.

We are proud to have images of her work as it evolved after her graduation from IADT Detroit. Find more photos in the Photo Gallery for the project on Flickr.

Meet the designer for Fashion Junkiee

Abandoned in Detroit - Session No. 22 215,
uploaded by Click Productions & Photography.

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Meet the designer for Fashionn Junkiee! This photo was taken at the Fall 2010 Abandoned In Detroit photoshoot. She is wearing clothing and jewelry fashioned by herself.

The Abandoned In Detroit project welcomes fresh new designers interested in showcasing their work. By getting involved in the project you will be projecting your work to a wider viewing audience, creating new contacts through the shoots, and could find yourself collaborating quickly with the people you meet. Abandoned In Detroit is a project that spawned the community known as 313FAD. If you are on Facebook join the 313FAD group and see more Detroit fashion style.

You can find more about Fashionn Junkiee on the company Facebook page.

This young designer's mother is a designer as well - Son'J Couture is her brand. So it seems fashion design and style runs in the family!

Learn about Rinaco Styles

Abandoned in Detroit - Session No. 22 265,
uploaded by Click Productions & Photography.

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She's wearing a dress by Rinaco Styles who has been very active with the Abandoned In Detroit project since March 2007. Nadine has come out for shoots from March to November - bringing a warm smile with each shoot she has attended. If you visit the Photo Gallery page you'll find a slideshow of photos taken at prior Abandoned In Detroit events.

You can find more information about Rinaco Styles on the company Facebook page.

Spring 2011 Concepts

One of the concepts that is worth exploring during the Spring 2011 shoot (in 44 days) would be a mock fashion show on location. Video of this would be recorded along with additional footage during the photoshoot overall.

Designers need to check in and confirm they will be attending the shoot. That allows for a schedule to be established and wardrobe / styling requirements to be managed. So the question for all those reading... what clothing do you want to see in the shoot and check in with them on being in the project!

Guide them to the registration page on the blog (http://abandonedindetroit.blogspot.com) - the form there will gather some required information.

There is not much more than a month of planning left to go!

Project Production Meeting

A production meeting will be held Tuesday, February 22 from 6-9pm at Red Door Gallery. The purpose of the meeting is to familiarize persons interested in serving on the advisory board and production staff with the project, operating guidelines, and goals.

If you are interested in being considered for the advisory board please send an email to abandonedindetroit@thedetroitfactory.com with the subject ADVISORY BOARD PETITION. The email should contain the following:

• Photoshoot dates for the project that you have participated on and in what role - designer, model, photographer, makeup artist, etc
• A paragraph stating what you got from the project as a participant.
• A paragraph or two indicating potential direction and deliverables you would like to see for the project.
• Contact information - email, phone, profile links
• Do you have website development / design and/or publishing skills?

REMINDER

The next shoot is 68 days from today! Please tell people to use your name when they fill out their registration information and make their entrance fee payment.

• Existing project members make 25% ($25)
• Newly registering members bringing another new member make 10% ($10)

Project Partners Program

It has come to our attention over and over that newly arriving talent loves the project and are looking for a way to support it. Thank you for your love and interest!

Project Partners Program

Today we roll out a new program for newly registering project members and for the public as well! Here are the guidelines:

• Must be registered on Facebook and "like" the official project page. You'll then get notices of events and activities post through the page.
• Must fill out the Project Partners Program form (below).
• This program is open to the public at this time. A 30 day notice blog post will be made if the program is being suspended or terminated.

Reward As Cash Value

• When a newly registered project member excluding yourself, lists you as a referral name you will receive 10% of the project entrance fee collected. This offer is good for non-participating public. There must be a match between the information filled out on the form below and the registration form filled out by the project participant listing you as the referring source.

JOB: Project Member Fashion Bloggers Wanted

As a member of the project you have had the experience of one or more photoshoots of the project. Abandoned In Detroit is seeking bloggers from within the project that would like to write featured talent reviews. The aim is to offer a weekly Featured Talent Review blog post introducing talent from the project and how involvement has impacted their work.

You Want Paid

Blogging isn't going to require more than a few hours in a month, possibly an hour a week. The amount paid per Featured Talent Review is going to be hard to gauge until we've gone through a few posts to see the response. The opportunity for sponsors to come forward can increase revenues that will make its way to our production staff as well.

The effort of getting people to read your review is another set of jobs. Writers need publicists to have their work read, and there are technical needs that extend to social networks and traditional media such as newspapers, TV, radio, and more. Writers also need photos to go with their story and that is one area this project is strong in offering.

When we work together the solution works and everyone wears a smile. The key to working together is communication and those that apply to be bloggers will be interviewed and asked to provide reference work. If you are interested in applying fill out the form below.

Referral Rewards

Announcing "Referral Rewards" for existing project members. You get 25% of the entrance fee back to you for bringing new members that are approved into the project. This offer is subject to removal with a 30 day advance notice via a posting on the website.

How It Works
Direct the person to the Registration page for the project. There is a Referral By box on the Registration Form - have them enter your name in the box before submitting the form. If you have questions or difficulties call 248-632-6156.

Flickr Photo Gallery Added

Since Blogger has added pages we've now got a great way to show off photos from the project on the page. There is a members-only Flickr group that I'm inviting all members to join. You'll have to be approved, so please be patient.

Click here for the Abandoned In Detroit group on Flickr

Get a FREE Flickr account and add your Abandoned In Detroit photos to the group. Free accounts allow 200 photos to be in your public stream. You can upload more and place them in the group for viewing. Please keep the photos on topic for the group - the images must be from a photoshoot or event presentation of Abandoned In Detroit project. 

Another helpful thing to do is tag your photos - indicate the people involved. If they have a Flickr account you can link to them. One tag to place on all project photos is "abandoned in detroit". Tags are searchable and provide a pivot point reference to find similarly tagged work.

Website Layout Update

The layout for the site has also been altered to bring pages across the top navigation bar.
Watch for more updates - we are 90 days from the date of the photoshoot - April 23, 2011, the Saturday before Easter. We may have a number of people from the past five years of the project whom are in town visiting family that could attend.

Pauletta in Fashion Junkiee

April 23 is just 90 days away. Making installment payments might be the easiest way to pull together $100 to be a project member. Check the link on the right out on how to REGISTER for the project.

Note: If you have previously participated in an Abandoned In Detroit photoshoot and received clearance as project member you will not have to pay the entrance fee. It is a ONE TIME payment to join the community.

New Site Format

New features are being introduced to the redesigned blog. Yes there was some idle time on the blog and for the project - content moved around from place to place. You'll find updates coming that will bring those gaps together. If you are a participant in the project and don't find your name listed on the participants page, please contact abandonedindetroit@thedetroitfactory.com or call Stephen at 248-632-6156.
You'll be asked to use Google Friend Connect to begin receiving updates. You can set that up using the Follow links on the right.