Past Board Member: Jean Martin, Finery Editor

Why costuming?  What brought you here? 

I wanted to be an actress when I was younger as I love movies and TV shows. I also love reading and used to write fiction. In 2003 I was writing a Regency romance when I stumbled across the Bay Area English Regency Society (BAERS) during my research. Which led to Baycon (and other conventions), the Period Events and Entertainments Re-creation Society (PEERS), and of course, the GBACG. Now I costume to experience things first-hand rather than just acting or writing about them.

What’s your costuming focus?

I’m very eclectic and don’t really have a focus. I costume from different historical periods from Greco-Roman to 1950s. From sci-fi to fantasy to animation/comics. I’m a huge “Star Trek,” “Star Wars,” “Doctor Who” and “Lord of the Rings” fan. That said, my favorite is Regency as I love stories, especially romantic ones, set in that time period and Regency country dancing is my favorite form of dance. I’m one of the organizers for BAERS.

Do you do anything else crafty or artistic?

Photography has been a hobby of mine since I was nine years old. I started scrapbooking my photos when I discovered this craft more than 20 years ago. Back then I did Creative Memories albums, now I do digital photobooks using Shutterfly. I enjoy photographing people in costumes. Also, creating yearly scrapbooks of all the costume events I attend and travels I do helps me remember and cherish all these wonderful memories.

What’s your day job?

I’m the Manager of the Shareholder Reports group at Franklin Templeton. I’ve been there almost 20 years! I have a CPA and an MBA, but writing/editing/publishing has always been one of my passions. I’ve been a journalist and/or publisher since high school. More recently, I edited a sci-fi fanzine called Science Fiction/San Francisco for 10 years. My job combines my knowledge and experience with my skills and talents quite nicely.

What was the first costume you made? Is there a picture?

I grew up in the Philippines and Halloween wasn’t really celebrated. At least not until after I left and moved to the U.S. when I was 20 years old. One year while I was in high school, one of my classmates had a Halloween party. There was nowhere to buy costumes, so I made a Greco-Roman dress. I had no patterns and no idea what I was doing. But it came out really nice, I think. Unfortunately, I was the photographer as usual and I had photos of other people but not of myself.

What’s on the sewing table now?

I haven’t had much time to sew lately because I work long hours plus volunteering for PEERS, BAERS and now the GBACG. With the numerous costume events my husband and I go to, I often just buy costumes. I usually only make costumes for masquerade competitions since those I actually have to make. However, next on my list is a costume for approval to re-activate my membership with the Rebel Legion. I got archived a few years ago and I need a new costume since the standards are more stringent now.

What was your first/most memorable costuming disaster/ learning moment?

There have been many instances when making a costume has reduced me to tears. One thing I’ve learned is that it’s okay to ask for help. There are lots of friends who are willing to help out when asked. I still try to figure things out myself, because that’s the way I am and I don’t want to burden other people, but when I get really stuck, I ask for advice now.

Costume you’re most proud of?

My medal ceremony Princess Leia dress. “Star Wars” is my favorite movie from my childhood. And this was the first costume I made from scratch for a masquerade competition. Our group won best in show for workmanship and performance at Baycon in 2007 for our Princess Leia “A Chorus Line” routine. Phil and Kathe Gust made my accessories. This was the costume that got me into the Rebel Legion initially.

What’s your holy grail costuming project? 

I really want to do Hedy Lamarr’s star dress from the movie “Ziegfeld Girl.” It is such an elaborate showgirl dress that is beautiful and elegant. I like celestial motifs as well due to my interest in astronomy. There are a lot of construction methods I don’t know yet to make this. I also don’t know where I’d ever wear it to. So it’s on the back burner for now.

What’s your costuming Kryptonite, the one thing you just can’t master?

Rolled hems! I’ve tried and tried using a rolled-hem foot. But I just can’t figure out how to do it.

Tell us one (or two or three) things about you that others might not know. 

I’m a heavy metal fan. I was active in the Bay Area music scene in the early 1990s and hung out with local bands and rock stars who came into town. I also took photos at concerts. I even published a heavy metal fanzine for a few years called “Nocturne Magazine.” I went to a heavy metal industry convention in L.A. yearly. I helped manage a local band and went to the Sunset Strip with them when they did a showcase at the Roxy.