Throughout my writing career, I’ve shared information on my self-published magazine, “Davina’s Costumer’s Notes.” As I work on the rewrite of my first book “Costuming From the Hip,” I’m digging material out of my archive and rediscovering my passion for magazines.
My love affair with magazines began as a young girl. I would treasure my favorite issues, re-reading them until they fell apart. If I could lay my hands on something less beloved, I would cut them apart for crafting as decoupage, collage, and fodder to make versions of new made-up magazines.
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“Davina’s Costumer’s Notes”
Rakkasah 2009 Edition .pdf
“Line: Costume/Fashion”
I began participating in the world of ‘zines in the ’80s, writing about costume history, fashion design, and illustration. I even started my own ‘zine called “Line: Costume/Fashion.” After four copies, I switched gears to work on a full-fledged book published in 1993 as “Costuming From the Hip.”
“Line: Costume/Fashion” focussed on integrating historical influence into costume and fashion design. My target market was the sci-fi world and I was attending conventions throughout the greater Southern California region. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find a long-lost copy, but I am ever hopeful that one will turn up.
Article Writer
As my focus turned to belly dancing, and after the wild success of “Costuming from the Hip,” I dove into the world of writing for belly dance magazines.
Between 1993 and today, I’ve published thousands of articles in magazines, newsletters, blogs, and digital archives and publications. I’m still writing quite a bit as a freelancer. You can find some of my work in “Fanoos Magazine.”
Costumer’s Notes Magazine
I dipped back into making my own magazines in the early 2000s. “Davina’s Costumer’s Notes” began as a ‘zine printed at the local copy shops before big events like Rakkasah in the San Francisco/Bay Area, Cairo Carnival in Los Angeles, and Bedouin Bazaar in San Diego.
“Costumer’s Notes” eventually expanded into a bi-monthly magazine on its own website. When I began working on my seminal book “The Cloth of Egypt, All About Assiut,” I switched to an email version of “Studio Davina Mini-Magazine.”
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Costuming From the Hip: 30th Anniversary
The rewrite and expansion of “Costuming From the Hip” is underway. As I dig, I’m unearthing past projects, published articles, out-of-print books, and unpublished research. Watch for more tidbits to emerge.
I hope you enjoyed this walk down memory lane,
Happy Dance and Costuming
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Aug. 2024
