Going to GeekGirlCon? Here’s One Panel Not to Miss

Geek Couture panelist Lisa Granshaw reveals how pop culture has seeped into high fashion

By Lauren Mang October 9, 2014

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GeekGirlCon hits the Washington State Convention Center this weekend, October 11-12. A melding of lady nerds of all varieties (scientists, gamers, techies, comic book fans and the like), this informative and entertaining extravaganza centered on geek girl culture hosts a slew of workshops, panel discussions, hands-on science experiements, a costume contest and networking opportunities. (There is still plenty of time to snag your passes if you haven’t already. But if you can’t make it, follow us on Twitter for snippets and snapshots from the fourth annual event!)

One such panel that caught our clothes-obsessed eye was the Saturday afternoon discussion on “Geek Couture: Pop Culture in the High-Fashion World,” which will explore how bits and pieces of pop culture have creeped into high fashion, notably the Star Wars-inspired gowns at designer Rodarte’s runway show at New York Fashion Week.

To find out exactly what attendees can expect from this discussion, we decided to pick the brain of Lisa Granshaw (pictured left), a New York-based freelance writer and career consultant, who is participating on the panel along with Leetal Pratt, Cozday Clothing creator; San Diego Comic-Con fashion show finalist, Victoria Schmidt; fashion blogger and San Diego Comic-Con fashion show finalist Lindsay Orndorff and Stephanie Pressman, the co-host of the vlog Fashionably Nerdy. “I hope the one takeaway [from this panel] will be that pop culture can be a great source of inspiration for fashion and can have a place in the high-fashion world,” Granshaw says. “There’s no reason these two worlds need to be separate.” See more of her answers below. And join the gals for their Geek Couture presentation at 3 p.m. in room 301 at the convention center.

Seattle
Magazine: What’s special about GeekGirlCon and why do you love attending/participating?

Lisa Granshaw: This will be my second year attending GeekGirlCon. I was drawn to it because as a female geek I like the idea of discussing issues of importance to women in the fields of science, pop culture, tech, and other geeky areas, and celebrating their involvement. These types of issues can sometimes be lost and drowned out at larger conventions like New York Comic-Con and San Diego Comic-Con, which can be very Hollywood oriented. To find a convention where everyone is welcome, all the panels are focused on these important issues, and discussion is so encouraged, is refreshing! It’s also still a relatively small convention, so you can actually have a discussion with people at booths and on panels without feeling like you’re trying to be heard over a huge crowd. After my first time attending last year I just knew I had to go back.

SM: What can attendees expect from your panel?
LG: Attendees can expect an in-depth discussion about how pop culture has appeared in the high-fashion world in the past and how recently we’ve seen an increase in pop culture’s influence on high-fashion. We’ll talk about some of the most recent instances of this like Rodarte’s Star Wars gowns at New York Fashion Week, Preen’s Darth Vader shirts at London Fashion Week, and the first-ever geek couture fashion show at San Diego Comic-Con. We’ll then look at why we might be seeing this increase in pop culture high-fashion now and what it might mean for the larger geek fashion movement that has been growing over the last five years. There will be plenty of time left for Q&A as well, so the audience can join in the discussion.
SM: Define “geek couture.”
LG: “Geek couture” is hand-made, designer fashion inspired by science fiction, fantasy, comic books, and other geeky interests. It is high-fashion looks that would be at home walking the runways of fashion weeks around the world or at weddings and other fancy events. “Geek couture” is pop culture influencing the more stylish, high-end spectrum of fashion.
SM: How will you and your co-panelists interact with each other? Do you know each other? Complete strangers?
LG: The panel will have two parts: a moderated discussion and an audience Q&A. I’ll be moderating and will ask the panelists a few questions on the topic to start off. Then we’ll open it up to questions from attendees so we can cover anything they might be curious about when it comes to geek couture.
I’m familiar with the work of all my panelists. I’ve interviewed Victoria and Leetal before about their work in geek fashion and met Victoria for the first time in-person at San Diego Comic-Con this year. I briefly met Stephanie at San Diego Comic-Con as well and am familiar with her work on Fashionably Nerdy. This will be my first time meeting Leetal and my first time meeting Lindsay, though I also have been a fan of Lindsay’s work in geek fashion for some time.
SM: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
LG: It’s going to sound cheesy, but never giving up on what you want in life and reaching for your dreams has probably been the best advice I’ve ever received. Without hearing that advice early in life, I might not have struck out on my own to freelance and start a business. You can really do anything you want as long as you don’t give up trying for it.
SM: And the worst?
LG: I don’t think I’ve ever received advice that’s been terrible, that I can label as the worst. I’ve received advice that just doesn’t apply to me, but I’m sure to someone else it might have been very helpful!

Lisa Granshaw is a full-time freelance writer and career consultant based in New York City. Her work appears on numerous websites including the Daily Dot, Boing Boing, Fashionably Geek, Blastr, and more. She has also written for various magazines such as Star Wars Insider. Her company, Media Career Consulting LLC, offers a variety of consulting services to professionals interested in a career in the media and communications industry.

 

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