Playing dress-ups at Even Books

I'm not very good with thinking up something creative to wear to a costume party. Luckily though, our designer Grace is an ace at this. So when the latest Even Books event involved a dress code along the lines of "Mountain Dream Tarot and Jean Dubuffet", I was stumped.


Photo by Will Reichelt

I asked Grace if she had any inspiration and the next day, instead of just giving me a few pointers I could follow up myself, she actually came to work with this amazing, sculptural paper skirt she had fashioned out of multiple prints by French artist Dubuffet. It was incredible, everyone in the office was stunned. Grace played down our praise, saying it really was nothing, that anyone else could have pulled it off and that she had just made it in half an hour while watching Idol.



I know I'd be totally incapable of ever producing anything as impressive while half-distracted by the TV, so I thought I should share it on the blog – I think it is an amazing piece.

But Grace's contribution to the night didn't end there, she also had designed a cool limited-edition T-shirt for Even Books. The quote is quite funny (and, strangely enough, in a circular way, from an interview I did with the literary ladies behind the excellent event, Alice Fenton and Angela Bennetts). It describes the naughtiest guests they've ever had at one of their nights, namely some not-so-cluey French fellas who actually broke a very expensive photo table by insensitively using it as a seat.



The shirts were only for eye candy purposes and aren't yet buyable, but I definitely want to put in an order when they go up for sale. Keep a look out on the Even Books blog to find out when they're available, and also to stay updated on the next bookish party Alice and Angela are planning (and if you haven't been to one, I highly recommend it. Saturday's installment involved a Polaroid photo booth, drawing classes with a very cool life model – who posed as Luke Skywalker picking up a lightsabre for the first time – and a wonderfully racuous live performance by Sydney band No Art, who painted themselves up for the night).

Lee Tran, deputy chief sub-editor