MMuzura Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                      CONTACT:
April 13th, 2007                                                                        Masumi Patzel 415.310.9616
                                                                                               Joui Turandot   510.499.3793

Interviews Available:
4/16/07, 4/18/07, 4/23/07, 4/27/07
5/1/07, 5/4/07, 5/9/07, 5/11/07, 5/14/07, 5/16/07

WHERE & WHEN

Event:          MAZURA BY DESIGN:
The Jean Varda Collection, Fine Art meets Fashion and Food, 4 course dinner

Date:            May 19, 2007, 7pm
Location:     Garage Gallery
Address:     655 Bryant St, San Francisco, CA 94107
Tickets:       $75 per person for dinner / $20 for after party

WHAT

Mazura by Design is the playful and funky fusion of fine art and fashion. Art is not just for hanging on gallery walls. The body is a canvas on which murals are “painted”, depicting people’s unique stories and personas. Each Mazura collection is literally inspired by a modern artist—past or contemporary. Future Mazura lines will include direct collaborations with contemporary artists, so that their art becomes immediately wearable. Mazura by Design is dedicated to both creative expression and to the sustainability of materials and resources. By combining recycled fabrics with inspired imagination, Mazura creates high fashion in harmony with our earth and environment.

Mazura Event Description

On May 19th, come celebrate the debut of the hot, new, and funky fashion line Mazura by Design . Vanguard artists Joui Tourandot and Masumi Patzel fuse fine art and fashion by moving artwork from the gallery wall to the human body. Each clothing collection is inspired and dedicated to an individual artist. Jean "Yanko" Varda , Joui’s grandfather and the inspiration for this fashion line, will be the first featured artist. Varda was an innovative collage artist in the epicenter of the Bohemian lifestyle at the Sausalito Waterfront in the 1960's. This event will be a recreation of Bohemia of the Bay Area through a fashion show where the models emerge from projections of Jean Varda's paintings with clothing directly inspired by his artwork.

Jean Varda, aside from his many contributions as an artist, was also celebrated for his passion for cooking great food. His favorite recipes and ingredients are the inspiration for the evening's 4-course Gourmet Menu, developed by Chef Efrain Cuevas of The Ghetto Gourmet Chicago <http://theghet.org/chicago/> . An exquisite seated meal will be provided as the backdrop to the fashion show.

Mazura by Design is dedicated to "Green" collaboration; 95% of the fabrics and materials used are recycled. Come enjoy the show and don’t miss your chance to walk away with an extraordinary new outfit. All fashion designs will be available for sale. There will also be opportunities to win original Varda artwork and original Mazura designs.

WHO

Joui Turandot has been making and designing clothes since she was ten. While the other girls were playing soccer, she asked her parents if she could play with the sewing machine. Art, Fashion, and Play have always been a part of Joui’s life. Following in the footsteps of her famed grandfathers, Pancho Willmarth and Jean Varda who made their mark in caricature and collage art respectfully, Joui’s blasted onto the art scene in 2005 when her documentary “Yo Soy Asi,” (I Am Who I Am), about Chilean transgender Prostitutes, screened all over the U.S. and Canada, including Frameline’s GLBT Film Festival and PBS’s Frontline/World Rough Cut. Joui continues to make her grandfathers proud as she expresses her creative talents through multiple mediums; photography, video, collage, and textile. Joui currently works as a stylist for fashion shows, commercial, and print work. She is also a wardrobe designer for film. To learn more about this hot new artist visit <http://www.jouistyle.com/> .

Masumi Patzel, a painter, was born and raised in Guatemala. She has lived in India, Austria, France, Canada, and currently resides in San Francisco. Color is the primary influence on her creations since it permeated her visual surroundings throughout her life, primarily in Guatemala. During her childhood, her stepfather owned a textile company, Uccelli, which introduced her to Guatemalan Mayan weaving, fabric, and clothing design. The experience allowed her to understand the complexities of materials, the allure of texture, the importance of quality, and the freedom in combining rich colors, through which all art breaths and lives. Aside from her development as a designer, she currently works for the reputable human rights organization, Global Exchange, as the Africa program coordinator.

LINKS:
Mazura by Design ( <http://www.mazurabydesign.com> )
Joui Turandot ( <http://www.jouistyle.com> )
Garage Gallery (http://www.embarcaderoauto.com/garagegallery.html
Jean "Yanko" Varda (<http://www.varda.to>)
The Ghetto Gourmet Chicago (<http://theghet.org/chicago/>)

Mazura by Design Press Release