Annie Weinert designs costumes that shimmer and flow.
Halloween is the first thought that comes to fixing your eyes on the girls with the twirling, clear
most minds when you mention costumes: PVC, flashing LED, light-up hula hoops.
vampires and superheroes, ghosts and princesses. The impeccably positive, joyous energy that Weinert
Living in a fantasy world for one day a year is a treat exudes is a quaint parallel to her designs. “Sewing [is]
for the multitude. But not for one 25-year-old: “I’ve a way to remind myself to not take life too seriously.
always loved costumes for the sheer joy of getting It is a wonderful creative outlet for my silliness.”
decked out and parading around; costuming once Dancing in front of a few hundred people while
a year wasn’t enough for me!” dressed as a space cyborg would qualify as pretty
Annie Weinert ( annieland.net) has moved beyond darn silly, but it’s also great exercise. After learning
the ghouls and goblins of that infamous October night about HoopGirl, Weinert attended one of the growing
(though last year she went as fantastic candy corn). number of hooping classes they hold in the Bay Area.
Since she began working with the HoopGirl AllStars Today, she's a certified hoopdance instructor.
( hoopgirl.com), a San Francisco hula-hoop perfor- Expanding beyond hooping costumes is the next
mance troupe, costume renditions of Bettie Page and step for Weinert’s new business, Annieland. Having
neon cyber-geishas have become the norm. sold her costumes at music festivals, she knows
Weinert’s leap from weekend hooper to professional people love them. “I figure there’s nothing wrong with
started one innocent day in the park. “Christabel thinking big! I would love to be able to travel all over
[Zamor, founder of HoopGirl] was walking by and the world performing and selling my costumes.”
approached me when she saw the hoops, and we con- Whether working for a large group or a unique
nected.” Fast-forward two years, and Weinert is now individual, custom attention is the core of her creative
making the stage costumes for the six-girl attraction endeavor. “I like to take personalities into consider-
and performing with them as well. In addition, solo ation when I’m choosing colors and patterns.
performances at Ruby Skye, one of San Francisco’s I want my customers to feel like their costume is
biggest nightclubs, have given her an unprecedented an expression of their unique style as well as mine.”
opportunity to showcase her most unique creations. With four years of costuming experience under her
Unlike traditional movie or theater costuming, belt, and many more to come, it’s crystal clear that
designing costumes for hooping has its own chal- Weinert has a crafty future ahead. “I put a lot of time
lenges. “Color, texture, movement, and functionality all and energy into what I do, but it doesn’t feel like hard
inform my designs,” Weinert explains. “For instance, work because I adore it. Each [costume is a] repre-
I noticed that having long fringe and flowing materials sentation of where I was in life. They capture step by
on the legs looks amazing while turning and jumping.” step my changing flow of creative energy.” ×
Vinyl, stretchy metallic lamés, faux fur, and garters are just a few of her favorite features — the more colorful and flamboyant, the better. Part of being onstage is getting noticed, and you’ll have no problem
Victoria Everman is a writer, model, and environmentalist in San Francisco. Her many creative endeavors, including founding the SF Craft Mafia, can be found at victoria-e.com.
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