One of my favourite places on the internet is ATRUMLUDUS, a blog run by 23 year old Luis in California. He calls himself Party Weirdo, gives Barbies mall goth makeovers on the weekends and posts dramatic conceptual photoshoots of himself wrapped in pre-war fedoras and vintage cloaks from ebay. His paintings and drawings are a perfect mix of rainbow colours and avant garde silhouettes, and he's fearless with experimental style. I've seen him dressed as a ghetto queen, a bullfighter, a neon existentialist, and Satan's bride - sometimes in the same week - so I keep coming back for more. He has a lovely sense of humour and an excellent eye for the beautiful and the unusual. I just hope that when he gets snatched up by Vogue, Interview, or i-D he still keeps up his blog.
When did you start blogging?
I began blogging in 2009 when I launched my first blog Vilaine Lulu. The whole concept was new to me so the blog was not very eye appealing and I neglected it for long periods of time to the point where I decided that it was time to pull the plug on it. Then sometime in November I had a sudden urge to start blogging again, but this time I wanted to do it the right way and be more serious about it, and so ATRUMLUDUS was born.
What does your blog title / username mean?
ATRUMLUDUS is derived from the latin words Atrum (meaning black or dark) and Ludus (meaning game, play, or fun). As for my username Party Weirdo, I stole that from a Moloko song.
What inspires you?
I find that I am inspired via various sources, it may be through music, nature, history, my dreams, films, etc.
How would you describe your personal style?
Oh this is a hard one, I've been asked this question many times and I always have a hard time explaining my personal style. I suppose I can say it's very eclectic. I Love to morph into different characters through my clothes. One day I may wear head to toe black and the next day I will wear a bright colored ensemble. One day I may look very feminine and without notice I will change into a more masculine look. So it always varies.
Why did you start a blog?
I started ATRUMLUDUS after I had a change in aesthetic and wanted to document my new found love for the darker side in me. I always had an attraction to the color black, but for a while it was dormant in my life. Now that it has resurfaced, I am obsessed with everything black!
Blogging is important to me for several reasons. I see it as a form of expression and a way to share a bit of your life with the public. I think people are naturally curious so they enjoy getting an insight into other people's mind. In addition it is a way great way to document everything you love, anything you are inspired by, pictures of yourself/friends/family, and in my case pictures of all the ridiculous outfits I wear when I'm bored in my room. A blog is very much like a scrapbook, yes! it is an online scrapbook!
Why is fashion important?
Fashion is one of the most important things in my life, I don't want to sound superficial, but I absolutely love clothes! I love the power clothes have to transform oneself into anyone/anything you desire. And well if it weren't for fashion people would be walking around naked, and I don't know about other people but I certainly would not find that very pleasant.
How has blogging changed or developed your style?
How has blogging changed or developed your style?
I don't think blogging has really changed or developed my style. I go through many changes in my style in conjunction to how I am feeling or I may be going through a certain phase and it will show through what I wear. However I will say that from time to time I will run into someones blog and find something in their page to be very inspiring and I will keep it mind for a future outfit.
Are you different as a blogger from how you are in real life?
I would say that I am a bit subdued as a blogger, in comparison to how I am in real life. People who personally know me would say that I am more outlandish and very spontaneous. I choose to tone that down for my blog because some things are just best kept for separate. If my blog was more like a personal diary then I would share much more of my personal self but it is not, so I don't.
Is it important for you to receive feedback?
I always said to myself that I didn't really care if people liked my blog or not, or if anybody left comments, because I am blogging for my self as a form keeping an archive of the things I love the most, including my love for fashion, music and art. I'm not trying to become the next Tavi or Bryanboy so attention is not what I am seeking through blogging. However having said, I do appreciate all the comments I get from my followers or people who just stop by to leave positive feedback. It makes me feel happy that there is people out there who enjoy what I share in my blog.
Have you developed friendships with any other bloggers?
I have only been blogging through ATRUMLUDUS for about two months so I haven't had the opportunity to get to know any other fellow bloggers. There is a couple of bloggers that I follow who I would love to get to know in a more personal level and exchange contact information with. Actually I would love to find a blogger from a foreign country that would like to maybe become pen-pals with me. When I was younger I had a pen-pal from the Netherlands and we would send each other cute letters, pictures, and gifts. I miss that a lot, so I would love to start that tradition with someone new.
Are you part of any other style/blogger communities (ie. Lookbook, Independent Fashion Bloggers, Chictopia, Vice)?
I am not. People and friends have suggested that I join sites like Lookbook and Chictopia, but I don't like the idea of having my picture on a website where millions of people can judge my outfit and choose a score that decides if it's stylish or not.
How many followers do you have?
I have 67 followers at the moment, not that it really matters how many i do or don't have.
Who do you think follows your blog?
I think the people who follow my blog are ones who have a love for art and or fashion since that is what ATRUMLUDUS is all about.
Do you make a conscious effort to increase your followers? If so, how?
I honestly don't put any effort into increasing my followers. Like I said before, I am not blogging for attention or to become "famous" from it. If people choose to follow me that's great, if not then that's okay too.
What are your favourite blogs?
Every time I get a new follower I check their profile to see if they have a blog too, and by doing so I have discovered a lot of blogs that I currently love that I didn't already know about before. There is too many to list.
What are your favourite magazines?
I have been lacking on following magazines lately, but the ones I always read are V magazine, Interview, and i-D. I also subscribe to Vogue but to be honest I find it quite boring so I mostly just look at the pictures.
Do you prefer magazines or blogs?
Personally I enjoy reading and looking through blogs rather than magazines. Blogs have become my new addiction, every morning I check my blogger to see if there are any new updates made to any of the blogs I follow. I find that they are much more accessible than magazines. I don't have to pay to subscribe to a blog and I can follow as many as I want. In addition I love reading about what other people in my age range have to say about fashion, music, and or art. I can relate more and understand their dialog with ease. Plus with today's technology one person can buy a magazine and scan the pages for everyone else to see at no cost to the readers/viewers!
Do your family and friends know about your blog or view it?
All my friends know about my blog but I don't know how many of them have actually visited it or read it. As for my family, they are completely unaware of my blogging activity. I don't hide it from them, but I haven't mentioned it and probably won't considering that my parents are very old fashioned and very foreign to the internet world. Maybe one day I will sit down with them and show them through my computer. I also have two younger brothers and one older sister who don't know about my blog, and if they do they haven't mentioned to me.
If you could only achieve one thing with your blog, what would it be?
I am only looking to achieve one thing through ATRUMLUDUS, and that is to keep it alive long enough that I have an extensive personal online archive of my outfits, styling, and art that I can look back at in the future so I can grow and progress as an artist.
he's such a wonderful inspiration!!
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