Livin’ It
Songstress Nancy Josephson does it her way.
Delaware’s demurest may do well to turn the page right now, before they jump out of their twin sets and pearls.
We’re about to take a stroll in the lime green cowboy boots of Nancy Josephson, front-woman extraordinaire for Angel Band, a trio of women (plus their band) who make “big, loud, boisterous, sad, sweet, goofy noise.”
The purple-haired songstress makes no apologies for her quirky, in-your-face spin on fashion.
“I don’t remember ever coloring in the lines,” the 53-year-old says. “I surround myself with things that make me happy, and that other people may find odd.”
Exhibit A: Josephson’s handmade jewelry.
“I make my own pieces. I do a lot with beads,” she says.
Sounds de rigueur, right?
“Oh, and taxidermy eyeballs,” Josephson adds nonchalantly. “My favorites are my cuff bracelets that have pocket-watch faces
and eyeballs. And I’m working on a new project with insects encased in resin that glow in the dark. It looks awesome in a dark theater.”
Josephson dabbles in mixed media sculptures, using materials like beads and sequins. She applies her craft to cars, so if you ever pull next to a vehicle showcasing a beaded cow and alligator, give her a honk.
She’s given dress designing a whirl, too, just in time for a little event called the Grammys.
The frock took one-of-a-kind to a new level. A box-pleat design, each pleat showcased images of the sound waves from the songs on husband David Bromberg’s nominated album “Try Me One More Time.”
“It was such a sensational dress,” Josephson recalls. “But the Grammys were a little overrated. Of course, on the night of the show, you’re like, ‘There’s Cher! There’s Aretha! Tina Tuner!’ but before that, it’s a lot of standing in lines.”
On the stage, Josephson sparkles.
“I have no fear of color,” she says. “I work with a lot of jewel tones in my art, and I dress in lots of jewel tones.”
Her trademark is cowboy boots.
“I wear them to every single gig. I probably have at least 20 pairs. They’re my passion,” she says.
On one pair, her favorite, she appliquéd an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
If one were to check out Josephson’s closet, they’d see bits and pieces of all the places her music takes her.
“When we’re on tour, we knock around town, picking little things up,” she says.
When she’s in Delaware, she scores pieces from Blue Streak Gallery in Trolley Square and Grass Roots.
Her favorite look is a fitted outfit with a bit of a curve to elongate her waist.
“I like a cami, topped with a jacket that comes to my knees, leggings and, of course, my boots,” she says. “But the jacket is usually embellished with some sort of funky appliqué.”
For Josephson, style goes much deeper than whether a label says Trina Turk or T.J.Maxx.
“My style is everywhere. It’s in my lyrics, my art. It’s off-center. It’s glowing bugs and art cars,” she says. “It’s not for anyone but me to figure out. I’m just livin’ it.” —Amy Kates
Wine Over These
…and don’t forget the cheese.
Wine stopper by Southcoast,
$17.50 at Everything
But the Kitchen Sink,
Hockessin >
< Handmade wine bags
by Mariasch Studios in
New York City, $14
at The Cottage, Lewes
V-1 vacuum decanter by
Metrokane, $69.99
at Kitchen & Company,
Christiana>
< Wine Lines (quirky expressions
for your wine stems)
by Fred, $9.95
at Bloom, Newark;
“Ostentatious” hand-painted
wine glass (recipe
included on bottom of
glass) by Lolita, $24
at Forney’s Too, Dover. >
Dance Fever
Put some style into your steps through local dance classes. Woo partners. Tackle “Dancing with the Stars.”
The ABC hit “Dancing with the Stars” has piqued an interest in Latin dancing, and at Stage Lights Dance Studio (25 S. Old Baltimore Pike, Newark, 453-0714), a class called Bomba has taken off.
The class, held on Tuesday evenings, is based on Afro-Caribbean beats, which furnish the foundation for many popular Latin dances, including the salsa, Cuban rumba and the samba, says teacher Brenda Rivera. No partner is needed. Students do not pair up.
“I teach them a little bit of the dance, a little bit of the history,” Rivera says. “I let them hear the authentic sound of the music, and then bring in the modern salsa.”
Because the class is geared toward adults, Rivera incorporates exercise moves so students get a good workout.
Take the Lead Dance Studio (Pike Creek Shopping Center, Suite B, 4758 Limestone Road, Wilmington, 998-4488) offers group and private instruction in foxtrot, waltz, rumba, salsa, cha cha, tango, merengue and swing.
“We offer a fun, casual, comfortable atmosphere where instructors work with individual students to reach their goals,” says director Luann D’Agostino.
D’Agostino and co-director Nicole McCausland each have more than a decade of teaching experience.
Crystal Ballroom (79 Christiana Road, New Castle, 221-0308), open since 1989, teaches all styles of ballroom dance and offers an open dance party and a half-hour group class every Friday night.
The University of Delaware Ballroom Dance Team offers classes in all types of ballroom dance, as well as private lessons, to UD students and community members. Learn more at www.udel.edu/dance. —Pam George and Katie Ginder-Vogel
Spoil Yourself
Edgy and elegant, this local creation goes with anything.
Tired of looking for hip jewelry only to find the same old stuff? Jane Taylor was. Now her unique line, Spoiled Girl Jewelry, is the answer for women who want funky, fresh, wearable art.
Taylor, of Wilmington, started to make her own jewelry almost four years ago. Art was just a hobby for the full-time pharmaceutical rep and mother of two until a chance meeting in a supermarket.
“This woman asked where I got my bracelet,” Taylor says. “When I told her I made it myself, she said, ‘Oh, good, now you can make me one,’ and pulled out her checkbook.”
Since then Spoiled Girl Jewelry has become a hit at stores like J.D. Kurtz Gallery in Wilmington, Aquamarine on Market in Lewes and Wear It Out in Bethany Beach. Prices range from $25 to $700.
Using precious stones, pearls, beads, silver—even pieces of ebony wood—Taylor creates “one-of-a-kind pieces that have character.” Their strong, edgy quality works with both formal attire and a simple T-shirt and jeans.
Though textures and colors give her the most inspiration, Taylor prefers asymmetry over dull patterns. She calls her aesthetic a “chaotic balance.”
For more, visit www.spoiledgirljewelry.com. —Sarah Wahlberg
