Bunny Party!

This past weekend my friends Jovino and (DJ) Mermaid, the creative genuises behind Bunnywarez, fine purveyors of playa wear, celebrated their simultaneous birthdays with a party at their Oakland warehouse/factory, and I was reminded of how much fun it can be to just hang out and get goofy with a strange group of people and then crash on a makeshift bed, surrounded by bolts of fun fur, as the gloaming is showing through uncurtained windows.

I've know Jovino and Mermaid for about three years, and have watched with great pleasure as Bunnywarez has exploded from an occasional sale at various cons to a thriving Web business (their front page currently shows 729281 views). As Jovino put it, they are now battling the Boss that bars their entrance to the next stage of the game, as their orders have well exceeded the capacity of their home sewing operation. Bunnywarez has become a full-time business for the both of them, and it looks like the next move will be to delegate the needle and thread work to contractors as they manage the clothing design and administration of the business.

For me Jovino and Mermaid exemplify the promise of the Bay Area, the idea that you can be an eccentric, kooky, freaky, smart person and find a way to thrive without needing to buy into the typical corporate track. They live in a warehouse, they have friends who are in punk bands and spin fire, they're regular Burners, they DJ and participate in crazy events like Bunny Jam, while at the same time they are successful entrepeneurs with a thriving business. They should be an inspiration to us all.

The party itself was great fun, if somewhat on the small side. Lord Kook got to DJ for a bit, I met and talked with some interesting people, and even got to walk away with a fantastic furry shrug that everyone agreed was totally me. Sometimes parties don't have to be huge woo-woo affairs to satisfy the craving for social interaction, they just have to be populated with good friends who enjoy one another's company.