Queen of Design
Queen Slugtoinette (aka Constance Van Flandern), credits her win to the “execution” of her creative bribes which included taking the title of Slug Queen from local mythology to marketable Eugene brand recognized even by the formidable Wall Street Journal–and, of course, not losing her head during the performance of her over the top original parody song on point about Eugene political slime.
It all started a year before Slugtoinette decided to make a run for the crown but couldn’t find a single article or contact for the Slug Queens on line. Believing this was a huge missed opportunity for the city to promote it’s fun quirky side and a platform from which to bond the old hippy guard of Eugene with newcomers looking for some fun and direction, Slugtoinette began a committed campaign to boost the Slug Queen brand and cement the Queen’s place in Eugene history.
How did she do it? First she created a Wikipedia Page which quickly attracted group editors and established The Slug Queen as an important figure in Eugene Historical accounts. She then registered the web address slugqueen.com and created this website and blog to continue to document the legacy of The Slug Queen and create an easy information access point for journalists, attendees and potential competitors. Slugtoinette made access to the story of the Slug Queen her priority.
She then pounded the pavement introducing herself like a mayoral candidate to business owners, artists and politicians alike. She coaxed over 20 local businesses to create products and services related to Slug Queens and put on a map called “the Slug Trail” connecting Eugene Businesses with each other while promoting the newly created ‘Brand” of the Slug Queen. Some of the slug products included Slug Queen Wine by Terriorial Vineyards (with label designed by Slugtoinette), Slug Queen Blend Coffee by Wandering Goat, Slug rolls and cakes by Sweet life and Hideaway bakery, Slug Queen banana slug ice cream by Prince Pucklers and Slug Queen for the day beauty treatment by Gervais!
Wanting to involve artists to help promote the iconography of the Slug Queen, Slugtoinette devised the Slug Queen Art Salon with over 60 artists (mostly local but some from SF, NYC, and Seattle) at the New Zone Gallery on West Broadway which also featured a huge historical retrospective of the previous 25 years of Slug Queendom including crowns and costumes of the Old Queens.
As a former Prop Master in the television and Film industry, Slugtoinette understood the importance of props for a royal ceremony. She designed to replace the original wooden stick scepter with an Official Bronzed Slug Queen Scepter. She worked with UO Sculptor, Jeff Wetzel , to create the scepter which has been passed to each “raining” queen since Slugtoinette’s coronation in 2008. The Scepter was paid for by donations from the local grocer KIVA, a donation from the maker of garden slug salts SLUGGO, and from a personal donation.
Her focus on the visibility and public access to the SLUG Queen subsequently gave the queens a stronger platform on which to support the important local causes, (Food for Lane County, Greenhill, Birth to Three etc.) and allowed them to become a stronger more visible advocates.
Slugtoinette’s campaign and win were covered by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in a front page article about the Eugene Slug Queens. Slugtoinette was immortalized with a ‘Hedcut” (a specialized drawing on the cover of the WSJ) and a video posted on the WSJ website.
During her “rain” she focused on supporting Greenhill Animal rescue and Birth to Three.
She worked with Eugene Parks and Open Spaces to promote the Washington Park Spray and Play park which opened summer 2011. She raised money for he park and worked with artist Betsey Wolfson on personalizing special Slug Queen slug tiles which are set in the foundation of the park. The tiles are historical markers reinforcing the commitment of the Slug Queen to give back to the City.
Slugtoinette wore an exquisite handmade gown designed and stitched by UO psychology professor and Velvet Edge boutique owner, Margery Taylor, to echo the over the top drama of Marie Antoinette’s fashion with a Sluggy and camp twist. Made with over 30 yards of satin and taffita fabrics in mostly browns and greens, the gown was trimmed with slug like animal print, punky vibrant hot pink and lots of irridecent “slime”. The homemade panier understructure gives Slugtoinette 45″ wide hips and the triple-decker sets her at nearly 8 feet tall.
“It’s not easy being queen…but it’s wonderful to tow the slime,” says Slugtoinette.