Posts Tagged ‘Victorian’

Dr. Ray D. Ayshun & Eyeleen

Story by: Dan Barrett

That he was once a doctor of a stature which could be considered noble is arguable. If you were somehow fortunate enough to find a past colleague, they surely would deny the knowledge of acquaintanceship now. For the (perhaps we can say) ‘good’ doctor shall only be known for his madness and perseverance in the arcane. He was testing something in the evenings, when he was alone beyond the watchful eye of peers, and the thing backfired on him. Some kind of radiation attached itself to his skin and melted it from the inside out. Unfortunately the dear doctor was not lucky enough to expire during the ordeal, but instead was forced to watch himself become rather mutated and corrupted by the amorphous foulness seeping onto his flesh. After the incident he came unhinged, or perhaps simply exhibited the full breadth of an inherent lunacy. Loathing himself, he retreated to a crumbling estate on the edge of the world where he feverishly stalks the countryside.

Eyeleen

So disgusted was she by the foulness that had overtaken her brother, she could no longer bear to look at his abhorrent, charred countenance. But the vision was of so hideous a degree it had become absolutely etched into the very retina which bore her sight; the only lasting solution was to destroy them completely. The act achieved, covered in molten blood and filth, she fell deep into an abyss of pain and torment. The grotesque objects of disdain had been removed, but the grave reward was to be trapped in a boundless void of formless horror. She clutches at the detested eyeballs, trying to find a way to rend them from this plane and erase all the horrors they have seen.

Matthew 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

Inspiration List: Twisted Porcelain Dolls by Jessica Harrison, St. Lucy (Christian martyrdom makes Hostel look like The Little Mermaid), Bill’s desire to shoot with Michael since “he’d make an awesome psycho”, the “Lyme Disease House of Walpack” and nonmedical use of antique wheelchairs.

The REAL Tortured Souls of New Jersey.

… The house is free, but the ghosts are extra.

The mood is that of antique-tinged insanity as fashion and violence march hand-in-hand by the way of bandages steeped in crimson fluid, colorways cast in bloody tones and truly eye-popping accessories.

• Much like a supremely elegant funeral, the #49-237 Blacklist Ruffle Dress Shirt and the #38-532 Duchess de Sade II Danse Macabre Victorian Mourning Skirt, both seen here in the blood colorway, bestow somber overtones upon the wearer, creating tension and discomfort while remaining well within the parameters of propriety.
• Disembodied eyeballs and soiled gauze up the ante on creepy.
• A heart cameo corset bridges the gap between structured and insane.

• Playing doctor is no fun in a coat that isn’t generously punctuated by sanguine splatter.
• In this “rivet rendition of Phantom of the Opera”, the most instantly recognizable standby of industrial culture sits perched upon the putrefied physician’s shoulders. Faithfully shielding his disfigured features from prying eyes (though they sure as hell won’t be his sister’s). And yes, ladies he IS single.
• Dr. Ray D. Ayshun’s makeup was applied using the technique previously seen in Blood Harvest and Springtime Sacrifice.

Note: Christian martyrs make some of the goriest Halloween costumes. Just sayin’.

Special thanks to: LA Mike (seen here in the role of Dr. Ray D. Ayshun) for laying on the most disgusting mattress known to man and falling through a couch.

Credits

Photographer: Bill Tracy Photography

Models

Dr. Ray D.Ayshun: LA Mike

Eyeleen:Vanity Kills

Location:Walpack, NJ

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Vanity Kills

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How I longed to attend this year’s Wave Gotik Treffen (largest Goth music gathering in the world)! In early June, SiSEN, G-suS and other spooky friends flew to Leipzig, Germany for the festivities.

I couldn’t make it due to travel and scheduling conflicts… but I’m not complaining. Sebastiano and I were flown to Florence, to take part in Luisaviaroma Firenze4Ever (event for 40 top fashion bloggers from around the world). Naturally, we still wore our Goth-Visual clothes! You can see photos from the cocktail party and styling lab on my blog.

Thankfully, talented photographers Seventh Sin (Jen Hoffert and Holger Karas) were front and center at WGT, and wrote this report on the bands and fashion. Is Lolita on the decline? How is steampunk changing? Keep reading to find out. (All images by Seventh Sin.)

Wave Gotik Treffen 2011 was a special one, as it was the 20th anniversary of a gathering of dark people from all over the world. The percentage of foreigners increases every year; this time, we met people from Japan, China, US, Australia and many European countries. The performing artists also come from all over the globe including a metal band from China. With approximately 50 venues spread throughout Leipzig, people gathered at various far-off places, and so the famous WGT catwalk at the Agra Messepark was sometimes rather deserted.

In addition over 250 bands playing over five days, there were many other things to see and do — including free entrance for WGT visitors to museums, the opera and the symphony. One of the largest cinemas hosted a “Twilight” marathon, and smaller ones played indie films like Goths on the Move. At least two independently-organised art exhibitions took place: SEELENFRESSER Titten + Ärsche + Über-Ich at the Werk II venue and S.C.L.S.: State – Society – Landscapes – Society featuring the work of Laibach and Neue Slovenische Kunst.

Fashion-wise there was no obvious new trends this year, but definitely shifts in the most prevalent outfits. While the whole Lolita theme seems to be decreasing, there is a certain increase in both historical and Victorian dresses as well as Steampunk. The Cyber Goth style seemed to decline at the Agra venue, but this might be due to the fragmentation of the festival into three or more hot spots.

The historical-recreation fraction of the Treffen still is mostly a DIY trend, although there are a few specialty brands available that serve this community. The dresses seem to get more elaborate as over the time the sewing skills increase.

In addition to the labels vending at the market, there were some new, smaller labels handing out advertisements: Dark Fusion Boutique, USA, Royal Black, Austria, and Steampunk II, Elfenrausch, Germany.

The increasing number of Steampunks could be sorted into two categories. There were many people using brands like Lip Service to create their basic Steampunk outfit and then “spicing it up” with custom accessories. Others relied mostly on self made items, sometimes overdoing with props and add ons, although the level of ingenuity in the Steampunk community continues to amaze.

Music was widespread through all genres and there were some extraordinary acts on stage this time. Due to our responsibilities as photographers we couldn’t see them all, but at least we were able to sneak in visits to some of our favorites. (Above: Das Ich, who have played at Midnight Mess in Tokyo.)

In the infamous Moritzbastei I was able to stand at the very front row of a Gothika show.

Andro San gave an amazing performance in his pretty red kimono, while Yoshi was more sexy than ever.

The incomparable Diamanda Galas. (Yukiro reviewed her Swedish performance.)

Another inspiring show was Monica Richards project Infrawarrior, with new musicians and an amazing audio-visual concept with ritualistic influences. The presence of Monica and her main dancer Lucretia was amazing and mind shaking, and fortunately, we were able to capture a visual impression.

Even with a reported 23,000 visitors, Wave Gothic Treffen is still “THE” place to gather and find all of our friends, sometimes without even trying. We literally bumped into many people, including SiSen and G-suS from Tokyo on the opera house steps moments before the doors opened to Diamanda Galas. We saw J-Goth Amiyu a few times, including while crawling home at the end of a wonderful but exhausting five days of dark music, culture and friends.

Thank you to Holger and Jen for the scoop! I recommend that you check out the book Black Celebration – 20 years WGT, edited by Jennifer Hoffert and Alexander Nym, which was presented at several readings. “Black Celebration” is a bilingual (German/English) volume with anecdotes, memories and images from two decades of dark underground culture in Leipzig. Contributing authors include musicians such as Bruno Kramm of Das Ich; the images vary from black and white analog in the nineties to full-color digital photography. Hand numbered copies (limited to 300) are still available, but only directly from the publisher, Ploettner Verlag.

Hungry for more visual inspiration? You can go back in time to my 2009 report about WGT. I also featured Seventh Sin photography in this post about Japan Goth fashion and nightlife.

Many travels ahead… next time, I’ll bring you Global Gothic coverage from Hong Kong and Italy. I also recently released a charity T-shirt line, with proceeds going to help Japan. You can see photos and find out more here. Thanks for supporting!

XXX LA CARMINA XXX
http://www.lacarmina.com/

Death and the Gothic go together like … two things that go together. Much of our modern gothic fashion is modelled from the idea of memento mori, and the trappings of Victorian mourning ritual. I thought it might be interesting to research the two:

Memento Mori, translated from Latin, means “remember you will die”, or “remember your mortality”. A memento mori is an object or talisman a person keeps with them, or a depiction or painting drawn to remind them of their own mortality.

The phrase dates back to ancient Rome, where a servant would shout the words to the General as he paraded through the streets of Rome in his Triumph (a parade to honor his victory in war). The servant’s job was to stand behind the general and remind him, even though he was on top of his game, tomorrow he could die.

"Danse of Death", by Michael Volgernut, 1493.

When Christianity swept across the world during the Medieval period, so too did a fascination with death and divine judgement. Memento mori appear in funeral artwork on the tombs of noblemen – including the gruesome cadaver tombs, where the funerary artist depicts the decaying body of the deceased.

Another popular Memento Mori scene from the 15th Century was the danse macabre. In this scene, a dancing Grim Reaper summons souls from all stations and walks of life to dance alongside him. The danse macabre reminded people of the inevitability of death, whether they were a king, a child, a worker, or a slave.

When it came to mourning those who had already passed, the Victorians had some of the most unique and sombre rituals. In a society bound by strict rules of etiquette, it’s no surprise funerary and mourning customs had strict rules and customs. Victorian Mourning consisted of two stages:

At first glance, this looks like a normal photo, but this fireman is dead. Behind his left leg, you can see a stand which is holding him up. (As if his creepy, white eyes didn't give it away)

Deep (or Full) Mourning: The length of Deep Mourning depended on the age and sex of the person who died and your relationship to them. Men wore an armband to signify their Deep Mourning, but women were thought to be in more emotional turmoil than men, so were subjected to special rules.

If your husband died, leaving you a widow, you would remain in Deep Mourning for a year and a day. You would wear clothing made only from black crepe – a dull fabric with no shine. All your adornments, including your handkerchief, gloves and parasol, had to be black.

You would draw the curtains, and stop every clock at the time of death. You cover all mirrors, in case the deceased’s soul becomes trapped in the glass. You stand guard over the body until it is buried. You cannot leave the house except for church and to visit relatives.

Half Mourning: After the period of full morning finished, half-mourning began. In half-mourning, grey, white and purple were permitted, although trimmings, jewelry and accessories would remain black.

Victorians took the idea of memento mori to a new and macabre level, often carrying lockets and items of jewelry containing hair from their dead loved ones. These pieces usually contained jet or other black stones.

They were mad about post-mortem photography, where the deceased would be posed in a portrait, dressed in their usual clothes and made to look as though they were still alive. Photographic equipment had just being invented, and was considerably cheaper and quicker than painted portraits, so the Victorians took every chance they could to pose for a photograph.

In most post-mortem photographs, the dead are shown in a serene sleep, but in some, given that the portrait sitting might be the family’s only opportunity for a photograph, the body will be propped up, dressed and made-up, eyes held open with glue or clamps, or painted on over closed eyelids, and surrounded by the family. Children would be posed with their favorite toys, giving a more lifelike scene. Unlike memento mori, these pictures were thought of as memories, not reminders of mortality.

Read More:

In this picture, you can see the girl's pupils have been painted on, and the stiffness of her hands, which would have been held in place with lengths of wire. The stand behind her feet would run up her body with clamps at her neck and waist, and her clothing would be open at the back.

• Memento Mori from Wikipedia
• The Museum of Mourning Photography
• Victorian Death Rituals by Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens in Ancestry magazine
• Victorian Death and Mourning – a Flickr set
• Art of Mourning Blog

Memento Mori Fashion

Get the look of a Victorian lady in Full Mourning with some of Lip Service’s dark designs:

• a Princess Tears Blouse or Dark Delphine Jacket from The Blacklist, to keep off that graveyard chill
• Victorian Long Dress from the LS Step in Time collection
• a piece of mourning jewelry from Art of Mourning, to remember your departed lover
• Lace-up long gloves
• conjoined skull memento mori ring from Blood Milk Jewelry

see full size in gallery below

The Plague Widow

Story by Dan Barrett who shares my love of woodcuts, dark ambient, cathedrals and “evil stuff.

NOTE: This story is best accompanied by the music of Raison d’etre. Or something “sad and evil”.

Oro supplex et acclinis, I meekly and humbly pray,

Cor contritum quasi cinis: my heart is as crushed as the ashes:

Gere curam mei finis. perform the healing of mine end.

The somber cerulean abyss of night rose to veil the dying bouquet of oranges and reds painted in the twilight sky. The last drops of the day’s storm were lightly dancing atop dark puddles, shadowed by the massive archway overhead. The cathedral towers stretched high above, piercing the gathered clusters of fog, toward unseen heavens. In the most distant and obscured spire, the bells slowly rang out seven dissonant chimes to sullenly acknowledge the hour. The ringing was to fall on my ears alone. In withered hands I carried the remembrance wreath of violet stargazer lilies. From deep within the abandoned walls of the grand edifice I could hear, in infinite faintness, the ghost choirs on the breath of the wind. From the steps I gazed out into the vast, crumbling cemetery where my village now slept.

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Three years ago, the black plague ravished my town, crippling and debilitating its denizens. After days, or even weeks, of agonizing suffering, the body would eventually expire. My children, my husband, and my acquaintances all perished that autumn. Everyone I had ever known had been obliterated in the course of a single season. Now, I was the town’s widow, eternally damned to unrequited mourning. I was left, each day, to dress the headstones of the children with memorial wreaths and utter hymns directing the wandering souls to solitude and salvation, to stroll the mausoleum of my deceased community, offering quiet prayers of bereavement. I am a specter who walks among deserted ruins and clandestine ghosts on this lost highway with no end. For I was the first victim of the plague and my desolation is that of death. And so, I am cursed in this nonexistence to never again be with the ones I loved.

Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine :
et lux perpetua luceat eis.
In memoria æterna erit iustus,
ab auditione mala non timebit.

Turning something like “The Great Pestilence” into a fashion statement is, in this humble (ahem…) blogger’s opinion, the very essence of goth. Okay, maybe not modern PC goth, where people get up in arms about everything under the fucking sun. I got into it because I like “evil stuff”. No, this is not up for discussion.

However…

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We’re sort of going to skip all those super creepy plague doctor bird masks (did I mention how creepy I think those fucking things are?), smelly rags, and gangrene-inspired makeup in favor of loosely Victorian influenced styles. Because those Victorians had mourning down to a science.

Is my take on it not OG enough for you? Looking for something with a little more authentic 14th century diseased European peasant flair to it? Then by all means, please DO stop bathing, attack a potato sack with scissors and start wearing THAT everywhere you go. The debilitating illnesses will follow naturally. Oh, wait; we don’t do panhandling-by-choice “crust punk” around here. I forgot.

Inspiration list: Woodcuts, bubonic plague, dark ambient, Catholic fetishization of pain, sadness, the National Cathedral in DC, Gregorian monk chants, my sick obsession with building an outfit around that black and white skirt.

But especially dark ambient.

With that out of the way, ladies, may I have your attention please…

Ruffled shirts lend the appearance of having a more voluminous chest area.

Added benefit aside, the Blacklist Core #49-237 Long Sleeved Ruffle Dress Shirt in the blood colorway is one of the most ultimate layering staples a goth girl can have in her ever expanding closet. Pair with a black underbust to get that effortlessly put together look in literally, a cinch. Oh and it also

• Sweetens up a business suit (although you’ll want to tuck it into your pants).
• Takes the school marm/food service worker factor out of a basic black vest.
• Looks simply striking with a well tailored simple black blazer.
• Puts the FUN back in funeral.

Show your ribcage without sacrificing tasty noms for the rest of your life with a medically inspired cameo underbust. I’m 100% okay with wanting to look mortally ill. But I’m not down with keeping it real enough to actually get there.

All the X-ray corset action not giving you any sartorial mourning wood? Try this adorable lacy number from the eerily appropriately named Victorian Mourning line in the black colorway.

Creeped out by the mere thought of sportin’ some post-mortem locks attached to a jet brooch much like our Victorian friends did? In that case my squeamish comrade, it seems like a lone black silk flower pinned against your throat might just be more up your alley.

Pay penance to the fashion gods (or 80s Madonna) by accessorizing with a rosary, if you wish. I quit Christianity somewhere in the neighborhood of age 10, but can’t help but be drawn to all the trappings of Roman Catholicism (that I didn’t care about as a kid). It’s so full of anguish, misery, martyrdom and torture. And Catholics totally win at architecture. AND I FUCKING LOVE MUSIC THAT IS MOSTLY MADE UP OF LATIN REQUIEMS AND GREGORIAN MONK CHANTS!

Oh and you’re not TRULY IN THE THROES OF AGONY, until you hide behind a long black veil. It’s all about showcasing your sadness in the most flamboyant manner imaginable. Still confused? Study Robert Smith‘s every move. Only then will you posses the ability to mope with the best of them.

The time of Tim Burton being a relevant, edgy and innovative movie director may have come and gone, but those black and white vertical stripes are here to stay. Not to say that Tim Burton like, invented that shit, because clearly he did not, but I’ll be damned if I don’t call black and white vertical stripes, “Tim Burton stripes”. Long story short , this darkly romantic Victorian bustle skirt vaguely reminiscent of one of Christina Ricci’s party dresses in Sleepy Hollow adds instant sophistication to almost any get-up. Regardless of what crap old Timmy churns out next.

Conquering Coral (that’s right, kids it ain’t just for yo’ gran’ma Tilly anymore)

When I say “coral”, what’s the first thing that pops into your head? Perhaps the shade of paint one would use to spruce up the walls of a Floridian retirement home? An “edgy” hue of nail polish the 55+ set can rock on their toes while vacationing in Myrtle Beach? Makeup advice plucked directly from the pages of some yawn inducing blander-than-a-Michael Bolton-concert mainstream fashion magazine? Cause, yeah, that’s kind of what I think of. In many instances, yes, it IS the elevator music equivalent of the color world. Alas, an unexpected burst of coral offsets the tried and true smoky eye (favored by Goths AND porn stars worldwide) in a way which flatters both light and dark skin tones. It ensures that mournful “Oh the suffering…the torment……the unbearable pain” gaze you’ve been practicing in front of the mirror so diligently doesn’t go unnoticed under those layers of tulle obscuring your face. And hey, in case you do fuck up, you’re hidden behind the safety net of the mourning veil. Because, yes, smearing your eyeliner truly IS something to bemoan for all eternity.

Death and coral … TWO things we’ve reclaimed from the elderly in ONE frivolous fashion post. Next month in Lethal Style: Removing those pesky black lipstick stains from your dentures in one simple step.

General Prep Work

You will need:

Moisturizer, Primer, Concealer, Matte liquid Foundation, Foundation Brush, Translucent Powder, Powder brush, Eyeshadow primer

1. Wash your face with a cleanser formulated especially for your skin type. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry with a soft cloth. Prep your skin with moisturizer before applying concealer in order to ensure a smoother, flake-free application.
2. Before proceeding any further, allow your skin to properly absorb the moisturizer. This should take about 10 minutes.
3. Since foundation worn alone often has a nasty habit of settling in the fine lines around your mouth, near your eyes, and on your forehead, I highly recommend using a primer after you’ve moisturized your face. Utilizing a small amount of primer helps to fill in unflattering expression lines, pores, and scars, thus allowing foundation to actually do its job!
4. Nix blemishes and skin discoloration by gently patting concealer over the trouble area. Follow by blending with your ring finger.
5. Apply a matte liquid foundation which best matches your skin tone to your face and neck with a foundation brush (a full dome shaped brush works beautifully). Start by applying small dots in the center of your face and then moving outward.
6. Set everything in place by finishing off with a thin coat of translucent powder. Use a full, round shaped powder brush for optimal results.
7. Prep your lids with eyeshadow primer to neutralize the colour of your lids, which in turn makes for brighter more vibrant shadow. It also prevents said shadow from creasing.

Eyes

You will need:

Rounded edge brush, coral pigment, eyeliner brush, black eyeshadow, small blending brush, matte mid-tone gray eyeshadow, small fluffy brush, matte white eyshadow, black eyeliner, black mascara

1. Using a dampened rounded edge brush, gently tap (DO NOT SWIPE) a coral pigment across your entire eyelid from lashline to crease.
2. Dab a tiny amount of black eyeshadow onto your eyeliner brush and draw a line which follows the natural crease crease of your eye. Making the line as straight and precise as you can is key! Using the same brush, blend the color outward. This technique is called cutting the crease.
3. With the help of a small blending brush, blend matte mid-tone gray eyeshadow up and outwards. Make sure to blend the gray into the black you added to your crease to avoid harsh lines.
4. Highlight your browbone by sweeping some matte white shadow directly under your eyebrows with the help of a small fluffy brush.
5. Line your bottom lid, starting from the outer corner of your eye, slowly making your way toward the inner corner with black kohl eyeliner. Most of the color should be concentrated in the outer corner. I find it’s easiest to put on eyeliner after eyeshadow and before mascara.
6. Curl your eyelashes with an eyelash curler and top off with 2 coats of black mascara.

Cheeks

You can skip the blush if the phrase “healthy glow” strikes terror in your little black heart. Or “pallid plague-stricken corpse” fits more within the parameters of your usual aesthetic.

(Disclaimer: Despite owning contraband such as “pale peach blush” and “bronzer”, it is not my desire to send anyone to a spooky re-education camp. I’m just a fan of playing up all parts of my face)

You will need:

Matte bronzer, pale peach blush, blush brush

1. Swipe some matte pressed bronzer onto your blush brush. Starting mid-cheek, going towards your ear, apply the bronzer into the hollows of your cheeks using short, up-and-down vertical strokes. Darker shades will give the illusion of the hollows of your cheeks receding, which enhances the overall definition of your cheekbones.
2. Using the same technique, add pale peach blush to the apples of your cheeks, which will cause them to protrude. Use translucent powder to blend between the two colors in order to avoid obvious lines.

Lips

As an avid reader of mainstream fashions rags, I can attest to the fact most beauty writers urge us to adhere to some rather strict makeup rules. Ladies curious about bold lip looks are told by these publications they “want to look vampy-NOT like a vampire”. And so we are advised to obey the “play up one feature at a time” rule. In other words, to keep the eyes and cheeks simple when opting for an over-the-top pout. In many cases I tend to agree, since I’ve borne witness to many a raccoon eyed, black-lipstick-on-the teeth trainwreck in my 13 years of gothing it up. So, I often favor the high impact eyes/ultra glossy nude lip look myself. Alas, sometimes it’s more than forgivable to set your makeup gun to “whore”, such as when wearing veiled hats which obscure the majority of your face. Go light on your lips and they’ll simply disappear under all the lace and netting. And so it had come to pass that your smokey eyes and plum lips came to a cease fire and became BFF again.

You will need:

Burgundy lipliner, plum lipstick

1. Use a burgundy lipliner to fill in your lips, starting at the center of your natural lip line and moving toward the outer corners. Filling in your entire lip area will not only make an excellent base for color, but will also prevent your lipstick from traveling past your actual lip line and setting up shop in the tiny fine lines around your mouth. Ever seen that shit? Fucking terrifying!
2. Follow up with plum lipstick. Beginning in the center of your upper lip, gently press the tube into the flesh of your lip and then proceed to roll it over the entire top lip area, working toward the edges. Repeat the process on your bottom lip.
3. Last but not least, remember to prevent potential slippage by placing a finger in your mouth, closing your lips around it and then removing said finger. This will remove any excess lip junk. In this new era of tagged Facebook photos catching everyone by surprise, you never know where your likeness will show up. And when that unflattering inebriated photo DOES surface, the last thing you want is being remembered as a card carrying member of the aforementioned “Raccoon eyed, Dark-lipstick-on-the teeth Trainwreck club” for all eternity. ‘Cause once something is up on ‘em InternetZ, it tends to never go away. So yeah, avoid lipstick-on-the teeth situations at all costs.

Credits:

Photography: Lanya B

Model: Vanity Kills

Location: The National Cathedral is located in Northwestern Washington DC

<3

Vanity Kills

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Decadent accouterments for pleasure enthusiasts who feel that historical accuracy is best left to PBS costume dramas and hardcore reenactors. Wearing our vices on our sleeve, we shall issue no apologies for partaking in the many delights of mixing Victoriana with fetishwear. A highly evolved sense of aesthetics, an overtly self absorbed mindset and hint of ill repute are our calling card. We are the fetish aristocracy, if it’s a sin, count us in.

The Duchess

Surrounded by fineries and enveloped in splendor the duchess politely smiles as she takes her afternoon tea.  All pleasantries and proper demeanor she savors the taste of Early Grey, drank pinky up, amongst her fellow well bred ladies of polite society. In her mind’s eye she pictures the looks of horror on their collective prudish faces had they discovered that she was indeed wearing vinyl knickers under her bustled mourning skirt .Such thoughts fill her heart with much glee.

click to view full size

Channel her libertine style in:

Blacklist Core Long Sleeved Ruffle Dress Shirt in the black colorway. The sleek timeless cut makes it the cornerstone of any elegant ensemble. Pair with a black underbust corset or waist cincher to create a flattering silhouette. I opted for a medically inspired cameo corset, but the #83-164 Waist Cincher from Lippy’s Blacklist collection would look simply exquisite paired with the Long Sleeved Ruffle Dress Shirt as well.

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Indulge in the drama and dark romance of Vice’s Duchess de Sade II Victorian Mourning Skirt in the Blood colorway.  Guaranteed to garner many a jealous stare at the next gala. For added oomph layer a crinoline or a hoop skirt under this show stopping garment.*

*I highly recommend doing so due to the length of the skirt. If your tallest boots happen to be stompy 8” platforms that otherwise clash horribly with your outfit, a floor length petticoat will help to camouflage them nicely.

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If Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette movie can substitute The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees and New Order for the usual classical and baroque compositions on its soundtrack , then you don’t need to worry about your headwear being an exact replica of a hat you spotted in a televised adaptation of a Charles Dickens novel. I’m not here to teach you history, I’m here to present you with the anatomy of a fabulous get up :)  I happen to think that black hats embellished with feathers, ribbons and fabric roses are fabulous indeed.

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Protect the skin you’re in from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays WHILE staying chic by toting a parasol around on all your daylight adventures about town. My preference lies in a black gothic Lolita inspired piece adorned with mini silver crosses, black lace and filigree medallions.

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To score some easy loosely wound romantic curls:

- Apply a small amount of volumizing mousse to your hair.

- Separate hair into 1”-2” sections.

-Starting at 2”-3” away from the scalp begin winding your hair around the barrel of a curling iron.

-Hold curl for 10 to 15 seconds.

-Release curling iron.

-Repeat until you have curled the rest of your hair.

-Spray with enough hair spray to make your hair an official fire hazard

-Resist touching!

The Dandyette

The dandyette wears what she pleases unrestrained by gender roles, societal norms or the opinion of envious naysayers who secretly wish they were her. Quoting Wilde and Bauldelaire in between sips of absinthe, she transforms the criticism of those with a most unfortunate fashion sense into pure poetry.  Arrogance suits her like a well tailored coat. To cross her is to commit social suicide.

Revel in the flavor of dandy candy in:

Menswear inspired elegance with a distinct feminine feel is the dandyette’s trademark look. Flirt with androgyny without the fear of looking like your Fourth Grade PE teacher by layering a Black Tales White Lies Tattle Tale Victorian Crop Jacket in the ivory/black colorway over the Dusk ‘Till Dawn Stretch Poplin Tuxedo Ruffle Top also in the ivory/black colorway. Both by Blacklist. Avoid any potential “matador” or “circus ringmaster” references by coupling with a plain black waist cincher of your choice. Yet again the #83-164 Waist Cincher from Blacklist would be most suiting.

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If the boobs weren’t a dead giveaway, combining the above mentioned top and jacket with statement making lace trimmed black PVC bloomers won’t let the boys forget that you’re still a girl under all their clothes. Not even for a second.

(Bloomers made with DIY love by my roommate Melanie)

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White socks like these would make the Dandy Highwayman himself, Adam Ant, very very proud. Simple black PVC platforms bring the whole ensemble home.

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Black top hats make everything fine and dandy.

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A sleek understated ponytail won’t upstage your fanciful attire.

The Magic is in the Makeup

General Prep Work

You will need:

Moisturizer ,Primer , Concealer, Liquid Foundation, Foundation Brush, Translucent Powder, Powder brush

Wash your face with a cleanser formulated especially for your skin type. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry with a soft cloth. Prep your skin with moisturizer before applying concealer in order to ensure a smoother, flake free application.  Before proceeding any further allow your skin to properly absorb the moisturizer. This should take about 10 minutes. Since foundation worn alone often has a nasty habit of settling in the fine lines around your mouth, near your eyes and on your forehead, I highly recommend using a primer after you’ve moisturized your face. Utilizing a small amount of primer helps to fill in unflattering expression lines, pores and scars, thus allowing foundation to actually do its job! Nix blemishes and skin discoloration by gently patting concealer over the trouble area. Follow by blending with your ring finger.

Apply a liquid foundation that best matches your skin tone to your face and neck with a foundation brush (A full dome shaped brush works beautifully). Start by applying small dots in the center of your face and then moving outward]. Set everything in place by finishing off with a thin coat of translucent powder.  Use a full, round shaped powder brush for optimal results.

Prep your lids with eyeshadow primer, whose job is to neutralize the colour of your lids which in turn makes for brighter more vibrant shadow. It also prevents said shadow from creasing.

The Duchess

Smoky eyes for a blue blood girl

Eyes:

You will need:

Eyeshadow primer, Black eyeliner, Matte black eyeshadow,  Pressed brown eyeshadow,  Pressed steel gray eyeshadow, Pressed pearly white eyeshadow, Eyeshadow brush with a round/tapered edge, Blending brush, Eyelash curler, Black mascara

Using a brush with a round/tapered edge swipe some matte black eyeshadow starting at the inner corner of your eye all the way to your outer corner. This should form a semi thick solid black line. Try to keep the line as close to your lashes as possible. It need not be super precise. We shall blend our asses off later. See Figure 1.

Figure 1

Starting directly above the line of black eye shadow that you’ve just applied, add some pressed brown shadow. Fill in the entire surface of the lid with the brown shade right up to your crease. Blend some steel gray eyeshadow to the outer crease of your eye and bring it down to on the outer corner of your eyelid. The steel gray shadow you just added should be in the shape of the letter “V”. If you shave and draw your brows on you can extend the shadow past your crease and onto the lower part of your browbone, since you obviously have more room to work with. Clean that blending brush and after you’ve done so, highlight your browbone with a healthy dose of pearly white eyeshadow.

Blend, blend, blend and blend some more!

Grab your trusty black kohl and line your bottom lid starting from the outer corner of your eye, slowly making your way toward the inner corner. Most of the color should be concentrated in the outer corner. Personally, I prefer to put on eyeliner after eyeshadow and before mascara. Curl your eyelashes with an eyelash curler and top off with 2 coats of black mascara.

Face:

You will need:

Blush brush, Peachy pink blush, Bronzer

Let’s make those cheekbones pop! Swipe some pressed bronzer  onto your blush brush. Starting mid-cheek, going towards your ear apply the bronzer into the hollows of your cheeks using short, up-and-down vertical strokes. Darker shades will give the illusion of the hollows of your cheeks receding. Now using the same technique add a peachy pink blush to the apples of your cheeks, which will cause them to protrude. Use translucent powder to blend between the two colors in order to avoid obvious lines.

Lips:

You will need:

Flesh toned lip liner, Shimmering light pink lip plumping gloss

Filling in your entire lip area prevents your lip color from fading and feathering throughout the course of your drunken debauchery filled nights. Use a flesh toned lip liner to fill in your lips starting at the center of your natural lip line and moving toward the outer corners. Shimmering light pink lips balance out the heaviness of the eyes. Beginning in the center of your upper lip, gently press the gloss wand into the flesh of your lip and then proceed to roll it over the entire top lip area, working toward the edges. See Figure 2.

Figure 2

Repeat the process on your bottom lip. To ensure that your gloss sticks to your mouth and not your teeth put your index finger in your mouth, then proceed to slide it out slowly with your mouth still closed. This will remove any excess lip color.

The Dandyette

Play up your eyes with “gender neutrals”.

Eyes:

You will need:

Espresso eyeshadow , Bronze eyeshadow, Frosty white (brow bone highlight)
Black eyeliner kohl (above lashes), Eyelash curler, Black mascara (lash), Eyeshadow brush with a round/tapered edge, Blending brush,

With the help of a black kohl eyeliner, line your entire upper lid stopping right at the outer corner. Stay as close to the lashline as you can and for the love of all things holy do not wing out said liner. You might be tempted to, but JUST DON’T DO IT! See Figure 3.

Figure 3

Fill in the entire surface of the lid with an espresso eyeshadow shade right up to your crease using an eyeshadow brush with a round/tapered edge.  Follow up with just a hint of bronze eyeshadow added to the outer crease of your eye with aid of a blending brush.  Clean your trusty blending brush. Add a small amount of a frosty white eyeshadow to your browbone.. Curl your eyelashes with an eyelash curler and top off with 2 coats of black mascara. See Figure 4.

Figure 4

Lips:

You will need:

Nude lip gloss

Too cool for lipliner, our heroine chooses a nude lip. See Figure 5

Figure 5

And so the Duchess and the Dandyette spent their days strolling about the gardens as if they owned place.

Well, they sort of did.

After the arsenic lace tea party incident anyway…

You see the Duke did not think to make her sign a prenup.

Credits:

Photography:

Aaron Kondziela

http://aaronkondziela.com

Models:

The Duchess –Vanity Kills

http://www.modelmayhem.com/vanitykills

The Dandyette-Meagan Kyla

http://www.modelmayhem.com/1004843

Location:

Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens

http://www.buffalogardens.com

And to all a good night!

<3

Vanity Kills