Mina Sewell Mancuso "In Sole"
Mina Sewell Mancuso embroiders alchemical emblems under the moniker Fila Arcana, and I'm completely charmed by them. In addition to her intricate hooped works, like the one above, she makes collars and pennants, stitched with tarot swords, moon phases, and all-seeing eyes. I want to own pretty much all of these, and am adding her shop to my birthday wish list. Go, Team Ouroboros!
Birthday presents continued. My beloved feller treated me to the gorgeous neo-Victorian silver Celestial Necklace by Love & Victory (far left), and I literally gasped when I unwrapped it. Apparently the maker lives right in our hood, so there was a clandestine hand-off that occured right under my very nose! Sneaky. This piece is delicate and tough at the same time - which can be said for the rest of the jewelry in the line as well. When I wear it, I feel like Selene incarnate.
Another treat I gave myself on my birthday last week was an appointment to the Occulter boutique. Conceived by Derrick R. Cruz of Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons, Occulter is a collective that includes his incredible line of "Dark and Uncommon Goods," and work by fellow jewelers and artists with a shared aesthetic. In the small space that doubles as a studio, one finds gothique baubles, fine teas, black honey, alchemical books, and wax Morrisey effigies. It's impeccably curated, and each item is designed with an eye toward deluxe mystery. I look forward to visiting again soon.
Alice Scott Studio "Hand Rosary"
I was really spoiled for my birthday yesterday, thanks to my sweet family and friends. Donut breakfast, lunch at Katz's, a visit to Occulter (more on that soon), afternoon movie, dinner at my favorite sushi spot, and so many thoughtful and precious gifts. At the risk of sounding like a braggart, I thought I'd share a few of them here this week and give their creators some bloglove.
I'd been coveting this hand rosary necklace by Alice Scott Studio for months now, and my BFF Suzannah (a jewelry genius herself) mailed one to me. It is even more delicate in person, and I love how it moves and shimmers when worn. It feels like a talisman, which is Scott's intention:
I borrow symbols from a variety of spiritual and cultural practices in order to create my own world of sacred objects. Each piece is meant to help each person who wears it feel connected to something mysterious, ancient, and bigger than herself.
Indeed.
I was invited to do a Valentine's Day guest post on the Etsy blog, and it's up now. It was so much fun to write, and a thrill to get to give some more much-deserved attention to some of my favorite artists - many of whom have been featured here before. Thanks so much to Alison, and welcome Etsy readers!
Alexander McQueen Dress, "Widows of Culloden" autumn/winter 2006-7
"Savage Beauty", the blockbuster Alexander McQueen retrospective at the Met has been extended, by popular demand, to August 7th. I saw it yesterday, and it far exceeded my sky high expectations. Opulent, inventive, dark, romantic, astonishing, decadent, epic. Yes, the clothes, but also the environments, the production design, the music -- the unbridled artistry and imagination of the entire show. Listen to me. This is absolutely unmissable. Unmissable. UN. MISS. A. BLE. OK?
We're having a cloudy, gray day here in NYC, and I am missing the sun badly. Walking in summery light elevates my mood - and gives me the perfect excuse to wear my tres chic sunglasses by Lumete. Now a quick word about myself and clothing. I'm neither a label hound nor a commercial shill. In the rare instances when I post about fashion here, it's because I feel sympatico with the product or brand aesthetic. Lumetes are sunglasses for surrealist belles. One read of their site, and you can see why I'm head over heels for them:
Our name “Lumete” (prounounced "lou-met") is derived from the words lumen and amulet. The Renaissance alchemical concept of Lumen Naturae refers to the light hidden in all matter, which alchemists believed could be released and transformed through their work. An amulet is an object used for protection and luck. Eyeglasses are beautiful amulets that adorn your face, protect your eyes, and help you see clearly. Metaphorically, they connect your inner vision and your perception of the world.
Our brand and our collection are inspired by alchemical and Gnostic symbolism and we seek to instill that sense of wonder and reverence to every piece we make.
Plus, when I wear my lepidopteran Dramoletes, I feel like a modern-day Peggy Guggenheim. And who could resist that?
Yunus & Eliza "Night Vision Necklace"
Yunus & Eliza describe their jewelry line as "sculpture to be worn." Each piece is handmade, so there is unique variation between them, and each has its own dark, imaginal elegance. Oh, how I'd love to own their Night Vision necklace or ring. Le sigh.
(Thanks, Suzannah!)
Karen Helene Queipo
What's not to love about Karen Helene Queipo's shadily sumptuous photographs? With an aesthetic that's part carnival and part spiritualist Victoriana, her work is a study in dark pageantry. And the best part is, each picture is unaltered and unretouched - they are meticulously composed and then lit with candles and flashlights.
NYCers can check them out in person at jewelbox shop Lunessa, via an opening party on Friday, December 10th from 6-9pm. In addition to the show, attendees will enjoy cocktails and receive $25 off of any $100 jewelry purchase. Lunessa is where I bought my beautifully sparkling, iridescent wedding jewelry, so believe me, you do not want to miss this event for either the art or the gems!
It's been a while since I've posted about a fashion designer. I find both the clothes and the branding of Tsumori Chisato's line to be so inventive and fanciful. The above image is from her Autumn 2009 campaign, and it features her illustration work, which I also find irresistible. She and I share a love of stars, clouds, birds, stripes, and shimmer. One of my biggest regrets is not purchasing this tiered metallic star dress by her when I had the chance. Had I but known I was going to have a wedding this year, I could have maybe justified it. Alas!
I just read about the launch party for the new fashion line "Witches" by Lauren Alexander and Gabby Applegate. While the clothing looks lovely, I am particularly bowled over by the event itself. Apparently, it took place at Chateau Marmont, and rather than having a fashion show per se, there were instead dark little scenes set up outside inhabited by the models, allowing viewers to wander from vignette to vignette. The propping looks impecable, and the art direction as a whole is to die for, with plenty of occult and Victorian embellishments, and the entire space bathed in an eerie pink light. You can see more pictures here. Wish I could have been there.
It seems the fashion world has gone feverishly fantastical this season, and there have been some breathtaking spreads you simply must see!
From Ruven Afanador's shoot in Elle Italia, November 2008:
From Tim Walker's shoot in Vogue Italia, November 2008:
The entire December issue of British Vogue is dedicated to fantasy:
And contains this incredible Wonka-esque shoot by Tim Walker (yet again):
*SIGH*
My favorite fashion magazine, Lula, just came out with issue 7, and it is heavenly. It's from the UK, which makes it a bit tricky to find in the states, but I found mine at Universal News on Broadway and Broome. Highlights include a profile on the neo-gothic artist Floria Sigismondi and loads of tres coquettish photography by Ellen Von Unwerth.
Sapphire with Stars Ring
I really, really, REALLY want this ring by R Simantov. It's one of their many deluxe, fantastical baubles, fit for urban royalty.
Tobias Wistisen "Shrunken Head Necklace"
I must be on a headhunting kick, because the shrunken head necklace collection by Tobias Wistisen is really rocking my world right now. Makes me fondly remember the real shrunken heads I saw a few years ago at the marvelously overstuffed Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford.
Brown Bobbing Bears Necklace
I want pretty much every piece of jewelry on the Iggy and Lou Lou site (especially that iridescent swan pendant - swoon!) Their use of ceramics gives each piece a rough, often totemic quality. It's hard and fantastical at the same time, perfect for modern dreamers.
I have become addicted to Lula Magazine. It's from the UK, but it can be found at international magazine shops, or ordered online. It is chock full of dreamy, color-soaked photography and whimsical copy. This is a magazine for grown up girls who love fantasy and imaginative fashion.
Margaux Lange - Bracelet
As you may have gathered from previous posts (like this one and this one), I have a penchant for doll parts. To put it more specifically, doll parts used in startling, unusual ways. Margaux Lange's jewelry is about as surprising as it gets: plastic features and limbs are framed in sterling silver, then connected in pleasing patterns to bedeck oneself in. Sophisticated and childlike at once, these pieces would definitely make you stand out in a crowd.
Erin Fetherston Spring/Summer 2007
I will never understand why celebrities with gobs of money wear nothing but Armani and Chanel and the like to their fancy affairs. There are perfectly great designers out there who infuse their pieces with loads of imagination and glamour to boot. Erin Fetherston creates garments fit for a fairy tale that have a fresh, unconventional edge. Perfect for Parisian princesses and midnight maidens.
As I have mentioned before, I am a die-hard fan of Lipstick Queen lipstick. ("Saint Rouge" and "Red Sinner" are my preferred shades, FYI). Imagine my delight when I heard that the royal ladies have launched a new product: Oxymoron, a matte gloss for lips and cheeks. I've had the pleasure of wearing "Deafening Silence," a glowing nude that gives the skin a creamy, Victorian-hued tint. And as promised, it goes on as slippery-smooth as a gloss, but without the oily sheen. Perfect for a subtle whisper of color. And of course, it comes with divinely designed packaging and a lip brush. Because that's the Lipstick Queen way.
Suzannah Murray "Damballah" 2007
Rejoice! Phantasmaphile fave Lark and Lotus has launched a gorgeous new set of jewelry. Called the "Gris Gris Collection," these pieces are designer Suzannah Murray's homage to the voodoo culture that surrounds her down in her New Orleans home. The collection includes protective amulets that invoke the gods, as well as luxe interpretations of magical spell ingredients, like spanish moss and cicada wings. Positively divine.
Lipstick sorceress Poppy King just launched her new line, Lipstick Queen, and I can tell you after buying two different shades (one from the Saint collection, and one from the Sinner collection), that they are exquisite. Every detail of the brand, from the color-drenched pigments, to the typeface and packaging, is luxurious, evocative, imaginative, and romantic. I am in love.
I have been thinking a lot about fashion lately, and the ways in which it can yield walking works of art. The exemplary fashion house that springs to my mind immediately is Morgane Le Fay. These are the sort of dream clothes that I would wear if I had mountains of money. The pieces looks like the ghosts of flowers, a parade of hushed reverie. I pass the store on Wooster Street frequently, every now and again going in to be amongst the flowing shapes. It really is a magnificent feeling. The designer is Liliana Casabal. She is a brilliant romantic, and I admire her for consistently maintaining a balance between the contemporary and the ethereal.
Suzannah Murray "Titania" Lark and Lotus 2006
I love jewelry, but it's rare that I stumble upon any pieces that are special enough to merit my spending money. As soon as I saw the collection from Lark and Lotus, though, I knew I'd be in trouble! The designer, Suzannah Murray, has created pieces that are not only works of art, but true talismans. Her first line contains gorgeous baubles with an art nouveau aesthetic. Each piece seems infused with magic and memory. Suffice it to say, I am saving my pennies!
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