The Silk Road

The nebula surrounding vampire lore is so thick you could cut it with a gilded dagger. Essentially the vampire is a killer, a monster, and a life-sucking leech. I am presenting vampire fashion from a purely aesthetic perspective, rather than attempting to glorify any raison d’etre of this magical creature. Provocative is the pull of vamp glamour. There is no limit to the decadence, from the hand of luscious fabrics to the most exquisite baroque detailing. Indulge your sense of fun with this look!!

I chose an art nouveau theme for my costume, but you could experiment with mysterious Egyptian or delicate Victorian styles. The Victorian epoch is perfect for capturing the fragility of vampire personna, with pale skin and high drama, while Egyptian images conjure a sense of the occult. I’ve always loved how art nouveau balances clean lines with rich embellishment. The colour palette ranges from jewel tones such as blood red, iconic absinthe green, “Victorian black”: the darkest shade of hollyhock flowers or soft black imbued with a scarlet glow, and accents of moonstone, to solid unadulterated black. Touchable velvet adds yet another dimension, and I was able to find washable red velvet fabric with four-way stretch at a local shop. If you are concerned that velvet fabric would be too bulky, then I recommend using stretchy PVC or “wet-look” fabric.

Orchids…an exotic flower sometimes compared to human skin, skulls, sequins, red ostrich feathers, and a peacock feather adorn the hair. This outfit is completed by red fishnet stockings and armbands for a modern twist, with a painted vintage handbag which I will show you how to paint for yourself. I am going to give you free sewing instructions with plenty of photos to demonstrate exactly how I made this costume!

Lipstick: Ravenous MAC, Eyeshadow: (blonde look) Black Mad Minerals, (studio look) On The Phone Everyday Minerals, Gel Eyeliner: Blackout Mad Minerals, Mascara: Great Lash Maybelline, Nail lacquer: Shirelle MAC, Choker: Radiance Bound (now closed unfortunately), Small Fangs: Scarecrow (also available at Sanctuary in Edmonton), Boots: Grand Nationals John Fluevog

Thank-you to Photographer/Sensei Neil Dunnigan for studio photos, Catherine Scheelar for cabaret photos, and artist Jenn Fleming for photoshopping my poetry and portraits. Thank-you to Jonathan Wiersma for proofreading my html- it was a gong show. Jon also did final processing on the fanged vampire photo. Thank-you to Bill Flesher for being a witty and inspiring friend.

NEXT

From the birth of Pop Art to the renaissance of Art Noveau, cutie jackets with curved French darts, the brilliant glow of hope for a better world, nude lips and sleek hair…There’s something chic about the Sixties allure. This dress would be completely authentic if it were made of polyester and not quite so short. True, the miniskirt was a product of the Sixties alternately credited to both Mary Quant* of London and Andre Courreges of France, but most A-line dresses fashioned in the characteristic subtlety of mod style usually have a hemline that falls “just” above the knee.

I’m going to demonstrate with photos how I made this dress so that you will be able to create one that is similar for yourself. You can easily lengthen (or shorten) the pattern I’ll suggest here, and you are not limited to using the same fabric as I chose for myself. Recommended fabrics for this project are cotton, hemp, or silk. I would even use wool if you like fine wool dresses, however that would require a lining and this garment is nicely breathable and washable without one.

I drafted this pattern for myself using a Dutch patternmaking method but you can use almost any dress pattern as long as it fits you. It’s very easy to retrace a pattern from one that you bought or made previously and alter some parts of it to make a dress like this. The most important factor is to use a pattern that you know will fit you well. Burda makes some nice patterns if you are just starting out. Remember: just because a pattern lists off your measurements doesn’t necessarily mean it will fit without some alterations. If you are using a new pattern for the first time I recommend that you make a sample out of cheap cotton muslin or some other non-stretchy fabric. You can use stretchy fabric for the dress but not for a sample as you don’t want to risk distorting the fit. For a dress pattern to work you need to ensure the sample fits you from the neckline to past the hip, but it’s unnecessary to make a long gown as you won’t be wearing the sample other than to test how the pattern fits you. You will be able to use your new, sophisticated dress pattern to make tops later on too.

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Quant

Makeup: Face: Mad Minerals, Eyeliner: Smolder by MAC Makeup, Mascara: EccoBella, Kitten Heels: Kenneth Cole Reaction, Nylons: Hue.

You may not have much sewing or design experience but I’m going to show you exactly HOW TO MAKE THIS DRESS.

A BIG thank-you to Russ Hewitt Photography!

NEXT