Gothic Decor: TONY's Home Shopping Guide

Ok, they are not original. Yours truly published a review of the Addams Family Musical and a guide for Gothic home decor long before Time Out New York's article this week. However, I am appreciative of this nice shopping guide they put together to make your stylish acquisitions easy.
I like that the guide contain many items that are highly decorative in every price range. If you only have your lunch money for the week though, you can pick up this pretty 3-tier frame inspired by a jet crystal chandelier drop for only $30 (USD) at Urban Outfitters.
If budget is not a concern, there is the fabulous Amelie sofa from artist Nathalie Lete. This piece features an intricate crewel-work octopus against a dark flora ground for $3498 (USD) . Many of the items were easily found online or even at your local shopping mall. To see the entire guide, click through here.

Paris Vogue Gothic Beauty Spread

This May 2010 issue of Paris Vogue Beaute will feature a gorgeous spread of beauty portraits inspired by Punk, Goth and Manga themes. The shoot was styled by Julia von Boehm and shot by Ben Hasset. The full photo gallery of the looks can be seen on the site Trendhunter.

National Halloween Convention

Think you're a Halloween Geek? Test your enthusiasm at the Halloween Convention April 29th - May 2nd, 2010 in Valley Forge, PA. Enjoy professional level seminars on everything from makeup to Monster Mud techniques. The practicalities of running your own haunted attractions, mold making, Styrofoam, using magic to scare and entertain. Need to unwind? There's a costume ball. Show off or shop for your monster collectibles.

Bat's Day at DisneyLand

Are you firmly entrenched in the dark side, but need some family friendly ideas for your next inter-generational vacation? Head for the big mouse... The weekend of April 30th, 2010 - May 2nd, 2010, dress in your Goth or spooky finest and enjoy Bat's Day at Disneyland.

You can start with a banquet in a haunted ballroom, shop for collectibles and fashion at the Black Market, party at the Ghoulish Gala and of course, enjoy Disneyland. There are plenty of other events, bands and activities planned throughout the weekend, so if sunshine isn't your thing, you have nothing to worry about. Plan your weekend now!

Gothic Home Decor: Anthropology Chic

I came across a post by stylist and designer partner bloggers The Heights of Fashion. The article featured some pieces inspired by the interior designs soon to be featured in the decor site "Maison Bisono". It demonstrated how a Gothic home decor look could be achieved without succumbing to black walls and overly ornate trinkets. The scenes here were achieved by a few well-chosen objects. An ancient animal skull, weathered driftwood, a ceramic human skull. This small collection gave a slightly macabre look, but could be set in a contemporary room against Mongolian lamb throws and modern furniture. The objects have a sculptural look and can be set against etched mirrors, pale walls and still have a deliciously edgy ambiance.

Gothic Interior Design - Wallpapers by Grow House Grow

I got this little decor tip from a tweet from none other than Neil Gaiman himself... Grow House Grow is a Brooklyn-based design firm specializing in hand-printed wallpapers. While at first glance, the patterns have a lovely, art nouveau quality about them, a closer look reveals that each print has an edgy side.

Katie Deedy's designs are inspired by narratives, historical figures like Mary Ward (a naturalist focused on insects), Aleister Crowley, Captain Smith (of the doomed Titanic). Giant squids, spellbound hands, social insects make their way as motifs in retro-themed walls.

The website is very user-friendly. Each pattern is shown as a whole, in closeup or in a room setting. They are offered in multiple color combinations and are accompanied by the story of its muse.

Gothic Fashion Fantasy Shoot - Bibian Blue and Phantom Orchid

I recently came across a stunning series of fashion photographs while checking out the fashion shows in Barcelona. The images are a collaboration between exquisite designer Bibian Blue and digital artist/photographer Phantom Orchid.

Bibian Blue recently caused a sensation with their show at 080 Barcelona when he showed a gorgeous display of corsetry, Gothic, Steampunk and Lolita ensembles downs the runway. Each garment was meticulously crafted with intricate details and tailoring.

For this particular photo series, Phantom Orchid and Bibian Blue styled a vintage themed shoot. The makeup was very noir, 1920s-1930s. The hair ranged from saucy courtesans of the Victorian to Louis Brooks to 40's femme fatales. To see more photos from the series, click through to their MySpace gallery. To see the fashion show from Barcelona, click here.

Tokyo Fashion Week - GVGV's Temptation for Fall 2010

A designer who simply refers to herself as "Mug" presented the Fall 2010 collection for the G.V.G.V. label at Tokyo Fashion Week. On the blood-red runway, the collection was inspired by L.A. punk and street style, as well as the unusual reference of David Lynch's movie, Mulholland Drive. The big graphic pentagrams seemed to be the flipside of Fur Fur's oversized crucifix motifs earlier in the week.

Kristin Costa - Costume Designer and Prop Artist

I had a wonderful time at the Wonderland ball last Friday night. One of the most enjoyable moments of the evening was the discovery of artist and designer Kristin Costa. For the Alice themed event, she created a collection of exquisite outfits with a tongue-in-cheek interpretation of classic Lewis Carroll characters.

The red and white queens were interpreted as darkly theatrical. The queen of hearts costume was literally, a heart, a bodice of hand-painted veins and all. The white rabbit was a dramatic corset and mask ensemble with old fashioned marionettes.

Her work was also seen at the Shipwreck ball a few months ago. That collection presented witty takes on ancient sailing vessels and sea creatures.

If you're looking to obtain some of her handcrafted aesthetic into your own wardrobe, she just launched a corset and accessory collection on Etsy.com.