Concept Korea at NY Fashion Week

 NY Fashion Week for Spring 2011 was awash in white, tan and pastels.  At the Concept Korea show, high-concept design was not bothered by these conventions.

Two designers stood out to me here.  The first, was Juyoung who designed the Resurrection collection for men.  The male models sauntered down the runway in easy black ensembles.  The signature details were the matte studded belts and pocket details.  While the aesthetic was avant-garde, a few mesh t-shirts aside, most of the outfits were wearable for the edgy fashion guy.

Lee Jean Youn sent tailored black looks down the runway.  She mixed every texture of black fabric she could, from corseted lace, ink-black feathers and skin tight leather.

Maria Pryor - Argentine Fashion Designer in NY

Can it be called Gothic fashion if it isn't black?  What if the entire palette is ghostly white (the collection was for Spring 2011)?  

Maria Pryor showed her runway presentation as part of the Argentine Designers show at New York Fashion week at Lincoln Center last week.  Her grouping of dreamy, edgy dresses were my favorite of the bunch.  There were corset details, trailing fronds, a few bondage and medieval elements.

The designer studied art and fashion design in Milan and has been awarded multiple prizes, including the Moet & Chandon prize, and Best of Miami Fashion Week by E! Entertainment television.

Brooklyn Steampunk Salon Saloon

If you can get yourself to Brooklyn this weekend, enjoy a fabulous festival of Steampunk fashion, music and performances at the Dumbo Arts Festival.  Expect antique-inspired photo exhibitions, Victorian-inspired garb, 'tethered' dance performances and other amusements to tickle your fancy...

Saturday line up includes:
3 pm G.D. Falksen steampunk 101
4 pm August Wahnsinger Steampunk Panel and Discussion
6 pm Music and Performance by Psyche Corporation
Victorian Sitting Photo Exhibition by Tsirkus Fotografika
and of course, Libations all day long

Sunday line up includes:
3 pm G.D. Falksen steampunk 101
4 pm August Wahnsinger Steampunk Panel and Discussion
5 pm "Tethered" dance performance by Lola Lola Dance Theatre
6 pm Music and Performance by Psyche Corporation
Victorian Sitting Photo Exhibition by Tsirkus Fotografika
and of course, Libations all day long

The event is free.  The Brooklyn Steampunk Salon Saloon is scenically located at the Water Lounge near the Brooklyn Bridge.  

66 Water St

Brooklyn, NY 11201

(718) 625-9352

If you can make it, please send me photos!  

photos by Tarilyn Quinn Photography and Kyle Cassidy

Temperley and Alice Spring 2011 Collections

When you think of Spring, does the theme "getting Medieval on your ass" come to mind?  Me neither.  The Temperley "Guinevere" collection and the less expensive "Alice by Temperley" collection held their presentation for NY Fashion Week on Tuesday.  

One collection featured some innovative (but surprisingly wearable) variations on chain mail.   Leather corset vests, armor-inspired necklaces embedded into ladylike dresses.  Another showed soutached black lacy embroidery.  A simple t-shirt print had Gothic cameo motifs with chandeliers and ravens.  

Street Style at NY Fashion Week

Hello darlings.  I did not abandon you... I have been deeply buried at Lincoln Center in NYC to cover fashion week for our sister site, Ms Fabulous.  As they are showing collections for Spring 2011, I am not seeing a lot of dark and seductive clothing.  A few exceptions have been Concept Korea's Resurrection show and Manuel De La Cruz.  I will post photos and reviews of those later...

For now, I just wanted to show you a few street style snaps of the fashion fans I found around the runway...

Bela Lugosi's Dead: Vampire Film Festival at BAM

There's a film festival for everyone.  If you're nocturnal and feeling a little anemic, the Brooklyn Academy of Music has got your back.... From now until September 30th, BAM is presenting 33 films exploring the themes of your favorite Gothic anti-hero(ine), the vampire.


The diverse lineup showcases everything "From Lugosi to the lesbian undead, Murnau to Maddin, camp-horror staple to postmodern, society-as-sickness metaphor, the vampire’s reign over popular imagination continues to seduce filmmakers over to the dark side."  You can enjoy guilty pleasure at the campy "Blakula", drool over Eiko Ishioka's costume designs in "Bram Stoker's Dracula", be moved by brutality and innocence at "Let the Right One In"...  

Film stills from Jean Rollins "Le Frisson des vampires",George Romero's "Martin (John Amplas), and Michael Almereyda's "Nadja" (Karl Geary and Elina Löwensohn).

Gothic Diva Makeup Ideas

Halloween may be two months away, but Fashion Weeks around the World are gearing up starting next week.  Depending on the impression you want to give, choose your make-up accordingly...
I came across this lovely portfolio of 'beauty' photographs from Lyne Godin via Trendhunter.  It ranges from dramatic/glam to movie horror.  The make-up artist is Lisa-Marie Charron, and the images range from simple face embellishment to full body paint.  They may not be for everyone, but they are fun and might give you some ideas for your next ghastly soiree.

Triton Gothic Festival NYC

Anyone in New York or Brooklyn this holiday weekend?  Check out the Triton Festival, where Goths, Freaks, Industrial-music fans can indulge in an "orgy of sound, fashion and the bizarre".  Vampire Freaks hosts 25 bands from around the world, including Icon of Coil, Clan of Xymox, Apoptygma BerzVerk among others will perform.  Look for Coney Island style attractions and a pre-party tonight.

For complete info, check out their website.

Dates: Friday, September 3rd – Sunday September 5th (3 Day Festival taking place on Labor Day Weekend)

Musical styles: industrial, electronic, gothic, dark alternative, metal.

Brought to you by VampireFreaks and Audiolust.