Sergio Davila's Steampunk Muse

Most people love Steampunk as an aesthetic, but see it as a costume.  How do you bring a sense of romance and vintage appreciation into every day sportswear?  Peruvian designer Sergio Davila seems to have solved this question at his recent Fall 2013 fashion show.

Using a love of natural fiber fabrics and classic tailoring techniques, he created a collection for men and women with a vintage color palette of brown, grey, tan and black.  While the inspiration was retro, he updated the styling for more modern tastes.  Leather and brass hardware are nice details to trim shaped collars. Slicked hair for the gents and pin-up girl waves brought back the look of groomed days past...

See the full collection here. 

Fort Tryon Medieval Festival

This past weekend Fort Tryon Park Medieval Festival was hosted in Northern Manhattan. The beautiful park was filled with enthusiastic fans dressed in garb from different time periods.  A few were in cosplay, and some in darker, Gothic attire or steampunk.

One of the biggest annual events in this quiet part of Manhattan, it drew a lot of families.  While there were a lot of little girls dressed as princesses like previous years, this year I saw a large portion of them wielding weapons like crossbows and swords. Dressing like a pirate was quite popular among the young female set, and I think I have to thank the Hunger Games effect for the resurgence of archery.

There were performances of music, sword fighting, crafts, etc.  Lots of vendors if you need a handcrafted leather mask, hilt or viking hat...

Trends of Wave Gotik 2012

Goth is Goth...Does it change?  Of course it does.  The 2012 edition of Leipzig's Wave Gotik Treffen music festival was the big display of Gothic style that everyone anticipated it would be.  

For the most recent edition this past March, I definitely noticed new trends.  Techno punk looks were popular last year, but this year, this look was more polished and showed up more in coordinated ensembles in groups.  

Steampunk fashion always had an elegant atmosphere about it.  This year, the examples of Steampunk looks were incredibly ornate.  Highly accessorized with intricate jewelry or impeccably tailored clothing, the fans this year took this style to a higher artform.

Global inspiration styled some of the best outfits.  I saw looks drawn from Russian aristocracy to Japanese Geisha, but all given a darker, edgy update.

Romanticism in fashion was in full bloom here.  Marie Antoinette inspiration, gigantic hooped skirts, couples showing up in coordinated outfits wanted to make you saw "awwww" (if you weren't afraid of having your butt kicked).  Progressively, I saw a lot more families this year, with babies, young children also in garb to match Mommy and Daddy.  I wonder how many of these parents met a Wave Gothic of years past?  

Photos by ingrid eulenfan,Adam Berry,Manfred Drewa,Tino Eh,UWE-DZ,Mr. Dog, Ingolf Zibell ,Salamanek Kerstin ,bluedave,Konrad Diebler ,Raoul Brosch ,Edmund Klose, this-mortal-coil ,Isoldebaden,Erdt Manfred 

Steampunk World's Fair - New Jersey

Yay, I can't wait for this one...A glamorous, shining World's Fair of Steampunk happening next month.  It is a festival of music, dance, crafts, art, literature and fashion with Victorian aesthetics and futuristic technology.  

If you like to play dress-up, guests are welcome to show up in any kind of period garb, (accurate or not) whether its Victorian, Renaissance or otherworldly... Shop from vendors, be dazzled by magic or compete in contests.

Date: May 18-20th 2012

 Location: Piscataway, NJ (21 King's Bridge Road)

 Website: http://steampunkworldsfair.com/

See you there!

Judy Clark - Scottish Steampunk

I discovered Judy R. Clark at the Scottish Re:Designed fashion presentation last night.  Her work was meticulously detailed, constructed and romantic.  True to her Scottish roots, she made creative use of bespoke Harris Tweeds and is a multiple design award winner.  One of  her most famous gowns is a Steampunk-inspired gown for Ford motor cars made from their car parts.

Isn't it time to have a Highlands fling?

Steampunk Haunted House

What kind of haunted house guest are you?  Blood and gore?  Guts and psychological torture? New York City has plenty of that (with or without the haunted house).  If you want a little elegance and steampunk with your Halloween outing, look no further than Third Rail Project's Steampunk Haunted House.

For its third year, the theme of the show is "Through the Looking Glass".  A nightmarish version of the Alice in Wonderland tale.  You are taken through a journey through three floors of a century-old playhouse.  The experience is a mix of performance art, dance, rusty clockwork and neo-Victorian elegance.

This may not be the most terrifying haunted house in the city, but I'll place my bets that this is the most stylish.

The Anachronism Steampunk: Visit to Edo in NYC

Legendary NYC nightclub, Webster Hall (it used to host the original Surrealist balls with Salvador Dali) hosted the Anachronism’s Steampunk: Visit to Edo event. 

The event had a fashion show, several music acts, dance, art demonstrations and even a cosplay burlesque showcase.   Vendors offered handcrafted Steampunk jewelry and fashion. 

Thirsty?  The cocktail menu was appropriately themed, ranging from the "Tesla Coil" and "Clockwork Lotus" and an entire section devoted to Absinthe.

Of course, the ensembles were the real stars of the venue.  Outfits of guests ranged from courtly Renaissance, to studious spectacled gentlemen.  Corseted kimonos were popular, with many ensembles made by hand by artists and crafters themselves.  My favorite of the day had to belong to Genevieve of the Goth/Steampunk band, Psyche Corporation, who co-sponsored the event.  She had a fantastic outfit crafted from vintage spindles and spools. 

The cosplay burlesque show was truly original, though the performances were definitely uneven.  Acts were inspired by everything from Cowboy Bebop, Bioshock’s Little Sister, Dr. Van Helsing, and disturbingly (on many counts) Freddy Krueger and Hannibal Lecter.  The definite favorite was the woman who based her act on the famous Japanese painting, “Fisherman’s Daughter” and ended the show with a provocative entanglement with a giant octopus…(Hentai fans anyone?)

Gothic Fashion Bonanza at Wave Gotik Leipzig

It's one of the biggest displays of Gothic fashion in the world.  2000 20000 fans converged on Leipzig, Germany for Europe's most popular Gothic music festivals.  The most impressive spectacle of course, was the fashion on display last week.

Almost every sub-style was represented at Wave Gotik Music and Art Festival.  You had your romantics, your Renaissance and Victorian groups.  Cyber punk Goths mingled with Steampunks.  Lolitas were on board, along with new styles like Camo-Goth.   While black and red are the classic Goth palette, there many who used bright colors in their ensembles.  

photos by Carsten Koall, John MacDougall

Lex Machina - Steampunk Stylist & Photographer

Simply gorgeous.  Lex Machina is a Detroit, Michigan based digital artist and photographer.  She loves collecting antique portraits with quirky details.  She styles for fashion and events with a distinct shadowy palette and sexy, dark aesthetic.  

Checkout her blog and re-caps of SteamCon and other fabulous events. If you're having a Steampunk event, she offers up a free template for you to use as an invitation.

Steampunk Fashion Show at Brooklyn Indie

Did you miss the Steampunk Event at Brooklyn Indie Market?  There were some gorgeous creations on display.  Here are a few of my favorites, photographer by Adam W.

Steampunk Fashion Show and Exhibition

                        

The Brooklyn Indie Market is having its annual Steampunk Fashion Show and exhibition this weekend. Check out performances by Lola Lola Dance theater and Tethered as part of the 4 PM fashion show.

The event is a celebration of the craftmanship and style of Steampunk.  

For more information, check out Brooklyn Indie Market's website.

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

Steampunk Night at Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Looking for some period nightlife in the City of Angels?  This Saturday, the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art is throwing Muse 'Til Midnight.  The party is a celebrations of all things Steampunk.

First, you have the League of S.T.E.A.M. a Victorian parlor of interactive art and performances.  An open bar, the Stargazer garden featuring large scale Steampunk installations and clockwork fountain.

If you're looking for style, don't miss the Steampunk fashion show.  There is a stilt circus and moustache mayhem for sillier fun.  Purchase tickets online here.

Steampunk Inspirations Open Call

Calling all Steampunk artists, designers, crafters and inventors! Barbe Saint John and Quarry Books is looking for submissions to be collected and published in the upcoming book, "1000 Steampunk Inspirations".
Categories include everything from artwork, head gear, costumes, accessories, vehicles, home decor and gadgets. Show your work, get recognized for your talent!
Hurry! Deadline is June 1, 2010. More info at their site and download the PDF application here.

Macabre Travel: Wave Gothic 2010

Looking for a good reason to backpack through Europe this Spring? How about just a short trip to Leipzig Germany? The Wave Gothic (Wave Gotik) music festival this May is arguably one of the best showcases of the year for Gothic Fashion.

Men, women and children put elaborate efforts into the best of dark, glamorous, Steampunk, Cyber and Lolita fashions in honor of their favorite bands. There are almost 200 bands confirmed, coming from as far away as South Africa and Japan.
Make your plans now! More information at the official webpage.

If you attend, please send us your photos!

Blasphemina's Closet Presents Wonderland in Spring

Were you sufficiently wowed by Tim Burton's 3D Alice?  I can do you one better... How about spending this Friday night in a fantasy spring ball inspired by the story?
Time Out NY's most fabulous New Yorker Shien Lee, together with fashion designer Samantha Rei are collaborating to produce a magical evening of fairy tale fashion shows, aerial acts, burlesque and an avant-garde chamber rock orchestra.
Shien Lee's Dances of Vice has put on many of New York's most stylish events, including the Shipwreck Ball . Ms. Rei's collection, Blasphemina's Closet is a lovely mixture of Gothic and Lolita
pieces.
She has also recently started a menswear collection to accompany the women's line.
When was the last time you dressed up and were entertained in such grand style?  Come join me (oh yes, I'll be there) and enjoy  the "liberating effects of nonsense, beauty, and surrealism".

Enjoy performances from This Ambitious Orchestra, with special performing guests ZooG von Rock as Master of Ceremonies, Corleonis on theremin, aerial and burlesque performances by the stunning Veruca Honeyscotch and Rita MenWeep. Admire the glamor of fetish, Gothic, and Steampunk fashion shows featuring the work of Blasphemina’s Closet, Kristin Costa, I Do Declare, Apatico and Bionic Unicorn.

Photos by aestheticalalchemy.com and Drayke Larson - photosynthetique.com

Steampunk Cruise Down Under

I always thought it was strange that my cousins in Australia spent their Christmas holidays in the summer. After this year however, I have come to appreciate those advantages. On a warm December night of 2009, the vintage 1902 steamship Waratah hosted a fabulous Steampunk Cruise.

The voyage took its stylish crew around Sydney Harbor and returned with some gorgeous photos. (Click for the full slideshow) . The women looked sexy and feisty, the gentlemen, well some of them truly put a flutter in Ms. Macabre's corsets and heart...

Hmm, I think the famed Goth Cruise in the Carribean has some competition now...

Thanks to the Steampunk Workshop and Patrick's Flickr gallery for the news and photos. Patrick thanks John Dunne aka Lieutenant Ruprecht Carruthers-Ivanovich of the Imperial Zeppelin Marines for making the event happen.