Norisol Ferrari - Bespoke Punk Goth

I met my new fashion heroine last week.  Her name is Norisol Ferrari.  She is a strong, Amazonian woman who makes no excuses for her super luxurious sable coats and makes no compromises in her quality and fit. She is often compared to Alexander McQueen, which she does not agree with, except to say they both are inspired by mens' tailoring and military uniforms.  Instead, she cites more historical references like Dior's New Look that she finds to be a muse, except she updates it with modern materials and some edgier gang references.  

She has very strong opinions on how many designers try to infantilize women.  She builds clothes for a woman's shape with an almost warrior-like passion.  Norisol has images of Frida Kahlo and Louise Brooks on her office wall.  She has trinkets and carved skulls from her travels and a wall of taxidermy to show her darker influences.  Her collection for Fall 2012 was drawn from a classic Jean Harlow meets Tina Turner of Mad Max as her muse.

Norisol proudly produces her collection with trusted artisans in New York.  She refuses to sell out or tailor her label to anything less than what truly inspires her, regardless of cost.  In this day of outsourcing and penny counting, her fashion manifesto is a career to look up to.

Check out our exclusive interview by Mdivani Monroe:

Grange Hall - Urban Flower in Dallas, TX

Posh, chic and macabre.  Not exactly the style one would associate with Dallas, Texas.  However, if you find yourself down South, Urban Flower/Grange Hall is a must-shop store with a gorgeous collection of jewelry and home decor.  Witty porcelain skulls (with a gold tooth), delicate treatments on taxidermy, candelabras made from doll heads make an elegant addition to any Gothic home.

Intricately cast jewelry from great designers look great with your corseted fashion.  Owners Rajan Patel and Jeffrey Lee produce beautiful floral arrangements as florists, but the curated dark-tinged merchandise is chosen with a sense of humor earn them a loyal customer following.

Steampunk Fashion, Taxidermy and Vampire Lit in BUST Magazine.

Color me surprised. This month's issue of women's lifestyle mag, Bust Magazine featured several stories for those of gothic sensibility. I usually associate this publication with crafts, tongue-in-cheek style and profiles of unique women. This issue, did that, but did in a delightfully dark way. One feature profiled taxidermy artist Sabrina Brewer and her delicate, creepy sculptures. Next up, Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse book series, (and inspiration for HBO's "True Blood".) The dessert of this magazine was a gorgeous fashion spread of Steampunk fashion with an Edward Munch color palette. Get your copy, or take a sneek peek online.