Sunday Steampunk Parties in NYC

The second Sunday of every month, the OBJECTify group hosts a decadent party for "Intelligent Technophiles and Discerning Fetishists". The downtown NYC gathering is a venue for guests to dress exquisitely and be treated to music and magical performances, tarot card readings, Victorian portraits and fashion presentations. If you have something to offer to the evening, great! They are happy to take volunteers and participation.

The Delancey

168 Delancey (Clinton & Attorney)

Doors at 9pm - PartYcipate til 4am

2-4-1 Drinks from 9 til 10

$3 PBR All Night

$20 for the Uninformed, $10 for The Fabulous

FREE for Artists who bring 2D/3D art, offer a performance or otherwise partYcipate!

Dress: Antiquarians, Navigators, Explorers, Pirates, Pervy Seamen, All Continents, All Centuries. Make. An. Effort. FIGMENT volunteer chic also welcome so show off your orange FIGMENT staff gear and grass-stained knees!

True Blood Style - Slow Southern Goth

If you live in the States, HBO's True Blood premieres its second season this weekend. The incredibly sexy, darkly humorous television program has made quite an impact for more than the great writing.

The actresses of the show have been noticed quite a bit for the skimpy, Southern styled costumes that they wear from scene to scene. The setting is a humid and hot Louisiana, where people generally wouldn't want to wear much. The costume designers also pretty, sweet, pastels and whites which make a dramatic backdrop for all the blood splatters that come their way. As so much of the show is set at night, many lingerie looks have made their way into the wardrobe as well. If some of that lingerie helps accentuate certain features, that's just a bonus.

Star Anna Paquin describes,“Our costume designers are very talented at that. No disrespect to my God-given assets, which are quite modest, but they can make a lot out of not so much. It’s hilarious. I’m walking around with what some woman would pay a lot of money to have done to her body. I’m all tan and blonde and look nothing like myself, so why not be half-naked with my boobies around my chin?”

Dracula's Cabaret in Australia

Looking for a campy, tasty dinner and a show? If you travel to the Gold Coast area of Australia, check out the Dracula's Cabaret.
Elaborate costumes, musical numbers, tongue-in-cheek humor are joined by themed cuisine.
The menu lists dishes like Silence of the Lamb, Entombed Beef and of course, Death by Chocolate. Your ticket price also includes a Ghost-train ride.
They also have a haunted house, if you need to take a leisurely stroll before or after the show. Can't make the trip? Have a gander at their online Horror Shop.

Steampunk Patterns On Sale for $4.99 - Monday/Tuesday

Ok, you would never think to go to old timer Butterick Patterns for your Steampunk or Goth needs, but they are now issuing vintage and classically tailored patterns in recognition of different wardrobe genres. Today and tomorrow, they are putting ALL of their patterns on sale for $4.99 (usually up to $25). This includes the corsets, gloves, wrist bracers and gowns that crafty DIY types like you can create for your ultimate ensemble.

Gothic Fashion at Wave Gothic Festival - Germany

What started out as a small music festival of only ten bands in 1992, the Wave Gothic Festival in Leipzig Germany, is now one of the biggest gatherings of Goth, Cybergoth and Steampunk fans worldwide. The four day festival which ended last week. showcased over 100 bands.

The event was more notably, a stunning exhibition in the most elegant, creative Gothic fashions of every genre. Everything from precious vintage items to meticulously crafted accessories made by the wearers themselves were paraded around the event. The producers are already gearing up for next year's event on their website.

For more gorgeous photos of the fashions, click here. Photos from the Daily Mail UK.

Gothic Lolita: A Training Manual

There are many genres of dark and Gothic styling. Most of the divas out there can accept and crossover their fashionable wardrobes. However, the Courtesan has learned that if there was any group out there in the Gothic universe that is very particular about the proper style etiquette, it would be the Lolitas.
For the uninitiated, the term "Gothic Lolita" should not be used lightly to refer to any cute, lacy or vaguely Victorian costume fan. There are apparently many rules pertaining to accessories, pop culture influences, and even quality of your clothing materials...
Sound overwhelming? Not to worry, there is a WikiHow chapter that spells out in 7 basic steps exactly what it takes to transform yourself into this fashion icon. This website explicitly describes every detail you need to tend to, resources for shopping as well as the importance of good sewing skills.
Once you have mastered the basics, you can branch off into the sub genres... Dark, Sweet, Cyber, Glitter, Elegant...

Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors in NYC

Come one come all to Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors this weekend in NYC. A three-day fest of seminars, parties, celebrities and a special Vampire Ball. Guests include Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy director Guillermo Del Toro, and Buffy the Vampire's James Marsters. Actors and creators from all of your favorite horror/fantasy mediums will be there too.
If you are a big "Spike" fan, James Marsters is giving a concert, as well as an intimate cocktail party... (no word on whether or not bloody Marys will be served).
"Sinister Seminars" include workshops on "Screamwriting" and producing your own films.
Don't miss photo ops, special effects demos and tons of spooky vendors while you're there.
Go in costume, or in your best Gothic finery...make me proud.