Friday, September 21, 2012

Creepy, (Not Halloween) Home Decor



The Offbeat Bride is one of my favorite blogs for non-traditional bridal style.  They had a great post in response to a reader question about how to create a Gothic Home Decor aesthetic for their home without making it look like it was decorated for Halloween.  They had a great roundup of home goods that fit the bill...

They had everything from  glass skull door knobs, bat wall stickers, skeletal lawn flamingos, voodoo doll toothpick holders (both which I already own)  anatomical plates...   Check out their post here.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Lady Gaga Fame Launch Party

Lady Gaga will never be a wallflower.  Her launch party for her fragrance FAME at the Guggenheim Museum last week was no exception.  She was coiffed like a regal gypsy, and napped in a giant perfume bottle, and got tattooed on the back of her head in front of her guests.

Fashion's elite came out in droves to celebrate the pop icon, like Marc Jacobs, Charlotte Ronson, Alexander Wang to name a few.  The fragrance project allowed her to work with some of her favorite creatives like Steven Klein and Nick Knight.  The tattoo on her head was of an angel that represented the recently departed mother of photographer Terry Richardson.

Check out this dark, Gothic, Phantom of the Opera inspired promo video:

 Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Friday, September 14, 2012

Betsey Johnson - 40 Years of Lolita Fashion

betsey johnson pink dress

betsey johnson dress

betsey johnson lace

betsey johnson cyndi lauper
Fashion icon Betsey Johnson has been making Lolita-friendly, whimsical frocks for over 40 years.  Tuesday night at a Manhattan nightclub, there was a runway show/birthday party/concert in her honor.

I have to say it was one of my favorite fashion events that I have ever attended as my childhood pop icon, Cyndi Lauper opened the show performing Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and True Colors.  She was dressed on a Gothic/punk Lolita outfit of black tulle skirt, swiss dot bustier and studded leather jacket.

Next, the models danced down the runway in outfits that spanned from Betsey Johnson's 1960's looks all the way through current seasons of 2012.  Pink champagne, pink popcorn and pink cupcakes were served to guests who danced the night away until the sun came up!


Thursday, August 30, 2012

Paralympics Goes Steampunk

rihanna paralympics


steampunk olympics


In case you missed it...The Olympics closing ceremonies showed us fantastic Gothic fashion with Annie Lennox and crew.  For the Paralympics, Rihanna and Coldplay wowed us with a brilliant display of Steampunk.

More in the sets than the fashion, the ornate metal contraptions, Edison bulbs, clockwork gears, vintage cars ruled the stadium. Check out the performance:

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Christian Siriano's Vampire Fashion Video


If you are a fan of fashion competition show Project Runway, you are familiar with designer Christian Siriano's flair for the dramatic.  During NY Fashion Week in February, he showed a beautiful runway collection inspired by classic horror movie queens.

Now, for the public, his team has created an edgy fashion video that fleshes out the vampire bat theme even more...

What do you think?

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Gothic Fashion at Olympics Closing Ceremony

I think it's safe to say that Danny Boyle brought some of the edgiest style to what many dubbed the Rock n' Roll Olympics.  However, creative director Kim Gavin and production designer  Es Devlin have earned the title of the "Fashion Olympics" in bringing out some surprising Goth fashion to the closing ceremonies...

First, my beloved Pet Shop Boys rolled out in bright orange origami-like carts dressed in dramatic Gareth Pugh.   Next, Britain's supermodels strutted out custom gold gowns made by British fashion designers like Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood.  

Finally, Annie Lennox entered the stadium like a vampire queen.  She descended down from a massive black ship into a chorus of dramatically clad dancers.  The dancers were dressed in gorgeous voluminous gowns in period silhouettes.  The heavily shadowed eyes, black lace, corsets, skulls and bustles were distinctively Goth.

Ok Brasil, London has set the bar pretty high...What will you do to follow that?

Photos by Phil Noble (Reuters), Jeff J Mitchell (Getty)

Friday, August 10, 2012

Interview with Deathly Romantic Magazine

Mariana Leung
Mariana Leung fashions
Happy Friday everyone!  I just wanted to share an interview I did with new Canadian magazine, Deathly Romantic.  They feature the best in artists, beauty and style with a darker aesthetic.

You know my persona as "The Courtesan Macabre".  In this interview, you'll learn a bit more about me when I am not writing about Gothic and Steampunk style...

Read the interview here...