Dances of Vice Neptune Ball

Taking another trip under the sea! The latest extravagant soiree by Dances of Vice celebrated all things nautical.

The party was hosted at the historic India House Foundation near the South Street Seaport Saturday night. 

The crowd arrived at the Neptune Ball in all manner of mermaids and sailors. There were plenty of elegant ship captains. Many of the costumes were accented by twinkling LED lights and El wire to add some glow. My Husband and another Captain Nemo both evoked Steampunk style with their electric charged fashion accessories. Formal wear was paired with clever, deceptively simple sea creatures like this sparkly anglerfish.

The historic India House was the perfect venue for the theme. Ancient maps and iconic ship models decorated the interiors. Harps and opera singers provided romantic cruising music on the second floor while the third floor hosted scantily clad burlesque dancers, sword swallowers, and mermaids. (These can be found on msfabulousnyc Instagram stories)

This is the same sexy crowd that made the Venetian Valentine Masquerade Ball such a treat to attend. I love that all of the guests know to bring creativity and elegance to their attire.

I love that this type of themed event attracts guests of all demographics. I saw guests of all ages, shapes, identities and cultures having a swimming time. Everyone feels included, united by their love of dress-up. A lavish soiree like this allows all of us to escape the ugliness of the real world. It's a small reminder that yes, creative nightlife still does exist in New York City.

Who would you be in the undersea world? Captain? Pirate? Fish or Mermaid at the Neptune Ball? Dances of Vice will host their next event in June. 

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Best Cosplay from Fan Expo Canada 2017

Hail Geekdom! Fan Expo Canada is a celebration of all things pop culture, comics, and gaming. Cosplay is the reigning fashion statement where fans dress as their favorite characters. What once started as a few themed t-shirts and store-bought costumes has evolved into an art form.

At Fan Expo Canada in Toronto, the organizers have catered to this group with everything from a multi-backdrop “play park” for themed selfies to high-stakes competitions. Harley Quinn, Doctor Who, and various companions were the most popular characters this year. Rocky Horror Picture Show fans came out of the dungeons, no doubt boosted by the appearances of the original cast of Tim Curry, Meatloaf, and Patricia Quinn. Other Batman villains made multiple appearances. Surprisingly, gender swapped Two-Face was a popular choice for women.

I did not see too many Goths; they were replaced by Steampunk looks, including Steampunk versions of popular comic characters like the Joker and Wonder Woman. Star Wars is as popular as ever with many variations of Rey and BB-8 as costumes. Of course, a massive march of Stormtroopers makes a great visual as you walk through the halls of the Metro Toronto Convention Center.

Disney has inspired two rapidly growing cosplay movements. First, there are the fans who create elaborate costumes for Disney Princess or Disney characters and take on their persona. The other is what is called “Disney Bounding,” a phrase coined by Leslie Kay, a Canadian local which has spread internationally. Dinsey Bounding is where fans style regular street clothes to fit into the looks of their favorite Disney characters. Both groups were well-represented at Fan Expo. Apparently, they gravitate towards each other and have formed a tight-knit community. My friend at DragonCon in Atlanta said the same groups found each other in that city as well.

Gaming and Anime characters inspired the most elaborate props on the Fan Expo floor. While the Walking Dead’s Negan cosplayers mostly had their baseball bats confiscated, the gaming fans had more theatrical (aka less threatening) props to wield during photo shoots.

So what character do YOU dress up as for your local Comic-Con? Did Fan Expo Canada’s cosplay inspire you?
Photos by Mariana Leung

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Wanderlust & Relationship Goals at the Steampunk World's Fair 2017

Heading off to the Steampunk World's Fair is an escape from reality. Sure you're wandering the halls of two hotels, but it is the attitude of the Steampunk genre that provides the getaway. The overarching theme of this year's Steampunk fashion looks was wanderlust following all modes of travel. 

Air travel, dirigibles, hot air balloons and dashing pilots have been a mainstay of Steampunk style. I also saw lots of sea travel, octopus motifs, pirates and captains with a huge range of accessories to match. Then I saw lots of couples that evoked the safari-exploring folk of 1800's. Many others who didn't follow the clockwork gears and test tube sci-fi look leaned more toward the "steam" aspect of the style and dressed in cruise or train traveling attire from earlier eras. 

Unlike some alternative fashion trends like Lolitas and mermaids, Steampunk is one adopted by entire families and couples. I saw many couples with coordinating outfits strolling the runway (parking lot) of the World Faire. Unfortunately, I didn't get to coordinate my look with my partner. He decided to put the "Punk" in Steampunk while I went for a fashion look.
I love how inclusive Steampunk style is. The Faire clearly drew and encouraged all shapes, ethnicities, ages to flaunt their style. It was very accommodating to guests of all physical abilities (one badass guest pimped out her wheelchair front into a Steampunk motorcycle).

Steampunk style has reached most of the mainstream. Many recent television shows and movies
have incorporated the aesthetic into their set design. Steampunk jewelry has worked its way into everyday fashion. Who doesn't like a little romance, history, and fantasy in your closet and your life?
Photos by Mariana Leung

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My Steampunk Cosplay on TV

I am not comfortable with personal OOTD blog posts. When I do post myself in an outfit, it is part of the narrative of a bigger event. This time, it was part Steampunk Cosplay, part description of my side gig. As a non-millennial adult, it is tough to rationalize the public documentation of your daily clothing choices. It becomes less rational when those outfits are categorized as a costume or alternative subculture.

Steampunk and Gothic fashion have always been a passion of mine, but outside of NY Comic-Con reports or the Steampunk Faire, I don't find opportunities to indulge myself. I moonlight as a background actor in between daytime gigs as part of my geeky nature. When the casting call came down from Central Casting for Steampunk fashion characters, I jumped at the chance.

I brought hand-tooled leather top hats, immaculate brass goggles. I wore an embroidered fascinator I made myself. I paired my look with a soft tulle bustled Byron Lars Skirt and Brocade Steampunk corset ensemble from Corset Story. The statement necklace, surprisingly, was from J. Crew. I sent my sister this Instagram pic that morning and told her I was required to look this way for work. Knowing me, she didn't even question why she just responded with "Of course you are."

Ultimately, they needed less Steampunk and more of a vintage fashion with an edge look. Many of the goggles were eliminated. The set was a gorgeous old private townhouse in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The shoot was for the season premiere of Difficult People on Hulu. The scene within the episode was brief but looked damn good!

It was a funny scene that starred Billy Eichner, Julie Klausner and guest stars Sandra Bernhard and John Mulaney. As talented as they are, the scene-stealer was the immaculate townhouse location. The scene itself was a parody of hipster, faux old-timey culture and the pretentiousness of the people who revel in it.

Shoutout to the beautifully dressed and eccentric, fun, friendly cast members who were also part of this Steampunk cosplay scene on Hulu's Difficult People!

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Steampunk Fashion Show from The World's Faire

Are you hungry for more corsets? In addition to the fabulous Steampunk fashion street style of the event, the Steampunk World's Faire hosted a formal fashion show with models showcasing the work of seven designers.

Redfield design organized the event and led the charge with vintage and period-piece inspired costume designs. Rachel Belladonna had a sweet collection of Lolita dresses. As They Sew In France (love the name) displayed Victorian and Edwardian fashion for men and women. My favorite was the collection from Midnight Orchid Designs. Designer Ginger Seibert specializes in costume design, Steampunk and belly dance garb. Her collection had some terrific silhouettes and witty fabrications. That blue dress on the right had a dramatic bustle and a corset that looked like it was pieced together with tiles on one side.

The fierce man in the top hat is "Professor Adam Smasher" of the performing duo Eternal Frontier. He and his partner Baron Von Zipple MC'd the event with humor and admiration. Just so you know, all Steampunk men are either "Professor", "Captain" or a "Baron".

Enjoy more looks from the Steampunk fashion show at our video below:

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Steampunk Street Style at The Steampunk World's Faire

Are you tired of typical street style? Do you not want to see another infinity scarf or long vest on your Instagram feed? Let's take a gander at the alternative fashion of The Steampunk World's Faire: Wonders Untold that ran over the weekend in Piscataway, New Jersey.

Steampunk started as a literary subculture until fashion enthusiasts took over. The overall aesthetic is a mix of period piece and vintage with a sci-fi twist. For women, corsets are a given. Lots of leatherwork and metalsmithing factor into the look as well. The movement prizes ornate workmanship. Air travel and seafaring themes are popular (lots of goggles and brass).

I was excited to see the percentage of guests who took the time to put together a head-to-toe look. You will see a lot of the same Steampunk Fashion fans at comic-con events. Some of the wittiest outfits also paid tribute to pop culture but re-interpreted into Steampunk. One of my favorites was the duo of Steampunk "Ghostbusters" and Batman's Scarecrow here:

For those who wanted to put together their first Steampunk look, the two hotels that hosted the convention housed pop-up shops of makers, artisans, and designers of all types selling clothing, hand-crafted gear, and accessories. There was a runway show of the top fashion designers which I will in write about in the next post.

Both my husband and I spent some cash at Da Vinci Scientifica. They make fantastic functional leather gear for events such as this. I love the wearable leather tea pouches that hold a china teacup and dainty spoon. I purchased a leather carrier containing a parasol and fan for my next event. Hubby acquired a holster for his Steampunk pistol with suspenders that were inspired by the Civil War to accommodate the weight of his gun. The makers there were terrific in helping you choose an item for your needs and confident to recommend others if they couldn't help you (rare).

Steampunk Fashion has its seasonal trends like mainstream fashion. Goggles and corsets are only the starting point. Alice in Wonderland was a huge influence this year. I saw pocket watches, rabbits, Alice and Kings and Queens of Hearts as characters. The makeovers of superheroes and villains as Steampunk characters continued to be popular. I saw historical Asian cultures influence the fashion as well, from kimonos to military armor.

Here is Hubby and me dressed up for the event:

photos by Mariana Leung

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Happy Halloween! Fashion Inspired Costumes

Do fashionistas just squee at Halloween?  It's the holiday where good judgement and inhibitions are lost and impractical style fantasies are realized.  I always dressed in fashion inspired costumes for trends I loved or pop culture looks that seeped into the media conscience.

When I worked in a corporate office, it was a struggle to blend workplace-appropriate attire with a great character.  I got away with A Clockwork Orange's Alex de Winter by just putting on a bowler hat and dramatic single eyelash for all of my fellow art-school grads to get it.  Another office-friendly Halloween look was my favorite Edith Head inspired character, Edna Mode from the Incredibles.  All I needed here was a V-neck black dress, long cigarette holder, big round glasses and wig.

Steampunk has a chic aesthetic blending craftmanship, intricate embellishment and period dress.  Hubby and I paired up with coordinating outfits.  He worked in a burnished leather John Varvatos jacket with handmade leather and brass hat and goggles.  I wore a Steampunk corset with a headpiece and skirt I made from silk brocade decorated in antiqued brass clock gears.

I love to put a fashiony spin on Gothic movie characters.  I bought a frothy red prom dress ($10) on Ebay and made a big red tulle veil to dress up as Beetlejuice's Lydia.  Another year, when Amanda Seyfried's Red Riding Hood came out, I paired a crushed velvet cape with black leather dress and Hubby wore a vintage red and black smoking jacket with wolf-head hat.

This year, I mixed several of my favorite things.  The elaborate  looks of  Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) was my muse for makeup.  I have always been obsessed with the Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy red butterfly hat, so I made an outfit of red monarchs and butterfly embroidered satin bustier dress.

Are you wearing a fashion inspired costume this Halloween?  Who are you dressing up as?

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Steampunk Style at the New Theater

Did you love the Jazz Age fashion from yesterday's post? Let's add some Steampunk style into and take it to the theater.  Director and costume designer Rachel Klein has created a gorgeous off-Broadway production that brings Jules Verne's Around the World In 80 Days to visual life in NYC.

With an award-winning team of scenic designer Robert Andrew Kovach and lighting designer Ben Kato, the show has a gorgeous aesthetic of vintage gears and maps and gadgets.  Rachel's costumes have a sepia filter of theatrical and British explorer chic with the ornate details of elegant Steampunk.

The show itself is a comedic romp of an era gone by.  Plus, the air-conditioning beats the blazing sun of a lawn party at Governor's island does it not?

Check out the trailer and grab tickets here.

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Alternative Fashion at Wave Gotik Treffen 2012

Alternative fashion and counter culture often influences mainstream fashion and sometimes the relationship is mutual.  At this year's Wave Gothic Music festival in Leipzig, trends we have seen on recent runways seem to be reflected in the festival garb.

Romantic silhouettes inspired by Marie Antoinette and upcoming period films were given an edgier sexy twist by fans.  Steampunk fashion went luxe with ornate embellishments.  Military and men's tailoring was combined with punk styling and Asian motifs, very popular on NY Fashion Week runways were given an update with latex masks.

Gothic style has been given a bad name with mall chains like Hot Topic.  The thousands of fans at Wave Gotik Treffen have proven that it can be elegant, artistic and beautiful.

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 

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Steampunk Fashion at Webster Hall

Take a step back in time to an alternate universe…A very elaborate one at that.  Legendary NYC nightclub Webster Hall (once home to Surrealist balls with Salvador Dali) hosted The Anachronism’s Steampunk: Visit to Edo event Sunday. 

Steampunk started as a literary movement blending historical time periods with science fiction.  It quickly spread to a fashion movement too, encompassing corsetry, tailored pieces, intricate brass ornamentation and vintage mechanical gears.  The movement is very inclusive and for this event, incorporated the culture of Japan.

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 band, Psyche Corporation, who co-sponsored the event.  She had a fantastic outfit crafted from vintage spindles and spools. 

The event had a fashion show, music and even a cosplay burlesque showcase.  (Though to be honest, the actual talent level varied greatly).  The cocktail menu was appropriately themed, ranging from the "Tesla Coil" and "Clockwork Lotus" and an entire section devoted to Absinthe.

In a city of strict fashion trends, wouldn't it be nice to step into fantasy?

photos by Adam Weinstein

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Alternative Fashion at NY Comic Con

It's not Lincoln Center, or the Carousel du Louvre...However, the fans here are equally, if not more passionate about fashion.  Their style does not follow trends, magazines or runways, but their favorite time period, comic character or movement.

New York Comic Con brought together fanatics of horror movies, anime art, comic books, sci-fi television in all forms to the Jacob Javits Center in NYC.  For some, it was the place to show off their favorite costumes ahead of Halloween, or parade their alternative sense of style.  

The Goths...

It's about corsets, dark and edgy sensibility.  Lace, frills and theatricality.

The Steampunk...

Started as a literary movement, it's about 19th Century-WW1 and science fiction.  The fashion is about ornament, craftsmanship, gears, vintage technology.  The clothing is a little worn, formal, think vests, boots, goggles.

The Lolitas....

Lolitas are sweet and cute.  Petticoats are key.  Motifs are abundant, (cupcakes, cartoon characters, hearts, it's all good).  Sometimes there's a Gothic Lolita in there.  Wings, bows, stuffed animal purses and Mary Jane shoes are great accessories.

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