a Gothic Lolita cutie runs (and kills) with giant scissors in "X-Cross" (2007); Comme des Garcons (Fall 2008)
"Fashion often becomes very interesting in difficult times," Kaiser Karl Lagerfeld recently told The Daily Beast in a cool piece called Haunt Couture on how the rag trade loves to channel (chanel?) the glamorous Dark Side. A fabulous historical example occured in (where else) France, where the glitterati of the day transformed Reign of Terror jitters into ultra chic Victim's Balls; the only partygoers admitted were those who had been closely related or married to someone who had died via guillotine. At these events, the accessory of choice was a symbolic skinny red velvet necklace, while tresses were typically worn high on the head or gamine'esque short and choppy to mimic the shorn locks of the victim - le toilette du condamne ensured that one's coiffure didn't get in the way of the blade. So popular were these affairs that local party animals even resorted to forging the necessary papers to gatecrash.
Gloria Holden gets bloodthirsty and busy in "Dracula's Daughter" (1936); Junya Watanbe (Fall 2008)
Today, we typically channel the jitters of the collective unconscious through that perennial cinema fave: the cheesy horror movie. "Horror films have capitalized on the allure of the twisted," explains the article's author, Renata Espinosa. "Haunted characters from bloodcurdling B-movies look unsettlingly glamorous, and their victims are always (drop-dead) gorgeous." After all, even the most hamfisted silver screen attempts to explore what makes us nervous are that much better when everyone involved looks fabulous. In honor of that other increasingly elaborate forum for accessorizing our inner demons, Halloween (exactly when did the occasion transition from a children's candyfest to a grownup Dioynesian fashion exploration?), The Daily Beast compiled this delightfully ghoulish gallery of how fashion designers are paying homage to creepy cult movies.
the, er, sharply attired silent screen queen Yuliya Solnstseva reigns as "Aelita: Queen of Mars" (1924); Alexander McQueen (Fall 2008)
Forbes.com also compiled a list of this year's Scariest People,
complete with downloadable print-ready masks! Fright-worthy parties to choose from include upstanding citizens like former baseball star Roger Clemens who cheated on his wife with a 15 year old; Sarah Palin ("recommended accessories include hunting rifle, lipstick, and list of carefully memorized debate answers"); Olympian Michael Phelps ("this Olympian's success has been attributed to the kind of genetic abnormalities usually seen in sci-fi flicks"); Reverand Jeremiah Wright (good for scaring supporters on both sides of the political fence), famous-just-for-being-famous dating columnist Julia Allison; former NY governor and rough sex enthusiast Eliot Spitzer ("wear a Client No. 9 tag for extra realism"); and of course, Amy Winehouse ("No, it's not the bride of Frankenstein...it's an annoyingly addled Cockney blues singer." We managed to find the funniest Wino wig ever...CLICK HERE & scroll down to the bottom).
...and wondering how you'll look in your costume of choice? Be sure to upload your pic first at DailyMakeover.com and virtually "try on" one of 24 different Halloween looks.
- Lesley Scott
(all movie/runway comparison photos via The Daily Beast)
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