I have a little treat to get you over hump day! It’s the second set of photos from my collaboration with Geoff Larkin. Styling by Tamakhi.
Tag: Beauty
Inspiration: Brigitte Bardot
“I’m a girl from a good family who was very well brought up. One day I turned my back on it all and became a bohemian.”
-Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Bardot is one of my ultimate style icons and inspirations. While Marilyn is undoubtably the queen of the blonde bombshells I would say personally that I am even more inspired by the golden haired goddess that is Brigitte Bardot.
Bardot was a French actress, model, singer and sex symbol in the 1950s and 1960s. She starred in 47 films (including And God Created Woman and Viva Maria!), recorded over 60 songs, was featured in hundreds of magazines and wrote 5 books. Bardot is also considered one of the first and most liberated women of post-war France and in Simone de Beauvoir’s 1959 essay The Lolita Syndrome Bardot was referred to as a ‘locomotive of women’s history’. In her later years Bardot become a strong voice for the animal rights movement and in 1986 she established the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the Welfare and Protection of Animals.
When I look at images of Brigitte Bardot or watch her films I am always struck by a beautiful sadness in her eyes. There is a darkness behind her light; a smouldering beauty that is at once so complex and yet effortless. Her captivating appeal is so much more than her physical appearance and extends to her movements, her expressions and of course her beautiful french tongue. If you enjoy watching foreign films I recommend you check out a few of my personal favourite BB movies, Two Weeks in September and The Vixen.
Dolly Dressed in Red
I recently had a wonderful photoshoot with the talented photographer Geoff Larkin. We got a lot of awesome shots in a couple different outfits so I will slowly be releasing photos from that shoot over the next few weeks! The first set features a dress and bandana that I made out of this beautiful red floral fabric I bought when I was at Mood in New York City back in April. I fell in love the with colours and designs in this print and knew I needed to make a pinup dress with it. I kept the design pretty simple to keep the focus on the pattern but added a little pinch at the bust for a bit of sex appeal. Enjoy this photo set and stay tuned for more from Dolly and Geoff!
Laura Desiree at the Toronto Burlesque Festival
Once again the lovely and talented Laura Desiree dominated the stage in her Rock n Roll Red Fringe outfit created by me! This time it was at the Toronto Burlesque Festival’s opening show where she strutted her stuff before a packed house of burlesque enthusiasts and performers. Since the last time I blogged about this outfit we added another piece which is the flowing red satin skirt with fringe detail from waist to hip. I love what the skirt added to the overall outfit and I think it finishes the look perfectly. Check out these wonderful photos from photographer Ruth Gillson of the gorgeous Laura Desiree at the Toronto Burlesque Festival!
Aviva the Mirage at the Toronto Burlesque Festival
Last weekend the outstanding performer Aviva the Mirage took the stage at the Toronto Burlesque Festival. I was lucky enough to get to dress this blue-haired beauty for the festival! I had so much fun working on this outfit that included a long flowing robe, tiger print one shoulder leotard, panel skirt, bra and panties. The combination of the wild tiger print with the rich raspberry purple skirt and robe was so elegant with just a hint of Bettie Page sass. I look forward to making more outfits for this burlesque babe in the future!
The Two Piece Playsuit
One of my favourite vintage trends for summer is the two piece playsuit! The term ‘playsuit’ is usually used to refer to a garment that combines a top and shorts all in one (also known as a ‘romper’) or a top and pants (also know as a ‘jumpsuit’). You could also use the term ‘playsuit’ to refer to a combination top and bottom that are made from the same fabric, or combination of fabrics, also known as a two piece playsuit. The bottoms on a two piece playsuit could be pants, shorts, a skort or a skirt.
The two piece playsuit speaks to a time when quality and custom clothing was more common in fashion. Nowadays most of the clothing we buy is mass produced in factories overseas and is cheaply made and not meant to last. In the 1940s, 50s and 60s when you were likely to see this kind of playsuit set they were often made by tailors, local designers, and from home-sew patterns and included fun matching details that made the separates a completely co-ordinated outfit. To me the two piece playsuit is not only very convenient and practical (who doesn’t love co-ordinating separates?) but it also looks elegant and super sweet!
Atomic Lollipop 2014
Last weekend I had a wonderful time exploring the insanity that is Atomic Lollipop which took place at the Ontario Science Centre! For those who don’t know what A Pop is, it is a convention that brings together cosplayers, ravers, nerds, gamers, larpers, lolita fashionistas, celebrity guests and so much more. It’s really hard to describe what exactly A Pop is, so I’m going to let this video explain…
Personally, I had a great time going to panels about Gender, LGBT comics, Burlesque, Crossplay and Lolita fashion, seeing performances from Pizza Underground, Illuminair Entertainment and Boylesque TO, performing for Peepshow TO, checking out the amazing vendors, participating in a lightsaber battle and so much more! Check out my insta-photos from last weekend’s Atomic Lollipop Con!
Inspiration: Cupcake’s Clothes
Fashion Blogger Georgia is as cute as a cupcake and just as sweet! Her blog Cupcake’s Clothes displays a seemingly endless collection of the prettiest, most girly outfits you could ever imagine. Her lovely curvy figure and pastel pink hair are the perfect base for each of her whimsical, magical ensembles. She is incredibly talented at accessorizing her outfits with an array of cute jewellery and hair accessories, some of which you can even find for sale on her website. I love seeing gorgeous ladies like Georgia who have such a distinct and unique sense of style sharing their outfits with others and it inspires me to see the fun, creative things other ladies are doing with their personal fashion.
Love, Poetry Corsets
As an avid wearer of corsets I was thrilled to have the opportunity to model for the company Love, Poetry Corsets. Their unique designs come in a beautiful array of fabrics and their shapes hug the body and flatter the figure. I got to model this steampunk inspired, overbust corset with a sweetheart neckline and back lacing.
Gatsby Garden Party
On Sunday I attended a 1920’s Gatsby themed garden party at Spadina House in Toronto with the lovely Leelando Calrissian! We had a fabulous time getting all dolled up in our 1920s attire and lounging on the beautiful lawn behind the historical mansion. There were more amazing outfits than you could imagine, some real 1920s vintage, others simply inspired or reproduction. The women were decked out in lace, pearls, bias-cut frocks, cloche hats, beaded bags, with many gorgeous parasols scattered throughout the crowd. The men adorned themselves with boater hats, suspenders, linen suits, sock garters, spats with many pocket watches on fobs. Live bands roared with jazz on the main stage and small groups played the ukulele at the garage stage. The main event was the fashion parade and costume contest with prizes from Malabar, Aviv restaurant and the Rose Emporium. Leelando and I were very jealous of the grand prize winner who will be receiving 2 dozen fresh cut roses every month for the next year for winning! Please enjoy my photos from the Gatsby Garden Party!
CLASSICALLY CURVY 