The Pagan Wild Men of Europe

Slightly terrifying, right? Not the sort of crowd you want to run into alone, in an empty field, with the sounds of chanting coming from the woods yonder. But don’t worry, they only come out at Christmastime to haunt the innocent souls of children. You see, while the rest of us are celebrating the most magical time…

There was No Business like Show Business in Ye Olde English Royal Court

With the lights of Broadway and the West End lit once again, live theatre fans are dazzled anew by crashing chandeliers, green-skinned witches and rapping revolutionaries. But for all their glitter and grandeur, no modern musical can approach the absolute spectacle of the royal costume parties that played out on stage during the English Renaissance.…

Vintage Muse du Jour: The Queen of Mars

You know it was a good era for fashion and costume design when the Queen of Mars was the ultimate style inspiration. I’ve been down the rabbit hole again, digging through 1920s and 30s showbiz imagery, and I couldn’t help noticing how everyone looks like they’ve been raiding the Martian queen’s closet. Her outfits were…

The Strange Anatomy of ABBA’s Infamous (Tax Deductible) Wardrobe

What do house cats, Euro pop, and the ingenious tax savvy have in common? Owe Sandström, that’s who. As the flamenco-dancing-zoologist-designer behind the costumes of ABBA, Sandström certainly played his part in helping the Swedish supergroup reach fame in the 1970s – where they have remained ever since. In fact, a deeper dive into the…

The Met Museum is Hoarding some Seriously Good Holiday Party Dresses

Still haven’t found a fabulous frock or the dress of the year to ring in the New Year? It’s probably because the Met Museum is hoarding all of the most incredible vintage dresses in their archives. From unknown designers of the early 1900s to the house of Dior, here are some of my favourites… (You…

The Diva Who Grew Her Own Exotic Kingdom

“Don’t touch. And don’t eat what you touch unless you want to die” are the first words you’ll hear upon entering Lotusland, the exotic, 37-acre kingdom of plants tucked away in the quiet town of Montecito, California. Its roots run three owners and 135 years deep, but it’s the touch of its final, failed opera…

Never Again would there be a Costume Party quite like the 1903 Winter Ball

When the Russian Imperial family threw a party, they didn’t do “low key”. Even with a looming global economic crisis that would mark the beginning of the end for the Russian Empire, no expense was spared. If tsarist Russia was going down, they were going out with a bang. And so, in February of 1903, on the…

This 1920s Bauhaus Ballet is a Serious Trip

This is not pyschedelic performance art from the 1960s, this is ballet. Throughout history there are works of art that stand out as somehow atemporal and this choreography created in 1922 for the Theatre of Bauhaus, is one such artwork… Featuring astonishing brightly coloured, asymmetrical and cumbersome costumes, this ballet broke so far with convention of that…

Before Hedy, There Was Barbara Lamarr

God, we’re a sucker for a woman like Barbara La Marr. She was one of those rare cases in which someone is so utterly charismatic, they can get away with almost anything. Constant embellishing of her life’s story, deliciously reckless behaviour, a tangled string of fiery romances — she ticked every box with flying colours,…

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Having a Grand Old Time at a Real-Life 1920s “Westworld”

Are you watching HBO’s new American sci-fi western thriller, Westworld? (Or at least trying to follow the twisted plot?). Based on Michael Crichton’s 1973 film of the same name, Westworld isn’t your typical historical theme park. Intended for rich vacationers who pay to live out their western fantasies, guests are welcomed to the pioneer town by artificially intelligent…

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