For some reason, I thought I posted these already… But alas! The photos of my glowtastic costume have not yet been shared.
As for what it is, I can’t really say. It sort of looks like a futuristic space harlequin or something. But what it isn’t is Lady Gaga (people did dress in crazy costumes before her, you know). So this is what 30 feet of el-wire, four gross of rhinestones, a silver bodysuit and some neon tulle look like:
And there it is!
This week has been bananas, so I haven’t had time to post… But before the big day tomorrow, I wanted to share my favorite costume of all time, and the story behind it.
In the fall of 2006, I wanted to do a couples costume, but since I was single at the time, I needed another person. So I posted a bulletin on Myspace (back when we still used that) for a “Halloween Boyfriend”. This is how I met my friend Viktor, who graciously answered my ad and collaborated with me on a gorgeous concept based on the romantic era esthetic, as well as a dark cabaret/magician-and-his-assistant vibe.
About two weeks before Halloween, my childhood cat, Marilyn, became fatally ill, and so I distracted myself from her imminent death by working on my costume. She died two days before Halloween, and it destroyed me. After her death, I dropped about 20 lbs and was just sickly and miserable for some time. But Halloween was lovely, and I thank Viktor for being supportive and patient, as well as rocking his costume. It was freezing on the Blvd, and I was miserable, but in spite of it all, I still consider this to be the best Halloween ever.
This is still one of my favorite makeup looks that I’ve ever created. I’ve recreated it in various incarnations since, but I don’t think I’ve ever done it quite as well as I did that night.
And there it is!
I went to the first and second parties of the Halloween season last night and decided to try another style of mask, this time a graphic pink/yellow design with black borders. It’s hard to see in the picture, but at the junction of each diamond is a dot of black glitter that very subtly caught the light. If I didn’t force myself to leave the house, I would have gone over all of the black lines with black glitter. But it was getting late. Next time! (click photo for full size)
Before you get too impressed with this one, you should know that for the first 30 minutes or so, I just sat at my mirror, poking through my makeup kit going “Uummmmmmmmm” before I did anything cool. It wasn’t until after two layers of metallic prints that I had an actual plan. That said, here is a good alternative to a traditional costume: just make yourself a bitchin’ mask with makeup! (Helps to have a plan first, fyi.)
Now I have to go wash this off. Sigh.
In June 2008, I flew to Berlin from Chicago to live as Princess Aura from the 1980 Mike Hodges version of “Flash Gordon” for a two-week performance installation/character exploration/surreal-ass-experience called FICTIVE DAYS, curated by my dear friend Sergio (of Halloween 2008 fame). This photo was from a makeup test before I left.
Berlin, 2008… I hosted the Laugh O’s and my friend and partner-in-clown Sergio for pre-Halloween prep, then we all went to the one place in Berlin where you can reliably find Americans avoiding German culture, White Trash Fast Food. My costume was a scavenged together look of shiny things and LED lights that I already had in my possession (in other words, a bunch of glowy bullshit I paid to move from Chicago). I did makeup for a few people, including Sergio, seen in the photo below. He sports my LED top hat while I have a tangle of LEDs in my hair. I was also wearing five pairs of eyelashes.
Berlin, 2009… I wasn’t feeling terribly inspired last year, so I didn’t make a costume for the first time in… Well probably ever. I bought this seafoam green polyester dress in Boston in 1996 and have hauled it all over creation ever since. The hair and makeup were 70′s disco/Cher inspired, and in this light on stage at the Kookaburra, I look positively plastastic. Still a fun look, despite its uncustomary lackadaisicalness.
It’s October, and the start of my favorite season! The biggest holiday of the year is right around the corner, and I’m dizzy with anticipation. I am of course referring to Halloween, aka Gay Christmas, my favorite holiday of them all. I haven’t had a proper Halloween since I left LA three years ago to wander aimlessly around the world, and I feel as though my creative atrophy has left me a shriveled raisinette of my former fabulous self. So to psyche myself up for this Halloween, my avian life partner, Prince Reginald, and I will perform look tests for shits and giggles leading up to the Big Day. Most of these will be cabaret-oriented, but not all of them will be relevant to the final costume. I’ll also flash back to some of my favorite looks from the past.
Today’s test is a dark-cabaret inspired blue and black look with crystals and tiny flapper lips. Prince Reginald rocks his classic red lips and long lashes.
Here’s a close up of the eye details with my Velma Kelly wig (click for full size):
I didn’t plan much, but took inspiration from this ultra-fabulous floor length seafoam green polyester dress I’ve had since I was 15. It’s Chertastic and discolicious. Sanjay took this amazing picture on stage at the Kookaburra. I look completely plastic!
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