Enshrouded in a sensual darkness, Heavy Red has always catered to those seeking something more from goth style. An icon and designer whose workmanship has entitled them to countless loyal fans and followers, Tyler Ondine Whitman and the crew at Heavy Red continue to redefine the concept and approach to gothic by playing with both subtlety and drama always with an air of sophistication. For connoisseurs of a darker aesthetic, a darker beauty, the future of goth fashion has never looked so bright.
photograher : Jennifer Link
fashion stylist : Meagan Hendrickson
makeup artist : Andrea Losecco
hair stylist : Erin Moser
model : Agatka
interview : Vanity Kills
Heavy Red’s fashions bring out the best in a woman without overshadowing her. This great achievement can be partially attributed to the countless hours designer Tyler Ondine Whitman invested into studying and photographing the female form in all its variance; from the bare flesh of strippers, swaying from the poles of Chez Paree in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district, to the hyper-exaggerated visages of femininity presented by pageant winning drag queens in Alabama. Repeated exposure to this colorful Lucite heeled and be-sequined cast of characters taught Whitman how to articulate sensuality-drenched garments which readily invite flattery and praise, instead of simply drowning the wearer in a metric ton of lace, ruffles and tulle netting. As Heavy Red tirelessly continues to uphold the maxim of, “you should wear the dress, don’t let the dress wear you,” Tyler teases with previews of their fall 2011 collection, shares relevant tips on swimsuit season survival aimed at the black-clad crowd, and talks of perusing the principles of form fitting design at nudie bars.
Heavy Red is getting ready to launch their fall collection, what surprises do you have in store?
Tyler Ondine Whitman : Heavy Red is itself like a young woman, one who is always discovering new facets of her personality. One who explores her sexuality, one who redefines herself through substance and style. A woman who can be the picture of elegance during the day and a down right naughty spectacle after dark. The new fall line has so many exciting elements to help you create a look that is an absolute you. This season suitings, herringbones, pinstripes are playing a big role. Corsets like you have never seen before which will leave you breathless. Our new winter coat is in the works, definitely a must have for fall season. As always I have had some extra fun with some very over the top skirts. I am continuing to push the boundaries of what one could call a hoodie, with all new draping and accentuating of the silhouette. And of course some very unexpected surprises to tantalize the sophisticated Heavy Red shopper.
Halloween is right around the corner and it’s never too early to start planning your costume. The Black and White Victorian Outfit by Retroscope Fashions would be the perfect outfit for a Mrs. Lovett’s costume from the Tim Burton movie, Sweeney Todd. Remember the scene from the beach:
Add a pair of black and white striped tights, witch style boots, messy curls with red ribbons, and Voila! a very impressive Halloween costume. The three-piece outfit can later be incorporated into your own wardrobe, pairing the top with a skirt or the bloomers with a corset and lacy top. Snatch this one up before someone else does!
If you haven’t checked out Alchemy Gothic lately, and their 2011 collections, then you may have missed the lovely Coffin Drop Cameo Earrings. They have really made me want to take a more in-depth look at their products! Many may think of Alchemy Gothic’s accessories as just being adorned with skulls, dragons, and fairies, yet they cater to the romantic side of goth too with cameos, or the horror side with vampires and bats, or the steampunk look with gears and bronze. Check out their website, www.alchemygothic.com, to see their newest releases and news.
The Coffin Drop Cameo Earrings are available online at www.thegemtree.com.
Betsey Johnson has a plethora of new watch styles on www.betseyjohnson.com, and the Large Black Bangle Watch caught my fancy. The bangle style watch is made of black resin, has a hinge closure, is water resistance, and has Betsey Johnson’s signature fuchsia heart as the second-hand. The watch is a nice neutral accessory that can be worn from day to evening, paired with your favorite pair of skinny jeans and a tunic, to a little black club dress.
Here is a little sneak peek at Iron Fist’s fall/winter 2011 collection, due to drop later this month, through a behind the scenes video of their latest photoshoot for the collection. I am excited to see winter coats in this collection! The highly Edward-esque male model, which will fit perfectly for the November release of film four in the Twilight series, and the overall styling of this shoot show that Iron Fist will be continuing down the path of more fashion forward and trend conscious styling while still offering up the bold, in-your-face prints and designs they are known for.
It’s an Indian summer, half way to autumn but still warm and hazy. Gothic cypress and weeping willows, scarecrows, and desolate Southern towns create the mood. Lanvin’s 2011 fall collection provides the inspiration, Nick Cave provides the soundtrack.
Meagan Hendrickson :
Embrace your femininity with long flowing dresses in chiffon, satin, and pale colors. Take notes from vintage romance, by adorning yourself in costume jewelry that adds the right note of Hollywood glamour. Elevate yourself to a goddess state, with glowing elegant makeup and loosely tied up tresses all fit for a wonderful evening adventure. Sometimes we all need to escape to a world where your beauty is infinite and this look can take you there.
McQueen at The Met : The Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition, a retrospective on the late fashion designer, ran from May 4–August 7, 2011 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City.
When prompted to impart a final message on his deathbed, Karl Marx said, “Last words are for fools who haven’t said enough.” This story has come to mind many times in the past few years, whenever anyone did an Alexander McQueen retrospective, and if you’ve been paying attention, that was fairly often. Every magazine and blog that has ever run the words “goth”, “haute couture”, or “Lady Gaga” has run long, in-depth pieces on McQueen since the designers untimely death over a year ago. I suppose I was bothered by the fact that, in my opinion, McQueen was a genius, not just for the message of his art, but for the eloquence with which that message was given. What seemed perfectly clear in the works themselves has been endlessly reinterpreted, rehashed, and reiterated. McQueen was no fool, and he had certainly said plenty, even in his tragically shortened career; why do we all feel the need to put last words into his mouth?
So there is certainly something refreshing about a McQueen retrospective that is allowed to speak for itself. The Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute put together a powerful collection of McQueen’s best pieces for this summer’s exhibit, and his enduring popularity delivered. Even on off days, the lines for Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, which closed last week, were often an hour long, for the entirety of its three month run. The Costume Institute often utilized a labyrinthine layout for its exhibits. In contrast to the Metropolitan’s airy white galleries, its thin corridors, sharp angles, and dark walls were never more appropriate than for this show. McQueen’s designs were separated into themed rooms, including “gothic”, “naturalism”, exoticism”, and “primitivism”. The curators emphasized the “romantic” in each of these themes, printing quotes from McQueen, as well as rather sappy blurbs on their part, on the walls to introduce each room. Certainly, all of these motifs were present in McQueen’s body of work, but separating them each into rooms felt a little artificial and affected. While there was evolution in the designs throughout McQueen’s career, his thematic palette actually remained remarkably stable and unified. The Angel and Demon heels of his final collection to not disagree with his historically-anchored dresses from the 90s, even his favorite shade of red could be found in almost every room of this exhibit. These curators seemed to need to impose some kind of personal statement on the collection of a designer whose works were always their own statement.
The artist Ron English takes an interesting gas masked modern take on a famous childhood character with the Ron English Murphy Guys Tee by Retro-A-Go-Go! Ron English is one of the newest artist to join the Retro-A-Go-Go! team and is best known for his mash up’s of cultural icons with a twist. Check out Ron English’s work at www.popaganda.com.
The Ron English Murphy Guys Tee by Retro-A-Go-Go! is available online at www.retroagogo.com.
