A few weeks ago part of the Auxiliary crew headed up to Toronto to shoot our December/January 2010/2011 PinUp feature.  Zach Rose and myself had a great day hanging out with Kelleth, Emily Rishea of Artifice, Heather Orr, and Irina Lavrega at Working Proof Studios and the shoot went amazingly!  Look for the final results in the December/January Issue coming out in a few days!

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Andy Deane is perhaps best known for his founding role in the now internationally popular goth-rock hybridized alternative music act Bella Morte. Since touring multiple cities across both North America and Europe, and growing an ever diverse fanbase, Andy Deane has transcended his unique horror style of writing from the music world into that of published horror author. His late novel The Sticks has seen unprecedented success and with both a novella and upcoming sophomore novel release in the works Andy Deane’s authorial accomplishments continue to grow.

photographs and interview by Zach Rose

Charlottesville, Virginia is a city that seems to be teeming with creative artforward individuals such as yourself. Could you describe the impact of artistic culture on the city of Charlottesville? How has it affected you as an artist and writer?

Andy Deane : My family had the first big impact on me. Everyone on my Mom’s side is inclined toward music, so it was natural for me to start singing at a young age. Charlottesville embraced Bella Morte when we started playing shows in town. Our first gigs were in the basement of a Sushi restaurant called Tokyo Rose, and some of my best memories of the band still dwell in that tiny cellar of a club. We eventually started a weekly goth night there which attracted all walks of life. And that’s one of the best things about C’ville, the fact that different scenes support one another more so than in most other places we’ve toured. That openness is one reason that Bella Morte has incorporated so many different styles over the years.

Many long time fans of your band Bella Morte may not by now be aware of your work as a writer. What influences have led you to who you are as a writer today

AD : Odd as it may sound, movies are a bigger influence on how I write than fellow authors. I see the story I’m creating as scenes in a film as I’m writing. It keeps me from dwelling too much on insignificant details. Don’t get me wrong, I read all the time, and I’m sure you can see hints of Richard Matheson, Joe Lansdale, Clive Barker, Robert Howard, and a million others in my style, but I want my writing to be my own.

read the full interview in the August/September 2010 Issue

Hailing from the island of Puerto Rico, Nina Flowers (Jorge Flores) has been a figure of flamboyant female impersonation since the age of 19. To Nina Flowers, makeup creates a character with a unique and iconic persona. Nina Flowers is perhaps best known as the recent finalist on RuPaul’s show Drag Race. A DJ and musician, Nina Flowers’ individual interpretation of the art of drag has graced cities across North America, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.

photographer : Norman Dillon
makeup, hair, styling, and model : Nina Flowers
interview : Meagan Hendrickson

Nina’s face is fabulous! What makeup tips can we “drag” out of you?

NF : Have patience, and it’s all about the tools! Meaning the brushes LOCAS!

You really stand out from the crowd, being a heavily tattooed female impersonator, have you ever received any negative feedback about your tattoos?

NF : That was more in my early days as a drag queen and performer when I started with my first tattoo, since then, no complaints.

You were my personal favorite on Season 1 of Rupaul’s Drag Race! Can you share any personal highlights of being on the show?

NF : A highlight for me and one of my fondest memories is RuPaul’s acknowledgement of my contribution to the show and my art in drag.

view the full feature in the August/September 2010 Issue

It’s hard to even think about anything else other than air conditioning and cool drinks in August, but with back-to-school items also comes seasonal Halloween items! Halloween is my most favorite time of the year, when I can casually go shop and  feast my eyes upon rows filled with spiders, ghosts, black cats, and skeletons. I actually stock up on my household decor, like dish towels, candles, wall art, and other various spooky ookiness. I’ve learned over the years to look for items early because all the really neat Halloween decorations sell out so quickly! Let my obsessive investigative skills help you score some sweet Halloween swag.

image source potterybarn.com

Pottery Barn is always a first stop on my shopping quest as they have the classiest glassware. I fell in love with all their items last year when we received the 2009  cocktail collection as a wedding gift. The Halloween Etched Recipe Cocktail Shaker is just perfect for entertaining all year long and the recipes on the shaker are to die for! Check out the skull and crossbones detailing around the edges of the recipe, absolutely perfect!

You can buy the Halloween Etched Recipe Cocktail Shaker at www.potterybarn.com

image source potterybarn.com

In addition to the Halloween Etched Cocktail Shaker, this set of four Etched Tombstone Double Old-Fashioned Tumblers by Pottery Barn are a perfect match. The etched phrases are a little cheesy, but the tombstone styling makes up for it! Along with the shaker, these items are too pretty to store in the cabinet. If you have a bar, these could double as cheeky home decor.

You can buy the Etched Tombstone Double Old-Fashioned Tumblers at www.potterybarn.com

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The world is not enough for Amy Doan, she successfully conquered the DIY fashion scene with her signature brand of neon-colored, naughty-yet-nice apparel, known as Shrinkle, that a girl can party harder than Paris or Britney in, only to go home to cuddle with her Hello Kitty doll. Doan has spent the past few years concocting the perfect accompaniment to her not so secret stash of sequined tube tops and pink leopard print hot pants. Also known as Sugarpill Cosmetics, your newest, most spectacularly packaged antidote to the droll and predictable world of soft taupes, muted corals, pale peaches and anything else one wouldn’t catch a drag queen dead in. Rescuing natural beauty eschewing, pigment-starved club kids two eyelids at a time.

photographer : Kevin Marburg
hair and makeup : Tess Kim
model : Amy Doan
interview by Vanity Kills

Has the successful launch of Sugarpill inspired you to follow other dreams that you once felt were out of reach?

Amy Doan : I definitely feel a lot more confident about taking risks and embarking on new adventures. Before launch, there was always that tiny nagging insecurity that people might not share my love of this project that I poured my heart and soul into. But everyone’s reaction has been so sweet and supportive, I feel even more motivated to continue creating things that I hope people will love!

Many women (and fashion-forward males) secretly want to experiment with vivid high-pigmented hues, but shy away from color out of the fear of looking like a circus clown or a trailer park hooker. What advice would you give to Auxiliary Magazine readers who are novices to the wonderful world of in-your-face color? How would one wear an ostentatiously bright shade without it wearing them?

AD : Well first, I would tell them that there’s nothing wrong with looking like a circus clown or trailer park hooker. One of my very first inspirations for wearing bright makeup was when I was in my teens and saw a TV documentary about a tranny hooker. He had neon blue eyeshadow up to his eyebrows! I thought that was pretty sweet. I think you just have to remember that bright colors aren’t supposed to enhance your “natural beauty”, they’re more about having fun and just going for it. So don’t worry if you look like a crazy person! If you love it, then you will own it.

read the full interview in the June/July 2010 Issue

Razorcandi or Kym as she is known in everyday life is a unique model with the ability to seemingly create a hundred different looks all in one ass kicking deathrock package. Hailing originally from the state of Florida and now residing in Romania, Razorcandi has since published multiple photography books showcasing her luminous modeling career. As an artist and model, Razorcandi exemplifies beauty both through her creativity, her passion for individuality, and the ability to truly live for herself.

photographer : Bodó Janos Attila
makeup, hair, styling, and model : RazorCandi
interview by Meagan Hendrickson

Could you share with our readers one or two of your secrets to achieving your beautiful and unique style?

RazorCandi : I believe my style has been formed over years of being influenced by musicians, models, and actresses [in] movies, I think this explains the meshing of styles I’ve created for certain looks. I can’t really say I stay up to date with trends, in fact I don’t pay attention to trends at all I just kind of wear the things that appeal to me or represent my passion for the alternative lifestyle. On a personal level it is about self expression and showing my artistic side, but I also like to inspire others and stand for something.

With two photography books published showcasing your modeling, do you have any plans on publishing a book of your paintings?

RC : I haven’t planned that far ahead however I have been spending much more time with painting than with modeling. I can definitely see future projects that include a picture book of my paintings, before that an art gallery exposition seams more probable. In the near future I plan to put out a few editions of unreleased, never before seen images of new modeling work.

view the full feature in the June/July 2010 Issue

Auxiliary’s playful take on the sexy centerfold pin up.  This month we bring you Arden Leigh.  Flip the page, cut out, and tac on your wall!

photographer : Steve Prue
model, makeup, and hair : Arden Leigh
second model : Helena
interview by Numi Prasarn

Co-founder of The Sirens Seduction Forum, Arden Leigh’s interest lies in seduction. She most recently honed her skills of seduction as the Director of Training and Marketing at New York’s most renowned house of professional domination, where she trained neophyte young dominatrices to seduce their male clients into spending lots of time and money on them, and became one of the most successful professional dominant to ever tout a whip there. She has written her own seduction guide for everyday women, Whipped: A Professional Dominatrix Shares the Secrets to Wrapping Men Around Your Little Finger.

The Sirens Seduction Forum was set up in response to male pick up communities… which in turn was in response to men feeling that women already had the
upper hand in the art of seduction. What do you think is the biggest difference between the two movements?

Arden Leigh : Definitely the end goals. I mean, there’s a reason that there are no books for men on how to get into relationships and no books for women on how to get laid. This actually goes back to evolutionary psychology; in order for us to further the species, it’s best for women to pair with one mate who’s going to protect and provide for her, while it’s in men’s best interest to pass on their genes by pairing with as many partners as possible. We’ve been at odds with one another since the dawn of man, when you think about it. What the pick-up community did was to equip
men with a strategy to achieve their goals of having access to a wide range of women. What I bring to the table for women is a strategy on how to stand out, how to compel, attract, and add value in a manner that will make the man they want feel that being with them is a better deal than having all their other options.

view more photos and read the rest of the interview in the April/May 2010 Issue

Auxiliary’s playful take on the sexy centerfold pin up.  This month we bring you  Acey Slade.  Flip the page, cut out, and tac on your wall!

photographer : Steve Prue
hair stylist : Jamie Starr
model and makeup : Acey Slade
interview by Luke Copping

Acey Slade is the driving member of Acey Slade & The Dark Party, but many know him from his roles in bands such as Trashlight Vision, Vampire Love Dolls, Dope, The Murderdolls, and Wednesday 13.

Your new project, Acey Slade & The Dark Party, seems to have such a hybridized style of rock, punk, metal, and electronic music. Where there any specific influences that you drew from in building the bands sound?

Acey Slade : I am on tour quite a lot of my living life. A lot of times when you are driving at night or trying to sleep in the back of the van, you may not be in the mood for the three chords and a cloud of dust type music I am associated with. So, what I listen to is stuff like Manic Street Preachers, Primal Scream, Depeche Mode, Prodigy, Pendulum, DJ Shadow, Tricky, Portishead. I wanted to explore that stuff and not alinate my fans. Make an album that might be an ‘alternative’ for people who like KISS, Janes Addiction, or other guitar rock stuff.

view more photos and read the rest of the interview in the April/May 2010 Issue

Business woman, fashion designer, and stylish lady, we caught up with Adriana Fulop to talk about her highly successful clothing companies, Plastik Wrap and BitchCraft.

photographer : Billy Archos
fashion stylist : Adriana Fulop
models : Adriana Fulop, Robin Domander, Kassandra Merrit, and Giovani Pereira
interview by Vanity Kills

If you ever found yourself ignoring the plot of a sci fi action adventure flick due to the fact that your attention was fixated on sleek and sophisticated future fashion, you are not alone. Many of us longed for dresses seemingly made of polished chrome and punctuated with bursts of vivid color. Something to hold us over until neural implants with social networking capabilities become commercially available. Luckily, Plastik Wrap’s Adriana Fulop and Ryan Webber possess the creative genius and technical skill to keep you looking like android royalty straight out of the pages of a gripping cyberpunk thriller. They can’t hook you up with the aforementioned brain implants, nor with a prototype hover car, but they can infuse your life with a little artificial flavor by outfitting you in precisely tailored cyber apparel which flatter and accentuate both the male and female form.

Not quite ready to enlist in the plastik army just yet? If you crave high impact alt fashion with a more relaxed fit, then a sampling of Bitchcraft’s tasty offerings might be in order. Let Plastik Wrap’s Adriana Fulop and her creative partner Gabrielle Neveu tempt you with playfully dangerous body hugging tees adorned with prints of things that might hurt you if you’re not careful. Brass knuckles, scissors, syringes, and daggers, that’s what little girls are made of. In Bitchcraft’s world anyway. Those less fond off cutsey implements of torture can always hang with Mr. “Grumpy Octopus” or overdose on girlie glam in the “Tie Me Up Pretty” tee.

Old world elegance and love of quality craftsmanship fused with durable modern fabrics and space age trimmings on one end of the spectrum. Deliciously dark tees
you’ll want to live in on the other. How does Adriana Fulop do it all?

How would you describe Plastik Wrap’s current aesthetic? How did it evolve since the initial inception of the company?

Adriana Fulop : Initially we were designing simple, starch, space age styles. Which over time evolved into a darker, more utilitarian and avant-garde aesthetic. We haven’t focused on any one style category and have allowed ourselves to explore many interests, which has extended our tool set and fashion vocabulary. All of this combined has helped Plastik Wrap remain a design house that is very difficult to label. At least that is how I feel about it.

What’s the primary difference between your newest fashion endeavor, BitchCraft, and Plastik Wrap?

AF : BitchCraft is more playful, more of a fun evening project. Plastik Wrap is more like air to my lungs.

read the rest of the interview in the April/May 2010 Issue

NYC-based makeup artist, model, musician, and lifestyle blogger Doe Deere simply couldn’t find makeup bright enough. So she created her own “so bright, it’s illegal!” makeup company, Lime Crime which focuses on creating the most intensely pigmented, dare-to-wear cosmetics for the vivid, quirky, and unique. As Lime Crime prepares to enter the retail market in US, Australia, Canada, and UK and plans for several new product releases we caught up with Doe Deere to talk about the road that got her to this point.Read the interview in the February 10 Issue.

interview : Vanity Kills
photographer : Steve Prue
model : Doe Deere
makeup artist : Doe Deere for Lime Crime Makeup
hair stylist : Kristin Jackson
fashion stylist : Catherine Mudford for Emma Bell
fashions : Emma Bell

What is the most challenging aspect of running a one-woman makeup empire?
I wouldn’t call it an empire just yet; I only have a couple employees and a partner. But the most challenging part is learning how to run a business, on the fly! I started out a girl in my attic, and a year later I’m signing checks and making big, scary decisions. But it’s a learning process which I really enjoy.

How lengthy was the process of turning the vision of that perfect brightly pigmented makeup line in your head into a tangible product?
It took a long time, I won’t lie. I’ve been developing the brand since 2005, when I started posting makeup tutorials on my website, limecrime.net. I always had trouble finding eyeshadows and lipsticks bright enough that went on exactly how they looked. That’s how the idea was born. By 2008 I had a solid following online and began reaching out to labs in NY and LA. The webstore went live two weeks before Halloween.

read the rest of the interview in the February 10 Issue