“I Make Very Expensive Clothes That Are Very Uncomfortable To Wear.”
May 22, 2010 by Clint Catalyst · 10 Comments
Mildred Von Hildegard’s Twitter bio might seem terse to some, pretentious to others. Whereas in my case? The concise and brutally honest description made me that much more intrigued about meeting and collaborating with her this Saturday past.
In a city illustrious for back-handed, capped-teeth “compliments” and unpredictable, unspoken disdain thinly disguised by a veritable check-list of publicists’ blanket statements, Hildegard’s choice for her 160-characters-or-less section on The ‘Twits seemed fitting with the images I’d seen of her clothing designs: anachronistic—a fetish posture collar adorned with tattered lace, roses in an array of shadowy hues and elements of Victorian mourning attire; sensual—soft tattered edges, the type of attire that fingertips long to touch; unapologetic—ruched leather, straps and buckles arranged without regard to which body parts “should” or “shouldn’t” be exposed. Essentially, her handiwork is the antithesis of all that is red carpet Hollywood and relentlessly bourg.
Known to her public by the moniker Mother of London, Hildegard is a seminal talent both coveted and revered by fashion cognoscenti . Consequently, she’s rabidly hunted by L.A.’s handful of fashion-forward stylists—hence her stitch-witchery gracing the cover of the latest S Magazine (on the explosive Juliette Lewis), along with editorials in Numero, AnOther magazine, Bizarre, Playboy, Marquis, et al.
Said another way? While I’m unsure how many details of aforementioned ‘Secret Project’ I’m permitted to share at this juncture in time, I can tell you this: upon arrival at the studio, I discovered a stylist had hoarded the collar Mother intended for the shoot.
The nerve. All the same, we had an excellent afternoon. Not only does The Mother corrupt traditional perceptions of fetishwear and period costume, she’s also adorable, donning death metal t-shirts and boundless charisma while doing so.
Yes, my choice of verbiage was deliberate (just as one can be over-dressed in attitude), and yes, I hope to be swathed in her sublime regalia again in the not-too-distant future. Of more immediate import, however—particularly for those quite a distance from her L.A. showroom—I have advantageous news:
Between October 2008 & now (‘now’ being this 22nd of May, Two Thousand and Ten), this textile fascinatrix has posted a mere six items in her etsy shop.
Two of the six are fresh on the market, & while they’re categorized as menswear, I’d classify them as UNISEXY…
an asymmetrical leather collar
:: detailed view (of both the handiwork & model Dylan Monroe) ::
&
detachable sleeves, made of 100% vegan faux ostrich texturized leatherette
Grab your credit cards while you can, style fiends. Who knows how long it’ll be till the next opportunity presents itself…
Firearms. Phallic symbols. High fashion.
May 21, 2010 by Clint Catalyst · 2 Comments
The Dark Side Of Fantasy/Fantasizing The Dark.
Or, in the words of fashion editor Panos Yipanis—who styled
Steven Klein‘s provocative editorial for issue 30 of Arena Homme Plus —
the title ”Games & Restrictions, Candy, Twilight & Guns” was chosen…
which, considering the theme for this 15 year anniversary commemorative was “Hard Times!”
begs the question: “Double entendre much?”
★ ☆ ★
At any rate, I’m by no means the first to have admired the cinematic quality of Mr. Klein’s photography, but
when one click led to another to another, to the video embedded above
I’ve gotta tell ya: the lyrical quality, the beauty and brutality expressed therein?
Inspired some awe, yes.
★ ☆ ★
However, the impetus for this post isn’t to alert you, gentle reader, as to what’s New! Hot! Now!
Besides, not only did the story run in the fall 08/winter 09 release of the bi-annual;
the sense of time is immersive.
—Instead—
I feel compelled to remark upon what I find equally as impressive/astounding as the work itself:
for all the homoerotic overtones, for this chic cult of sexual predators Klein has amassed—
for a narrative in which outré images are so tightly bound,
laced with gunpowder and black magic…
The context of where the photographs were published,
the framework from which Klein’s story was “hung,” so to speak,
bears great cultural significance.
★ ☆ ★
For those unaware, or for those who are, even—
humor me one hot little moment while I reiterate a fact so basic;
I’ve yet to come across a journalist or blogger to bring attention to it:
Arena Homme Plus is not a gay [ that's "gay" in scare quotes ] publication.
Welcome To The Tenth Circle: “Hello Kitty” Hell
May 13, 2010 by Clint Catalyst · 12 Comments
So here’s the deal: The Hello Kitty thing?
I’m just. Not. Into. It.
Matter of fact, my aversion to the mouthless creature has steadily swollen—not unlike her head— over the years.
It’s not just because the creature’s a scene-o-type as overplayed as Fall Out Boy’s greatest hits
(ditto, tiaras—leave ‘em to Quinceneras, Scenario Dawson: what do you think this is, 2007?);
nor is it the result of the anti-feminist mentality in which she’s so flagrantly mired
(the fact that she lacks a mouth implies that she has no voice—i.e., it functions as a visual signifier for the notion that females are docile, harmless, submissive and frail);
instead, it’s the sum of aforementioned, and the fact that this seemingly innocuous emblem of corporate consumption has evolved into a full-blown omnipotent presence.
Sure, there are moments in which I feel I’ve become a bitter old queen*, or as if I’m the Grinch of Sanrioville—
though recently I discovered a source of salvation through
Hello Kitty Hell: One Man’s Life With Cute Overload.
I couldn’t help but feel an immediate camaraderie with this Canadian dude who inadvertently spawned his allergy to The Evil Feline by encouraging his wife to pursue a business venture doing something she enjoys.
Whether or not you’re a fan of that critter whose name includes a salutation, I feel it necessary to share this post, as we’e got a serious case of fagswag to analyze here, folks.
EXHIBIT A:
The comments tend to veer toward LOLercaust territory, as well. Darlene, a “repeat offender” in the Department of Commentary, is a brilliant construct. Nonetheless, the veracity of her existence is mere conjecture on my part (a fancy way of saying “Hey baby, don’t even try to hate crime me for hinting that any J.T. Leroy action might be goin’ on here. Aiiight?)
CHECK IT:
Ah, but the best is yet to come! (The Best Awful, that is…) Con’t Read more
“That Is My Story, Simply Told…”
May 8, 2010 by Clint Catalyst · 3 Comments
“Please do not ask again. I have told you in order to issue a warning. I have been damaged. Damaged people are dangerous. They know they can survive. All damaged people are dangerous. Survival makes them so. They have no pity. They know that others can survive, as they did.”
from the book Damage by Josephine Hart
†
:: image of Clint Catalyst by Dirk Mai ::
Call For Submissions: Authors, Photographers, Visual Artists… Check It!
May 4, 2010 by Clint Catalyst · 4 Comments
up first, from Little Episodes
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Little Episodes is currently accepting submissions for its second anthology Brainstorms, as part of the Expression of Depression series.
We are looking for examples of poetry, lyrics, short stories, excerpts of scripts, and artwork (Black and White ONLY) from both established and emerging talent who wish to support the work of Little Episodes. Deadline for Submissions: July 31st, 2010. Simply sign up and start submitting here (Please Note that in order to better deal with submissions, LE has adopted a new file management system, and are no longer accepting submissions by email.) |
☆★☆
Another?
The latest in the anthology series Shades of Truth by Pinchback Press!
Caught: True Crime Tales of Scamming, Scheming & Sliding By
“Whether you’ve stolen, conned, lied, or cheated: here is your chance to come clean. Tell us about the times you’ve ripped someone off, the five finger discounts you’ve taken, the little white lies you’ve told. Confession is good for the soul and we want to hear every crafty detail of yours. Tell us the tactless, the tricky and the downright terrible and we may want to publish it.
We are interested in unique personal essays that will disgust and delight readers. We want to hear from everyone, from petty criminals to hardened cons. Submissions might play with the nurture vs. nature theme, could be mastermind masterpieces, or may even be ‘anti’ crime; the collection as whole will evoke strong emotion and stand out in this popular genre.
A pseudonym may be used to protect your identity–just let us know! (Your secrets are safe with us).
All essays should be nonfiction narratives, written in the first-person. Focus on one or a few selected events; do not send rants or political speeches. Stories should be titled. Essays should be between 1000 – 5000 words, double-spaced, paginated and word-processed. No funky fonts, please.
Please include a brief bio (1-3 sentences) at the end of your submission.
August 1, 2010
Please send your submissions to: blue@pinchbackpress.com
Writers chosen for the book will be contacted by September 2010. Their selected stories will be published in an anthology to be released by winter 2011. Each contributor receives two free copies of the finished book.”
☆★☆
& next?
One that sent me into such a LOLercaust, I spewed Diet Coke all over myself:
90 Kinds Of Bitches
“There are 90 kinds of bitches.
Found on the floor of a 3rd Grade Washington D.C. classroom, ‘Types of Bitches’ is this season’s must-read Internet meme. Alternatively offensive and hilarious, the school kids list of 90 different kinds of bitches (example: ”Talking behind your back bitches”, “White bitches that think black people poor”, “Geekin bitches”) begs for reinterpretation. If you’d like to learn more about the original list, visit And I Am Not Lying
☆★☆
…as for the types of bitches?
“Everything That Is Fashion Comes From The Street” – Diane Von Furstenberg
May 4, 2010 by Clint Catalyst · 6 Comments
sidewalks double as catwalks
double as nightclub stages
our reality continues to turn virtual, &
THIS.
IS.
LIFESTYLE,
Baby
don’t dis, where it comes from’s like this…)
