Vernon Lee

I've been re-reading Lee's Hauntings and I REALLY recommend them. 

My favourite story in particular is 'Oke of Okehurst' about a painter commissioned by a couple to paint their portraits (shockingly!).  Once he arrives he is immediately stuck by the wife, Alice who always seems as if she is in a distant place and mercilessly teases her husband (who is also her cousin, of course) about a murder committed by their ancestors who also share their names.  Alice is enthralled by their family's history and even dresses in her ancestor, Alice Oke's clothing- much to the annoyance and concern of her young husband.  

I won't spoil the end of the story but it is a ghost story, although it makes you consider whether the ghosts are that of the past, or of our own making. 

The use of clothing as masquerade, as costume, as heirloom and as haunted item is really interesting to me and it is one of things I'm looking at in my research.  

This is the version I'm reading from; I like this one because it has a fantastic introduction by Patricia Pulham and Catherine Maxwell (you should also read Pulham's book on Art and the Transitional Object in Lee's fiction - the chapter 'Madonna Portraits and medusa Mirrors' should draw you in alone!).  Also there are some interesting essay snippets at the back, one by Lee herself writing about the Supernatural in Art. 

If anyone else has any recommendation of stories/articles/books, gothic/ghost/creepy clothing or otherwise, I would love you to share them! 

-- I've also not forgotten about Vampire Knight and I'm going to try and get a few more episodes in this weekend with a mid-season review! 

Fondest Creation - Farewell American Horror Story: Hotel

I decided very early with in this series to focus on the surface.  Did it loose it's way with the many lovers of the Countess-maybe (but I enjoyed the flashbacks it afforded us).  Was John a loathsome character right up until he realised he was a sadistic killer? Of course, and it made me feel slightly shameful that he had to artistically spray a man's insides across a wall for me to tolerate him but this series really was all about the LOOK. 

I didn't really care what they were doing, or more who they were doing, I just wanted to get lost in a sea of historical costumes, glitzy make up and killer (literally) accessories.  The finale made me realise this is okay. 

Never before has Ryan Murphy, the show's creator done anything more PopGoth than to give Hypodermic Sally a release through the internet.  I LOVED IT. I loved how accurate a reflection of contemporary society the ghost was, shouting out words to anyone and no-one , leaving footprints in a mass of void and noise, and yet we are all unnatural online (and the irony of me sat here writing this blog is not lost on me). 

Donovan's beyond the grave revelation that his heaven consists of an eternal childhood Saturday morning with pancakes was tender not because he was reaching out to the Mother he scorned for a lifetime.  His 'happiness' was a memory.  It seems the truth of Gothic to remind us that although we look continually to the future with planners, diaries and holiday countdowns (both of which I have), it is the assured passage of time and the fact that everything becomes, past, that haunts and revives us. 

I don't really want to end on such a sombre musing, so I want to thank Murphy for his 'revamping' theme, bringing together vampiric creatures, fashion, rebirth, trauma and death has resulted in the American Horror Story I've been waiting for.  

It truly was my fondest creation of his. 

Vampire Knight

Started watching a new anime after hearing such great things about it; Vampire Knight.  I will update further once I've enjoyed a few more episodes! 

The sympathetic vampire as a character will be interesting to explore through the character of Zero, who lost his parents in a vampire attack four years previous to the start of the series.  Zero's resentment of the "beasts" is understandable, and yet very early on we are given hints that there is more of the beast in Zero than he would care to reveal... 

His 'sister', Yuki, (both child victims taken in by Vampire Hunter/Headmaster Kaien after being attacked by vampires) has an entirely different view of vampires.  Yuki's was saved by the vampire, Kaname, so her loyalty to him is immediately demonstrated however, she also spends much of her time 'crushing' on him.

The vampires are already alluring; their eyes glow red when about to feed, however this feels more like it recalls the Romantic vampire's hypnotic powers than signalling a terrifying monstrous attack.  The night school students are also in almost identical uniforms to the day students, except theirs are white, and in a pleasantly quirky contrast it is the human day students dressed in black.  I quite like this move away from the black-clad vamp - even in The Vampire Diaries and Supernatural it is common place to dress the vampire in black leather or a brooding amount of metal chains.  Understandably this styling aligns them (or tries to) with an appropriation of 'goth' culture and indicate their 'dark' character but I am quite refreshed by Vampire Knight's preppy vampire denied to us in Twilight.  Much like Pam's Walmart sweatsuit, the vampire is as threatening in mundane clothing because their clothing gives nothing away about their identity.    It is comical to imagine a vampire (ala Dracula) in a school uniform but maybe that's how modern vampires want us to react, to laugh when really we should run... 

Fairy Tale Fashion

Once upon a time (in another reality) I had enough money to whizz over to New York for this Exhibition at the Fashion Institute of Technology (January 15 – April 16, 2016).

When I was younger I used to sit and look through my Ladybird copy of The Little Mermaid for hours.  Tim Walker's 2013 interpretation for W Magazine capture the Little Mermaid's transformative journey through scales to skin perfectly, whilst using fabric anchor his mermaid somewhere between human and creature.

By far the allure of fairy tales for me was always the villain(ess) - Maleficent was always my favourite.  The 'dark ones' also always wear the best costumes, there's something in the excess of their characters that translates to such rich costumes be it embellishment or through outrageous shaping (Maleficent's speciality- especially in the headwear department). 

It seems almost surprising that the most monstrous of fairy tale characters are often so clothed; a Witch's warty skin is as obvious an identifier of her evil as her cloak.  The tentacles of Ursula the Sea-Witch blend seamlessly into the basque upon her upper body.  

Monstrosity has no limits upon Fairy Tale bodies. 

Inspired by this theme, one of the most celebrated designers who truly wove magic into his garments, was Alexander McQueen.  His models are not maidens or monsters; they emerge  on the catwalk somewhere between beauty and beast.  Their stories are as important as the ones in Grimm's tales; be strong, believe in yourself, be different, be wild. 

http://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/fairy-tale-fashion.php

Countess Couture 

*SPOILER* (sort of) Just a quick musing on the 'death' (again) of The Countess.

She rarely looked her age on this show, and thats not to insinuate any judgment on Lady Gaga's cosmetic appearance, but rather that the Countess, in the 'present' that is our contemporary time, rarely dressed in the styles of this current period.  In flashbacks of course she embodied the twenties, the eighties and even nineties grunge, but in our time she was often in their costumes.  So over the top, so styled in history - why, is our time, the present, the time at which fashion becomes past?  Even Alex when newly turned initially releases herself of her Levi jeans and Gap t-shirts and swoons the hallways as a 'true' Nanny, a tightly bound, high seamed Victoriana Governess.

It's a true Gothic pun that the vampire (yes, I know we aren't supposed to call her that...) is always out of time, and time is evidently all they have.  Even when dressing in there garb of the eighties, her natural body likely should never have seen those clothes, let alone adorned itself within them.

With a final episode to go I am excited to see what fashions the 'true' death have in store for The Countess.