Jamie and I met in the undergraduate art history program at the University of Florida, where we bonded over our shared fabulousness and love of shoes and Fragonard.
I have been wearing some form of vision corrective since I was two, when my mother noticed that I was cross-eyed and whisked me off to the doctor for an eye patch and some glasses. My pirate phase was thankfully short-lived and the lazy eye was corrected, but I wore glasses until the sixth grade and have been wearing contacts ever since.
Maybe all my posts should have pirate pictures in them.
Now I have never really had an issue with the whole glasses and contacts thing.* Although a few mean girls made fun of me in kindergarten and wouldn’t let me play with them on the playground due to my four-eyes, it wasn’t ever really a thing for much of my school days. When I was little I always had crazy and colorful plastic pairs of glasses. I usually broke a pair a year, due to my tendency to play rough on the playground, and I would have a few weeks of wandering around with taped up eyeglasses before I finally got a new pair. Same thing with contacts–I got used to them quickly and have no issue poking my fingers into my eyes.
Guess what guys? I watch RuPaul’s Drag Race (big surprise right?) I started about halfway through this season and became hooked because I, like Margaret Cho, was raised by drag queens, much as some are raised by wolves.
When I started watching my favorite contestant was immediately Raja, who I recognized because she is also Sutan, who was a makeup artist on that other less awesome diva reality show competition, America’s Next Top Model.
So this is Raja and these are some of Raja’s amazing looks:
What an impressive tuck!Raja in Carrie White drag, with an amazing pig's blood hat. Amazing.
And, the best, Raja’s (SPOILER) VICTORY MONTAGE (Yes, Raja won the show! Yay!)
The many emotions of victory.
So there are lots of other amazing pictures of America’s current reigning drag superstar on this wonderful tumblr, fyeahraja.
Raja’s the best y’all. She has the walk, she has the style, she has the high fashion. She’s no sprepper, she’s a Heather! Mazel tov Raja!
I’ve always really liked Thierry Mugler, especially as a fashion curiosity. Someone who did unusual clothes that made women look like the Maria-robot from Metropolis. Since I love robots that look like people, this should not surprise anyone.
How do you solve a problem like Maria?
I especially love that Thierry Mugler’s work is present in lots of fantastic music videos, and by lots I primarily mean George Michael’s “Too Funky” and Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi.” These are both fantastic music videos.
Guys. A motorcycle bustier/corset. A total metallic robot costume. And, in the “Too Funky” video, Linda and Tyra! (This reminds me that I need to do a post on George Michael’s amazing videos, one of which was directed by DAVID FINCHER y’all, but this is a project for another day. And yes, I know that Eric from True Blood is in the “Paparazzi” video, but this is a post about fashion).
So, there was also a great show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art a few years ago called Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy and it featured a lot of Thierry Mugler’s works, namely said motorcycle bustier. So that was fun.
So, anyways, Thierry Mugler fell off the map a bit and also got some plastic surgery and then in 2010 designed some perfume and you can read all about that here. But I really think that Lady Gaga brought attention back to the designer, because she is all about his clothes because girlfriend is not afraid to be fierce, and Thierry Mugler’s clothes are for a lady who is fierce. I mean, I am sure there is more to it than Lady Gaga but I like to think that Lady Gaga actually does have the power to resurrect a man.
As some of you may know, Lady Gaga walked walked in the Nicola Formichetti for Thierry Mugler show at Paris Fashion Week. And guys, she was really, unsurprisingly, awesome. Snarling and cat-clawing and column humping and walking in ten-inch heels better than any model awesome. With an amazing weave. The video of the show is below, and is totally worth watching, if only to see some models nearly face plant in their ten-inch heels.
I actually think the collection is really strong. That electric blue is fantastic, and I could see myself wearing a few of these pieces. The lines are just funky enough but still extremely strong and clearly flattering. My one complaint? Too much sheer. The world doesn’t need to see my nipples. Give me that gorgeous electric blue turtleneck dress and I’ll call it a day.
The Dilettantista 