Manchester Alternative and Burlesque Fair 12/10/2013

This review has taken me far too long to write. After a period of particularly poor health, stress and loss in my family, I simply haven't had the time I needed to write at my normal standard. But finally, here is my review of the Manchester Alternative and Burlesque Fair. All images used are with permission of the Photographer; Elizabeth McDonald (whose company I had the pleasure of that day) and Heresy 'n' Heelz. These images must not be used without permission.

Every person has their vice; be that shopping for new clothes, good food, watching a lovingly crafted dance routine, a warm and welcoming atmosphere or a latex clad lady selling a wide array of dildos in all the colours of the rainbow. For me, you can check all of the above. Now, finding somewhere that encompasses all my vices in one place would seem an impossible task, which has been accomplished by the absolutely incredible Manchester Alternative and Burlesque fair, hosted and organised by Heresy ‘n’ Heelz in. I have attended several of these events now, and wanted to share with you my experiences of the October 2013 Manchester fair.

Upon entering the venue (conveniently situated just a few minutes’ walk from Oxford Road Train Station) the first thought that occurred to me was an overwhelming sensation of belonging. Feeling completely and utterly accepted, whatever I looked like or wherever I had come from. I think that a large part of this is the close relationship the event has with The Sophie Lancaster Foundation; a charity very close to my heart that is dedicated to the acceptance of alternative peoples, fighting for our rights. 

  My first purchase of the day was a T-Shirt from the Foundation’s stall, emblazoned with the hard hitting message “Weirdo. Mosher. Freak. If only they’d stop at name calling” (as can be seen in the top right of the photo).

The second thing to pique my interests were the fantastic smells from the first floor. A mixture of hot drinks from the well-stocked bar of the Soundcontrol Venue, delicious cakes of all kinds from the two (yes, TWO!) food stalls, and the scent of a warm, slow cooked chilli bubbling away. There was a fantastic range of food available at the venue, from cupcakes to pastries, meaty chilli to vegan pastries. In a manner that reflects the ethos of the fair, there was something for every taste.

 Within the first hour I had fulfilled two of the devils on my shoulder, and with some time before the first of many fantastic performances that day, Liz and I ventured into the stalls for more indulgence.

One stall at the top of my list is the incredible Kiku Corset Boutique, ran by the incredibly talented Lynn Mckay.

(One of Lynn’s stunning creations, a Steampunk Inspired corset, handmade by Kiku boutique.)

Lynns designs range from the fabulous and fantasy, to daringly sexy and simple classics, but the love and attention to each fine detail is obvious from the second you see one of her pieces. 

A lovely extra surprise with this event was being able to meet a personal inspiration; Lotti Bella, who was modelling for Kiku Corset Boutique that day. Lotti is such a versatile and talented model, with classic beauty and a personality a sweet as her smile and mind as sharp as the spikes on her corset.

Another of my favourite stores was Kalandra Jane Designs, who specialise in Burlesque and Retro Millinery and accessories. This adorable little display says it all!

 Something I would strongly suggest checking out would be the Cellar of Sin. The variety of products is incredible, with toys to tantalise all tastes, but what I found most pleasing was the attitudes of all the stallholders. Each one believes so heartily in all of their products, happy to answer questions as well as ask them to find the best product for you. There is no shame in the Cellar of Sin, which is the way it should be. The stallholders openly discuss their own favourites and techniques without a care in the world, knowing every little thing about their stock, the way every shop owner should act. They all made me feel so welcome, an attitude that is prevalent throughout the Alternative and Burlesque Fairs.

 (The stallholder for the Kinky Pink Furniture stall, selling all types of bondage and kink equipment, had a particularly friendly and warm attitude; I could’ve spent hours talking to him alone!)

(Just a small display of the different types of insertable lovelies on offer at just one of the many stalls.)

At regular intervals throughout the day, we were graced by incredible performances from the Pole Dance and Aerial students of Blush Dance Studios and the Ministry of Burlesque: Movers and Shakers group, presented by the engaging and ardent Kieron O’Toole.  

Being an Intermediate level Pole Dancer myself, I just adored the show of strength and grace from the oh-so-talented ladies of Blush. Their fluid movements making every pose look effortless, which is actually far from the truth, as Pole Dance and Aerial Hoops/silks are actually really intensive full body work outs, which take a lot of practice and perseverance. Anyone in the Stockport and Manchester areas should get in touch to book a class; they also teach Burlesque, which is a fantastic way of increasing confidence and teaches body positivity to everyone. 

 (Pole dance performance from Blush Studio.) 

(Blush's Juniper Crush, demonstrating the lighter side of Burlesque)

(The gorgeous Snow Pin-Up performing a 

classic Burlesque routine.) 

(The charming and amusing Kieron O'Toole)

But the headliner of the show was the breath-taking Natsumi Scarlett. Natsumi is a classically trained dancer, who travelled from Amsterdam to perform a small number of shows. 

Those who know me know it’s not very often that I’m left speechless, however, trying to describe the emotions raised by Natsumi’s unbelievable skill and beauty has me lost for words (her final performance of the day had me silently choking down tears). Her choreography and costumes alone are so moving; she is truly an artist. If you ever see her name on a line-up, please make sure you see her. I had the pleasure of talking to her briefly at the end of the day, and she is such a humble soul who has so much passion for what she does, which shows with every step she takes on stage.

The Alternative and Burlesque Fairs are a hard thing for me to summarise… So I’ll just say this:

There are few places I can feel truly comfortable with being myself, the Alternative and Burlesque Fairs are one of them.

Eufloria: With Photography by Danniella Jaine and Five other Lovely Ladies.

So a couple of months ago I was given the opportunity to create a stunning set of pictures, with six of the loveliest ladies I've ever had the pleasure of working with!

All images belong solely to the designers, models and photographer who created them. Do not repost these images without gaining permission from those involved in creating them

 The project was entitled "Eufloria" and was the brain child of the fantastic Photography by Danniella Jaine; a fashion photographer of great skill, with a large online following, who sourced the models and items to shoot herself. The shoot was intended to remove some of the stigma surrounding S&M by introducing a level of purity and innocence; using flowers and daisy chains as bonds.

Lux DeLioux and Eve Elle wearing Skirts and Leg Warmers by FlutterbyDaisy, Corsets from Corsets-UK, with
Headdress and Floral Eye-Patch by Reinka.

We also had the honour of working with two very talented independent designers; The lovely Reinka, who designed and hand made all the beautiful Floral Headdresses and FlutterbyDaisy, who created the Skirts and Pixie top worn by Miss Violet.

Miss Violet wearing a full FlutterbyDaisy outfit; Leg Warmers,
Skirt and Pixie top, with Reinka Floral Eye-Patch.

The roll I was given was Stylist. I helped dress the ladies, and provided the model's (and photographer's) choice of corsets from my personal Corsets-UK collection (and had the pleasure of lacing them up, hehe). I also helped to choose the location, my favourite shoot place on Earth, the gorgeous grounds of Keele University/ Keele Hall (with great thanks to the people in the Reception, who kindly allowed us a large dressing space and storage for our spare equipment for free).

The models I was lucky enough to work with were:
Burlesque performer and Accordion player Lux DeLioux.
Stunningly willowy, European Artiste Miss Violet,
and the Cage Dancing, Latex Loving Eve Elle.

Left to Right; Eve Elle, Miss Violet and Lux DeLioux.

As the shoot progressed, it started to take on it's own form, becoming more an expression of the ladies strength and beauty than the idea originally intended. I was blown away, not by the near gale force winds, but by the professionalism of the four lovelies I worked with that day. The weather was most certainly not on our side, yet the girls managed to hold a pose and shake off the bitter wind better than most, while Danniella's ever steady hands captured some of the best pictures I've seen in a long time.

I Particularly love this picture as it shows the Individuality of each lovely model.
Plus the way the skirts fall on each of them is just stunning.

 

Please do go and take a look at the ladies' websites (as linked above). Reinka and FlutterbyDaisy have some examples of their stunning pieces for sale, with links to their online stores. While Photography by Danniella Jaine has her extensive portfolio. All images are used only with the expressed permission of all involved.

Eve Elle wearing FlutterbyDaisy Skirt and Leg Warmers, Reinka Eye-Patch and
Corsets-UK underbust as seen in my product review.

Miss Violet and Eve Elle. This Picture Demonstrates the
Intricate Nature of Reinka's Accessories.

Lux DeLioux, wearing Reinka Headdress, Corsets UK Burlesque range Overbust Corset and
FlutterbyDaisy skirt. Doing Her Best Innocent Impression.

Hoping I will soon be able to move onto a new topic. My next post will be either a Club Review or (preferably) of the Squeakier, Latex variety! Stay tuned.

Are Charity Shops the Way Forward for High Street Shopping?

I finally managed to get myself to the Vintage Section in the Douglas Macmillan Hospice shop in Stoke Town Centre.

On 14th February 2013, the Stoke Town Centre branch of Douglas Macmillan Charity Shops opened their back room to the public; a tiny little wonderland of Vintage loveliness. The items ranged from all kinds of lovely stockings (still in their original packaging) to a 1960's oven and hobs!

It's decorated in a brilliantly eccentric manner; with all the stockings and lingerie displayed in a gorgeous Vintage bedside dresser, all jewellery and small accessories hung on a lovely larger dresser, with a board and hooks and Vintage vinyl records lining the walls around the displays. On top of the lovely atmosphere and selection, everything is also incredibly low in price.

This is the amazing haul from my first trip! Everything came to an incredible £22 together.

 

I managed to find a gorgeous Red, wide brimmed hat, decorated with an absolutely darling oversized bow and wide spaced netting and a gorgeous cherry red colour.

Very fairly priced at £4. My 10 month old kitten, Odin, just could not resist the sound of my camera shutter.

Lovely bright red, real leather, sling-back, kitten heel shoes.

With a quaint little pin-prick pattern over the toes, also £4.

A gorgeous dark cream/ coffee coloured ruffle and pussy bow shirt.

A little bit stained, but some TLC will sort it out, £4.

A large, black, lace shawl that is soft as silk.

And may well be silk, a steal at £2.

A Handmade headdress.

Due to the nature of handmade objects and my only just budding knowledge of vintage clothing, I cannot tell if it would be "vintage" or vintage-styled... Either way, it was far too beautiful to leave in the shop; £2

And  four pairs of different colours, real vintage (and still in original, unopened packaging) full fashioned stockings!

An unbelievable price at £1.50 per pair, considering similar items easily reach 10x that on eBay.

I wholeheartedly believe that charity shops are one of the most amazing places to buy clothes and accessories. Besides the fact that you may well be donating your money to well deserving causes (in this case, The Douglas Macmillan Hospice, who do fantastic work caring for local terminally ill patients and their families), the clothes are in fantastic condition and just imagine the amazing stories that could be behind them?... Then there is the matter of cost. 

In this case I got an incredible selection of goods for only £22; had I bought them from online Vintage boutiques it would have cost me an arm and a leg (or a whopping great mark on my credit rating). The only downside is, unless you are an expert or have previously done all appropriate research, it can be incredibly hard to accurately date your new purchases. I haven't yet attempted to date my new goodies as I simply have not got the knowledge... But keep reading on as I attempt to improve this, and hopefully impart some wisdom ;)

Product Review: Corsets UK

Welcome to my new blog! If you're interested in Alternative and Vintage clothing, Club and Band Reviews, and just the occasional musings on life, then please read on.

I thought I would kick this off with my one true passion; Corsets. 

I am a Tight-Lacing enthusiast, and in future posts will be discussing where to buy and how to treat the corsets, choosing the right style/ boning for you and your lifestyle and the best methods to lace-up.

This entry is a review of my latest purchase from the fantastic Corsets UK.

If you are just starting out with tight lacing, are after something special to really set off that favourite outfit, or are even a Burly girl (or guy) looking for costumes for your latest routine; then Corsets UK are a fantastic choice for your first purchases.

They have a large range of products in varying styles, and to suit various budgets. Their corsets range from under £10 fashion corsets (or basques) through to their made to order, luxury Couture Range, with accessories in many colours and styles to match.

My latest purchase was a treat to myself, with their Brown Brocade Buckled Long Underbust (CD-662) in 20". I had been apprehensive about ordering this corset at the time, as it was on a "Made to Order" status, meaning there would be a wait of up to a month for delivery (up to three weeks to be made plus one for delivery).

Gorgeous model Eve Elle shot by the very talented Danniella Jaine;
with custom accessory credits detailed below.

I'm glad I finally bit the bullet and paid, as the process was fantastic throughout! I was kept updated throughout the process which really put my mind at ease (nice to know I hadn't been forgotten). I was utterly shocked however, when a garment I had been expecting to wait up to five weeks (to allow for bad weather and postal delays) took exactly the three weeks stated on their site. My corset arrived exactly 21 days from ordering.

This was made even better by the quality of the item; which lives up to my expectations based on their service.

The corset is well structured, well made, fits like a dream and gives the loveliest shape of any that I own. It has double layered flat steel boning which gives the most lovely support and sensation of restriction. It features the most wonderful antique-style brass buckles, high quality waist tape, strong cord and cotton twill lining, all of which contribute to the fantastic waist reduction you can gain from a high quality corset.

Overall a 10/10 purchase.

All pictures are taken from a recent photoshoot featuring three items from my Corset collection, all of which are from Corsets UK. I will soon be discussing the pictures, products and all the other lovely ladies involved in making the shoot possible very shortly.

Eve Elle wears Brown Brocade Buckled Long Underbust in 20" (CD-662).
Flower eye-patch created and Designed by Reinka
Skirt and leg-warmers made and designed by Flutterbydaisy
And Photography by miss Danniella-Jaine Photography.