Art Nouveau Ho

My sewing machine's broken, when I was so close to finishing a new outfit for Leipzig. Unfortunately it's broken in a way I can't repair, and to finish the outfit by hand would take more time than I have before I leave.

Obviously there are worse problems in the world, but I'm kind of annoyed that the hours and the stress I've put in trying to meet this deadline have been wasted.

But on the positive side, I get to spend the weekend swanning around a comfortable German city hearing good music in the company of some of my favourite people, including, for the first time, speedlime. So that's cool. And the annoyance will help me feel properly Goth. I want to hear some savage goddamn dissonant shit with emo poetry declaimed gutturally over the top of it right the hell NOW, dammit.

Tonight: frenzied packing and last-minute wig repair. Fortunately the kickass new wig Speedy made me will still go with that tired old red-and-gold Baroque ensemble that I'll have to wheel out for the fourth year running...

Over breakfast I said to Speedy, "I love our problems."

wyte_phantom, maker of amazing things, has made me two corsets.

It's one of my theories that everyone's got at least one area of instinctual affinity. Something that you know in your bones what the right way is, and when it's wrong it kind of hurts. With me it's written English and (to a lesser extent) music; with Jenny it's corsetry. She's a true artist, and it's an honour to wear her work.

My excellent friend mothninja has that sense in way too many areas to list. Writer, actor, model, speaker of approximately a trillion languages, she excels at all she does. Among her many talents is photography, and she graciously agreed to snap me so wyte_phantom could have some photos of her corsets.
( Click )

More of such silliness over at Jenny's post.

Suspenders with drooping and/or trashed stockings- drink
Idiot with bells on ankles- drink
Gratuitous underwear exposure (intentional) - drink
Gratuitous underwear exposure (accidental) - kill your drink
Liza fails at German - drink
Liza succeeds at German - buy Liza a drink

You've probably already seen the newly-discovered portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

One of the most important pieces of evidence for the painting being of Mozart was this letter of his to Baroness von Waldstadten from Vienna, 28 September 1782:
(Mersmann/Bozman translation: London, 1928)

"...That beautiful red coat which took my fancy so vastly, pray, pray let me know where it is to be had, and at what price—for that I have quite forgotten, having been unable to take in anything at the time but its splendor! Indeed such a coat I must have—one which will really do justice to certain buttons with which my fancy has long gone pregnant! I saw them once, when I was choosing buttons for a suit, in the Kohlmarkt at Brandau's button-shop, opposite the Milano. They are made of mother-of-pearl, with some sort of white stones around the edge and a fine yellow stone set in the centre of each. I should like to have all my things of good quality, workmanship, and appearance! How is it, I wonder, that those who have not the means would be prepared to spend any amount on such articles, while those who have the means— do not do so!..."

The scholarly conclusion: Mozart shopped like a girl. Or a Goth. I'd hazard a guess that after reading that, a good few people on my Friends list will be feeling a sudden kinship for the man.

I like his metaphor about the buttons impregnating his fancy. In a later letter Mozart thanked the Baroness "for having immediately taken so much trouble over the beautiful coat." She was a patroness of his, so she probably helped him purchase both the coat and the much-coveted buttons. A button which seems to match his precise description, with part of a second, can be seen on the far lapel of the coat in the new portrait.

Next time I'm in Vienna, I think I'll take time to visit Mozart's memorial (the exact location of his grave is, of course, unknown) and leave him a suitably fabulous button.

Over on Corsetmakers, they've linked to the cover picture of what's apparently a major fashion magazine, though I'd never heard of it.

1) You do not put oil all over someone you're going to put in an antique corset. Seriously, it looks like they're planning to deep-fry her.

2) That's a breastfeeding corset. On a teenaged model.

3) It doesn't fit her.

4) She's wearing it UPSIDE DOWN.

Oh, don't sack the stylist-- we need more laughs like this.

Roll on the Equinox, roll on spring. From here on in, day beats night. I'm putting on my "GO SUN" cheerleading outfit (with pompoms) as I type: it's been bitingly cold in London for 3 days now and I'm bored already. I decree a return to springtime, effective immediately. Do you hear me, weathergods?

(laughingmagpie, captrenault and anyone else who lives where it actually is cold may laugh uproariously now. ...Yes, I'm a weenie, why do you ask?)

I decided to call my upcoming recital A Night On The Water. I think it fits.

I've been practicing Olga's aria from Eugene Onegin; I'd forgotten how absurdly happy-making this piece is to sing. Go, Tchaikovsky!

pvcdiva is in town at the moment; today she and velvetdahlia and I went for brunch, charity-shopping and ice cream. Good times.

Despite the snow, despite the falling snow, the California poppy seeds that I planted (in a cracked casserole dish, now drafted into horticultural service) have begun to poke brave little green shoots up above the dirt. I think there is no happier feeling than to see something like this.

Meanwhile, for fun and larks, here are a series of reasons why I love corsetmakers:

OMG amazing fall-on-the-floor gorgeous.

Green and glossy

Why yes, Batman is a transvestite, didn't you know dahhling?

Fetishtastic Victorian steampunk extravaganza

and lastly,

The sort of thing that brings joy to an Art Nouveau ho's heart.

I also have to give mad props to wyte_phantom, whose work never fails to inspire, and to pvcdiva, who taught me everything I know.

Love and lacing to all, and happy Spring.

Well, I'm back from the Angels auction at Bonhams, and it was very entertaining. Arguably not as much fun as yesterday's viewing, during which I got to touch things, talk with staff about them and even try them on (the clothes, not the staff); the sale today was much more about peoplewatching and psychology, which was fascinating in a different way.

I got there early and registered to bid, which makes you feel crazily empowered. You give your ID and your address to the auction house staff, and in return you get a "paddle"-- in this case a piece of cardboard-- with your number on it. When you want to bid, you wave the card and make Meaningful Eye Contact with the auctioneer, then just keep nodding till they say a number you disagree with, at which point you shake your head and look downcast. Simple, eh? ( Do I hear one meeeeeeellion dollars? )

Last night's recital went OK-- the first half was kinda patchy; second half much more relaxed and fun.

Today, inspired by this post of laughingmagpie's, I went to the viewing for the Angels costume auction at Bonham's. It turned out to be METRIC TONNES OF FUN. ( Doctor Who! James Bond! Star Wars!!! )

Dragon bag.

I sincerely hope no actual dragons were harmed in the making of this bag.