Queer + Couture = Queerture

A picture tells a thousand words. It is true, so I will let the pictures do most of the talking. The Queerture fashion show was hard work for everyone involved but a joy and a community effort. It was hardest yet for Laura Luna, Creative Xicana, Queer Socialite, and Stylist. Tania Hammidi called Laura, the June Ambrose of the Queer world. Totally fitting. Luna worked for months to put the Femme Fashion portion of the Fashion show together and tapped her seemingly endless resources of AMAZING women and the results were captured by fabulous photographer Kat Helter below. Visit Kat's Portfolio here for more on Queerture!

   

 

                         

Sparrow Fox of Sparrow Beauty Artistry led a terrific team. Sparrow, Courtney and Jen were focused  & on their feet for something like 10 hours doing spectacular hair and makeup for the 18 looks that went down the runway! Clockwise: Courtney is rocking my SweetLeigh Frida headpiece (detailed below) as she prepares to braid Lizeth's hair; a lovely shot of the three stylists; Jen works on Coordinating Stylist, Laura Luna's hair; Sparrow is making Audrey pretty in pink; Courtney and Sparrow finish up with Lizanne and Karla's hair. 

Custom Frida Kahlo Headpiece by SweetLeigh

Custom Pink Sunburst Hat by SweetLeigh

These are the two headpieces by SweetLeigh made especially for the show, modeled by gorgeous Jennifer and lovely Lizeth . I got to feel useful while I soaked up the backstage highlights and did some light adjusting on Lizeth's skirt,  made by Mari of  Vaya Con Fashion. Mari makes cool skirts from Gguayabera shirts! Below Laura Luna wears a  Custom SweetLeigh dress she commissioned. It is refashioned and resized from a vintage ribbon lace dress. Isn't she gorgeous!?

Stylist Laura Luna leads the Femme team down the 
runway for the finale in a custom SweetLeigh dress.

 

  

Above are adorably fierce Anayvette and Krystal rocking their inner "Cholas". Lizanne beautifully channeling Earth mother. Natasha shining in her sari, trained in the Indian dance kathak, glided down the runway.  Luie struts in her fave coveralls she rocks to work at Killer Design & Stylin'. Lastly the finale was Lauren who seemed a natural throwback to circus life in the 40's. Fabulous! 

Juan, Ricardo or Danny? Not sure which one of the fab PA's is rocking the official team shirt in this pic! But I do know that the shirt was custom made and donated by graphic designer/model Natasha of She Said, She Said!

Every Femme look originated out of  a collaboration between Laura and each model. Fashion done with tremendous soul, pride joy and respect for individual style. Sadly all of the models and images won't fit in this blog, but lucky for us it is all on video darlings! It was a joy to meet and work with each and every person involved with Femme Fashion and Queerture! Read more about the other contributing groups/designers at Queerture on Facebook.

xo, Vanessa

Hello Hollywood!

I was born in New York City, the Bronx. My brother was born in Manhattan, we moved to Los Angeles the summer I turned 6 years old. Mind you, I wouldn't have escaped my love of Hollywood glamour and film if we hadn't have moved here. I recall coming home from elementary school to the KCET Movie Matinee. My first memory of watching a classic film was from about 2nd or 3rd grade. I came home to my mother who gave me a snack and introduced me to Bette Davis. We watched Of Human Bondage and that pretty much says all you need to know about me....

I love Debbie Reynolds. From Tammy films, Singing in the Rain, the Singing Nun and the Unsinkable Molly Brown she is fabulous! Not to mention I loved her time on television show Will and Grace: Perfection. I love that she admits to having had her share of issues, I love that she forgave Liz Taylor for stealing her husband, and I love her most because she had the vision to keep and catalog the costumes that make up the visual wanderlust we call Hollywood. She personally salvaged wardrobes and props from studios in the last near 40 years including FOX and  MGM according to the Associated Press.

Debbie Reynolds still bright and beautiful with some of her collection. Associated Press Photo

Associated Press Photo

Sadly, no one stepped up to create  the museum of hollywood costumes, that Ms. Reynolds envisioned which has lead to one of the most amazing private hollywood memorabilia collections for sale. You probably have already heard about 4.6 million dollars paid for Marilyn Monroe's Subway dress from The Seven Year Itch. How about the 3.7 million for Audrey Hepburn's beautiful black and white ascot dress from My fair Lady? These figures do not including fees of nearing a million dollars to auction house, Profiles in History. All of the images below are from the Profiles in History Debbie Reynolds Auction catalog. The catalog is available for download here. Isn't that wonderful!

Below some of my favorite catalog picks and movie moments through costume. Feel free to share yours and comment dolls!

"Cleopatra" Claudet Colbert

"Wizard of Oz" Emerald City Jacket 

"The Sound of Music" Julie Andrews

"Gigi" Leslie Caron

"Stormy Weather" Lena Horne

"Blood and Sand" Rudolph Valentino

Custom tailored High School Graduation Dress, 1956 for Natalie Wood

Grease

Grease by Vanessa Leigh featuring ASOS

Aso
$46 - asos.com

Day dresses-eShakti.com
$60 - eshakti.com






Alright Darlings! It's getting tot hat time where I have to decided what to wear to Grease! The above are my option inspirations. Obviously I tend toward the sweet but love a pink ladie in any incarnation. Opinions?