The Nu Goth Jewelry.

The angst anarchism of the goth, has had a small scale resurgence with celebrities and models alike. Alice Dellal, is the perfect embodiment of this style with an image of rebellious teen angst. Carried off without a heavy application of black eyeliner and a Dashboard Confessional CD. The more depressing side of this trend, was the sight of Lindsay Lohan sporting a Metallica tshirt. She should stick to pussy licking.

This trend has been toned down for the highstreet but many indicators of its legacy stand. The reintroduction of leather clothing, stud work, distressed denim, the return of the denim jacket and Dr Martens and the more alternative shredded tshirt, creepers and vintage band tshirts.

Jewerly designers have also got on to this trend, with the tacky plastic works of Alex & Chloe, to the more upmarket side of things. Pamela Love, NYC, is one such designer, whos inspirations rests in the anatomy of humans and animals. Pamela is the Damien Hirst of the jewelry world, without the grotesque ego.

Necks are now adorned with crows feet, miniature ravens skulls, and sharks teeth. These trophies of pain, perfectly reflect the after feelings of a night of vodka and narcotics abuse.

I definitely need to get a miniaturised metal ravens skull, however the confines of student living, mean i'm opting for the etsy knock-off. Etsy Link

Russian Mafia Tattoos

Images from the russian Criminal Encyclopedia

Just found an amazingly site about Russian mafia tattoos. I keep on thinking about tattoo designs, and I like the images of power and fear in Russian images. There is something rather different about Russia, especially with the mix of Asian and European imagery and developing a new beautiful style. Their tattoos aren't the tear drop symbols of murder or other images I associate with British and western criminality.

The particularly skinny nature of them is due to malnourishment, quite a contrast from the muscle madness of my stereotype vision of a prisoner. Many of these individuals had torturous past lives and their tattoos are testament to this. Pornography, politics, alcohol, violence and religion all feature in the motifs depicted. I like the grim reality Sergei produces.

Sergei Vasiliev a prison warden, alongside other prison wardens and ethnographer Danzing Badaev compiled thousands of drawings and photos from 1948 to 2005. Supported by the KGB they produced a beautiful collection of images showing an amazing aspect of Russian history that would have likely been forgotten. In 2003, The publisher fuel, compiled these images in the Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia. I hope you enjoy the images.

 

Death Perception

The acknowledge of death remains a western taboo; which grows as we distance ourself further from death in daily life.

Death has been acknowledged in literature for many centuries, and also within the world of Art. Frans Snyder, a popular flemish artist held a taste for paiting dramatic scenes of dead animals. The 'Fish Market' is a fitting example of such work.

Damien Hirst is a modern suitor of death. His phemaldehyde animals offer a real assault on the conciousness of death in the minds of his audience. This death obsession is the focus for many contemporary works. Death is a central theme to many modern works including those of Fumie Sasabuchi.

The above image by Sasabuchi attempts to induce a chilling atmosphere of anatomical disfigurement in a partially lifelike human figure.Skeletal forms are superimposed on the bodies of models, countering the beauty underneath.
Hazy skeletal forms feature in many of her other pieces, aiming to alter the viewers perception of perfection in fashion magazines.

The Club Kids

The New York Club scene of the late eighties; was one of the most decadent distasteful expressions of 20th century extravagance. Led by the notorious Michael Alig and James St James, they gave birth to a group of reckless individuals who indulged in heavy drug use and extraodinary costume.

As Michael Alig & the Club Kids notoriety grew so did Alig’s influence, he was often paid to attend clubs with his entourage to ensure a new influx of customers.
However popularity and fame are inherently linked to the vices of jealousy and violence. The film ‘Party Monster’ details the rise and fame of Alig. The film progresses through his string of impromptu parties, club performances and TV interviews. During this time James St James becomes growingly jealous of fame he believed he deserved. Their subsequent disputes were the first signposts to trouble in paradise.

With a psychedelic excess of drugs Alig became be crazed with his own self importance. Ultimately this led to the murder of Angel Melendez from 3 blows of a hammer to the head and then bleach poured down his throat. 3 days later, motivated by the disgusting smell, Alig indulged in a shot of heroin before chopping the legs off the corpse stuffing him in a box and throwing him off the Hudson River.

Alig confessed to this murder to many of his disciples yet his boy who cried wolf nature and the drug excesses led to no one believing him. The body was subsequently washed to shore several months later and Alig was finally highlighted as the perpetrator and was sentenced for 10-20 years for manslaughter. Alig is still serving this sentence.

The Adoption of High Society Attire by Youth Culture

This musical find is definitely worth a listen. It holds a haunting tone with associated quivering and lofty vocals; Wild Beasts - Two Dancers (ii).

The picture above definitely represents the essense of the article i wrote that was published in the Manchester Student paper this week;

The majority of fashion related journalism will state the exponential growth of street style as the latest and most important source for designer inspiration. We ought to consider where these youngsters look for inspiration. I put it to you that the conservative dress of the upper crust is the new inspiration behind many youth trends this past decade.

The first to adopt aspects of the style has been the ‘chav’ generation. Tucked in socks and popped up collars were practical for the country walks of the gentry but are now common looks within the inner-city. This link however could be pure coincidence or a reversal of an age-old fashion tradition.

Consider the wave of Burberry check which has flooded the fashion high street. Formerly a symbol of the Eton elite it quickly became the symbol for the aspiring ‘WAG’. However, all high fashion labels rely on the importance of exclusivity. This prompted the appointment of Christopher Bailey to rapidly quash this association.

Those looking to avoid the mainstream have turned to the county-club class for their latest trends. You will find them occupying Wednesday nights ‘Now Wave’ at Deaf Institute or the weekend crowd of Red Rum (Fallowfield’s place to be seen.). It is a Barbour wax jacket or a pair of Russell & Bromley brogues that gain you respect on this scene.

Vintage is also big with this crowd, a Ralph Lauren Sweater or Lacoste Polo shirt is THE hot find. These brands commonly linked to a public school girl’s post-riding attire are rapidly featuring in the wardrobes of the non-mainstream youth.

Why this social phenomenon has quite developed is unknown? It could be a consequence of our rapid regeneration society. With little originality in fashion, everyone is looking elsewhere for inspiration. The current look of the high street is a fusion of the previous 50 years of fashion. With the latest staple of the denim jacket and a marked return of the Doc Martin boot.

With so many years of fashion to regenerate, and the nature of ‘disposable fashion’, trends are short lived and require constant new influences. Celebrities are often a major source of trends. With Alexa Chung sporting a Barbour jacket sparking a chain reaction of youngsters buying one.

Celebrities may be the source of this adoption; however I feel the roots to this trend lie in the constant seeking for something new by youth culture. I hope to see this trend continue to thrive, and quite what will be the next upper class trend to be taken is unknown.