Thursday 23 October 2014

Have a Spooktakular Halloween!

It’s almost that spooky time of year again! The one day of the year where witches, ghouls, winged creatures and villainous vixens come out in all their glory to honour the eve of All Saints’ Day.  

We are celebrating by displaying our eerily beautiful ‘Bad Black Bat’ miniature ballet costume. Made entirely by hand, this quarter scale maquette is comprised of a silk tulle dress with a blood red underskirt and tiny slime green 1920’s gelatine sequins. The bodice is appliquéd with vintage midnight black lace and the bat-like wings are made of latex and dead leaf spines.

Does it remind you of a certain caped crusader? Created by the very same hand that brought you the original Batsuit, Penguin and Catwoman costumes for Batman Returns, this makes a wonderful and unique piece of costume iconography to invest in.

Have a very happy Halloween!


Our 'Bad Black Bat' costume miniature.
Photograph by George Chinn.

Our 'Bad Black Bat' costume miniature.
Photograph by Richard Wilding

Ann Miller - 1945

1940's Halloween dress up

Batman
Photograph by Herb Ritts

Batman Returns
Courtesy Warner Brothers Studios

1930's Halloween cover of Life Magazine.

1920's Halloween dress up

Catwoman
Courtesy Warner Brother Studios

Penguin
Courtesy Warner Brothers Studios

Dusty Anderson - 1945

Veronica Lake - 1940's

Wednesday 1 October 2014

Celebrating a new season of Strictly Come Dancing with our Lilac Fairy miniature.

Don't forget to tune into the new series of Strictly Come Dancing this weekend to see prima ballerina Darcey Bussell reprise her role as judge on the season’s 12th year. In celebration we are displaying our Lilac Fairy costume miniature that Darcey termed: “a little work of art which will delight any collector.”

Our Lilac Fairy miniature stands at around 21 inches tall. This glamorous tutu has appliquéd skirt and bodice panels edged in frayed shot silk taffeta and encrusted with a combination of Swarovski crystals, seed pearls and original 1920’s gelatine sequins. Tiny swags of linked sequins festoon the shoulders.

Enjoy this season of spectacular dancing!

Prima ballerina Darcey Bussell with our Lilac Fairy costume miniature.
Photograph by Becky Maynes.

Our Lilac Fairy costume miniature.
Photograph by Richard Wilding

Darcey Bussell, principal dancer of the Royal Ballet.

Darcey Bussell as the White Swan.

Our Lilac Fairy miniature.
Photograph by George Chinn.

Our Lilac Fairy miniature.
Photograph by George Chinn.

Darcey Bussell on Strictly Come Dancing

Darcey Bussell as the White Swan.