Walk on the Wild Side

“I'm a thousand different people. Every one is real.”

Her eyes glittered with the drunken rush of old Hollywood glamour. Her pouty red lips brought grown men to their knees. Her dramatic, self-indulgent wit made her an icon.

Her name made people smile.

Candy Darling.

She was born a male. In the 1950s, people knew her as little Jimmy Slattery, the boy with the drunken gambling father and sweet, but timid mother.

To escape her stifling blue-collar life in New York City, the future diva drowned herself in old Hollywood films. She worshipped Kim Novak. She envied Elizabeth Taylor. She dreamed of being Marilyn Monroe.

By the time she was a teenager, Candy was putting on her most stylish dresses, perfecting her makeup in the mirror, and strutting out the door to party at all the hottest gay bars in town. She changed her name and never looked back.

As a gorgeous woman with an outgoing personality and loads of confidence to boot, Candy was naturally drawn to the stage. She wanted to be beyond famous. She wanted to be a STAR.

She was starring in a burlesque show (featuring a talented, but virtually unknown actor named Robert De Niro) in 1967 when she caught the attention of pop artist Andy Warhol.

Intrigued by her addictive charisma and overwhelming sexuality, Andy asked Candy to act in his next film, Flesh.

Soon, the pair became best friends. Candy was a staple at the Warhol Factory. With the famous artist by her side, she lit up the most glitzy nightclubs in the world. She mingled with movie stars. She was the subject of several extremely famous rock songs. She was at the height of her fame.

But it was too good to last.



It wasn't long before Andy grew bored with the "chicks with dicks" theme. It was so last year, he decided. So, he ditched the transsexual. Candy went from being his BFF to being shunned by the man who had made her a superstar.

Suddenly, she was all alone. It was cruel and shocking to the 20-something performer.

Using her Warhol boost, Candy managed to keep her career afloat for a while during the early 1970s. She had small roles in low budget and even big budget films. She starred in a smattering of plays.

And then the inevitable occurred.

Candy was diagnosed with leukemia. It was the result of the hormones (mostly estrogen) she had been taking to maintain her feminine appearance during the last decade. The cancer ate away at her body with incredible speed.

Instead of being depressed, Candy saw her deadly illness as the role of a lifetime. The 29-year-old played the dying femme fatale with so much style and flamboyance, it would have made her old Hollywood idols proud. She even posed for a deathbed glamour shot.

She quite possible left the most charming death note in celebrity history:

To whom it may concern

By the time you read this I will be gone. Unfortunately before my death I had no desire left for life. Even with all my friends and my career on the upswing I felt too empty to go on in this unreal existence. I am just so bored by everything. You might say bored to death. It may sound ridiculous but is true. I have arranged my own funeral arrangements with a guest list and it is paid for. I would like to say goodbye to Jackie Curtis, I think you're fabulous. Holly, Sam Green a true friend and noble person, Ron Link I'll never forget you, Andy Warhol what can I say, Paul Morrissey, Lennie you know I loved you, Andy you too, Jeremiah don't take it too badly just remember what a bitch I was, Geraldine I guess you saw it coming. Richard Turley & Richard Golub I know I could've been a star but I decided I didn't want it. Manuel, I'm better off now. Terry I love you. Susan I am sorry, did you know I couldn't last I always knew it. I wish I could meet you all again.

Goodbye for Now

Love Always
Candy Darling

And just as she dreamed, Candy Darling has become a legend. She was the first drag queen to take over pop culture. Her influence can be found in movies, famous drag queens, and reality shows to this day.

With her fabulousness and cheerful glamour, she changed the world...and made it a more special one.

"Modern Art on Legs"

June is LGBT Pride month. To kick off the celebration, here is a profile on the glam-fucking-tastic gaylien force, Leigh Bowery. I hope you enjoy the series on LGBT icons I have in store for you these next 30 days.

Leigh Bowery grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood in Australia.

Miserable in his working class town, he shied away from boys his own age who were more interested in playing sports or sneaking a delightful peek at pornographic photos. Instead, Leigh hid under his covers at night pouring over the latest fashion magazines and kept his weekends filled with classic films, especially those starring his idol, Elizabeth Taylor.

When he graduated high school, the chubby teenager attended fashion school in Melbourne, but got bored after a year and moved to London in 1981, with nothing but a suitcase and sewing machine. He was ready to take on the world.

He moved in with two guys who were hip to the homosexual party scene and he started his career as a fashion designer. His outfits were so outrageously loud, colorful, and bizarre, he got noticed by the industry immediately.

Everywhere he went, whether it was out to the grocery store on a lazy afternoon or partying at the hottest dance club, people stared. They had never seen someone like him before!
 His wigs! His face paint! His shoes! Who was this Leigh Bowery?!

He showcased his collection at London Fashion Week and all over the world. His clothes were sold at Barney's. He even designed stage costumes for a hot new pop star named Boy George.

While he was on top of the world, Leigh started a disco night club called Taboo. It became the hottest place to be in London, with orgies practically manifesting themselves on the dance floor. The drunk DJ spinning without a record. Celebrities getting high...or down. And as the queen of the ball, Leigh lit up the room every night with his jaw-dropping attire.

He wore everything from white lacy nightgowns to an actual disco ball on top of his head. His most popular outfit involved a glittery Chanel-inspired jacket with a plastic toy policeman's helmet.

In 1986, however, the club closed down when the tabloids revealed the "shocking" exploits carrying on every night.

But it didn't matter because Leigh was bored with it all already. He was in the midst of moving on into another career: performance art.

Without much trouble, the party monster booked gigs all over London.

He did everything from pretend to give birth on stage to channeling Jewish persecution in World War II.

In 1993, he added another job on his resume when he started a pop band with a few friends. Their single, "Useless Man," became a hit in Europe.

But while he was busy shocking the world with his bold artistic expression, Leigh's life was literally falling apart.

In the mid-1980s, he had been diagnosed as HIV positive. He only told a couple friends at the time, begging them to keep his secret. He didn't want the deadly disease to overshadow his work.

He even married a close friend, Nicola, as performance art, and never even told her what was going on with him.

But by late 1994, seven months after their marriage, the tired artist could no longer keep his illness in the dark. He grew increasingly sick, having to cancel gigs and spend weeks in the hospital.

It was time to tell everyone.

In January of 1995, Leigh passed away, right after pleading with his friends to simply tell people he had moved to Bolivia to become a pig farmer. He still didn't want the disease to be his legacy. It just didn't seem fair.

Fortunately, his wish came true.

Since his death, Leigh has been remembered in three books (two biographies and one photo collection), a documentary, countless art shows, and in Boy George's Broadway musical, "Taboo."

His eclectic style has influenced artists like Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, and Lady Gaga.

People remember his spirit. Not his death.

Not bad for a "Bolivian pig farmer," eh?

Disney Princess Fashion

All this talk about Disney has me thinking about fashion.

After all, what little girl hasn't fantasized about wearing Belle's gorgeous yellow gown? Or dreamed of rocking Jasmine's sexy harem pants?

I know I have.

Well, any girl can dress like a Disney Princess. It's actually pretty easy.

Below, I have put together some looks inspired by a few princesses.

I hope you like them!



 

 

 

Would you wear any of these outfits? Which Disney Princess is your style icon?

Technicolor Couture

I'm not a huge fan of musicals, but one of my guilty pleasures is Bye Bye Birdie.

The 1963 teen movie parodies the real-life drafting of Elvis into the United States Army.

It's cute, bubbly, adorable, and a technicolor dream come true.

But the main reason for watching it is because of its delightfully adorable star, Ann Margret.

The Swedish-born beauty is as sweet and innocent as American apple pie in this musical.

And it established the 20-year-old as a legimate fashion icon.

Ann Margret was the Britney Spears of the 1960s, starting out as an all-American girl-next-door to quickly transforming into a mischevious sex kitten.

Girls wanted to be her. Guys wanted to bang her.

In the early 1960s, she had a steamy affair with Elvis, that rocked headlines all over the world. Despite having a nasty break-up, the two remains close friends until his death, which made his wife absolutely livid.

In 1967, she married the love of her life, an actor named Roger. The two are still married today.

In 1972, while performing at Lake Tahoe, she fell 22 feet from an elevated platform onto the stage and nearly broke every single bone in her face. She had reconstructive facial surgery and spent months recovering.

In the 1980s, she used to drive around Beverly Hills in a pink Cadillac, like a bad-ass.

She has always been a huge motorcycle fan, a passion that started in the 1960s. She still rides her Harley today.

In 2000, she was thrown off her motorcycle while throwing caution to the wind in rural Minnesota. She suffered three broken ribs and a fractured shoulder. She's fine now.

Her latest work, an episode of Law & Order: SVU in 2010 earned her an Emmy award, which drew a standing ovation at the ceremony. Not bad, eh?

What do you think of Ann Margret? Do you like her 1960s style?

Diana Vreeland: The Eye has to Travel

Over the weekend I netflixed a very cool documentary. It is called "Diana Vreeland: The Eye has to Travel."

This short biopic showcases the life of one of the most influential fashion icons in history, Diana Vreeland, who was the fashion editor of Harper's Bazaar and eventually editor-in-chief of Vogue.

From the 1930s until the 1970s, Diana Vreeland WAS fashion.

She was an editor more terrifying than Anna Wintour. She was close friends with Coco Chanel. She brought the bikini to the United States.

She discovered future Hollywood legend Lauren Bacall, was the fashion adviser for First Lady Jackie Kennedy, launched Twiggy's career, and was instrumental in the modeling paths of Cher, Edie Sedgwick, Barbra Streisand, and a jaw-dropping number of iconic supermodels.

She celebrated physical flaws by accentuating models' quirky characteristics. For example, when she featured Barbra Streisand on the cover of Vogue, she focused prominence on Barbra's large nose, which was considered unattractive at the time. The photo shoot was legendary and changed people's perception of the famous singer.

The reason supermodels today are not cookie-cutter perfectly sculpted blondes is based on her direct influence. If it was not for Diana Vreeland, supermodels like mole-faced Cindy Crawford, gap-toothed Lauren Hutton, and wide-faced Tyra Banks would never have made it in the industry.

Some believe Diana's obsession with the imperfect stemmed from her own insecurities. Growing up, the socialite was always deemed "ugly" by her gorgeous wealthy mother.

By the 1970s, Diana was already a living legend. Instead of retiring into obscurity, the elderly style icon partied with Andy Warhol at Studio 54 and flirted with handsome movie stars Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty in Hollywood.

She died of a heart attack in 1986.


What do you think of Diana Vreeland? Did you know much about her before? Have you seen this documentary?

Best-dressed Bitches

Rian and I recently finished watching every season of Dynasty.



Several months ago, we got the first season of the outrageous 1980s mega-drama as a joke. We thought we'd share a good laugh over it.

By the second episode, the giggles had ceased and we sat stone-faced in front of the television, hands clenched, hearts racing with anticipation.



It's a really, really good show. Cheesy. Melodramatic. Addictive.

And the fashion. Dear god, the fashion.



The show revolves around oil tycoon Blake Carrington and his beautiful sweet-as-pie second wife, Krystle. They live in a sprawling Denver mansion with his adult children.



The premise to the show is very basic: Blake's ex-wife Alexis, who owns another major oil company, is out to destroy him.



Seriously. That's the entire plot to the show, from the first to last episode. You know, like Tom & Jerry. And just like the cat and mouse cartoon show, it's endlessly entertaining!



Like any good soap operas, there are murders and kidnappings and evil twins and scandalous affairs and cat fights.



But the main reason to watch the show is because of it's jaw-dropping fashion. The style from the show was so iconic, it defined the decade.



And Joan Collins, who plays the ex-wife Alexis, is the star of the show in that respect. Draped in the hottest fashion of the time, the stunningly beautiful scorned woman playfully exchanges witty banter and backstabs everyone around her with poisonous verbal daggers.



Dynasty is basically a giant 1980s fashion show, featuring Joan Collins wearing gigantic sequined gowns, futuristic shoulder-padded power suits, massive wide-brimmed hats, and glamorous Hollywood-drenched fur stoles.



Her costumes were created by the legendary costume designer Nolan Miller, who was provided $35,000 a week to come up the lavish ensembles.



The over-the-top wardrobe complimented the over-the-top character like a skin-tight satin glove.

Of course, Joan Collins was not the only style icon from the show.

Linda Evans, who played Alexis' nemesis, Krystle, portrayed a more sophisticated, and less flashy, style.



Her country club attire consisted of cozy fur coats, sleek gowns, and ritzy, yet casual, jackets.

Heather Locklear, who starred as Krystle's gold-digging niece, had a deliciously tacky wardrobe, which highlighted her cheap, standoffish personality.



Look at that hair!

The fashion from the show was so famous, it inspired a Barbie line and sewing patterns.





As usual, here is my little polyvore tribute. I hope you like it.

So what do you think? Do you like Dynasty fashion?