Could this be Dior’s greatest marketing ploy to date?
You know the name.
You know the face.
You know the song.
And now you know the brand and its product.
Congratulations, Dior. A gold star for effort and buckets of gold reserves in the bank as a result of this masterpiece of advertising.
I must not tell a lie; I was making my Sunday commute to work when my mother sent me a frantic, hysterical text message excitedly telling me of how she had just witnessed this advert for the first time way, way back in that glorious month of August. And do you know what was the most astonishing aspect of this tale? Mi madre was able to recall EVERY SINGLE MINUSCULE DETAIL about this two minutes of sheer brilliance. This is from a woman who constantly walks into rooms and forgets why she is even there to begin with. That’s how you know you’ve done a commendable job of advertising.
I must not tell another lie; as soon as I read my mother’s (rather hilarious) texts, I immediately made a pit-stop at YouTube and went on the search for the Holy Grail of advertising. And this one minute forty-five second advert turned into fifteen minutes of ogling the startlingly handsome Mr. Pattinson.
From the very first glimpse of his casual lounging on a rooftop in the blazing sun to that final smouldering glare into my soul, I was sold. And don’t even get me started on the smoking (fully-dressed) in the bathtub. By gad. Gee golly. Holy heart failure, Batman! A round of applause to the stylists on the set, without whom none of this seething gorgeousness would undeniably be possible. Mod suits galore!
But of course, this advertisement would not be so brilliant without the magnificent song styling of Led Zeppelin and the fabulously rocking ‘Whole Lotta Love’. It just completes the package in a way that no other song ever could. Perfection, perfection, perfection.
To conclude, I want to address all the men of the world and say…go out and purchase some Dior Homme. If it makes you even half as alluring as Sir Pattinson, it will be money well spent.
…that is, in the humble opinion of The High Priestess.
Ladies and gentlemen, behold the icons of my idolatry. Darwin’s fittest females in accordance with the evolution of mankind. My Perfect Ten. It is time to unleash the green-eyed monster.
10) Edie Sedgwick
Andy Warhol’s muse and the only person who can wear those disgustingly extravagant earrings and not look like Pat Butcher (she somehow makes those mini-chandeliers look like the epitome of elegance): the glorious Ms. Sedgwick. Unfortunately, the wildness of the era and the whirlwind world of fast-paced youth got the better of our Edie and she sadly passed at the tender age of 28 in 1971. However, her memory lives on in the multitudes of stunning photographs of the superstar, Warhol’s films and Leddra Chapman’s haunting ode ‘Edie’ (please excuse the dodgy video). Long live the It Girl.
9) Siouxsie Sioux
The lead singer of Siouxsie and the Banshees, many (including myself) would claim that Siouxsie Sioux is the ultimate Queen of the Trad Goths…for obvious reasons. The androgynous style, the raven’s nest hair, the dramatic eye make-up; Siouxsie has it all, not to mention her stellar music! It’s official. Siouxsie is the perfect Gothic package.
(Excuse the profanity…you have been warned.)
8) Agyness Deyn
At one point in every girl’s life, she will lay eyes upon the one woman she aspires to look like. Her true style icon. For me, that woman is Agyness Deyn. I dare say anyone who knows me well would be willing to stand up in a court of law and proclaim that my obsession with Agy is unhealthy. Every night I pray that I wake up the next morning looking like her. She is the definition of flawless. I cannot even convey how much I want to be her. It’s not fair. Life is just not fair.
7) Annie Lennox
Is it becoming pretty evident that I have a mild infatuation with buzzcuts? Considering I often get called ‘Mini Annie Lennox’ by my colleagues, it would be completely unfathomable for me to exclude the gorgeous Annie from my list. As if her fashion sense (THOSE SUITS!), cracking hairstyles and angelic voice wasn’t enough to make you jealous, she has the personality of a saint and a delightful Scottish brogue. I love her. Especially in this music video.
6) Kat Von D
She is the woman who worked wonders for inked ladies all over the world, highlighting the power and beauty of tattooing and encouraging everyone to embrace their bodies as a human canvas. Not only is Kat Von D a magician with a needle and ink, she also has a killer fashion line (which I plan on doing a blog post on once the online shop is up and running again following a devastating fire) and a fabulous Gothic make-up range. With talents galore, it is impossible not to adore this masterpiece of a woman.
5) Twiggy
The Bambi eyes. The boyish figure. The pixie cut. The button nose. The pouting lips. Twiggy is my vision of idealistic beauty. She is the woman who made me fall in love with vintage fashion many, many moons ago and for that I am truly thankful. Thank you, Twiggy. I owe you big time.
4) Kate Bush
As if having outrageously brilliant talents for choreography, singing and song-writing isn’t enough, Kate Bush just had to throw in the fact that she is stunningly gorgeous and can work a tweed suit better than any Fleet Street businessman or Oxford English Literature lecturer ever could. She is also insanely intelligent and isn’t afraid to make controversial political statements (Army Dreamers, anyone?). In your face, Patriarchy. IN. YOUR. FACE. Altogether now: I’M COMING BACK NOW, CRUEL HEATHCLIFF, MY ONE DREAM, MY ONLY MAAAAAASTER!
3) Florence Welch
I fondly recall summer 2010 as the summer my best friend and I officially became infatuated with Florence + The Machine’s album Lungs. That was the beginning of our ongoing adoration of Ms. Welch. No matter what she is wearing, be it an ethereal evening gown or a suit made from what resembles cheap wallpaper from the 1980s, the lady never seems to put a fashionable foot out of place. And speaking of feet…Florence’s perfectly pedicured tootsies are also things to be envied. Yes. She is so immaculate that even HER FEET are perfect. Ugh. And if this song doesn’t make you shed the tears of a thousand lonely sunsets, you have a heart of stone I tell you.
2) Stevie Nicks
The White Witch herself. Stevie is just completely magical. Mystical. Spellbinding. It cannot be denied that the blood that courses through her veins sparkles with stardust. If you have ever travelled through the countryside of Ireland via train, listening to Stevie’s haunting vocals whilst the rain sends floods of teardrops cascading down the window pane, you will understand the power of this woman’s soul. It is to Nicks that I owe the deepest gratitude for encouraging me to embrace the fantastical world of the paranormal, the tarot…all things dark and enchanting. Thank you, beautiful, beautiful woman. You allowed me to be who I am.
1) Dita Von Teese
Um. Yeah. I don’t think I need to go into detail here. I think we all know. There is no need. Dita Von Teese. My sin. My soul. Oh, Dita, do me a favour and lend me your coat. I swear I’ll give it back. I promise.
So, if you haven’t all drifted into the Land of Nod having been completely bored to death by my nonsensical ravings, I thank you for your attention and your patience. Now, leave me to wallow in self-pity, self-loathing and jealousy. It’s going to take me a little while to get over this post. Too much perfection. Too much envy.
It’s Saturday night and do you know what that means here at High Priestess Fashion? BOOGIE-NIGHT!
So whether you’re dressing up in your glad-rags and heading out for a night on the town or cosying up in your PJs for a night of endlessly flicking through countless music channels playing the same guilty pleasures, let Niamh get the party started with this punk/horror rock classic…
Now, go off, have a good time and leave me alone to ponder the two most important questions in life right now:
1) How many blisters did Lux Interior have on his tongue after every performance with all those suggestive acts on the microphone?
If there’s one thing that those biting winter solstice nights call for, it is some radical witchy knitwear. And no-one does Gothic knitwear quite like Maude Nibelungen.
I would be downplaying my obsession to say that I simply loved this lady’s work. I would give arms, legs, vital organs to own a piece of this crocheted artistry! Unfortunately, as a mere young’un, it is quite impossible for me to afford one of these masterpieces and the prices of such works of visual beauty are completely justified. The biography that the online store offers of the designer herself is completely fascinating, citing influences in her designs such as her knowledge of History and the Anthropology of Religion, as well as her keen interest in the more ‘surreal’ aspects of human nature. To be completely honest, I think I want to be the woman’s best friend. I think we should meet up for coffee sometime. I’ll pay.
Now, I know you are all positively gagging for a little sneaky peek at some of the items the website has to offer. Well, here are my top three key pieces which I think completely epitomise ethereal Wiccan fashion. If any of my lovely readers are feeling extra generous, you might make a note of these and send me a little Secret Santa surprise…’tis nearly the season to be jolly after all.
This is possibly my ultimate favourite piece. There are absolutely no faults with this item of clothing. It is completely flawless. The cocoon shape. The large looped stitch. The hood. The slouched shoulders. The drowning sleeves. It is completely perfect. And I am completely in awe. It is actually physically paining me to look at it and not have it envelope my body. I need to tear my eyes away from it. I can’t bear it any longer. I’m gone.
Every Goth needs a pop of (off) white in their wardrobe to make the ultimate fashion statement. And I think this jumper is a must. The almost ‘unfinished’ quality of the loose draping threads which dangle from the hem add a rough edge to the piece whilst still managing to maintain an air of elegance and surreal allure. I don’t know about you but looking at this jumper makes me immediately want to pull it over my head and stand in an open field, embracing some gale-force winds. Oh. Just me? Okay. No problem.
Okay, okay, I may have told a dirty little fib when I said three key pieces because technically this is an entire collection. But the collaboration between Maude Nibelungen and Ovate (another brand which I completely ADORE and which will undoubtedly make more appearances on this blog in the very near future) is literally sonnet-worthy. I can’t even pick just one stand-out item from the bunch…they are all too stunningly gorgeous! Therefore, I felt it was only just that I mentioned it. Even if I’m not entirely sure if these items are still for sale. But still. How could I refuse to have the glorious specimen of a cape which takes pride of place above grace this unworthy fashion blog?
To conclude, I suppose this post is both an adoration of Maude Nibelungen’s awesome craftsmanship as well as a plea for anyone with some spare dolla to help a needy girl and kit her out with some spine-tinglingly beautiful knitwear for the impending winter nights. God loves a trier.
No-one rocks a basic white tee quite like (my) Jeff Buckley. No-one. He can never be matched. No-one can ever contest him. He is the grand supreme wearer of basic white tees. There’s no point in anyone else even trying.
I have no more words. No more words are necessary. This is basically all I wanted to say tonight. It’s a Saturday. Go out and have a boogie. My Jeff and I command you to do so.
I must not tell a lie. My reaction to the news that Ghost had collaborated with Urban Outfitters may have been uncalled for. It would not be an understatement to say that my facial expression was quite similar to that of a certain acclaimed Munch painting…
If, like me, you are prone to hibernating under a rock and hermit-ing your life away cocooned in a blanket with only gallons of Diet Coke and clichéd supernatural/crime/science fiction TV shows for company, allow me to strip everything down to the basics.
Urban Outfitters is the (rather controversial) clothing company who employs yours truly and is notorious for the onus of its focus being on retro, vintage and (dare I say it) ‘hipster’ styles. In case you didn’t know, this company really digs cats and pugs. And it is a pretty groovy company to be a part of… *cough* suck-up *cough*
Complimentary hipster meme…
Ghost is a London-based fashion house famous for modernising the classic biased cuts of evening dresses of yore, updating their designs each season but remaining faithful to their sole aim of maintaining the glamour of vintage occasion wear.
I would give away organs to own this dress…
So, I bet I can guess the question which currently resides in your minds…what happens when these two (significantly different) gametes fuse together to create a little fashion hybrid?
Well, here lies your answer:
Did I hear the word ‘chic’? If this is not the definition of the perfect LBD, I don’t know what is. Congratulations, Ghost and UO. You have managed to produce the perfect love-child. I hasten to add that the collection is actually affordable too, with the photographed satin slip dress being the most expensive piece in the collection standing at a reasonable £120. As us Belfastians say, you couldn’t be bad to it.
The Winnie midi satin slip dress in silver is currently on my wishlist. My somnolent musings wander to visions of me pairing this gorgeous item with my beloved purple velvet Dr. Martens and a black fur coat (faux, of course). It truly is such stuff as dreams are made on.
Niamh’s expectations of being a grunge princess:
Niamh’s reality: (Sorry Courtney, babes, this was a faux pas…)
So, I think a round of applause is in order for Urban Outfitters and Ghost for doing it right *claps* and I pray for many collaborations between the two companies in future. Over and out. I’m off to count the pennies in my piggy bank…
As I previously stated, I am basically wandering aimlessly through this world of fashion blogging, so I dare say that this style of post will soon evolve into a feature along the lines of ‘Style Icon of the Week’ but we shall cross that ivy-suffocated burning bridge when we come to it. Anyway, let’s get to it…
Burlesque star. Pin-up model. Fashion designer. Business woman. Actual superhero. The classiest, most glamorous, most alluring woman to ever exist. Who else would have a list of accolades this lengthy? It can only be one person. This, ladies and gentlemen, is my ode to Dita Von Teese.
Sigh.
There are simply no words to convey the envy I feel for this lady. She has it all. Everything that makes her ‘perfect’ in the Gothic style stakes. Actually, she has so many wonderful attributes that contribute to her distinctly Gothic image that I couldn’t even begin to list them. But I’m sure as hell going to try.
1) Her flawless skin.
This is possibly the greatest item of anguish for me that Ms. Dita possesses. She is (metaphorically) a porcelain doll. She has the skin of a newly-birthed blanket of midnight Christmas snow. And you know it must be something grand because I literally just wrote a poem about it in that sentence.
2) The perfect pin-up hourglass figure.
Sometimes I find myself staring at images upon images of Dita with one question whirling around my mind…HOW? Surely a figure like that defies every law of science. This woman defies all of the laws of science.
3) She works a tuxedo better than any man ever could.
Dita Von Teese: forever making fashion statements which scream, “Sisters are doing it for themselves!” (You will soon learn that women in menswear is my favourite thing ever.)
4) She has a vintage wardrobe to positively DIE for (just keeping it Goth).
Von Teese is one of those life-ruining people who still somehow manages to be breathtakingly beautiful doing the most human tasks. Bringing out the bins. Walking the dog. Posting a letter. SHE ALWAYS LOOKS LIKE A STARLET. She struts around in those Louboutins like they are ballet pumps. She takes no prisoners.
5) She wore the most killer purple dress when she married the Goth Dark Lord himself, Marilyn Manson.
Marriages fade. The perfect dress lasts forever.
And if I hadn’t made it crystal clear enough yet that Dita Von Teese is the most perfect person to ever grace this planet, she is an avid supporter of the charity PETA, whilst also raising awareness of AIDS and campaigning for women’s rights. Should we just drop everything and build a shrine to her right now?
Dita has no need to fear falling downstairs…the stairs build themselves around her…
If there are any readers left who I haven’t scared off by my uncontrollable gushing about Queen Dita, I bid you a fond farewell and hope to speak to you soon. Over and out!
This is the première post of my new project, High Priestess Fashion, and I am your host, Niamh (the High Priestess herself). I promise I don’t bite…I welcome you warmly!
First things first: I have finally found the time to produce this fashion blog baby as a result of my inability to do much else having been struck down by a mystery illness (otherwise known as ‘the flu’). Therefore, the past two days have been spent gathering ideas for this little pretty. Unfortunately, as I sat down to write this first blog post, all of my coherent, logical, brilliant ideas flew out the window with my prospects of a bright future. So instead, enjoy this rather rad rockabilly skeletor couple:
(I guess this is the point when I issue a disclaimer, legally stating that none of the images I use on this site are mine, and that if you do happen to be the owner of any of the images used and wish me to remove them, simply give me a bell. I don’t be wanting no fisticuffs. I’m only 4ft 10.)
Anyway, I suppose I better declare what you should expect from this blog. Well, first and foremost, this is a fashion blog for the stylish people that mainstream fashion shunned. Hold on tight for a raucous ride through fashion’s darkest, murkiest, most antique corners…Gothic, Rockabilly, Steampunk, Grunge, New Romantic…you name it, we’ll explore it!
I should also warn you that there is a massive probability that some of my other absurd fascinations may also make a habit of creeping into blog conversation at seemingly random moments. Like this guy (the ultimate bae):
Or this guy (the role model):
Or most definitely this guy (the icon of my idolatry):
But I hereby swear that no matter where my discussion may wander to, I shall always relate it and return to fashion. Because I am Irish and, therefore, I have an innate ‘Gift of the Gab’. So I can do that. With anything. ANYTHING.
Before I digress any further, I shall make my speedy departure. Thank you for your time, implied listener who may or may not be there, and I hope to speak to you again soon in the foreseeable future (tomorrow, if I am spared). I shall leave you with these words of wisdom from the Princess of Goth herself…
High Priestess Resurrected 