And there's diamonds and pearls in your hair

Well hello hello!

So I've gotten some guff for not posting in a while, this is due to midterms and well.... sheer laziness, I must admit. However, here is a long awaited post, sure to disappoint! I wanted to make a post of two women who completely amaze and inspire me. These women happen to have some of the wildest fashion I have ever seen or heard of. They are from completely different periods in time, however they both share a penchant for the bizarre. Beginning with...

• Marchesa Luisa Casati

This woman is a new discovery to me. I stumbled upon her when I saw the exquisite painting done of her by Augustus John hanging at the AGO. She lived from 1881-1957 and continues to inspire designers to this day such as Karl Lagerfeld and the founders of the fashion brand Marchesa, which took her name for their label. The Marchesa fancied the macabre and above all decadence.

Here's a brief list of her wonderful eccentricities:
-Wore live snakes for jewelry
-Buried in fake eyelashes
-Once spattered herself with chicken blood for a party
-Walked her cheetahs on diamond studded leashes
-Walked around in furs, naked underneath

The list really does go on. This woman was not afraid to be completely over the top, and for most of her life she had the money to do so. I really can't do her justice in a blog post, but if anyone is curious about her look her up or check out the book "The Marchesa Casati: Portraits of a Muse"


This is the Augustus John painting of her that originally caught my eye. She was known for having flaming red hair, pale white skin, and large green eyes.


Here we see the Marchesa with one of her many crystal balls, her wild eyes rimmed with kohl.

Here is the Marchesa dressed up for one of her many infamous parties.

Here is Georgina Chapman, one of the women who founded the Marchesa brand, chanelling the style of the woman who inspired her.


Secondly, we have a woman who is a current media craze and has been all over the place for her music and her fashion. None other than...

• Lady Gaga

She was recently quoted as saying that Lady Gaga isn't a character, it's who she really is. Whether or not you believe this, doesn't really matter. She provides such stimulating eye candy for the public and finally brings something unique to music and to fashion. She isn't quite as refined as the Marchesa, however she does seem to take some bigger fashion risks, here are a few of my favorite...

I love the antlers, honestly I wish I had a pair.


Lobsters always make me think of Salvador Dali's phone, but this one appears to be jewel encrusted. Would you expect anything less?


Experimenting with hair dye is a wonderful thing and we see her do this here in a big way.

A little less flamboyant here, none the less interesting.


These women are who I think of when I get dressed for a night out or even in the mornings. Although, these outfits are more like costumes and in a time of economic depression it is not wise to be frivolous, but even adopting this attitude of fearlessness when it comes to fashion is important for every woman. Confidence is key. I hope that every woman can take a little bit of this wild style into her own closet. Feel inspired, ladies!