chateau bizarre: hardcore glamour & curious finds, reviewed daily

Finis

2010-07-16T20:51:10Z

Well, readers, this is the end. Heartfelt gratitude to all our sponsors, contributors, and everyone who stopped by to say something kind. I had no idea this site was so beloved, and it’s wonderful to hear it. Thank you.

There are no goodbyes – just moving over and switching focus. Now that my dark urban fantasy blog Leopard Moon has settled down and I have a bit more idea of what I’m doing over there, I’m turning towards writing about making art, witchcraft olde and modern, feminism and female trouble, fantasy and horror and all the delightful troping therein, and of course, the devil’s music. And cats. Always cats, somewhere.

So now, in the fine tradition of abandoned houses everywhere, it’s time to throw open the doors and walk out, leaving it behind to crumble softly at the edges. Let the linkrot commence.

In fantasy & flair,
Lilah, Stray, Pollywog, and Bella

Etsy Highlights: Lucky black cats

2010-07-14T20:08:29Z

First of all: it is wonderful to hear that all the blood, sweat, and tears put into the Chateau was such a hotly anticipated part of the day for many of you, and that it will be missed. Thank you for your kind words :)

Second, there seems to be this misconception that I’m erasing the entire site. I’m not about to throw away nine years’ worth of writing. So calm down, the links are not going anywhere.

On to this week’s finds: this Etsy Highlights is dedicated to Bella and Pollywog, my two little girls (one of whom is pawing at my bare foot as I write this, somebody needs a claw trim) – and to everyone who loves cats but finds most cat fashion too twee for palatable wardrobe integration. Felines are beautiful, angular, sensual creatures, and they really deserve better representation than Christmas sweatshirts.

The word for pictures that change when you move them is “lenticular.” And here is a stellar example, a retro-60’s/70’s graphic from Eveready Batteries, the kind of jewelry that draws curious hands who all want to make the cat dive through the 9. From Shixie.

A pendant cast from an anise star with two seeds strategically left inside, ends up looking like an alien cat-face. Excellent revisioning of an organic element into something beautifully creepy. Iacua.

Perturbed eyes, rumpled fur, everything stays dignified with the presence of a brass kissclasp closure. From Portemone.

A pair of funky 70’s panthers await adoption into a swank party pad, where they can disdainfully gaze down at the proceedings from their perches of plaster. From 3 Cornered Moon.

The product is Faerie Feelers, sparkly little bits of headwear that apparently can be worn by chill, tolerant felines. The model here is as striking as she is patient. From Faerie Feelers.

YouTube Tuesdays: Rhinestones and concussions, lipstick and blood

2010-07-13T18:23:05Z

From way back when “FTW” had a very different meaning than it does today: the adventures of a hard-living biker chick whose quest for soulmate Crow were the toast of MTV’s Liquid Television. Mixing delightfully primitive puppetry with bits of live action, the Molotov-cocktailed theme song from this tiny little TV show meant imminent buckets of bad attitude. The first one’s above, here’s the rest of the episodes.

Gather ’round, pumpkins. It’s announcement time.

2010-07-13T02:27:47Z

The Chateau was born in 1999, scrawled on a paper napkin in the back of a little Philly cafe called the Crimson Moon. It grew after a long walk through the city, trying to name all the possible ways one could take the gothic aesthetic – and push it into more creative realms instead of following the black velvet template. A year and half later, after making sure all these categories were well-stocked with content, we opened its doors in the summer of 2001. Originally conceived as a way to practice HTML skills while recording favorite dark shopping sites, it was our little way of supporting small businesses – trying to present unusual and imaginative catalogs as a true independent alternative to corporate mallpunk fashion, and give a boost to these designers so they’d have the attention and traction to keep creating new goodies for years to come.

Nine years and 3000+ reviews later, it’s time to bring down the curtain.

Simply put: there are only so many hours in the day, and I need to spend them on other projects.

Even though the daily postings here can be sped through in a matter of seconds, there is a LOT of work that goes on behind the scenes. Scheduling reviews so there isn’t too much of one thing on the front page, answering inquiries from shop owners and contributors and sponsors, scouring merchants’ Links pages to scoop up their friends running shops as well for more reviewing grist, running through the gauntlet of Google AdManager, hunting up new affiliate programs, making graphics for those affiliate programs (most of those banners in the sidebar? behold my Photoshop skills), clicking through all the links every year to clean out the rot, keeping up on all the legalities, and all the other learning curves and miscellaneous timesucks that come with running a half-decent blog.

While our doors have always been open to all the various flavors of subcultural expression, my favorite stuff to post has always been the dark and the weird. Throwing dead bodies into posts about latex, posting the occasional disturbing catalog photo to break up all the pretty, I’ve quite enjoyed giving coverage to those who don’t have a hope in hell of landing a mention in a mainstream fashion magazine. It would be a lot of fun to continue writing about Indie Evil, but as part of a team, or contributing to other people’s blogs. Situations where there’s a bunch of people dividing up the work.

I’m also considering starting a Fashion Advice for the Damned series over on Leopard Moon, because you don’t run a style directory for nearly a decade without picking up a few useful things about how to put yourself together.

Anyway. This week will be the Chateau’s last, and updates will cease after this Friday.
So, last call, readers. Time for one last drink, one last dance. The night’s almost over, but not quite yet.

Ryz

2010-07-09T22:12:58Z

A vote-on-the-best-graphic catalog where the usual call for t-shirt submissions gets the rare treatment of shoe design. It’s mostly skate-style canvas slip-ons and a couple of thick-soled low-tops for now – disappointingly, the high-tops section is empty at the time of this review – but good for tastes that run towards the spacey and scientific, splashed with a little pop art. And if you *must* submit a tee image, they do those, too.

Oddity of the Week: Killer rabbit slippers

2010-07-08T17:11:07Z

And now for something completely psychotic: bunny slippers straight out of Monty Python’s Holy Grail. For moments when the innocent perky ears of the traditional rabbit just won’t do, and even better, their mouths bounce up and down when you walk in them. From BunnySlippers.com, who apparently can’t resist a touch of morbid humor.

Tribal Souk

2010-07-08T16:55:13Z

Bellydance jewels on the more high-end side of things with a collection of silver: hinged vintage cuffs studded with spikes, hoop earrings, pairs of dancing anklets “not for beginners,” headpieces slathered in fringe, lots of ornate and dramatic pieces to enhance an ensemble with lots of shine and noise. Clothes, bags, belts, and other accessories are rich with bright embroidery and they carry things to decorate the home, too.

Etsy Highlights: Fascinating feet

2010-07-07T21:03:10Z

One of the most difficult fashion items to encounter handmade is footwear. It’s not easily assembled with a sewing machine or jeweler’s tools, and ensuring a proper fit takes a level of precision well beyond the means of most small businesses. Happily, upcycling is in full swing on Etsy, where plain pumps are given new life with handpainted patterns and dollops of froof. And, of course, a few sellers are stepping out with unbridled artistic showboating.

I’m not sure if this seller’s works are intended for actual wear, but it’s amazing that you’re technically supposed to slip a foot somewhere into this. From Sole Sensations, whose utterly insane brisket flip-flop also deserves a mention.

Behold, the platform shoes of Marie Antoinette. Dig the gold beads draping over the back of the heel. And they’re 100% vegan! From Shake It Doll Shoes.

Patent wedges get an update of Wonder Woman comics on the heels. A subtle and chic form of fandom that would look fab with a cocktail dress. From Pachainka Pink.

These steampunk clock parts look almost tribal in their descent down the back of the heel. The rest of the shoe plays innocent and unadorned, saving the surprise for rear views. From Steampunk Fortune.

If you’ve ever lusted after a high heel boudoir chair but wanted something a bit more hardy than leopard plush, not only is this seat covered in bits of mirror, it’s designed to be left outdoors year-round. From Lyons Mosaics.

Studio Jellyfish

2010-07-07T20:23:44Z

A Miami Beach “fine art shoe store” that gives bright pop makeovers to footwear and handbags. Ballet flats, platform mules, and ankle-strapped pumps are meticulously handpainted with 80’s-style vamps reminiscent of Patrick Nagel and Roy Lichtenstein, and if you’ve got your eye on a clutch, grab it while you can because it looks like they sell out quickly. And if you’d rather display the ladies on your walls rather than your feet, they also do digital prints.

YouTube Tuesdays: Married With Anthrax

2010-07-06T23:12:24Z

The Bundy household’s invasion by thrash is such an encapsulating snapshot of life in 1992. Charlie Benante’s haircut foreshadowing The Great Metallica Chop that was to come in a few years, Bud’s “Grandmaster B” alter ego straight out of Yo MTV Raps, Kelly’s pop-metal mall-trash outfits. (Years ago I was browsing through a website that sold costume clothes direct from TV show wardrobes. The prestige of Christina Applegate jacked one of Contempo Casuals’ tight pink dresses up into the realm of $400.)

Unfortunately the episode in its entirety comes with commercials, a weird lack of Sinatra in the theme song, and disabled embedding. But it does have Marcy Darcy gleefully frisking a worried-looking Frankie Bello. The whole thing’s here.

Mad Girl Clothing

2010-07-06T22:28:42Z

A substore of Pendragon Clothing that specializes in steampunk fashion. Men’s doublets, vests, and jackets decorated with distressed straps, tooling, and zippers, outfitting highwaymen and pirates and anybody thrilled by the prospect of concho snaps. The Women’s page is a bodice-fest of earth tones and industrial clasps and includes a bustled coat that pairs well with the corsetry. Accessories look to be on the way. Thanks, Miko!

Friday Cat Blogging: Nothing interesting happened this week

2010-07-02T19:48:37Z

…so here’s another pic of the queen on her throne right before the move.

Speaking of The Lady Crabcake – I have a goth Barbie whose wardrobe is in the midst of a badly needed update, little black flares and platform sneakers and stuff, I just meant to get her some clothes until I ran across this ebay seller who specializes in Halloweeny doll furnishings and HAD to get her a companion – look, it’s Barbie Pollywog!

panties.com

2010-07-04T14:53:53Z

This shop promises to “uplift a woman’s spirits like jewelry does” through an exhaustive array of fancy underwear. Sheers! Crotchlesses! Microthongs! Silk! A Butterfly collection that actually riffs around quite prettily on tattoo art! There are pages of bustier tops, open-front playsuits and fluttery little nighties if you wish to build things into a full bedroom outfit, they do plus sizes, and of course a site like this wouldn’t be complete without a Panty of the Month club.