Libertine Designs

 

Macabre (pic:lifeiscarbon)

For most people, quantifying ‘what is beautiful’ is one of the hardest things to do. I find it hard to put a finger on, but I can safely say that it lies somewhere between Victorian memento mori and Tom Ford-era Gucci.

Turns out, I am not alone.

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(pic: Miles Mason)

Miles Mason are a company who specialise in high end scented candles, mostly floral, albeit with a lovely sinister twist in a couple of cases, such as their Thorn Apple and Angels Trumpet varieties (which, anyone with any middling occult experience whatsoever should find very arousing)… they even have an absinthe-inspired candle which sounds like it may…shock, horror… smell vaguely like absinthe. What I fell in love with, however, were the claw-footed candlesticks (above). Its every Addams Family fantasy I have ever had come to life.

Their range of items is sadly quite limited, and I for one would love to see more objets d’art on offer. Perhaps some artful taxidermy? Or some human bone jewellery?

(pic: Custom Creature)

In respect to fashion, I must give a plug to one of my favourite Australian design houses, Ericaamerica. Their designs are historically informed and unique in terms of the Australian fashion landscape. Ericaamerica had been quiet on the design front last season, however this may be due in part to their collaboration with reknowned performance artist Orlan, part of her Harlequin Suit project (if you are unaware, Orlan subverts ‘univeralist concepts of the body’ by manipulating hers to the extremes of possibility, using surgery as a species of performance, often dressed in designer haute couture for her various procedues, all of which are done under minimal, local anaesthetic).

Also, I have recently discovered Swedish fashion house Macabre (now known as Obscure, apparently), whose AW07 collection was greatly influenced by medieval Gothic shapes and Edwardian tailored silhouettes, both used in interesting combinations. The focus is on menswear, using black in all its permutations with conservative white or grey accents. The collection is entirely urban in its balance of narrow and volumionous silhouettes, and typifies what seminal Eurpoean design blog Lifeiscarbon calls ‘Swedish Dark Romantic’ design.

Macabre (pics: lifeiscarbon)

Gothic, bold, structured and absolutely, thoroughly covetable, there is more than a little Ingmar Bergman in these rags, which is a very good thing indeed.