Fashion Show Recap
Designer: Heartless Revival
Photographer: Peter Nappi
Designer: KVO Designs
Photographer: Peter Nappi
Designer: Kristin Costa
Photographer: Peter Nappi
Designer: Kristin Costa
Photographer: Peter Nappi
Designer: Artificial Intrigue
Photographer: Peter Nappi
Designer: Kristin Costa
Photography: Mark Feigenbaum
Photography: Mark Feigenbaum
Photography: Mark Feigenbaum
Photography: Mark Feigenbaum
Photography: Mark Feigenbaum
Photographer:Danielle Ramos
Tell Us About Yourself, How Did You Find Yourself In The Design Field?
In college I actually graduated with a degree in visual arts, concentrating in metal sculpture. The switch from metal to fabric came when I worked in the costume shop as an assistant. I had kind of an “Aha!” moment when I realized that I could actually make a career out of doing things for theaters, sewing and creating. From there I ended up working with Brit of Berit New York on a fashion show thinking that I could use it as some backstage experience and round out my portfolio when I realized that this is really what I’d love to do. Kind of a crazy turn of events but that’s how it happened.
How Did You First Discover The Steampunk Genre?
I had been aware of steampunk for a year or two before I started participating. The first Steampunk thing that I remember seeing and going “Well that’s interesting” was when my friend Ian was showing me images of steampunk modded computers. Beautiful work and craftsmanship, and that made me dive further and eventually get to where I am with Steampunk today.
Photographer: Danielle Ramos
How Do you Describe The Steampunk Design Aesthetic and How Do You See Your Work Fitting into That Genre?
To me Steampunk is about creativity. You have a time period that you’re working within the guidelines of and you see how far you can stretch it. My work has a lot of hints of Victorian fashion that is seen in steampunk.
What Designers/Artists Have Influenced Your Work? Steampunk Or Other Wise?
With more of a background in art than fashion I’m influenced greatly by the works of Kiki Smith and Judith Shea. The ideas behind their awesome works of sculpture are fascinating to me. As far as designers go, I’ve always been captivated by Alexander McQueen even before I knew the name that went with the clothes.
I’ve also had the pleasure of interning with KVO Designs and Berit New York, two designers that I respect and have influenced the way I now do things.
Photographer: Anna Fischer
How Do You Sustain Life’s Practicalities Such As Eating, Paying The Rent, Keeping The Lights On?
Well as of right now I’m working a retail job 30- 40 hours a week as well as designing. I’m hoping that Brooklyn Indie Market will help to expand my market and give me less of a need to work a “real life” job.
Do You Feel Your Work Is Understood And To What Extent?
I still don’t really understand the work I’m doing, so if someone else thinks that they do then that’s awesome. The ideas just kind of stir and stew and then come to fruition. It’s a nice process presently and I’m okay with not getting it at the moment.
How Do You Dress Sunday Through Saturday?
It depends on my mood but generally I wear a lot of skirts and my wardrobe is a palette of black, black, black and a red or blue on occasion. I do however pride myself with my odd sock collection. Lots of diverse colors, stripes, prints and different lengths.
Photographer: Frank Sicliano
What Point Would You Consider Yourself as Having A Measure Of Professional Success? What Do You Aim For?
Currently my goal is to achieve financial stability doing what I love, which is creating. My goal after that would probably be fashion week in any of the major cities. Once I make it there I think I can finally call myself an accomplished designer.
Everybody Has A Sister City or Place, What Would Yours Be?
Absolutely Paris. I went to visit for less than a week years ago and I’ve never felt so at home anywhere else. Well, except for the language barrier.
How Can Everyday People Dress Up Steampunk For A Day/Night?
My best advice is to head to your local Good Will or Salvation Army, pick up some old vests, shirts, skirts, whatever, and modify it to your steampunk preference. I feel embellishments are very important to the steampunk look.
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Rebecca Shepherd Floral Design
Tell Us About Yourself, How Did You Find Yourself In The Design Field?
My design interests started to flicker in my imagination when I was actually studying in the medical field. I was working on a sketch of the skeletal system when I started drawing tights, clothing and shoes on my image. I didn’t know it then, but I had an intrinsic thirst for color, texture, style and fashion, which lead me into a jeweler turned floral designer.
How Did You First Discover The Steampunk Genre?
The Steampunk Genre is somewhat new to me, although I have been a rather die hard Goth in my youth. I learned about it through reading many blogs about cutting edge/alternative design blogs. There was one in particular that really inspired me from the Green shoes wedding blog that used all sorts of cool props like vintage medicine bottles, old type writers and bud vases. It appealed to me because I have been spending SO much of my time biding in eBay for such finds.
How Do you Describe The Steampunk Design Aesthetic and How Do You See Your Work Fitting into That Genre?
Steampunk design aesthetic to me is a modern-retro version of the Victorian Goth. When I design with these elements in mind, I search the floral market for the oddest shaped, hollow looking, or overly textural elements to pair as an off beat combination. Pairing is everything. It’s like wine and cheese.
What Designers/Artists Have Influenced Your Work? Steampunk Or Other Wise?
I am heavily inspired by designers that use elements of nature that are rough, organic, and chaotic and blend them with a clean or ironic twist. I love clothing designer Vivian Westwood who has nailed the earthy, layered, yet tailored perfection that I strive for. Artist Trent Reznor has also inspired me not only with an eerie sound tract from the Downward spiral and the darkly luminous videos the pair decomposition with new growth. Again, an unexpected juxtaposition that I love.
Rebecca Shepherd Floral Design
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Photographer:Kyle Cassidy
Model:DaphPunk
Tell Us About Yourself, How Did You Find Yourself In The Design Field?
I have a BFA in fibers/textiles from The University of the Arts; during school I would constantly be putting my weaving and sculptures on the body. I was making corsets out of birch bark sewn with sterling silver wire and dresses out of fishing line, all without any formal patternmaking experience . My junior year I left to study abroad in Italy where I became truly enamored with European and historical fashion. A few years after I graduated from Uarts, I enrolled in Fashion Design Master’s Program at Drexel University, where I was able to study patternmaking, haute couture and work with historic costume from as early as the 18th Century.
Photographer:Kyle Cassidy
Model:DaphPunk
How Did You First Discover The Steampunk Genre?
I actually was officially introduced to Steampunk by Evelyn Kriete who saw my work (the piece with the black feathers on the girl with the zipper tattoo, although it was on a dressform at the time). Evelyn invited me to a Steampunk meet-up and introduced me to Britney from Berit New York.
Photographer:Kyle Cassidy
Model:DaphPunk
How Do you Describe The Steampunk Design Aesthetic and How Do You See Your Work Fitting into That Genre?
I usually describe my work as being Neo-Victorian because it is so historically inspired from years of working in historic costume and studying the construction of historic corsets and dresses. My inspiration also comes from places like Alice in Wonderland and objects like the Astrolabe and ideas of being displaced in space and time.
What Designers/Artists Have Influenced Your Work? Steampunk Or Other Wise?
My greatest inspirations have been Alexander McQueen, Charles Fredrick Worth (the Father of Haute Couture), Olivier Theyskens. I’m also incredibly inspired by Japanese designers such as Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake and punk/alternative designer H. Naoto.
Photographer:Kamila Harris
Model:Han Ly
How Do You Sustain Life’s Practicalities Such As Eating, Paying The Rent, Keeping The Lights On?
I don’t eat much, I’m rather fond of the dark and I live with a man who hasn’t aged a day in ten years 
Do You Feel Your Work Is Understood And To What Extent?
I’m a rather shy person so when people view my work they understand me, what I see and what I dream.. better than I could ever put into words.
Photographer:Kyle Cassidy
Model:DaphPunk
How Do You Dress Sunday Through Saturday?
When I leave the studio dress in a combination of Patrizia Pepe, H.Naoto and Heartless Revival with accessories by Alchemy Gothic, Hyde’s Vice and Vivienne Westwood. When I’m just in the studio I usually wear knits by local designers from Bangkok Thailand (where my dad is from) or HM.
What Point Would You Consider Yourself as Having A Measure Of Professional Success? What Do You Aim For?
When the people I look up to the most have become my peers, I will know I have achieved success.
Photographer:Kyle Cassidy
Model:DaphPunk
Everybody Has A Sister City or Place, What Would Yours Be?
I have a couple of sisters Of course part of my heart is in Bangkok (where my dad is from), it’s such a wonderful environment for emerging designers. Tokyo has been a huge, huge inspiration in my work; Harajuku street fashion is a part of my heart, although I have never been there. And London and Paris of course; Paris is where I learned couture draping that I use to make my corsets and London because it was the original place I use to have fashion dreams of…..
Photographer:Kamila Harris
Model:Daph Punk
How Can Everyday People Dress Up Steampunk For A Day/Night?
Buy a great essential from a Steampunk designer, like a scarf, corset, skirt or jewelry and pair it with other things in your wardrobe that are Steampunk inspired. Head to a great vintage shop for some additional touches and most importantly add your own style. Steampunk is very much being creative in your style. I’ve seen Steamstyle in soooo many different incarnations; all wonderful, creative and amazingly unique 
Heartless Revival
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Tell Us About Yourself, How Did You Find Yourself In The Design Field?
I’ve always been drawing clothes and odd things since i was about 6 or 7. But I really fell into it as a full time “job” when my former friend Hannah had a booth at a local con, I started off doing hand work and making and designing Lolita headdresses:
How Did You First DiscoverThe Steampunk Genre?
Gothic Lolita! I always loved neo Victorian and would die to see any Victorian inspired costuming (hard core doctor who fan-dom helped that allot). Then at the neo Victorian fashion show at NYAF I met Autumn and fell head over heels in love.
How Do you Describe The Steampunk Design Aesthetic and How Do You See Your Work Fitting into That Genre?
Victorian ideals on cocaine and I dunno I don’t think I really do fit in but everyone else seems to think i do… o.o I personally don’t think I’m all that wonderful.
What Designers/Artists Have Influenced Your Work? Steampunk Or Other Wise?
Alexander McQueen is… so close to my heart with design, but I could also say my biggest inspiration is Autumn. Not only as a designer but also as a friend she means everything to me.
How Do You Sustain Life’s Practicalities Such As Eating, Paying The Rent, Keeping The Lights On?
… I don’t… I am .. close to being homeless… this is my job.. and I have near to no sales and I have no one to support me. It’s kinda depressing. as much as I wish I could say my parents are supportive they want near to nothing to do with me.
Do You Feel Your Work Is Understood And To What Extent?
eehhhh not really. I don’t think anyone from the “normie” crowd really will ever ” get it” but I do find that people in the genre really do understand what I’m going for and to a point really appreciate it. Nothing makes me happier then this one random kid after steampunk world’s faire … me and my friends we were driving back to phila and we stopped at a rest stop. this kid just ran over to us and was like ” oh my god I loved your work it was so amazing!” Me and Autumn nearly died of the giggles.
How Do You Dress Sunday Through Saturday?
haha depends on what time of the year. If were talking about now (late august) I wear ren garb 
I work at the NY renn faire. If were talking about any other time… I wear random crap …
What Point Would You Consider Yourself as Having A Measure Of Professional Success? What Do You Aim For?
I … I want everything I want to be … I duno… I just want to have a happy life… where I can just put out collections and not have to worry about feeding myself or my kittens. I want to take over the fashion world. but I also want to have a certain degree of anonymity.
Everybody Has A Sister City or Place, What Would Yours Be?
Maybe I don’t get this question… but the place I feel most at home is in phila… but I also feel at home in London.
How Can Everyday People Dress Up Steampunk For A Day/Night?
Goooodddd question… but easier recently. a great button down and a vest will do wonders. go to h&m… or forever 21… they have allot of great stuff that can be used for steampunk… so can anthropology… and Daffys… I GET SO MUCH CLOTHES AT DAFFYS! It’s a freakin god send.
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La China Loca
Tell Us About Yourself, How Did You Find Yourself In The Design Field?
I studied Fine Arts and Fashion Design and Illustration throughout my
childhood and teenage years. I went into a completely different field for 10 years and have returned to expressing myself through wearable art,
specifically hats.
How Did You First Discover The Steampunk Genre?
I first discovered the name Steampunk when some friends who saw some of my
hats said “your hats are like Steampunk!” and I thought, what is
Steampunk? When I looked it up and realized it was Victorian sci-fi, I understood what they meant because it was an era when everyone wore hats and I also draw some of my inspiration from science fiction as well as other film genres I enjoyed as a child like kung fu, film noir and old western and mobster flicks. My integrative romanticism and fantasy with those realities.
How Do you Describe The Steampunk Design Aesthetic and How Do You See
Your Work Fitting into That Genre?
I see the Steampunk genre as a fantastical mix of the soft,lush and earthy organic with hard, multicolored metallic steam hydraulic force of the Victorian era. Since hats and head wear are usually present in the aesthetic, I see my hats fitting in just fine.
What Designers/Artists Have Influenced Your Work? Steampunk Or Other Wise?
My milliner god is Stephen Jones, but I prefer to find my creative
inspiration in anything and anyone as it comes. Living in New York supplies an endless varied stream of creative consciousness to work from.
How Do You Sustain Life’s Practicalities Such As Eating, Paying The
Rent, Keeping The Lights On?
My hat design company Hatting by La China Loca pays my bills. It’s a
hustle, but the freedom of entrepreneurship makes it worthwhile and I’m enjoying it!
Do You Feel Your Work Is Understood And To What Extent?
Hmmm…Some do, some don’t. You can’t please everyone all of the time!
How Do You Dress Sunday Through Saturday?
I wear my uniform of black leather pants, black undershirt or buttoned
shirt with a tie and a blazer of sort with a different hat each day.
What Point Would You Consider Yourself as Having A Measure Of
Professional Success? What Do You Aim For?
I aim for complete financial sustainability as my bulls eye measure.
Everybody Has A Sister City or Place, What Would Yours Be?
Bangkok, Thailand
How Can Everyday People Dress Up Steampunk For A Day/Night?
Wear an awesome hat of that genre and voila!
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Photographer: Image23
Hexabelle
Tell Us About Yourself, How Did You Find Yourself In The Design Field?
It was actually a field that found me. I have a degree from Parsons in fine art – I never studied fashion there. When I discovered after graduation that I could buy cheap used leather clothing and alter it to fit me, I started getting attention from people who requested the same. I don’t want to mention just how many years ago that was <wink> but let’s just say leather was big back then. After cutting my teeth on a difficult material, moving into fabrics was an easy and natural progression. I was so enamored of my new found passion that I never stopped forging ahead.
How Did You First Discover The Steampunk Genre?
Hard to say – I’ve always loved Victorian clothing, fantasy gadgetry and men in top hats and tails. I suppose it wasn’t until almost 4 years ago that I realized I wasn’t the only one and that it actually had a name!
Photographer: Julia Gerace
Model: Dori
How Do you Describe The Steampunk Design Aesthetic and How Do You See Your Work Fitting into That Genre?
I adore the flowing gowns, the feminine curves, the romantic, yet devastatingly sexy corsetry… not to mention the refined manners, the elegant gentlemen, and all the steam-powered fantasy that goes along with retro-futurism. I design my fashions around those influences and often spin them out of historical accuracy and into my own interpretation. I strive for flavor rather than duplication.
Photographer: Frank Siciliano
Model: Kelly von Kay
What Designers/Artists Have Influenced Your Work? Steampunk Or Other Wise?
I’ve been influenced and inspired by so many artists over the years in both the fashion world and fine arts that it’s hard to pin down just a few. Some of my favorite fashion icons are Bob Mackie, Gaultier, and Alexander McQueen (may he rest in peace). All bold, ground breaking and intensely creative designers. I also adore the works of Ertefor his fluid, dramatic lines, Luis Royo for his exquisitely rendered and highly empowered women and, Beardsley for his dark, romantic and twisted imagery.
Photographer: Reagan Lam
Model: Maria Bella
How Do You Sustain Life’s Practicalities Such As Eating, Paying The Rent, Keeping The Lights On?
By working 80 hours a week and not giving up. Seriously, though, if it wasn’t my living, I’d be doing it anyway – so sometimes I feel I’m even working in my sleep!
Do You Feel Your Work Is Understood And To What Extent?
That depends on who’s looking at it. To my Dad, it is bizarre, even though he gets a kick out of seeing my latest creations and passing them on to his friends… yet on the other end of the spectrum, my clients seek it out as the answer to their fantasy. I’m happy on both levels and everything in between, I realize it’s not for everyone, but then again, it’s not meant to be.
Photographer: Image23
Model: Hexabelle
How Do You Dress Sunday Through Saturday?
Comfortably, since I work most of the time – Long dresses or jeans and tank tops… little summer dresses when it’s hot. I sometimes use accessories to express myself if I need to leave the house during a work day. Meetings or dinners out are usually comfortable but progressive. I may wear a steamy jacket, but I’ll probably leave my goggles behind.
What Point Would You Consider Yourself as Having A Measure Of Professional Success? What Do You Aim For?
When people recognize my work, even if they don’t recognize my face. I strive for a comfortable life through the success of my business – right now I admit I still struggle with expenses.
Photographer: Frank Siciliano
Model: Jacq Spell-Burner
Everybody Has A Sister City or Place, What Would Yours Be?
Definitely Mad King Ludwig’s castle – Neuschwanstein in Bavaria. It represents romance, fantasy, eccentricity, whimsy, and the brass balls (can I say that?) of a king not afraid to show the world that he appreciates all that is beautiful in the world. It was his refuge and in an incredible show of respect for the arts, it was his homage to Richard Wagner.
Photographer: Wandering Bohemian
Model: Little Darling
How Can Everyday People Dress Up Steampunk For A Day/Night?
Use your imagination, bring your best manners, accessorize creatively, and don’t forget your goggles!
Karen von Oppen (www.etsy.com/shop/kvodesign), alternative couture for the uninhibited.
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Kristin Costa
Tell Us About Yourself, How Did You Find Yourself In The Design Field?
I had always created my own things, out of a desire to create my own personal environment. Since I can remember I have always made my own clothes, built my own furniture, and painted on anything that didn’t move fast enough. During college, where I acquired a BFA in Painting, I started doing fashion shows, mostly for the sake of performance. I loved the theatricality of it, not necessarily the marketability of the clothing. I look at fashion and costume as an artistic and performance medium, more than something made to be sellable. The hard part is trying to mix the two elements.
How Did You First Discover The Steampunk Genre?
I have always loved old things, bronze, leather, Victorian and Eduardian silhouettes, and designed a lot in that vein. It was only when the film The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello was released that I discovered there was an entire genre surrounding the aesthetics I liked. Even more pleasing to me was it wasn’t just a visual movement, but literary and musical as well. There are countless other genres I love that are time based and fantastical, but at the moment, Steam Punk seems the most relevant.
How Do You Describe The Steampunk Design Aesthetic And How Do You See 
Your Work Fitting into That Genre?
I see Steampunk as a fantastical interpretation of a not so distant past. Victorian customs and curiosities mix with monsters, exploration, and all of our own personal projections on memories that we don’t have. I find it extremely interesting that Steampunk is becoming popular at precisely the time when those who could tell us first hand what it was like in that era have so recently disappeared. It gives us more license to create a move fantastical vision.
My personal interpretations of the genre tend to go quite wide of the definition most people give it. In my current collection I wanted to portray something haunted, something oxidized and decayed. I want it to feel as though it was uncovered in someone’s explorations of a victorian cellar, or dug out of a grave filled in 1903.
MY collection this fall is entitled “Caged”, and was inspired by Victorian birdcages, the small creatures they contain, and the psychological metaphors they give rise to.
What Designers/Artists Have Influenced Your Work? Steampunk Or Other Wise?
I am most inspired by films and paintings, and more recently, music. I like to extrapolate on themes, and sometimes a piece of music with a specific feel will spawn the direction of an entire collection. I am inspired by paintings of all eras, I find it is much more inspiring to me than researching actual costumes. Some of my favorite painters that I always return to are Lucien Freud, Jenny Saville, Glenn Barr, John Williams Waterhouse, John Singer Sargent, and Steven Assael. And of course the fashion designers I look up to are Alexander Mcqueen,Iris Van Herpen, John Galliano,Hussein Chalayan, Gareth Pugh, Betsey Johnson, John Paul Gautier, and Theirry Mugler.
How Do You Sustain Life’s Practicalities Such As Eating, Paying The Rent, Keeping The Lights On?
I have a few different jobs: I work atIzquierdo Studios, a studio that makes things for Broadway plays, fashion shows, film, TV, window displays, etc. I am also an artist’s model, I vend at faires and festivals, and I do freelance costume and mural work. I am often doing this all at the same time, and the biggest difficulty is getting more than 5 hours of sleep a night, or remembering what day it is. Resting is very hard for me, and any free time I have is spent creating, since it is a productive outlet for my ideas. I also have a very supportive family, who, even though they don’t get “this whole art thing” have always done their best to help me out in any way possible.
Do You Feel Your Work Is Understood And To What Extent?
I sometimes feel like I will put too much of a storyline into a collection that is being shown at fashion based events. For instance, I once did a collection based on Red Riding Hood, and all the costumes were either the character Red, the Wolf, or a mix of the two. After the shows, peope would say they liked the “red riding hood dress”. This took me off guard, because the collection was full of them. I’m still not sure what they thought the other dresses were supposed to be…I think that I finally accept that not everyone is going to get everything I put into every art piece or costume I make, but as long as they can emit an emotional response, I think I’ve done well. An analogy I tell myself is that there are certain singers that I can’t understand a single word they are saying, but damn, I really feel something when I hear them.
How Do You Dress Sunday Through Saturday?
I am usually in a dress I’ve made myself, usually of a soft jersey fabric, and a strange combination of tights, knee socks and boots. I find dresses go a long way when you have countless tights to pair with them. I occasionally wear shorts over my tights and under my dresses, because I am quite animated, and like to have the freedom to do random interpretive dance or gymnastics when the need arises.
What Point Would You Consider Yourself as Having A Measure Of Professional Success? What Do You Aim For?
I think I am really satisfied with everything I get to do. I get to make costumes, clothing, art.. I that way I have already succeeded, However, goals I’d like to achieve are to have my clothing collections available in stores, and to have it shown on sites like Style.com. I’d love to have a studio/showroom in NYC instead of trying to work wherever I have space, or wherever I am closest to where I am going to work the next day. I would also like to be secure enough in my income and deadline schedules to do things other than design. I’d love to have the time to practice music again, and go to dance class, and maybe pick up something new, like car mechanics.
Everybody Has A Sister City or Place, What Would Yours Be?
I often fantasize about retreating to a small village of treehouses in the middle ofa forest of very tall trees next to a shore full of cliffs. It is usually somewhere in between night and day when I think of it. In this imaginary place, I can sleep.
photo by Céline Gaille
How Can Everyday People Dress Up Steampunk For A Day/Night?
I think anyone can create their own fantastical character that hails from a bygone era. One just needs to decide what that character is, and what they need. If that character is a mad scientist, it is easy enough to find jars and containers around the house, and ropes and belts to attach them to oneself. Most people have vintage clothing, and even if they don’t simply dressing up is much more steampunk than a T-shirt. If just a Steampunk “feel” is desired, boots, old jewelry, and piles of belts are never a bad idea.
