Dangerous Liasons, Valmont

Thanks for waiting, probably not worth it but let's give it a go.

If you can't be bothered reading, SCROLL DOWN DOWN DOOOOWN to see the final costume. 

So elaborating on the previous post, this last term at uni has really been about learning technical skills in menswear tailoring and portfolio presentation. As you might of gathered, how I present my work is, well, shit. Actually, opening this post like this is not very welcoming. But my Valmont is a right arrogant prick so I am giving off that vibe. I don't need to present my work impressive like, because my ideas are fucking crazy good. DUH. 

totes ganna be a failure.

Initial design, on post it notes.

Eminem 'Bling'

Back Mumba Snake

 Blah blah blah, I don't like period costumes, having to recreate something notches down my life expectancy every time. Once ago I was compromising my ideas to accommodate the fucking criteria. Whatever. Originally I wanted the coat tail to come outwards from between the legs, like a massive cock, but that's not '18th Century' apparently. But generally I just messed with the period clothing, a shirt with no placket, pleated front, coat cut out odd, exaggerated tricon and cuffs, chiffon and organiza breeches with a weird flap. Valmont and Merteuil were designed as above the 1700s, ahead of the rest, challenging everyone's ideas about who they are, what they desire, their choices ec. Valmont's design was very egotistical, embracing that seducer role by Valmont embodying the 'snake' (Adam and Eve...seducer, corrupt, fucks convent girls). 

Black mumba because OMG Dangerous Liasons, likethe BEAUTY in those letters, it's one of those books that completely shits all over the idea that 'books are boring, you can do the same with tv'. NO YOU FUCKING CANT SON. Reading the play adaptations, people doing it in dance blah blah, bullshit. No, there's something incredible about the communication between characters through letters, that ability to physically manipulate the plot through writing, and all mere readers are exposed to are the letters, and an imagination of the reality of the situations. You know when people say that when reading a book you can 'picture the world in your head' and make it yourself? Well these letters champion that more than anything else, because the book itself doesn't even visualize scenarios! Like it describes using a whore's arse as a table to write on, treating oneself to a bumming after, but did that rally happen?? All the point of views going on, omg. Orgasmic. 

So yeah, Black mumba was the snake in particular because to write the letters, INK. Ink is the blood to this narrative. Merteuil being chief conductor of the whole thing, Valmont and her play controller of everything thorugh the letters, through the ink. Ink as a colour palette was key, like the setting as begins with 'blue', ink in its initial form, then black, actualyl written feather to paper it is concrete, Valmont blacks out. the dying or 'drying' of the ink, turning brown, that idyllic countryside of France dies as it comes to an end. Get me?

And for styling, like okay. In the project when I said 'Eminem, Kim song' everyone thought that was the context, a music video thing, no. I just played along omg twat. But no, it was just styling and vibing! ffs. So modernizing 18th Century using Hip Hop and Rap, the aggression and violence and PASSION and money and shameless bling and ego and fucking bitches and shit. Like, such a conntection. And blending that with Chisnall's sculpture, the rusted copper nails, the industrial Paris that leaks into the pastoral living in Dangerous Liasons. Valmont is a child of escaping country, living in that decadent man-made world, but he's so complex. He finds remorse, they keep saying Danceny is the 'hero' but in fact Valmont is the tragedy, with all his wealth and erections, falling hard for Tourvel and ruining her, ruining himself, and finally comes clean to his bitter end. Fuck. 

Just elaborating on this ink, and the hip hope style, you might look at the lining of the coat and jacket and think 'were you high?'. 1. Probably. and 2. I wanted invasive, brash colours to symbolize when Valmont and Merteuil ATTACK in this war like thing, coming from dress sense from P Diddy rocking a rpurple leather get up, like colour that just doesn't work. It doesn't belong. That's the manipulation of the letters. Adn the placement of it was key. So For Valmont and Meeteuil, that quality is WITHIN them, they are it, they piss it, they sweat it, they cum it, they bleed it, the spit it, they breathe it, they do-a-lot-of it. Whereas for the blessed victims, the saddos falling for the traps hat as a reader you yell 'NO YOU DUMB FUCK', well this dye is INFLICTED. On the surface, put on top of them, blah blah. 

And yeah, I felt pretty unmotivated and disappointed with my final presentation, like I had basically grown all hair, treated it, cuddled and watched it transform, and then at the end ripped it all out, shoving it down a shitty toilet. So, if you actually read through all of that bollocks and got all excited and shit, awks for you cos there ain't no glorious climax. You have just experienced Blue Balls. 

So, bravo Valmont. 

Costume: Sanya Torkmorad- Jozavi, duh. 

MUA: Lily Brazier 

Photographer: Polin Kuprin

Model: Ali Ayyub