Jennifer Ouellette has yet another wonderful post up. This one starts from the basic idea of trying to persuade Lady Gaga to write a physics-inspired rock opera and goes from there on a lovely romp through the fashion and music industries. A lot of time gets spent on fashion designer Hussein Chalayan and his ideas about self-modifying clothing. There are also digressions into such fun bands as ArcAttack and OK Go.
I’m all in favor of interesting clothing. If it can modify itself in useful or entertaining ways, so much the better. But I can’t help thinking that fannish costumers have been doing this for a long time.
Jen, if you are reading this, these pictures come from the Best in Show entry at the 1995 Worldcon in Glasgow. I know some of the folks involved.
(As I recall, Maggie Percival was the prime mover for the project.)
Yep that the brain child of Maggie, her husband (whose name escapes me) and Teddy.
We were working that show and were nearly blown off the wings of the stage by the reaction it got.
At the New Orleans Worldcon, I happened to be watching the masquerade next to a native . . . New Orleanian?
I was gratified when he confirmed that the best of a Worldcon Masquerade could hold its own against the best of Mardi Gras.