Fashion Art - Westwood Rubens and Giles Delaroche

To me, fashion is an art form but I especially love it when a work of art is used to create something wearable and beautiful. There are two that have particularly caught my eye lately because they're my kind of clothes featuring my kind of art.

As expected, one is by Vivienne Westwood who has a habit of using beautiful art from the past in her designs.

Friday Rubens Print Dress
£508 at my-wardrobe.com

Twister Elephant Rubens Print Dress
£316 at my-wardrobe.com

Castor and Pollux Abduct the Daughters of Leukyppos - Peter Paul Rubens

The other is by Giles Deacon who wins bonus points for using a portrayal of my favourite historical period - Tudor England.

Giles printed T-shirt of Lady Jane Grey
£359 at farfetch.com

The Execution of Lady Jane Grey - Paul Delaroche

I need your blind full secrets, hunting fast and loose

I have become addicted to the gorgeous handmade creations on Etsy. Such an array of "artyfacts" to suit my fancy. I can see my house filling even more with tonnes of them. Before I bankrupt myself buying from them and make it impossible for anyone else to get their hands on the lovely stuff , I thought it best to share a few of my favourites.

It's a corset, it's rococo, it's got black and white stripes... and ohhh my, it's got Marie Antoinette on it. I have died of corset envy! The few at the store are just too fabulous to choose between so I shall drool enviously until I can decide upon one. ...there's even one with a skeleton panel in it. It's so fabulous that if darling John Entwistle weren't already dead the sight of a girl wandering around in it would kill him all over again.
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5191694

I love the concept behind this particular shop - "dress in art" which is generally what try to do a lot of the time, right down to my Botticelli print umbrella and Marilyn Monroe shoes. Above is the gorgeous Klimt handbag but I'm also rather taken with their Kandinsky skirt and the Mondrian bag... and, well, I'm deffinately keeping my eye on this store until one item screams "BUY ME!"
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7391891

The real gems here are the gorgeous lockets covered with fabulous art on the outside before you even start to think what to put on the inside. They're on sale at the moment so get over there!!! ...there's quite an array of fabulous bangles too and I've already treated myself to *one* of the Marilyn ones.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=11219

Isn't this one of the most divine things ever?! I have enough Marilyn Monroe handbags to use a different one each month of the year... and yet I am now craving a Marie Antoinette handbag too. They have more utterly delish historically inspired frilly bags and cushions in their shop. Yummy!!!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6718452

You can't have this broach as it's already mine, but isn't it just beautiful?! It's based on the artist's painting 'The Queen and the Explorer' Featuring Queen Elizabeth poised in symbolic blessing of her explorer sir Francis Drake's ship. They've also done Wuthering Heights, Dorian Gray and ther most hilarious Madame Pompadour art.
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5619058&page=1

I've gone rather mad buying from this store, and this is the latest one taking my fancy. "FROU FROU Burlesque in Red" by Funky Love Designs. Their aray of hairclips goes right through fashion, glamour, art, history and fairytales. I've already bought hair clips featuring Anne Boleyn, Lord Byron ...and one of Robyn Dudley which I may have to be surgically removed from. *sigh*
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7540195

She keeps Moet et Chandon in a pretty cabinet

(essential soundtrack for his post. Turn up the volume and set the video to play)

For someone who is easily seduced by decadence, loves fashion, devours art and admires historical female rulers "The Regal Twelve" series by Alexia Sinclair reduces me to purring ecstacy. Inspired equally by Botticelli and Alexander McQueen the digital fantasy montages pay tribute to twelve beautiful and impressive women.

My beloved and most idolised Elizabeth I

The Queen of decadence Marie Antoniette

The deeply Catholic yet effortlessly regal Isabella of Spain

The wicked yet irresistable Blood Countess Elizabeth Bathory

For more of Alexia's spectacular work, visit http://alexiasinclair.com/

...and for those who find these royal ladies as enchanting and fascinating as I do, it's time you joined the regal court of twitter where three of these ladies hold court among the other undead royals:

Marie Antoinette - http://twitter.com/Chop_Chop_Cake

Elizabeth Bathory - http://twitter.com/BathoryErzsebet

Elizabeth Tudor - http://twitter.com/Always_The_Same (played by myself)

For anyone utterly addicted there's a whole role playing forum where you can exist as long in the royal heart as your decadent little heart desires: http://undead-royals.heavenforum.com/