Dracula’s Daughter

The Gothic Shop asked me if I’d like to model the Brocade dress by Hearts and Roses, and of course, I jumped at the chance! I think I gave the theme perhaps two minute’s thought, because to me, the dress just begs for something Hammer Horror Film inspired. I’m a great fan of those films, especially the ones starring Vincent Price, so I wanted to do a sort of an homage to them.

I settled on the theme of Dracula’s Daughter very quickly. I wanted a mix of sweet and uncanny, a flash of fang in a gentle smile, a dreamy monster in a graveyard. I hope I succeeded, at least in part.

I chose to style the dress with medium length mesh gloves, and very minimal jewellery- a pair of ornate earrings and the long-coveted Sub Rosa ring. I also got a lovely pagoda-shaped parasol to complete the look.

There is very little I could tell you about the earrings and the ring which you don’t already know when it comes to Alchemy Gothic. They are perhaps the most famous brand of gothic jewellery, due to their timeless designs and excellent quality. The earrings are a mix of pewter with brass-coloured details and feature a tear-shaped Swarowski crystal. The ring is a poisoner ring- it slides open to reveal a hidden compartment inside, and is topped with a black rose and has the inscription “sub rosa nocte” on the side, separated by red crystals. I have a soft spot for poisoner rings, and have long wanted one, so this was a great chance to enhance the deadly-sweet look I was going for.

The gloves are made of a fine mesh with velvet print on them, and they are unfortunately somewhat too large for me, but this was mostly expected as I have rather small hands and the gloves are one-size. They should, however, be a good fit for most.

I am especially in love with the pagoda shaped parasol/umbrella. I still haven’t quite decided which it is, as the handle is standard, umbrella-length, but the ruffles are very detailed, so I guess I’ll be using it as both, especially since it has a very classical look (I used it in a 50’s Vogue inspired shoot recently as well).

The Gothic Shop recommended I take a size larger dress, as this model tends to run a bit small, and I am glad I did since a size larger was a perfect fit. It features a rose pattern, side zip and an adorable little collar with an ornate button.  Since it has a full circle skirt, I wore a petticoat underneath. It seemed like a real shame not to.

I still haven’t really had the chance to wear it to town, but I’m pretty sure I’ll manage to think of something. I can, however, confirm that it was so comfortable that I wore it on the way home from the shoot. It should be pointed out that I am not really at my best right after a shoot because I am a bit tired after it and usually hungry and dreaming of my soft silk robe and washing away all the makeup. 

This dress made me feel very pretty and very at ease in my own skin, so in fact, we ended the day not with me going home, but all going to lunch together in town!

Until next time!

Xoxo

Dress: Hearts and Roses via The Gothic Shop

Jewellery: Alchemy Gothic via The Gothic shop

Gloves: Restyle via The Gothic Shop

Umbrella: Fantasmagoria via The Gothic Shop

Photo: Villy V

Set Mistress: Ivy