ପ Venus in Couture ଓ

On Sun Swallowing  is Dakota Warren's debut collection of poems, prose and journal extracts that are seeped in hedonistic persuasion and a glorious lust for life (and death!). Touching on themes of girlhood, youth, femininity, existentialism, her relationship with religion and the gods, confessions of murder and blood spill, and letters to the devil himself. Dakota's words consumed me entirely. Her language, ingenuity and expression are beautiful. She has a way of connecting intimately with her readers and cult following, allowing them to escape reality for a moment. I am fairly new to poetry so perhaps I am slightly unqualified to be reviewing it but I feel Dakota Warren's work was the perfect gateway for me. We share a lot of the same interests in literature, art and culture, which she explores and references in her work. Before reading Warren's collection, my knowledge was limited to the collection of poems we studied at school which I found extremely unenjoyable; ma...

Edgar Allen Poe once said, 'The death of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetic topic in the world.' ... A rather odd thing to say, albeit a common feeling in the nineteenth century, and a fascination that has lived on; perhaps it isn't quite so romantic anymore. The romanticisation, or beautification, of death, has been immortalised in every form of art; painting, photography, fashion, literature, poetry, film, etc. In many cases, it is the beauty of a woman's death that is most sought after, most written about, and most portrayed in art. In this piece, with the focus on painting and photography, I will be exploring the representation of death in the works of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and how a woman's suicide became a work of art. The magnum opus of paintings to emerge from the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was Ophelia by John Everett Millais, 1851-52. Even those unfamiliar with the small group of painters in Victorian London recognise this bea...

Tartan, argyle, Mary Janes and dresses that look like underwear. Let's talk about Clueless. The 1995 chick flick, Austen adaptation 'Clueless' has been a huge part in the development of my personal fashion taste since my early teen days, as I'm sure it is for a lot of people. I distinctly remember the first time I watched Clueless, it was on tv, and the moment Cher rocked up in her Dolce and Gabbana yellow tartan suit I was completely and utterly obsessed! Since my first watch of Clueless I have returned, again and again, studying the clothing, the way the girls in the film style and accessorise their outfits, their hair, makeup, bedroom decor, everything. I knew from that moment exactly how I wanted to dress and that I needed a yellow tartan suit immediately. I think I was 16 or 17 when I finally got my yellow tartan suit and it is still a staple piece in my wardrobe. The costumes were designed by Mona May, who is known for her super feminine and bold choices. Taking i...