The dust was beginning to settle on the SDFB scene as events became scarce and we saw our once thriving landscape desaturate into arid dusty dunes - then blossomed a newcomer; ECO. Teaming with lush life and vibrant hues, ECO was a freshly conceived event promised to be as wild as its animalistic theme, chosen by its hosts Aizie and Tom. All taking place on the eve of February 26th, ECO ushered in the onset of the spring season and opened its garden gates to the whole of the animal kingdom, showcasing a spectrum of looks from beauties and beasts alike.
Most of whom migrated to the watering hole did so in magnificent displays of fashion and flare, others however drowned faced down in a shallow pool of their own misdirection. As resident king of the jungle, I have returned once again, brushing out my shaggy mane and poised to unleash a roaring review of the highs and lows of the night with my infamous fatal bite.
In slight alteration to traditions, I have streamlined my selections to only the top three best dressed, bottom three worst dressed, and an additional triad of honourable mentions. Given the option, quite literally all of you voted for me to drill in my opinions of both the best and the worst dressed, not just shower praise on those who succeeded my expectations - with that being said, I perch here cushy in the knowledge that this is what the people want (and will proceed accordingly). I find it my duty, though, to remind you all that these are entirely my own opinions, ultimately they mean fuck all and nobody has a gun to your head making you read this post. Simply opt this one out if you cannot handle being placed under my masochistic microscope. Formalities aside, enlist with me as I sink my teeth into some freshly caught prey...
(PSA: all looks featured were designed by the person wearing them, unless stated otherwise. None of the criticism is based on the quality of the graphics, but rather the look itself.)
BEST OF THE NIGHT;
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ANASTASIA |
Descending unto us from the aviary in the sky, the understated yet overjoying Anastasia is an ethereal vision in dusty white feathers and boned protrusions, decadently dressed in Guo Pei by Ana Blum. Making her debut as an honourable mention in my TMB 2021 review last May, Anastasia has undergone a riveting evolution from a deconstructed moody Margiela suit to the polar opposite heavenly, structured next-level-couture ensemble before us. The dress speaks for itself; skeletal in form and tattered with delicate feathers, bent in and corseted beautifully to create a celestial silhouette fit for a deity and nobody less. Anastasia is the human-bird-angel hybrid creature whom greets you at the pearly gates, soft and alluring yet tentatively menacing in the most endearing way. An angelic makeup job (akin to Pat McGraths show-stopping paint at John Galliano Fall 2009) teamed with a tussling of white-gold waves ties this look together flawlessly and harbours Anastasia as the ruler of feral yet fantastical fashion.
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EVITA |
Lavish animal prints were the scapegoat style choice for many who attended ECO, however nobody did it with quite as much sass and fortitude as Evita in this spectacular corseted Jean Paul Gaultier gown by Ana Blum. Head to toe in zestful zebra hide, Evita towers over the crowd and cuts through the noise in a look that, while simple, ticks every box necessary with confident ease. Icy blonde waves split down the middle cascade over ribs of diamonds and house the smoke of a cigarette betwixt a gloved hand, endorsing the delicious drama of this ensemble. Where others floundered, Evita separated herself from the pack and blitzed through the badlands to prove that she is the leader, the unmistakable matriarch of all those who dare touch on a trend to which she owns every ounce, and takes no issue putting them to shame with her presence alone.
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NICK |
In Nickolas Travis we trust to deliver a look so quintessentially camp yet devastatingly glamorous at it's core, and this jaw-dropping turnout was no exception - illustrated by and pulled straight from the magnificent mind of Nick himself, with additional input from Melek (and finished with earrings by yours truly). Appearing now for a third time on the upswing of my review posts, Nick is always one to watch, a rare specimen who always has his perfectly manicured finger on the pulse and knows how to conjure up a look that is out of the box yet excellently on trend. Most appreciated is the fact that this particular showing did not hold back and leaned all the way into therianthropic territory, quite literally adopting the form of a feline, while still retaining the femme framing I have grown to love and appreciate from Nick. Few could pull off a feat such as this, but only SDFBs baddest whom possess such a secure level of ingenuity will succeed with such ferocity.
WORST OF THE NIGHT;
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ANA |
Apparently Ana read the "animal" dress code for ECO and interpreted it to mean "washed up, outdated, athleisure but with sequin bunny ears and a fur trim" churning out a look by Gabrielle that is not only nonsensical but utterly bleak to the point of nausea. Fashion nowadays is more accessible than ever, with multiple outlets to explore the depths of designers and their work, yet some look no further than the first page of AliExpress and settle there, leaving us gawking at an outfit that has no place within 100yards of the word "fashion" let alone on a public forum orchestrated for people to show out in their very best. The mind truly boggles when confronted with the reality of someone racking their brain for that perfect outfit and coming up with something as abysmal and far removed from the essence of dressing up special as this. Ana might have followed the white rabbit, but is not spared from the glare of my looking glass as I declare this look poor enough to make even the Cheshire Cat frown.
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CAROLIN |
Back again for a second swing (and consequential miss) is Carolin, landing back on my worst dressed after a catastrophic appearance at Diamondz 2021 last September - this time gender bent into a steroid pumped barefoot one-eyed twink. Props to Carolin for designing this look themselves, alas a baggy white sheer morph suit with a crotch cutout and droopy red fur tail/bolero combo does not a show-stopping look make - in fact the only way this could be considered show-stopping is due to the fact that I stopped to drop my head into my hands when I saw it. Boxers bulked out with rolled up socks and the illusion of washboard abs courtesy of Maybelline Master Contour Duo Stick, Carolin made a bold attempt to lace this look with enough cringeworthy sex appeal that we might overlook how entirely boring and embarrassing it really is. Where might one seek the inspiration for such a look? Please sound off in the comments so I know what to avoid with a vengeance.
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TOM |
There are few greater tragedies than the ambassador of an event missing the mark by a mile: unfortunately we had to witness such a misfortune when co-host of ECO, Tom rocked up a third of the way into the night donning a polygonal Gucci lace swimsuit and
evidently faux fur boots and hat, by Maria Smith. The bimbofication of SDFB events has been well underway for quite some time now, and those with some semblance of personal style have managed to effortlessly integrate the movement into their own displays of flashy fashion, but sadly, Tom has not. There's no way to beat around this look and avoid calling it what it is; pointless. The concerning lack of actual clothes leaves us with little to talk about, and without a strong concept to back it up, this look sits blandly as a reminder that sex might sell but it certainly does not excel. If I have to see one more bitch think they're reinventing the wheel and pulling a stunt by showing up in next to nothing, I'm urged to kindly inform them that I already did it 6 years ago and the wick was almost burnt out by then - in 2022 this is nothing more than lazy, stale, and tiresome.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS;
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CARLI |
Sticking to the classics was Carli in a deeply dramatic ensemble inspired by Alexander McQueens infamous Horn of Plenty Fall 2009 show, by Ana Blum. With a colour palette and styling choices comparable to that of an oil slick, Carli spills out into the moonlit backdrop with exquisite poise.
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MARIA |
Clad in leather and cheetah print excellence, Maria plays the part of a high balling Italian mob wife in this arresting ensemble of Prada and Roberto Cavalli with customised Balenciaga hourglass bag, by themselves. Touching on two of fashions most prolific leatherworkers, Maria juxtaposed a sickening leather trench with spotted undergarments and accessories perfectly.
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MARTHA |
Looking camp right in the eye in a stunning Las Vegas worthy flamingo inspired gown, by Lullih, Martha brought what I can only describe as high drag to the carpet and blurred the lines between fashion and fantasy with a bubblegum flavoured boldness. Unafraid to surrender unto a young girly girls princess fantasy but slanting into the theme so seamlessly, this look is purely just fun to look at and fills me with immense joy.
**
ECO certainly put on a fun show, but the long absence of SDFB events called for something to pull us back in to the riveting culture of it all, and the night itself was missing the meat of a juicy event. But, fear not, as plenty more events are right around the corner, and if the stars align I might just flap my jaws for those too...
Until then, though, I am crawling back into the decrepit cave in which I came from to peer out of from the shadows once again.
Jailer x
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