DeliciouslyDark.com

New models that are Deliciously Dark!

2008-08-07T05:19:00.003-05:00

Welcome Rachael Death (seated) and Suicidal Bliss to the Deliciously Dark model family! We met up in Houston after many months of scheduling roadblocks and finally got to shoot. Jerry Rogers was on hand for Hair and Makeup and we appreciate his expertise that was added to the mix.
These young ladies are working on their own collection of fashions that one day we at DD hope to carry in the store. But college and other present commitments take up their time for now. Look through the store to see them in a few of our dresses, and watch for more pics in the model Gallery soon.

The Great Theda Bara

2008-06-10T06:04:00.005-05:00

Theda Bara

by Luna Darkstar

Silent film star Theda Bara may have died in 1955, but today, her beauty and legacy as an actress and woman stay strong, especially among gothic women.

Born Theodosia Burr Goodman, Bara was born on July 29, 1885 in Avondale, Ohio where she grew up in a humble Jewish family. During her adolescence, Bara became interested in theatre. After high school, she dyed her blonde hair black and pursued her passion. She moved to New York City and landed her first acting role on stage in "The Devil" in 1908. Then, in 1911, she performed on tour and returned to New York in 1914, where she went to various casting calls. It wasn't long until she was hired as an extra for a film called "The Stain" (1914), but the International Movie Database states that she was so far in the background that she cannot truly be seen. Fortunately, she excelled in taking direction, and that along with her determination earned her a major role as a vampire in "A Fool There Was" (1915). Thanks to this film, the role of "the vamp" was born. Starting with this film, Bara often played sexy femme fatales who lead innocent men to their doom. She was the antithesis to Mary Pickford, "America's sweetheart" of the silent film era. Along with the birth of the vamp came the birth of "the fabricated star." IMDB stated, "publicists sent out press releases that Theda was the daughter of an artist and
an Arabian princess, and that 'Theda Bara' was an anagram for 'Arab Death'--a far cry from her upbringing in Cincinnati" ("Theda Bara"). Bara also became well-known for her fearlessness. Not only did she play nontraditional female roles, but she also photographed willingly with snakes and skulls. After signing a contract with Fox Studios to make several more films, Bara played more vamps, including one of her most famous roles as Cleopatra in the film of the same title in 1917. In 1918, Bara wrote and starred in "The Soul of Buddha."

In 1919, after seven films, her contract with Fox ended. In 1921, she married director Charles Brabin and made one last film in 1926 called "Madame Mystery." Afterwards, she retired from films permanently (IMDB). She died of stomach cancer in Los Angeles on April 13, 1955. Bara will always be remembered as the first vamp, the first sex icon of cinema. With her dark hair and dramatic, alluring eyes, Bara gained attention of both men and women alike. She was strong, fearless, and rebellious. Theda described herself as "[having] the face of a vampire but the heart of a feminist." Throughout her career in silent films, she knew all too well how those in the movie industry were willing to exaggerate and flat-out lie to earn a profit and win the heart of the public. Wikipedia points out that to enhance her appearance as exotic and mysterious, Bara was encouraged to talk about mysticism and the occult in interviews. The public itself was oblivious to reality. Bara recalled that people thought that the characters she played on screen was the way Bara herself was like in real life. There was no distinction between the personality of the actress and the personality of her movie characters. Today, goths continue to pay homage to Bara's voluptuous curves, dark hair, and smoldering eyes and often are mimicked by other women. It is obvious that countless Cleopatra costumes were inspired by Bara's revealing and exotic wardrobe on screen. The legacy of Theda Bara is as bewitching as her gaze.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Theda-bara-cleopatra.jpg

Works Cited:
Unknown, "Theda Bara," International Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000847/bio

Unknown, "Theda Bara," Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theda_Bara

New Blog Contributor!

2008-05-30T18:59:00.003-05:00

It is with great pleasure that we at Deliciously Dark, present a new contributor to the blog! Luna Darkstar will be helping us fill the spaces of the blog with content that surely will be of interest.

To get to know Luna a little better, we included a self written explanation of how she looks at “Gothic life and the ideas embraced by the Gothic culture--darkness, beauty, intellect, horrors, wonders, and mysteries”.

“Most people do not understand why Goths are so fascinated with these things, but really, it's very simple. Albert Einstein said it best with, "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious." While everyone has different opinions on this, my personal belief is that the very basic essences of all things gothic are life and the infinite unknowns it possesses. We dwell on death so that we may appreciate life more and embrace each day. Darkness is symbolic of the unknown. Should we fear it? Should we welcome it? The great thing about the unknown is that it is open to interpretation. Life is what we make it. The unknown is what we make of it. Do we shape the world, or does the world shape us?

Luna Darkstar earned an Associates degree in liberal arts from Volunteer State Community College, then moved on to recently graduating from Austin Peay State University, with a Bachelor’s in communication arts.

She has many ideas and goals for herself now that the majority of her schooling is out of the way, “I would like to find a job that isn’t retail, for I have not the personality for it”, Luna says.
She also would like to form a Goth band, perform in theater, start up a Gothic radio station, and start her own magazine.
Luna likes to read, she sings, and is learning to play piano. She enjoys crafts, her pets, and like most of us, surfs the internet and does research.

We thank Luna for her time and talent and looking forward to reading many pieces from her.
Her first article will run Tuesday, June 3rd. Watch for it! - DD

The eyes say it all!

2008-04-29T06:00:00.004-05:00

There are many things that a person notices when they meet you on the street. And the old saying about "first impressions are everything", still holds true. You can have on the latest, greatest clothing, expensive jewelry, stylish accessories, and the coolest shoes-but what do most people look at when they talk to you? Your eyes.
The eyes should be where you spend the most time when putting on your face. Those eyes of yours will spend most of their time making what you say believable when you speak. They will speak volumes to others, yet you can never actually "hear" your eyes. In fact, the eyes speak more than you do, and can be an extension of who you are. The eyes are also the base factor of most all facial expressions. Pass by someone in the store and give them the old "dagger look", and your eyes have said loudly, "stay away!" Use the "come hither look", (like Lilith's photo above) and possibly you will attract much attention, and most likely be asked for your phone number.
Figure out what you want to say with your eyes and do a little research. There are many sites available that will show you ways of applying makeup that will compliment the color and shape of your eyes, and help them "tell your story".
After all the makeup is done, you still have to use your eyes to your advantage. Eye contact with the person whom you're speaking is critical, and be aware of what your eyes are telling people even when your lips are not moving.

Your fashion statement...is it your own?

2008-04-03T18:46:00.002-05:00

One thing that is so cool about the Gothic style of fashion (a broad term used here) - you can take many different items, types, and styles of items and combine them to make something totally your own. It just works. I have heard comments from some that note how the colors and styles clash sometimes, but I am of different opinion. The colors can actually clash by the way of the color wheel, but somehow, the person that puts it together in a special way just makes it happen. It says something about who they are. They are different in many ways, so they show it on the outside by what they wear. It shows independence, creativity and backbone.

As far as style goes, that is the reason new styles are created, and not usually because someone planned it that way. It happens because someone threw on one of these, a little of that, topped off by this color and that accessory. Something that has not been done before soon becomes something that everyone wants!

The Do It Yourselfer is a thrifty person usually. And that person, sometimes from necessity or sometimes from the need to create, makes something that may or may not be already available. When this happens, a certain amount of personality shines through in the finished product. That is probably why designers are known by the handiwork, and overall appearance. It is of their style and people recognize it.

So get busy throwing things together that haven’t been together before, accessorize with outrageous items, combine colors together that would make art teacher cringe. Something just may turn out. You’ll never know until you try. Of course, in our store, there are plenty items that could make your creation Deliciously Dark!

2008-03-28T05:29:00.007-05:00

We have 2 new models added to our growing line up! Welcome Dawn the Butcher and Abra Cadavra. We shot in Dallas along with Spade, a current Deliciously Dark model and got some really great photos.

Abra Cadavra is a tall, beautiful blond, that is currently in college in Illinois. She brought a level of experience and poise to the shoot that was awesome. She has a very professional attitude towards modeling, and between clicks of the shutter, very cool to chat with. When you get to know Abra Cadavra, you will not soon forget her. We hope to see her again this summer and shoot more!

Dawn the Butcher has a reputation that proceeds her as a

Makeup artist. She is widely known as the premier MUA for horror, and zombie related shoots. Carrying everything she needs in suitcases to locations, she can effortlessly and promptly transform models to whatever look is needed. She has worked on many photo shoots and film projects. She has a long list of credentials that got her to where she is today. Dawn is very knowledgeable, talented, experienced , flexible and fun.

Spade was also at this shoot, and it is always great
to have return models on the set. Spade has a certain charm about her that we continue to find new and fresh each time we shoot. Also a college student, Spade finds time to pose for us and we truly appreciate her and her beautiful look (as we hope you do too!). She has plans for traveling early this summer, and when she returns we plan to shoot again.

We shot each individually, then together, and by the end of our 7 hour shoot, all three were together and we had fun shooting as it it turned to true craziness! Great fun, and we look forward to many more shoots with all three ladies.

All three of these ladies, as you can tell, are Deliciously Dark!

The Gargoyle - A double duty peice of artwork.

2008-03-08T06:18:00.006-06:00

The word "gargoyle" derives from the Old French gargouille, which means "throat". It was used for draining rainwater from atop buildings, like a downspout of a gutter system used today. At the same time this item was used for a real purpose, and since it was on top of buildings, why not make it ornamental .
Of course there are many theories on why they were the grotesque creatures that we see, but the fact is, that this "plumbing" item was used as far back as Greek times for ornate architecture and resembled the "gods" of that day. The statues were usually carved from stone and were guardians of riches.
In later times , the pieces would change and evolve as any artwork will. Under the hand of the artist's mallet and chisel, each reflected the artist's own idea of what the piece meant to them. The gargoyles would be icons of security as they were fashioned more ugly than the evil spirits they were meant to ward off. With open mouths that were meant to
swallow evil, they sat watchful over many buildings and still do today. Gargoyles are not used much in today's newarchitecture, but are still sought out by many as decoration, and with no doubt, still observing some of the "power" it holds.

Our gargoyle stands 15 inches tall and is made from a solid stryofoam. It is painted to resemble stone, and wil be a great addition to your dark decor.
A Link to the 15" Gargoyle (shown above) at DeliciouslyDark.com

Retro Crazy!

2008-03-01T18:05:00.006-06:00

Model -Lou

Model - Haven

When we saw this dress, we instantly thought "retro". As you can see, it looks looks cool with fishnets or with boots! We try to choose items that will fit different styles and looks. you make it your own with the items you put along with it! It's all about being an individual.

Go directly to Retro Crazy! at DeliciouslyDark.com to purchase.

2008-02-20T14:39:00.003-06:00

We are open! Wow, it has been a long time coming, and a lot of work, but we think that you will enjoy the site. The above picture was shot yesterday and there will be more coming from this shoot on the gallery soon. Lilith is always a pleasure to shoot and we hope to do it again! Check out the store and browse around. We are proud of what we have accomplished, but it always can be better. It will never really be "finished". See something that we have overlooked? Let us know!

Delay in Store Opening

2008-02-18T03:44:00.002-06:00

Last Wednesday was the projected launch date for DeliciouslyDark.com, but there were a few issues with the shopping cart so we decided to wait just a little more while we iron out the bugs. We nly want to provide the best service for the customer and want the site to be user friendly. It may take a little more time, but it will be worth it we think.

The model gallery is up and we would like to point you to that portion of the site to take another look at the the models we use for the store. We are proud to be associated with these ladies, and hopefully they will gain some exposure from being a part of the site.

Hopefully, the store will be up in just a couple more days. We are just about ready (again). There are a few tests to make, and if all goes well, the store will go live.

Thanks for keeping up with us, and we look forward to seeing you as a customer of DeliciouslyDark.com

Feb. 13 is getting closer!

2008-02-04T23:43:00.001-06:00

A few new items to look over!

We are feverishly getting things wrapped up for the opening on the 13th. With most all the items input into the store, we are almost to the test mode to make sure all goes well with the shopping cart and check out procedures.
We are happy with the way the site is taking shape, and anxious to get some feedback from you! Thanks to all who have contributed so far. We appreciate the hard work by the models also!
There will be more news when we get a little closer to the 13th.

Grand Opening Date February 13th!

2008-01-26T19:33:00.003-06:00

We have finally set the date to "open the doors" for business. The web store DeliciouslyDark.com has a totally new look from what it is now, and we are proud (as well as exhausted) to say it's almost finished. There will be photos of our models on almost every page, as well as the product photos.

If you have a MySpace page we would hope that you would go to ours and add us! It's another way to see what is going on with us and even chat with us if you like. There is no telling what time day or night we may be online-so check us out! You can go to http://myspace.com/deliciouslydark

Come see us on February 13th!

More views through our lens!

2008-01-19T09:18:00.000-06:00

We are still working on photography for the store, and have had the opportunity to work with some really great people. We are getting closer to our opening date, which will be revealed early next week. Once the store is open, you will get to see much more of these models, and of course, the items they are modeling will be available in the store.

Model - Raven

Model - Lou

Model - Haven

New Models!

2008-01-14T10:56:00.000-06:00

Model - SpadeModel- Nikki
Model - Rose

Over the weekend we were busy with more photography. These ladies were awesome, and it is always a pleasure working with such beauty. Look for more photos in the coming days!

Cool Item !

2007-12-28T05:26:00.000-06:00

This unique candle holder will add to your room's decor, and serves a purpose also. This taper holder stands about 7 inches tall and is detailed quite nicely with the painted fingernails and the faux fingerless glove. Since black taper candles were hard to find at our local superstore, we went with the red, and it goes rather perfect with the holder.
We are interested to see how many people paint over the red fingernails with black!

Cool Item of the Day!

2007-12-26T06:23:00.001-06:00

This headband has a bit of fright, and femininity built in. Our model Raven tried it on, and we think it went perfect with the look she has! Topped with a skull, this headband shows what you're made of...

Season's Greetings! / Cool Product!

2007-12-24T06:09:00.000-06:00

We wanted you to see this great necklace that will surely sparkle with even the slightest light on it.
It has a slightly heavy, almost regal look to it, and is shaped quite nicely.

As you can see on this second photo, it will look lovely around your neck, and goes well with something dark, but its look is not "too much" or gaudy.
The spiders are linked together and form a V which hangs beautifully around our model's neck. (model-Lilith)

Keep watching for more sneak peeks at our inventory that will be available online soon!

For whatever holiday you celebrate, we hope you have a good one and or maybe at least take advantage of the day off and do some relaxing. You probably need it, as all of us do from time to time.

DeliciouslyDark Girls!

2007-12-17T08:35:00.000-06:00

Model - Betty Bourdeaux

Model - Nikki

Model - Raven

Model - Lilith

We have been busy with photography for the store and the gallery these last few days, and we decided to give you a hint of what we have up to.

The models were absolutely great to work with. It was tough sometimes trying to get the shot just right...the hair and makeup fuss...standing in heels for a long time...but these ladies were all business, and I think we all had a good time while we worked. Thank you ladies!

I want to thank all of the models personal assistants for their help and support of the models. Thanks also to David and Shasta from "Reflections" in Palestine for the hair and make up work on Betty Bourdeaux.

We are still working on the website (which will look different than it does now) and photography. Yes, it is taking a little time , but we think that it will be worth the effort later.

If you are in the East Texas area, or even Houston or DFW, we might could use you as a model. Go to DeliciouslyDark.com and see the Model Search page for more details.

Seeing Progress

2007-12-07T01:09:00.000-06:00

Calling Writers
Are you a writer? Do you like to write dark stories, reviews, How-To's, Would you like to have your work published? DeliciouslyDark.com is looking for these items and will listen to ideas on other pieces for our blog. Drop us an email about what you would like to submit and we'll review it.

We are seeing progress! The DeliciouslyDark.com is coming along nicely. What you see now is not what you'll see when we go live. It has been totally revamped (sorry for the pun, couldn't resist. Dec 14th through 19th we will be super busy with photography. We have some great models lined up to slip into our cool clothing and costumes and get their picture taken. We are thinking of posting some bios or doing an interview with the models so you can get to know them. We are sure that you will find these ladies most interesting and also probably a lot like you.

New Inventory Showing Up!

2007-11-23T19:38:00.001-06:00

We have had new inventory show up and today, and we ordered even more! This one was the big order, with all the really cool stuff. It was like a birthday party opening boxes and seeing what was inside when the first shipments rolled in.
Now on to the photography. We are setting up shoots for models now so we can get the new pics up ASAP and open the doors! We are getting impatient. We are ready to let the rest of you see what we see.
Hopefully everyone had a good Holiday and did not stuff themselves (like we did). After Christmas we will be opening the doors for business, but we can't reveal the date yet.
If you are interested in modeling, or know someone in the East Texas area that would like to model-let us know or send them our way! There are some great advantages from modeling for us!
Go to DeliciouslyDark.com and see the model search page for more details.

Finding Models

2007-11-07T23:31:00.000-06:00

We finally have the site up and everything is working pretty well so far, but there is much to do yet. We ordered some product today and when it hits the door we will start on the photography. We have found a few models but are till looking for more.

Our starting inventory will consist of long and short dresses, some being the retro/pin up style and the romantic goth/vamp style. There are tops and skirts too. There will be accessories and hosiery, a few pretty cool handbags and so much more. We are excited to get things moving forward and will be glad when we can actually "open the doors" for business!

If you are interested in modeling, go to the DeliciouslyDark.com site and see the Model Search section. There are plenty of details on submitting your pics to us for acceptance.

Moday is a comin'!

2007-11-05T02:03:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is Monday! Hopefully will get some kinks worked out of the web site with the hosting company. Email needs some work too. But when it gets cleared up, the site will start taking shape quickly.

We will be searching for models soon! When the site is up, there will be many details on modeling for DeliciouslyDark,com. We can tell you this, it will be TFCD which means time for CD. The models time is paid for in a CD with the photos. The model can use them for personal promotion but not commercially (can't sell them ) There are more details on the site with directions on how to send pics for us to select the models from. Keep Watching!

Problems with the server.

2007-11-02T22:45:00.001-05:00

We have pages ready to upload to the server, but no luck on the server recognizing the files. Frustrating, and I'm sure this isn't the first time this has happened. Once all the technical stuff is out of the way (and working right), we will move on to bigger and better things. I'm waiting for the fun part!

The fun part? Yeah, that is when we get to do contests, showcase some models, even do some arts and craft items! We will be doing product photography soon and we will be shooting video also. The video will be a "behind the scenes" look at the shoot with some original music. It will give you some insight into the model and what it takes to model. (It isn't that easy).

There are tons of people that would love to start modeling, so we will give some tips and hints on how to go about it. We will start our gallery when we start shooting and add to it as we go along.

Question of the day- What type of clothing do you look for, but are not finding in stores or online? Any style, color, etc that you could tell us helps us bring you what you want. Buying clothing just to stock our store is not really about the customer is it? We want to find out what you, the customer wants, and bring it to you! Send us an email or comment here with your wish list or ideas on what we should bring into our store. Without you, the customer, we have no purpose for being here.

The site is coming along!

2007-11-02T02:00:00.000-05:00

We spent another rather long day working on the store today. It's finally getting the look we are wanting. It will be an ongoing work, but that is half the fun I suppose. It's all about creating something that will be useful!

DeliciouslyDark.com will be sponsoring Metal Fest 07 in Palestine, Texas this year. And even though our store is not open we hope that people will take note of who we are and give us a look.

Hopefully will have the site up for testing in a couple of days!

Building the Store

2007-10-31T22:25:00.000-05:00

We have spent about 8 hours today working on the store and setting up emails. Very time consuming and our eyes are bloodshot from staring into the screens before us. Just a quick thought-we probably have another 100 hours of work to do yet before we go live. (ug) That's not to mention the product photography, setting up shipping accounts, and many other things to do. We are dedicated though!
We are working on so many projects at one time that it is hard not to miss something. But, soon we will have a trial video to check out some links and the "look" of the blog and the site. Keep checking back!

Opening a new Gothic Clothing Store On-line

2007-10-31T00:38:00.000-05:00

Yes, another Gothic clothing store is about to emerge online. The store is called DeliciouslyDark.com. We are buying our stock and preparing to input our inventory and hopefully will be up and running Feruary1, 2008. It takes a lot of thought and effort to start an online store and we want this to fulfill a need out there. That need is AFFORDABLE gothic clothing for women.

There is much to do and we also hope to present our products in a cool way, which will also be an outlet for our own creativity. Our photography is done in house and will serve up some local aspiring models in our East Texas Area.

We will write when we can and get this ball rolling soon enough. Be patient, we think it will be worth it when it all comes together.