Interview to...: Kai Le Cross from "Velvet Rose Designs"

A new victim for a new interview. This time we introduce you a gothic clothes designer from New York City and his beautiful creations. His name is Kai Le Cross and his shop is called Velvet Rose Designs.

How was the idea of Velvet Rose Designs born? 

I wanna start by saying thank you much for taking the time to interview me and my works. The idea for Velvet Rose Designs (VRD) was a show process that started 3 years ago when I was making small drawings and concept art designs on fashion. Not being sure what career path I wanted to venture on after being a preschool teacher I simply knew I wanted to have my own business and put my creativity to good use.

 Why did you call it Velvet Rose?

Oh wow,  I sat down for a really long time coming up with different names. I'm not good with title names to be honest and this had to sound good, something that speaks for itself. Had to sound dark but elegant and beautiful. Many gothic designs are velvet, lace, spiked and pretty dark. After 3 days on mixing names together Velvet Rose Designs was born on a scrap paper. This is something I started alone and from scratch, ambition first ideas second.

Kai Le Cross, the creative mind behind Velvet Rose Designs

 What inspires you to create these works of art?

Dreams inspire me, I feel my best designs come from a good nap. I can block the world out and dream something up. But I get inspiration from anime, j-rock, Lolita and comic books. Other things that inspire me much are sci-fi shows, some of my favorite are Farscape and Defiance. I'm really big on Cosplay so I have admiration for people who get out there own stuff cause you never know where that can lead to.

 How vast is the goth scene in your area?

Its pretty big out here when it comes to parties, I can admit its not the way it was years ago because of the change of times and everyone has a spin on everything. But there is always your true traditional goths you having walking down the street especially around Saint Marks. The only thing I fear for the goth scene is that it would become one of Nicki Minaj, Lil' Wayne's or Lady Gaga's horrible fashion trends as if we're new to the world. 

 Is there a strong "black goth" community where you live? Are they integrated with the "white goths"?

It's very diverse when it comes to being black and goth, some people didn't even know that existed. There are many "scene" kids around which people totally get the two confused but hell, who am I to correct someone. I reside in NYC see so when it comes to a goth scene you have black, white and hispanic goths; not as many black but we're there. Maybe you can call that something special.

Kai Le Cross 

 Which are the creations of VRD that you are most proud of and why. 

I like my Lolita/Victorian designs the most, reason why it is such a interesting mixture that can go in many directions. Like my Kimono dresses, I start with a traditional kimono look and finish it off with old victorian designs. These here are some of my favorites. They have there own elegance thats brings them to life.

Do you work alone or are there also other people working and creating for VRD?

I did it alone from making the clothing to educating myself on getting a business license even making the website which I really enjoyed doing. I didn't go to school of fashion or any of this stuff, I was suppose to be a electrical engineer, I'm really familiar with science. My family shows no interest to support what I do but my girlfriend and great customers pushes me to keep up what I do. In a way I feel I owe it to the Goth community to strive everyday to do better, because its people like us that keep it alive.

Any other thing you would like to say or add?

Whatever your creative goal is just go for it whether people support you or not, you're not hurting anyone you just want your creativity to flourish, for us in the goth community thats difficult sometimes, we are not just dark sadness. Peace, Love and Beauty.

For more info visit:

Website: www.velvetrosedesigns.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kailecross

Facebook Business: https://www.facebook.com/VelvetRoseDesigns

"Dark Shadows" Inspired Make-up Tutorial

A very nice gothic make-up tutorial video by make-up artist Charisma Star. This one in particular is inspired by movie Dark Shadows! 

Enjoy! 

The Lake of Death and its victims: the macabre side of nature.

The Lake of Death turns the animals that bathe in its water into statues of salt.

 Photo © Nick Brandt

Animals that are immersed remain calcified , no one knows what the cause.

According to Dante (author of Divine Commedy), the Styx is not just a river, but a vast swamp deadly that fills the entire fifth circle of hell , and in which the wrathful are immersed and the slothful submerged . Maybe some of us will see it when it is our time, but , until then, Lake Natron in northern Tanzania does a good job to illustrate the vision of Alighieri.

 

 Photo © Nick Brandt

Unless you are an "alkaline tilapia" - a fish that is well adapted to the extreme conditions - the lake is not the best place to live. The temperatures can reach 60 ° C , and its alkalinity is between pH 9 and pH 10.5.

Photo © Nick Brandt

The lake takes its name from the natron , a natural compound made ​​primarily from carbonate hydrate of sodium that has accumulated in the valley of the Great Rift volcanic ash . Animals that are immersed in the water die and remain calcified , they look like real pillars of salt .

Photo © Nick Brandt

Photographer Nick Brandt, who lived in East Africa for years- and has directed the video for Michael Jackson's ' Earth Song ' in 1995 - was impressed when he discovered perfectly preserved birds and bats on the shoreline . "I could not help but photograph them , " he says. " Nobody knows for sure how to die , but it seems that the highly reflective surface of the lake is mistaking them , as when birds crashed into the windows, and fall into the lake."

Photo © Nick Brandt

When the salt islands appear on the lake , flamingos take the opportunity to nest - but it's a big risk , as you can see from the pictures of the birds calcified . The animals were all put posing by the photographer."

info taken from: leggilo.net (originally written in Italian)