Electrified Bride in the News

Hey!  I made the paper.  Photo by Erin O. Smith in the TimesFreePress and on line.  When you get to old to pull off a princess, you have to be more creative in your costuming.  The Electrified Bride is my cross over (mash up) Classic monster / Steam Punk.  It's always quite surprising how many people love this idea. 

Jeff and I are always looking for inspiration for new costumes.  Sometimes, it comes from the most unusual places.  Last year, I was working on school play costumes at Beauty & the Beast while watching the Saturday morning movie on TBS.  I didn't notice it was the 2004 Van Helsing movie when it came on, but I got all excited about the black and white close up of a Frankenstein's monster in thick boots with gears and hard wear on them.  It hit me, STEAM PUNK MONSTERS! 

The Bride of Frankenstein was my obvious choice for a number of reasons.   First off, she is pretty much the only iconic female monster.  After a bad car wreck when I was 16 years old, I went through my Senior year of high school with so many scars on my face and neck that I was frequently compared to the Bride.  Also, now that I'm getting older, I suffer from joint issues in my lower body which causes stiffness and limping.... PERFECT!  Finally, this was a costume that would allow most of my physical issues to enhance the characterization, instead of being a hindrance.

Since Dr. Frankenstein captured electricity from lightning to reanimate corpses, the Electrified Bride is 'powered' by her Tony Stark knock off chest implant.  Leg and arm braces help her move.  Electrodes moved to the temples store up power in the high hair, helping to circulate blood flow through implants in the forehead. 

Jeff Stringer jumped on the idea saying that he would love to do a Steam Punk Leatherface.  The chainsaw would be a perfect prop.  He chose a more classic, Victorian Adventurer steam punk look.

Steam Powered Sawyer, (Leather Face's sir name) sports his iconic mask made of patchwork human faces with enhancement monocle.  His chainsaw is powered by a small boiler on his back pack.  Leatherface protects his dapper clothing with a human skin apron and face knee pads.  Several trophies, including his 'Lovie' adorn his attire.

Christopher Fugate, being a huge Freddy Kruger fan, knew instantly which part he would play.  Freddy's iconic hat and the fact that he is known to change 'costume' from time to time, but always keeps the red and green stripes somewhere on his attire, Chris decided to go with a Western flair.

Clock Work Kruger sports a wider brimmed fedora and duster styled coat over his classic colored vest suggesting his familiar sweater.  All of his buttons have been replaced with gears.  His claw hand now extends all the way up to the shoulder with wind up clockwork motion.  Just in case his prey moves out of claw range, he now has a wild west revolver as a side arm.

Denim & Diamonds Ball

The annual Denim & Diamonds Ball is this Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014!  This gala event has been growing like gang busters over the years.  Rumor has it that they are already sold out.  This year's theme is Roaring 20's and attendees are encouraged to dress the part.  A lot of amazing people have been coming to Beauty and the Beast for costumes and accessories.  If the rest of the group are half as much fun as the people we've seen, this party should be a blast! 

Mardi Gras Gala

Looking for a fun way to celebrate Mardi Gras in the Chattanooga area AND feel good about where your money is going?  Check out the Mardi Gras Gala to benefit for the Chambliss Center for Children.  It will be held on March 1st, 7 pm until 11 pm at the Loose Cannon Gallery.   Tickets are $60 - $70 which includes food, drinks and other amenities.  It will be a great night of music, beads and masks.  All proceeds go to help provide a safe, loving day care for abused children in the Chattanooga area. 

Ordering for Halloween

Most people think that February would be a slow time for a costume shop.... but really is not.  February is the time when Independent Costume Retailers across the country are pouring over catalogs trying to decide what to buy and stock for the full year.  As the purchasing agent, this is the most mentally taxing time of year at Beauty and the Beast Costumes.  It is my job to predict what my customers will want in the coming year and to spend my budget wisely on items customers will want, that will be priced within their budgets.  I also have to try to predict what national chain stores will carry and sell at or below my wholesale prices so that I can avoid direct competition with the buying power of Walmart.

Beauty and the Beast is the only full service, all year around shop dedicated to Costumes in a 200 mile radius of Chattanooga, TN.  We are not only a family run and oriented shop, we are also a 100% female run business.  As manager and purchasing agent, I try to insure that our inventory reflects our belief that women are always ladies, from the cradle to the grave.  Flipping through catalogs, it saddens me how many companies follow the "Mean Girls" attitude that Halloween is nothing but Dress Slutty Day. 

While I believe it is completely a young woman's choice what she wears and what makes her feel good about herself, I don't think that always means wearing animal ears with an outfit from Fredrick's.  It simply means that I think someone needs to offer women a choice to wear something else.  Not all young women feel comfortable in skimpy costumes and many more adult women are attending parties where such outfits are not appropriate.   Beauty and the Beast Costumes strives to serve the often overlooked majority of women who are desperately seeking costumes that 'cover all their assets.'

At Beauty and the Beast, we cater to women who prefer sassy, fun costumes over sexually explicit designs.  While we will never judge anyone for what they want to wear, we understand there are plenty of places where you can buy sexier costumes.  As a woman who buys costumes to sell and sews costumes to rent, I will always strive to give my customers what they really want, not what a male dominated industry wants to push on us.

ABBA House will be performing Peter Pan, Junior next week.  I know this is short notice, but if you can get there, it will be worth the effort.  While Beauty and the Beast is not providing the costumes for this play, my inside track tells me they have hired a professional group to come in and do the Flying Rigs!  This is rarely seen in the Chattanooga area for an amateur production.

There are two performances:

Friday, February 7 • 7:00pm  - General Admission Show - $5
Saturday, February 8 • 6:30pm - Dinner Theatre & a limited number of General Admission seats
(Show is at 7:15pm)

Hierarchy of Costuming

I, the poster, Susan Stringer, have been attending Science Fiction / Fantasy / Horror conventions for over 30 years.  I even did a few years in the SCA attending Renaissance Fairs, etc.  While I did ok as a single contestant, I didn't really start winning until I married my best friend and costuming partner, Jeff.  Over the last 27 years, he and I have won more masquerade / costume contest awards than I can count, though not as many as some of my peers whom I greatly admire.  One could say I've been around the block a few times.

Jeff hates the term "Cosplay" as he feels like it's just slapping a new name on what we've been doing since before most Cosplayers were born... and then pretending like it's something brand new.  Personally, I'm all for people having fun dressing up and never letting go of that inner child who isn't satisfied to just read a book, play a game or watch a movie - we want to BE those characters... even if its just make believe for a little while.  I don't really care what you call it.

In my mind, there IS a Hierarchy of Costuming.

Masqueraders  are the people who not only construct our own costumes, but we also wear them in competition.  Old School Masquerades demanded that the Masquerader not only be able to design and produce a costume, they also had to be able to tell the story of their character in less than one minute on stage, without talking!  This involved the ability to select and edit mood music as well as a bit of acting or at least creative movement that complimented your costume.

Even in this category, there are levels.  The ICG says that a Novice is a person who has never won a major award at World Con or Costume Con.  A Journeyman is a person who has won once or twice.  After your 3rd win, you move up to Master. 

My dear friend Joe Phillips was the only Instant Master winning three awards at his first World Con.  After that, the rules were changed to read "One as a Novice + Two as a Journeyman."  All of us who know Joe will always love him for being that one and only Instant Master.

Costumers are people who build and construct costumes, either for themselves or for others.  They may or may not enter contests. These are the back bone of creativity.  Any idiot with a fat wallet can join the 501st if they shell out the big bucks to buy someone else's work.  Costumers do their own designs or copy established characters.  Recreation Costuming is, in my opinion, as hard if not harder than creating your own designs.  First, you have to figure out how to construct a costume that may have never been done in real life, like CGI or animated items.  Secondly, it has to be done on a limited budget, not a Hollywood "see how much you can pad the bottom line" budget.  Plus, if you get anything wrong - every one who sees it will KNOW it's wrong!

Cosplayers are people who wear costumes and enjoy pretending to be their characters.  They may or may not have constructed their costumes and may or may not enter contests.  Old School term for that was "Hall Costumer".   Regardless of the term to describe them, or the Cosplayer's ability to construct or assemble their costumes, they are an essential part of the modern Science Fiction / Fantasy / Anime convention.  Almost all news coverage of any event will show the Cosplayers because they are the most fun, most imaginative and most visible members of the Convention Community.

What are we doing at Chattacon?

This poster, Susan Stringer and husband Jeff Stringer will be doing a two costuming panels at Chattacon 39, this weekend.  While it might be a little late to change your plans to attend, you might want to drop by and see us if you are going.

Saturday 2pm - Finely room
Masquerade to Cosplay

While I may have to shove a sock in Jeff's mouth because he detests the term "Cosplay"... We will be representing the old school masqueraders.  Jeff has a video presentation that we will be showing bits and pieces of classic presentations as we discuss how Masquerades used to be a platform to tell the story of your costumed character in 1 minute or less, without saying a word.  The other panelists will be explaining Cosplay - as we used to call that "Hall Costuming" before most Cosplayers were born.  Perhaps we can all come to a better understanding without any chairs being thrown.  Maybe not.  You'll have to attend and find out.

Saturday 4pm - Town Hall Theater
How do I make this? - Advanced 3D Costuming

As the topic implies, this one is basically a DIY discussion.  If you seen it around, someone on this panel should be able to tell you how it's done.  I know that Jeff and I have dabbled in so many different mediums for building costumes, constructing props, making masks, doing amateur wiring, we've probably tried everything at least once.  We're just as happy to tell you about the projects that failed as the ones that succeeded, feel free to learn from our mistakes.  It is our belief that you'll never learn anything new if you don't TRY - so get out of the kiddy pool and jump into some heavy duty art forms.  Costuming isn't crafting!  It's serious work, and the most fun you'll ever have destroying your home and probably your budgets.... but think of the satisfaction you'll have posing for photos.

Jeff is going to Culver Street to pick out some props for this one.  Be afraid.  Be Very Afraid!  He could drag out anything. 

So, you don't know who "The Stringers" are?  That's our family photo.  Left to right Jeff Stringer, Chris Fugate, Jake Stringer and Susan Stringer.