TRIBE costume viewing.. the aftermath

Costume viewing for TRIBE’s 2008 presentation “Myths and Magic” started off very early with a sizeable crowd arriving at Cascadia promptly at 1pm. There was a slight delay as last minute fixings held patrons back from the viewing area for a few minutes, and then all waiting patiently were let in. Most of the costumes are up, I was told Frontlines will all be up on Monday, the only frontline costume on show was Lady of the Lake and I got a peek of the Goddess of the Chase headpiece which is just as amazingly fabulous as it looked on the night of the launch.

I have to say all the costumes looked exactly like the do in the photos when I saw them live; they did not disappoint upon closer inspection and in fact some of the details changed my opinion on costumes I initially did not like that much. Isis option B, the purple and fuchsia costume, is one of those that was not my favourite but in person the detail on the bra and belt looks divine. I also like the accessories like the foot pieces and the vibrancy of the colours in this one. The purple and fuchsia looks a bit like Mystique with the headpiece having more fuchsia feathers. Isis frontline is very heavily embellished, the bra, belt and headpiece covered in coloured stones set in gold. The headpiece does not look as tall as it did on the models but I guess once it is on it will give that expansive effect.

Silver Mist has an interesting detail on the bra which is covered in grey fur and silver “metal”, the belt has silver beads with silver &white cords falling to the front, not rhinestones as I initially thought. Amazingly it did not look as skimpy as it did on the model hanging on the wall. Goddess of the Chase is funky, the bra and underwear is made of shiny red “pleather”, with the belt having a suede finish and decorated with beads, gold trim and a touch of orange stones. There are leather ties on the side of the belt, no Velcro. I like the shape of this belt as it is very skimpy; all the accessories on show come with the costume including ear rings. The headpiece has a touch of orange feathers among the red, burgundy and red pheasant feathers. Only one headpiece was on display though, as I mentioned before I saw the front line headpiece which is a MASS of coque feathers! Really, it is fully decorated and I can only hope that the actual headpiece is just as amazing as the prototype.

Both Almathea and Black Magic backline are richly decorated, Almathea definitely has a Grecian look with the style of the bra draping and falling to one side. The headpiece is actually a molded plastic to get the abstract shape which is decorated with rhinestones and white feathers. This costume has a very elegant and rich look about it that reminds me of the detail on Fancy Sailor this year. Black Magic’s headpiece is not as overwhelming as I thought it might be and, like Almathea, the detail on the belt is amazing.I like the beading used as well as the decorations on the bra which is simple but the silver and rhinestones contrast nicely with the stark black.

Sun Goddess is lovely in person, the shade of yellow is more of mustard, not too bright, that contrasts well with the bronze accents. The headpiece is nice, a familiar shape, but I thought it looked larger on the models than in person, reason being that it is flat as opposed to being fuller, so it gives the effect that it is smaller than when it is on. Autumn Sprite is one of the more outstanding costumes, I guess it is the colour combination and the wings that make it stand out. From my observation the wings look hand painted with a touch of glitter and stones. Overall the costume with the leaf accents, sequined appliqués and delicate beading on the bra looks great, putting it as one of my favourites.

Mythical India is another ornately decorated costume, with real “Indian” jewelry used as accessories. To me it was not one of the costumes that stood out as much as some of the others but it is a safe choice and is quite appealing in person. Just not as appealing to me some of the others. I think it is looking at the pieces separately, they just look ok but together it looks more complete as a set and rather attractive too. Only Mystique backline was on display and it is nice, love the shade of purple and the big, feathered headpiece but I changed my mind on the bra and belt, I prefer the frontline. The backline is also another skimpy costume, not much to it at all!

Butterfly Bliss is a very pretty costume, the type I can see on a young masquerader, I guess it is the colours of light green and blue. I adore the butterfly appliqués that are used as details on the bra and hand pieces. I also like the style of the belt and the fact that both the bra and belt are very well decorated. The wings look cute; I actually like them more than I like the wings for Titania. With the wings for Titania I thought they were a bit too simple; very, very light fabric was used in the construction and they look as if when on they will look almost invisible with no real impact. I know many people dislike the shade of pink but I happen to like it and I do not like pink. I love the pearl tiara of the headpiece and the feather collar looks as if it can be removed for those who do not want to wear it. The bra of itself is decorated in a style that reminds me of the Jamette bra option. The belt is also similar to Butterfly Bliss but I like the shape of it.

Lady of the Lake is gorgeous, but again I cannot say it was one of those that stood out immediately except for the frontline. It is amazingly well detailed, the whole costume looks well constructed with every stone and bead in place it’s just something about the headpiece that looks too familiar. The frontline however, is superb! The fabric looks overwhelming but the detail on every piece is outstanding. The foot and hand pieces are well decorated, the back pack has rhinestones on all the gold “twirly “pieces, even the fabric of the cape has a self embroidered pattern on it. I adore the headpiece, especially the cape, very Aruwen of Lord of the Rings! Luna certainly needs the option of another headpiece, the colours of blue and gold look great together and there is enough potential in this costume to take it from being the least outstanding of the bunch to "wow". I love, the belt with the tendrils of fabric but the bra needs some work. The decoration and fabric look as if it were placed there at the last minute without any fixed purpose. I don't know what to say about the wings either, more decoration maybe... or it could be a tad bigger. My first impression of Luna still stands.

I am in love with the wings for Water Nymph, they are so pretty! The fabric used for the wings looks hand painted, reminds me of Heather Jones work actually, and I love the entire shape and construction of the wings. This costume is one in person that looks much, much better than a photograph can translate. Pixie Dust backline is too cute, love the bra and the detail on the bra. The décor on the belt is interesting as it draws attention to the crotch area, not too sure I am liking that! This is actually a very skimpy costume as well, the two strips of fabric to the front of the belt is barely there!

Finally Myths of Babylonia was also on display and can be confirmed as Peter Elias’s section. It looks nice enough on display, very stylish, but my mother loved that one so I bet he is catering for a more mature crowd with all that fabric! Interesting photos are displayed with the costume, showing the various options including one that looks like a mini, mini skirt but the most eye-catching detail is the male “nude” model, with only a white fabric draped to cover his naughty bits! I cannot wait to see if that photo makes it unto the website!

Of course I will return on Monday to get a look at the frontline costumes, but I was very impressed that none of the costumes left you with the feeling that they looked much better in photos. For those wanting information on which section uses a “real” bra they are Lady of the Lake backline, Black Magic, Water Nymph ,Pixie Dust, Mystique, Titania, Autumn Sprite, Almathea and Butterfly Bliss. More photos of the costumes can be seen at my Photobucket albumn here.