Tribal chic

For a party I wanted to make a tribal costume linked with my fascination for dolls, and deal with humour and in caricatural way with cannibalism fantasy and human sacrifices. 

Givenchy, Valentino, Alexander McQueen S/S 2014

Each season, you have a "ethnic trend", Fashion get inspired by tribe aesthetic (replacing all the natural material by very sophisticated and expansive fabric) and introduce this trend in a glamourous environment which as nothing to do with the atmosphere of small village in Africa or Amazonian forest. 

http://www.beforethey.com/

Dying life of the tribe: Spectacular pictures by British photographer Jimmy Nelson capture the people who are in danger of disappearing forever, travelling the world for three years, visiting 35 tribes in all five continents.

http://www.beforethey.com/

http://www.beforethey.com/

Creative costumes of Still-Practiced Pagan rituals of Europe: 

The hat is a belt sewn on a dream catcher. 

The top is a fur that a friend gave me because he didn't know what to do with it stitched on a swimming costume. 

Pocahontas tribal necklace 

Jivaroan necklace 

By Simona Zemaityte 

By Simona Zemaityte 

Barbie Ass necklace By Simona Zemaityte 

tribal arm necklace By Simona Zemaityte 

I would like to write a manifesto about the art of wearing costume at a theme party: 

1- You have to MAKE your own costume. Hiring is cheating. I would never be impress by a Big Teddy bear or Elvis Presley costume just hired from the costume shop.  You have to spend time sourcing your props, sewing, gluing, painting, adapting.  The greatest costumes are the handmade one, where you see that the knight helmet is just foil paper or that you can see the trouser behind the fake leaves if you decided to dress as a tree. Costume just make that failure beautiful. 

2-You have to travel to the party in your costume.  That can lead you in funny situation, like holding a massive blowpipe in the tube, seeing Superman casually waiting for the bus. But don't worry, costume is the best protection, no one will mess with you because they assume that if you dare going like that in the street you may have a strong personality. 

3- The most important part is the entrance, so it is good not to arrive too early when nobody is there or too late when nobody care anymore. 

3-You can't take out your costume, even if it is not comfortable, even if it's falling apart. Not to be tempted, don't take any change. I always find funny people who arrived dressed in your costume, and 10 minutes after change into a more casual outfit…

4- You have to perform your character (if you are dressed as a Punk, or as Marylyn Manson you can't be calmly drinking a cup of tea, with your legs cross on casually talking about the weather).  

For the body and face painting I got inspired by Julia Sisi art with barbie. I like in her work how she turns  a standardised and industrial  product into something unique and hand-crafted.  

Find my Tribal collection at @Work on Bricklane: 

...And new article about my work on Paulette magazine!