Exquisite Identities

I feel very blessed to have so many artistic and creative friends. It feels like someone is always up to something crazy, beautiful and entertaining, and most of them don't mind sharing their work with the rest of us. One of these people is photographer John Paul Bichard. You have probably seen some of his pictures on my blog before, since he always walks around with his camera, shooting both performers and guests at events such as Fräulein Frauke Presents and the International Stockholm Burlesque Festival - both of which he produces together with his wife Fräulein Frauke.

John Paul has worked with different projects which has been exhibited both in Europe and in the US, and this post will be about one of those projects - one he calls Exquisite Identities. When describing the project himself, he says that Exquisite Identities is "a growing series of photographic works that capture the creativity, personality and aesthetics of some of the great names in the contemporary burlesque and cabaret scene. The focus is on people who go to extraordinary lengths in their professional lives to develop rich, complex and highly constructed identities..." As some of these exquisite identities happens to be friends of mine, or performers I have had the chance to see on stage, I can tell you that the way they have been portrayed by Mr Bichard is the perfect way to get to know their stage-personalities. This is who these people are, and what they do!

Lou Lou D'Vil

Fräulein Frauke

Laurie Hagen

Honey Lulu

Hedo Luxe

Erochica Bamboo

Mr Pustra

Scotty The Blue Bunny

Cleo Viper

Marlene von Steenvag

Vicky Butterfly

Until The end of April you can see seven pictures from this series exhibited at MELT Bar & Restaurant in Stockholm. For more of John Paul Bichard's works, please visit his web site here!

Source

Caput Mundi International Burlesque Awards - Part 1

November 1-3 Caput Mundi International Burlesque Award went down - for the first time - with a bang in the middle of Italy's beautiful capital, Rome! I had never been to Rome before, so going there to perform was great! The organizers behind the festival were Albadoro Gala and Dixie Ramone - aka The Missunderstanding, and they did a great job!

So, here is what happened on the first day - Friday. The event took place at Teatre Centrale Carlsberg in the center of Rome. The stage looked old fashioned and was perfect for a bit of burlesque striptease!

Photo: Christine Engström

My sister Christine had come with me to Rome - something I was very happy about since my Pain Demon was being very annoying! Having someone you can trust close to you when you're in a lot of pain makes things easier. Sis had brought her camera, and here she caught me backstage putting red glitter on my lips.

Photo: Christine Engström

Here I am with the lovely Mrs Mystique, just before she attacked me...

Photo: Christine Engström

Don't get too close to pretty geishas! They might turn out to be demons. I learnt that the hard way...

Then the show started, with Jack Woodhead on the grand piano! Other performers were:

Red Juliette!

Before mentioned Mrs Mystique!

Betty Q!

Vesper Julie!

Vanille Plaisir!

Adoria Amoria!

Lady Francescca!

Giddy Heights!

Sally Van Tassel!

And me! I did my "Arabian Nights" act, which I end by pouring glitter over myself out of an Aladdin lamp. Since I was too tired to take a shower when I came back to the motel that night, I woke up with very sparkly sheets the next morning. Haha!

Erochica Bamboo did a guest performance, and in the intermission there was an auction to collect money for the building of a school in Dharavi, India. Most performers brought something to sell. My object was a pair of worn out pointe shoes. 

The Friday was actually a competition, to crown the best newcomer with the title "Papessa of Burlesque". The winner was Betty Q, who here can be see with her crown - a pink, sparkling replica of the Colosseum! 

All performers got goodiebags too! Inside it I found some very useful stuff: Pretty pasties from Zou Zou, and a 10 Euro discount card and a Power Bullet - a little vibrator - from Alcova. Tired, but happy, we then returned to our hostel - The Yellow - where most of us stayed. The next day was the second show day of Caput Mundi. But more about that on Wednesday...

All photos marked "Bichard", by John Paul Bichard.

Fräulein Frauke Presents: Victorian Circus

After missing a few burlesque events this fall because I had to work, last Saturday I decided to take a day's leave so I wouldn't miss Fräulein Frauke Presents: Victorian Circus. So yes, I took a day off to party! The theme this time was "Victorian Circus", and I was amazed at how almost 100% of the guests had taken such an effort at dressing up in theme-fitting costumes!

I dressed up as a victorian ringmaster. The only thing I missed was one of those really long whips. Oh well...Here I am with Elsa!

Fanny went as a two-faced ballerina, wearing a really pretty, light yellow dress from the 50s. The second face she had made of latex, and in real life it looked pretty freaky seeing her with two faces. 

One of the first performers was Evilyn Frantic, who started by slowly swallowing a whole, long balloon, before she broke a lightbulb and ate the glass - which she swallowed with the help of some wine. A very healthy diet!

Later she also stripped for us! The conférencière of the night was none other than...

Scotty the Blue Bunny!!! I got the pleasure of meeting this man a few days before the show, at a little pre-party at the Bichard Mansion. We compared feet, shared some chocolate, learnt about Swedish Christmas candy, and discussed the possibility of making foot-porn together - the usual stuff you know...He's one of those lovely persons who probably can become friends with anyone, and when I saw him in his blue bunny costume I wanted to take him home and keep him as my pet...Anyways...

Fräulein Frauke performed an updated version of her very first burlesque number. Fanny had made the dress you can see in the picture above, and was a bit nervous the zipper would get stuck. But everything went as it should, and after taking it off Miss Frauke popped that confetti-filled balloon over her head...

...Which resulted in this lovely photo! A few of the other amazing performers were:

Lily DeLuxe

Erochica Bamboo

...And Mr Pustra. He performed two acts, and I was hoping he would sing "Missed Me" for one of them. He did, and so I was satisfied!

Velma Voluptuous was one of the two winners of best costume...

The other price went to "The Bearded Lady". Some other gorgeous guests were:

Karin

Gabriella

and Lacy Lynn Sugars!

As always at these events I had a lovely, slightly crazy, night, that included wine, dancing, and a bit of spanking...Can't wait till the next time Fräulein Frauke opens the doors to Nalen again - which I happen to know will be on New Years Eve, when she will arrange a lavish, burlesque, masked ball! I have already decided what to wear for that night! 

If you're interested in going here is a link to the event's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/events/527405210604015/

All photos (except the two top ones) by amazing photographer and coproducer of Fräulein Frauke Presents, John Paul Bichard!