I had the pleasure of shooting with the multi-talented and very lovely Bettina May back in March, and the pretty Victorian hotel photos we took that day are now on six pages of Retro Lovely‘s Godiva No. 57! Bettina did my sweet 1940s-style hair and makeup, too!
Catherine Morland photographed by Bettina May.
I wore two fabulous lingerie outfits made for me by Rachel of Buttress & Snatch in the UK, a blue tulle robe by GlamourGhoul on Etsy, and a black ruffled Cassandra robe by Catherine D’Lish.
I love the 1992 Dracula adaptation with Winona Ryder and Gary Oldman. While watching the film in a Carson City theater auditorium last year (Fathom Events hosted a set of 30th anniversary showings back in October), I was struck by the idea of doing a pinup shoot featuring the count’s three hot vampire brides. Fast-forward to the end of April, and my dream was not only reality, it’s on the cover of Retro Lovely‘s “Halloween in April” special edition, Volume 1!
Brides of Dracula on Retro Lovely’s Halloween in April Cover.
My friends Miss Melody Noir and Lena Von Noir kindly agreed to be my sister brides for the shoot, and Marilee Caruso – my favorite photographer! – signed on to do makeup, hair, and (of course) take the pictures.
I love Blade Runner. It’s my favorite neo-noir film, and one of the rare novel adaptations that’s at least as good as the original source material. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I recently cosplayed my favorite replicant character from the movie, Rachael, for a photoshoot with Marilee Caruso.
Catherine Morland cosplays Rachael, Sean Young’s replicant character in Blade Runner.
Marilee did the 1940s-inspired “Rachael” hair (yes, there are rolls present) and makeup, and we used her classic “film noir” set, brand-new lamps, and some neon-red lighting to get a 1980s-does-1940s-gritty-mystery look. I’m wearing the Mariette Jacket by Pinup Girl Clothing with the Bad Girl Pencil Skirt in faux leather from the Vixen by Micheline Pitt line and Re-Mix reproduction Babydoll pumps.
Blade Runner Cosplay in Retro Lovely Masquerade No. 28, photographed by Marilee caruso. There are four more images from this set published in the issue.
Our version of the October, 1962 Playboy cover.October, 1962 Playboy cover, featuring that month’s centerfold (aka “playmate”), Laura Young.
Marilee did the fabulous early 1960s makeup and hair (and lent me those awesome vintage earrings!), and I supplied my own clothes and vintage copy of the magazine. The playmate necklace (crystal pave bunny head) is a cheapie I got years ago on Ebay, the velvet dress is the olive green velvet Starlet Wiggle from the Vixen line by Micheline Pitt, and the shoes are my old reliable Christian Louboutin Piou-Piou patent stiletto pumps.
Catherine Morland posing with the magazine that inspired the shoot. That centerfold is apparently VERY spicy.I love the simple set Marilee created for the shoot. It mimics the original while also adding texture.
I was basically channeling one of my old Vampire: the Masquerade LARP characters, a dancer from Clan Toreador whom I named Lily after Lily Bart in Edith Wharton’s House of Mirth. Marilee did some very romantic Rachael-from-Blade-Runner-ish hair and makeup, and I wore one of my “Elisabeth” dressing gowns from Catherine D’Lish, a black lace bodysuit from Torrid, garter belt and stockings by What Katie Did, and a pair of signed Manolo Blahnik Campari pumps I got third-hand for like $35. Oh, and the fangs are one of two great custom pairs I got from Kaos Kustom Fangs.