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Kate's
Clothing Press Releases
Have a read of our most recent Press Releases and News Articles. If
you'd like to write about us or do anything else that might help
promote us then please give us a call on +44 (0)121 320 2974 or email
us
at kate@katesclothing.com.
Press
& News -
Winners
- Best UK Site Alt Fashion Awards
Sin Zine Article
Dominion
Magazine
'Visions of the Future' Article
London Edge Feb 2012
Necessary
Evil Maternity Ideas
Edge Fashion
Launched
Dominion
'Halloween' Fashion Article
SinZine
Review
London Edge 2011 -
Aftermath
London
Edge 2011
Model
Behaviour
WorldWide
Gothic
Dominion
Magazine
Kate's
Clothing - When Does Fetish Become Fashion?
Fashion
Articles -
Corporate
Goth
Shopping with Kate's
Clothing
Snog
Marry Avoid?
Manic
Panic – Creature of the Night
Summer
Gothic?
www.newrockbootsuk.com
How
Many Ways Can You Wear Steampunk?
New
Rock Boots back for good?
Summer
Style for Alternative and Gothic Clothing
Criminal
Damage reclaim
the darker territory
The
Origins of Gothic and
Punk Fashion
Is
it really that Evil? - By Jessica from Luton
Events -
We
love to party!
Bloodstock
Outdoor 08
Bloodstock Outdoor 07
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Winners - Best UK Site in Alt Fashion
Awards
We have been voted as the Best UK Site in Alt Fashion
Magazine's poll for 2011! We are so pleased to have just been
nominated and to actually win means a lot as the award is voted for by
the public. We hope this will be the first of many awards and want to
thank everyone who voted for us! Keep your eye out for our special
Winner's feature in a forthcoming Alt Fashion issue. |
Sin
Zine Article
The lovely Mik from Sin Zine has written an article about our Necessary
Evil label and our range of gothic clothing, alternative shoes and steampunk fashions.
"When sharp-dressed Sin-er Mik Scarlet
visited the London
Edge alternative fashion trade show for us earlier this year one of
the stand out stands was Kate's Clothing. Their range of custom designs
Necessary Evil took Goth and Alternative standards and gave them a
superb individual twist, that means when you wear them you stand out
even in a crowd that loves to stand out in a crowd..."
To read the whole
article, including an interview with Lenore
follow this link - Sin Zine & Necessary Evil |
Dominion Magazine 'Visions of the
Future' Article
The latest issue of Dominion Magazine (a gothic publication only
inside Terrorizer) featured our Necessary Evil Kesava Bolero in their 'Visions of the Future'
fashion spread as well as a few of our New Rock Boots and Demonia
shoes.
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London
Edge Feb 2012
The beginning of a new year is significant for a lot of people and to
us at Kate's
Clothing it means new styles to showcase and a new London Edge to
prepare for! This year we're right by the main stage so you can't miss
us. Come and meet the KC crew and pick up our new catalogue at Stand B26 between 5th - 7th
February at the Olympia Exhibition Centre, London.
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Necessary Evil Maternity Ideas
Kate, founder, designer and all round boss lady of Kate's Clothing, has
modelled some of our Necessary Evil range as gothic maternity wear! A
number of our tops and dresses are made from soft, stretchy jersey
fabric and finish below the bottom - ideal for wearing with leggings
for a comfortable yet stylish pregnancy! Kate wore the Freya Extra Length Top, Nortia Ruffle Dress, Erinys Twisted Dress, Anahita Studded Shoulder Top and the Disani Batwing Top. See the rest of the photoshoot on our Facebook and congratulations Kate!
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Edge
Fashion Launched
Kate's Clothing has launched a brand new website
dedicated to alternative fashion with an edge. Edge Fashion
is now live and ready to take your orders for all things goth, emo, punk and steampunk! You can follow Edge Fashion
on Twitter
and like them on Facebook.
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Dominion Halloween
Fashion Feature
The fabulous Dominion Magazine featured some of our Necessary Evil items in their Halloween fashion
feature. The Anahita Faux Fur Trimmed Bolero was worn by model Lenore
(far left) along with a number of items from Kate's Clothing
including her black satin corset, Iron Fist shoes and Hell Bunny skirt. Model Rayna Terror (centre)
sported rhinestone flaming Bordello shoes from Kate's shop also. Finally
Istaar (far right) wore Demonia
Skull Buckle boots to finish off her trad-goth look in the final gothic fashion style. Check out the alternative
fashion spread in November's Terrorizer
Magazine!
All photos are by Taya
Uddin
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SinZine
Review
The lovely Mik Scarlet over at SinZine stopped by our stand at London
Edge and seemed very pleased with what he saw, so much so that he gave
us a mention in his London Edge review. "UK's Necessary Evil (www.katesclothing.co.uk)
really push the boundaries and have created a range that have a
recognisable brand identity and I have my shopping list of NE's stuff
all ready." You can read the full article here |
London
Edge - Aftermath
Twice a year London Olympia hosts the alternative trade fair 'London
Edge' and Kate's
Clothing are always in
attendance. We take our new designs and old favourites to our stand and
meet customers old and new - we also take advantage of the
entertainment on offer too!
This year we loaded up our transit van, that we named 'Flora', and
drove down to London town the day before it opened to set up our stand.
After a few wrong turnings (we blame the sat-nav) and making our
clothes rails look lush for the next morning we grabbed some food and  relaxed
with some drinks and friends.
Sunday
saw the first day of exhibiting and our new designs got a lot of
interest especially our retro favourites the Mermaid dresses
and Butterfly print tops.
After checking out the catwalk shows, and spying our Circe leggings
on one kung-fu performer, we began to get ready for the after party.
Konstantin got snapped in his Chronus steampunk
trousers and Lenore in her Zaria waist cincher
and we enjoyed a few bevvies and some music before heading back to the
hotel bar for a few more before bed. Well, a lot more before bed.
Despite it being a Sunday with early closing we managed Sambuccas,
Tequilas and Goldschlagers to name a few. 
Feeling surprisingly hangover-free we got some brand new clothing
samples at our hotel Monday morning so Nickie got to showcase our
forthcoming plus sizes all day (keep an eye out for the Circe cardigan
and Venda key-hole top
up to a UK22 soon!). Boss lady Kate matched her signature bright red
hair with the Cherry Bomb blouse
while Michail matched his blue spiked hair with eye-catching electric blue contact lenses.
Unfortunately, despite how fabulous we all looked, the 'Coffin Bar' at
the show eventually turned us away as we were drinking all their free
shots of Sourz. Boo.
Tuesday was our last day and we were all very tired (and a bit sick of
pizza having eaten every night in Pizza Express). As we loaded up the
van at just gone 4pm we escaped the worst of the exhibition hall
traffic only to get caught in a jam later on. With Lenore behind the
wheel getting through the traffic the Necessary Evil boys
sang along to Lady Gaga to keep her entertained until we saw the bright
lights of Birmingham welcoming us home.. After a very long weekend with
too much pizza and never enough shots we were glad to be back. Roll on
London Edge 2012!
You can see our party photos on Facebook here.
If you follow us on Twitter
you'll be able to see our photos uploaded from the next event as they
happen! |
London
Edge
We are preparing for the biggest alternative fashion event of the year,
the Autumn London
Edge and all our new Necessary
Evil designs, as well as our
cult favourites, will be at our stand.
This year we are at our biggest stand yet with our largest collection
to date so drop by and see us - just follow the bloody footprints
below! The whole of the Kate's
Clothing crew will be at K15 on
the ground floor (by Pizza
Express!) for the whole event.
And keep an eye out for our London Edge photos and blog next week and
you can see all the mischief we got up to! |
Model
Behaviour
 At
Kate's Clothing our
deliciously dark
designs attract attention from alternative types all over the world
and we have been fortunate enough to have some fabulously fiendish
ladies and gents model for us. Past beauties have included Sabrina
Sixxx from burlesque troupe 'Nympherno', music journalist and tv
presenter Lenore and of course the feisty fetishista Bianca
Beauchamp.
Circus performer and
tattooed model
Maegen Machine is the latest lady to fly the Kate's Clothing flag and
model some of our newest designs. She even brought her beau to take
care
of some of the men's range for us! Maegen was really fun to work with,
a very expressive and talented model
and even though this was Charlie's first ever shoot he took to it very
quickly and wanted to do more photos by the end of the shoot!
Maegen
performs with
the Hellzapoppin
Circus as a human dartboard (!) as well as modelling for loads of
clothing labels and magazines and her
fine fella plays guitar in metal band Collapse (and seems to be a big
hit with the ladies!) - you
can see more of their photoshoot in our online shop!
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Worldwide
Gothic
 Gothic
journalist and DJ Natasha Scharf has released 'Worldwide Gothic'
a book about the gothic subculture's history and development all over
the globe and we have spied one of our designs within it's pages! The
Necessary Evil men's Mider coat has taken it's place in goth history!
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Dominion
Magazine
"If you, like
me, are fed-up of spending half your wages trying to fill your wardrobe
with fabulous gothic attire fret no more. It is possible to obtain
tailored and originally designed outfits without crying when the credit
card bill comes through and Birmingham based label Kate's Clothing
will show you how.
Kate - founder, designer and namesake of the company - originally began
creating clothes as a hobby almost in 2003 but it soon turned
into a full time business due to the popularity of her work.
The
scarlet-haired seamstress, who's grinning likeness is also the label's
logo, dreamed of having her own clothing range when she was just ten
years old, carrying around a scrap book of designs and showing them to
anybody and everybody who would listen. Now her fashion label is in
it's eighth year and expanding all the time including jewelry, shoes
and make-up lines. Customer service is a priority too with a price
match guarantee and free shipping on certain orders!..."
Read the rest
of the article online at Dominion Magazine
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Corporate
Goth
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It
can be tricky to find gothic and alternative
clothing which expresses your individual style, makes you feel great
and still conforms to the regulations of a workplace. What is
‘work suitable’ depends largely on where you work,
what you
do and who you work for; some bosses will be more relaxed than others
and allow piercings, fun hair colours and outrageous clothes but most
would like it toned down, particularly in an office setting. We know
that there are loads of other places that you beautiful people work but
for now we’re just going to take a look at business wear or
‘Corp Goth’ as it is often called.
 For
the ladies this is quite a lot easier since you have all sorts of
gorgeous pinstripe options and pencil skirts to look at. Steampunk wear
adapts really well to Corp Goth with a few well chosen accessories but
it’s important not to go too OTT on the pinstripes and
ruffles or
you risk overdoing it and going against dress codes. Necessary Evil,
with it's tailored fit and simple designs can add an edge to most
corporate look.
The Tamara belted jacket
with a pencil skirt and smart
shoes for example would work in all but the strictest of work places.
Shoes present a whole different problem for Gothic ladies in the
workplace since a lot of the time those gorgeous New Rock boots just
aren’t suitable and are too brash for the more subtle style
you’re trying to achieve. Alternative shoes can look great
with
business outfits and are a great way of showing off your style. These Bordello
Pinstripe Pumps would look
fabulous with a smart pencil skirt or
peeking out from under suit trousers. Alternatively, add a splash of
colour with these peep-toe 'Sky High'
heels from T.U.K. which are retro styled
with a splash of red, Gothy and subtle which makes them
perfect for the high-flying business Goth.
Men’s business wear can be more difficult because there is
much
less diversity with mainstream men’s wear. However you can
add
your own twist to the tradition suit and tie by substituting this smart
jacket for your suit jacket
which will give an alternative twist to
your outfit whilst keeping you smart enough for work. The Necessary
Evil Slain Shirt is a nice
change from high street shirts which
will still look smart but is designed with comfort (not strangulation!)
in mind. Men can also choose to mix things up a bit with work clothed
by wearing suitable shoes like these New
Rock Men’s Shoes which
are definitely smart enough to wear to
work but are just that little bit different, not to mention much
cheaper than men’s business shoes of a similar quality on the
high street!
The most important thing with Corp Goth is to find out what sort of
dress code your workplace has and then work within that framework to
show off your awesome style. We’ve given you a couple of
ideas
here but we’re sure you’ll think of loads more
great
outfits to wear if you take a look round the website. Just remember to
be unique!
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Shopping
with Kate's Clothing
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At Kate’s
Clothing we’re here
all week from Monday to Friday bringing you the very best in Gothic and
Alternative
clothing, hair
and make
up and accessories.
We work hard to make sure that we’re right on trend all the
time, that you get what you want as quickly as possible and that
you’re completely happy with your purchase. But did you know
that you can shop with us in loads of other ways as well?
We have our own Amazon
store where you can find loads of great Necessary
Evil products at the same great
prices more conveniently than ever.
Take a look at eBay
if you want to be the only person to get your hands on rare Necessary
Evil sample products because that’s where you’ll
find exclusive items and one offs. You never know, you might grab
yourself a bargain!
And if New Rock Boots
are your poison then why not take a look at our sister website where
you’ll find hundreds of pairs direct from the manufacturer at
amazing prices and with free shipping too.
We are constantly improving ourselves and trying to bring You, our
customer, the best designs and ideas under a very competitive price!
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Snog
Marry
Avoid?
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For those of
you who don’t know,
‘Snog Marry Avoid’ is a BBC Three program which
tries to
promote natural beauty and encourages the participants to remove their
layers of make-up and fake tan by subjecting them to a public analysis
where members of the public are asked if they would snog, marry or
avoid the person. The ‘make-under’ is conducted by
a
sarcastic female computer called POD (Personal Overhaul Device).
Customarily the show ends with an alternative person, be they Goth,
Rocker or Emo, being brought before POD and explaining their fashion
choices and how what they wear makes them who they are. When the show
first started they even contacted Kate to ask if we would send them
alternative people to ‘make-under’. Kate told them
politely
no and that as an alternative person herself she found the idea of
saying that her customers needed to change the way they looked kind of
offensive. Generally POD does not succeed in
‘making-under’
the alternative people and they leave with their piercings, dyed hair
and alternative clothes intact and we here like to think that Kate
helped to show them where they were going wrong and made them look at
alternative fashion in a different light.
Recently the show featured ‘Cupcake Laura’ from
Bolton who
wore a Necessary
Evil Feronia 50’s Style Octopus print dress
(and looked
stunning we might add). POD told Laura that it “could not
transform” her to conform to the show’s ideal for a
woman.
“Too right!” we hear you cry. What this program
seems to
have realised is that there is a huge difference between removing a
layer of slap and changing a person’s whole identity. Being
‘alternative’ is a lifestyle that is very important
to
people and it’s nice to see that being respected by
mainstream
culture.
The gorgeous Laura, and others like her, helps to show mainstream
society that there’s nothing wrong with alternative fashion
and
that our choice of clothing doesn’t automatically mark us as
bad.
Gradually over the last ten years or so the
‘normal’ world
has become more accepting of alternative fashion and lifestyles but
there is still a long way to go. Shows like ‘Snog Marry
Avoid’ may be just trashy TV but by featuring people like
Laura
they’re helping to show the rest of the world that
we’re
awesome just they way we are.
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Manic Panic
– Creature of the Night
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For years
those of us who like big, bold, alternative make up have struggled to
find cosmetics which live up to their promises and deliver the dramatic
effect that we’re looking for. But now thanks to Manic
Panic’s Creature of the Night range the hours spent pouring
over lipsticks in Boots, covering the backs of our hands in lurid
smudges of not-quite-dark-enough burgundies and ‘generic
dark’ colours can be consigned to the past and we can move
forwards into a brave new dawn of beautiful alternative make up in
colours we actually like and want to be seen wearing.
The Creature of the Night range is always growing and the
Total Look Kits have been a
popular seller at Kate’s Clothing since we started carrying
them, as have the
lip and eye kits, and we
recently expanded our range to include more of their great individual
products which have thus far proved to be a hit with our customers (and
the team!). Now rather than spending half an hour trying to smudge kohl
pencil in just the right way you can achieve the perfect look in
seconds with the black
eyeliner and shadow set which
includes a black eye shadow for that gorgeous smoky effect as well as a
cream eyeliner for the sharp lines, all in a cute little compact which
slips into even the tiniest of bags.
If you want something a bit more colourful for your eyes then the Melodrama
Eye Kit is great and takes the
guess work out of trying to buy eye shadow on the high street, where it
can often prove to be faded and dull when compared to the exciting
shade on the packaging. For those of you who find the idea of red eye
make up a bit more daring than you would like then the Psychodrama
Eye Kit works with slightly more
subtle purple tones whilst still giving a gorgeous, bold effect. And of
course all of the Creature of the Night kits include detailed
instructions to create a variety of looks, making exciting effects
which have looked too complicated in the past simple and stress-free.
One of the things we really like about Manic Panic products is their
commitment to animal welfare and all of the Creature of the Night
cosmetics are completely cruelty free as well as being totally vegan
friendly too, meaning that your conscience can look as stunning as your
make up. |
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Summer can be an
uncomfortable time for those of us who like alternative fashion, those
gorgeous twill and heavy velvet fabrics can get a bit much during the
day and staying cool is a challenge when your wardrobe consists of
black, black and more black!
Rather than
throw
up your hands in despair and decide to stay inside until October why
not take a look through our pick of the best gothic clothing in a range
of lighter fabrics which will help keep you comfortable throughout the
summer months -
Dresses are a good place to for ladies start when looking for cooler
outfits and mini-dresses are very versatile as well as looking fabulous
during the day. Rather than encase your legs in hot jeans try wearing this
cute little dress which is made from a light weight stretchy cotton
jersey fabric. Cotton is the fabric you want to watch out for with
summer clothes since its natural fibres are much more breathable than
synthetics and will allow you body to regulate your temperature better
in the heat. For a sexy, flirty touch a cute
sailor dress is perfect for
visiting the beach this summer and looks great with lightweight canvas
shoes or flip-flops to stop your
feet from overheating too.
If you don't fancy wearing a dress then lightweight cotton tops like
this 40's
style blouse are wonderfully
breathable and perfect for summer picnics. Summer gives us a great
opportunity to explore new styles so even if you haven't tried the 40's
look it's worth having a look around with an open mind and finding new
ideas. If you're really struggling with the heat then this gorgeous
strap top has lace panels which
will let the breeze reach your skin without being too revealing and can
be adjusted to give a great fit with the corset style lacing down the
front. Strap tops are a great way to stay cool and can be dressed up or
down without too much trouble which makes them very versatile as well
as looking great with a shrug or bolero
jacket
in
the evening if the temperature drops.
And of course guys want to look good through the summer too so these clever
transformer trousers zip off to
make a great pair of alternative shorts and are made of fairly light
material which will help to keep you from boiling in the summer sun.
Some guys don't fancy wearing shorts (the 'socks with sandals' problem
comes to mind) so these
Venomous trousers are the
lightest fabric imaginable in a great, breathable parachute fabric.
Most men we know reach for the T-Shirts as soon as the weather turns
warmer but a cotton shirt can be just as comfortable in summer and
rolling the sleeves up can give them a sexy, relaxed feel which goes
really well with lazy summer afternoons as well as keeping them from
looking too formal. This
Necessary Evil shirt is soft and
breathable as well as looking fantastic.
Summer can also be a time to branch out and try new colours, white can
be great for alternative looks if worn with the right accessories and
can give you an ethereal air which a bolder black can struggle with. A White
50’s Dress can look
stunning and the skeleton print keeps it from getting too cutsie. Or go
for a vamp feel in this sexy
red dress which is made from a
super lightweight jersey overlaid with a floaty red net.
Yes the summer can be a challenge but it also forces us to look at our
fashion choices and discover new styles, branching out and trying new
things that we might not have thought of before. With alternative
fashion it can be very easy to fall into the trap of wearing the same
look over and over again so use the summer as an opportunity to refresh
your wardrobe and take a few risks!
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Www.newrockbootsuk.com
|
New Rock Boots in UK is a big hit!
Spanish company New Rock has been producing
alternative
footwear for a long time and has been the most popular upon the
alternative community. After a quite period during the last couple of
years they are back to UK and thrilling as ever. That's why we want to
introduce the New Rock Boots UK
website! The website allows you to browse and of course purchase any of
the existing New Rock Boots and Shoes designs and even some bits of
official clothing. Price range varies significantly and is very
competitive. Another bonus point that the shoes are coming directly
from Spain and usually it takes 5- 7 days to deliver to your doorstep
and the shipping
is free! If you are interested do have a little peak at the website, we
are sure that you will find something just for yourself!
How
Many Ways Can
You Wear Steampunk?
|
Steampunk
fashion
comes from its own
sub-genre of Science Fiction which imagines an alternative history
where 19th Century inventors have developed futuristic technologies and
steam power is still widely used. It is also one of the hottest trends
to hit the alternative fashion scene in a long time and
Kate’s clothing is please to say that we’re ahead
of the pack yet again when it comes to bringing you the very best in
Steampunk clothing and accessories. With items ranging from Victorian
style tops, corsets and skirts to some of the more futuristic
inventions of Ezekiel Empire Rosenstein Steampunk fashion has something
to offer everyone, as well as looking pretty hot too.
We have everything you could possibly want, from a pair of gorgeous
Steampunk Boots from New Rock to
a
Solar Powered Turbine Watch from
the Alchemy Empire range. Or you could try a gorgeous
Fascinator to remain every inch
the upper class Victorian Lady whilst you're out and about.
And if that isn't enough we also have a fantastic range of Steampunk
clothing from Spin Doctor and our very own Necessary Evil with
Jackets,
Skirts and
Tops to suit every budget and
taste. Of course you don't have to buy an outfit that we put together
to look fabulous, like this Necessary Evil
Jacket and
Skirt, you can mix and match
from the entire range to create your own unique look.
The most fantastic thing about Steampunk clothing is its versatility,
why not team this
Necessary Evil Top with a pair
of skinny jeans for shopping during the day and then a cute mini-skirt
and heels for an edgy twist when you're heading out in the evening or
wear this
Pinstripe Pencil Skirt with a
blouse for work and then with a corset for more sophisticated evening
out. The possibilities are endless and we're sure you'll have lots of
fun browsing our
Gorgeous Selection and picturing
all the different ways you can wear Steampunk and make it your own.
P.S.
Keep your eyes peeled for our new range of Steampunk Men's wear -
Coming soon!
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New Rock
Boots back for good?
|
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It's been feeling
like
summer's over for a while now, despite the fact that it's still August
as we write. Therefore, and due to repeated requests, our mind has been
focussed on the subject of boots, in particular: New Rock Boots
which we've decided
to bring back into stock to compliment our existing excellent gothic
and alternative footwear brands such as Demonia, TUK, Iron Fist,
Madfish and not forgetting Bordello of course!
New
Rock Boots
 |
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| New
Rock Chain and Spike Boots are
heavy duty gothic boots that refuse
to take any nonsense! These have the classic Reactor sole and as well
asthe chain, spikes and other metal detailing, they also have black PVC
flame features. Definitely imposing and finished to perfection. |
New
Rock Lizard Pattern Ladies Boots
come from the sexy New Rock
Malicia range and feature a sexy silver lizardskin effect, side buckles
and front laces. Definitely designed to turn heads with it's foxy
styling and silver effect heel. |
New
Rock Neptuno
Platform Boots
feature the amazing round tunnels in the heel, each filled with a metal
spring. These gothic boots are eye catching and will boost your height
by some inches! However, they combine stature with comfort and
you
won't want to take them off! |
New
Rock Ladies Lace Up
Boots are an everyday
favourite.Comfortable to wear and
beautiful to look at, with zips to fasten them the sides and buckle and
lace detailing to complete the look. Some of us, can't live without
them. |
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| New
Rock Ladies Cowboy
Boots show that
cowboy's can be sexy and
stylish with their silver flame effect styling. The alternative take on
the cowboy even has a stunning silver heel. |
New
Rock Purple
Dragon and Flame Boots feature
purple dragon and flame contrast
material and an eye-catching silver heel. |
New
Rock
Lizard Pattern Calf High Boots feature
the silver lizard effect
pattern as a design feature. These also have the imposing heavy heavy
duty reactor sole. |
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Summer Style
for Alternative
and Gothic Clothing
|
With
the wedding and summer season
fully in flow, what is the best way to stand out from the crowd and
cope with with our variable summer weather? Kate's Clothing is carrying
a fantastic range of versatile and stylish alternative clothing that
will stand up to the British climate and whatever it can throw at us.
Many items are already reduced as the shops cast an eye towards our
long and dark winter. There's some brilliant bargains starting at
£2.99 in the
sale section! In most cases they're great styles where they're down to
the last few...
So what outfits perfectly compliment the summer season while remaining
stylish and unique? Necessary Evil is one of my favourite alternative
clothing brands, combining cutting edge style with classic, sexy Gothic
chic for real men and women with real bodies.My favourites include the
Necessary Evil Tana Cami Top which is already in the sale and the
Necessary Evil Gothic Black Ravana Ribbon Mini Dress, perfect for any
occassion.
Mercy
and Hell
Bunny also have some great
styles to get us through summer into
next season and beyond. I love the the 20s style dress from Hell Bunny
as well as their other
sexy party dress styles and the the Mercy
flock jacket is ideal for covering up when the the weather inevitably
turns colder or for those summer evenings out.
Here
at Kate's Clothing, it's our customers that make us, so if you've had a
great experience please tell people and help us get the word out.
Become a fan of our Facebook
page or pop a link to our website on
yours. Thanks for all your support.
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Criminal
Damage reclaim the
darker territory
|
Everybody
who is related to the subcultural
fashion world, knows those veterans of alternative design: Criminal
Damage Clothing. For years and
years they were bringing new, unique
and dark
collections suitable for goths, metalheads and rivetheads worldwide.
Their garments always stood out from the crowd. While wearing
one
of them you felt special and were always the centre of attention.
Unfortunately rainbows, ponies and cupcakes seemed to obscure it all. A
couple of their collections in recent years seemed more suited towards
those with more colourful personas which alienated those from the
darker scene...
But now the original is back, Criminal
Damage brought out their new
collection which contains a lot of garments suitable for the
“black” culture. Instantly they have captured the
market
with their Jungle Shorts and Jungle pants for guys, which indeed do
have a lot to offer. And of course they did not forgot about the ladies
as well- just look at the amazing Biker Style dress and you will see
the genius of the designers and the uniqueness of the design. Hopefully
we will be spoiled more and more from the gurus in the next collection.
At least, that's what we're hoping for...
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The
Origins of Gothic and Punk Fashion
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The origins of Punk can be traced back as far as you like, with every
generation having its own youth sub-culture that shocks the majority of
the population (some say Elvis was a punk). Punk as we know it began in
the early 1970s. With the rise of disco music, big hair and flared
trousers. The punk movement was a rebellion to popular culture.
On both sides of the Atlantic teenagers were looking for an escape from
the boredom and constraints of society, with unemployment, racial
tensions and social upheaval providing fuel for their fires. Punk
remained underground in the U.K. Until 1977, when British punk culture
saw two bands make the outside world take notice The Ramones and the
Sex Pistols - both raged against authority, media and pop music. In the
U.S. Iggie Pop and Blondie were leaders in the American punk rock scene
and helped influence other musicians.
Meanwhile, a generation of teens worldwide responded by showing their
punk colours in day-glo hairstyles, spikes and Mohawks. To complete the
look, safety pins were implanted in their cheeks, lips and eyebrows.
By the 80`s, mainstream designers began to send models dressed in punk
paraphernalia strutting down runways which effectively killed-off the
fashion movement`s claim to being anti-establishment. Punk eventually
evolved into glitter and glam rock and the movement began losing its
hard-core edge.
It`s hard to give an exact date of birth of gothic. At the end of 70`s
many new groups emerged with a somewhat dark sound and image (The Cure,
Adam & the Ants and Ultravox). The new wave of dark pop music
had a
lot of influence on people who would later call themselves gothic. The
story goes that gothic originated from the London club the Batcave, but
when this club opened in 1981, gothic already was well on its way.
However, the bands that performed there, with their horror image,
helped to spread the movement.
Gothic fashion, in contrast to punk is dark and sometimes morbid.
Typical Gothic fashion includes black, dyed hair, black lips and black
clothes. Androgynity is common, with both female and male Goths wearing
cosmetics, skirts or high heels.
Although punk culture is generally regarded to have peaked between the
years 1977-1987, a post-punk movement remains alive today, populated by
those who still regard any band in the Top 40 pop charts as
establishment "sellouts".
The field of gothic fashion continues to grow. As this controversial
fashion sense goes forward, it becomes more readily accepted by the
larger community. It is doubtful that there is an end to this fashion,
however it continues to evolve and grow into smaller subcategories such
as Emo (or emotional) subcultures and competing neck and neck with the
punk cultures in this country and around the world. There does not seem
to be a set pattern of footwear for either genre, the choice as to which
footwear
you select being a matter of personal preference.
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BLOODSTOCK
08
|
Things are shaping up nicely for bloodstock08, visit the website for
all the latest news.
Kates Clothing will be there again but this time we'll be running a
stall so come and say hi!
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Edge
Fashion
|
Kate's
Clothing have been serving up the best and
the latest in Gothic Fashion for over 5 years, we've built a
reputation for quality, service, value and delivering fast.
The whole alternative scene has fragmented over the last few years
and several totally different fashions have emerged, probably
the
most talked about being Emo.
Emo is like marmite on the alternative scene, you either love it or
hate it but either way it's here to stay.
With that in mind we launched Edge Fashion to offer the same great
service we've been giving the Goth community to those who's tastes in
clothing are a bit more Emo.
Edge Fashion stocks a large range of Emo
Clothes,
and as everything is in stock we can get orders delivered just as fast
as we do for Kate's Clothing customers. Check it out -
www.edgefashion.co.uk
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BLOODSTOCK
07
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BLOODSTOCK 07
Something
Wicked This Way Comes...
My feet are
wet, my back and neck
are aching and the blood in my alcohol system is gagging for air
beneath a
heady mix of cheap rum, Jack Daniels and a whole lot o'
jaegermeister... I
couldn't be sure, but it definitely smells like Bloodstock. As I rouse
myself
for another cold British Monday morning I can't quite shake the feeling
that
just days before, something horrible happened and it was all my fault.
Well,
needs must as the devil drives, and I can't say it was ALL my fault,
I’d hate
to take the credit away from the three days of bands that rocked the
tiny
Derbyshire field; rain or shine it seemed like everyone of them was
hell bent
on inciting riot amongst the black clad sea of beer fueled metal heads.
We arrived
on site around midday,
with enough time to set up camp and meet the neighbors before heading
off to
the main arena for a little introduction to madness; the first days
toil was
about the pimpage anyway, so we spent some hours getting to know the
lie of the
land, getting loud with jaeger-merch clad D.J.s and advocating some
strange
uses for condoms... it was still early days in the festival yet so
those in
attendance were the real true believers; some had even made t-shirts
pledging
their alliance to the bloodstock cause (a massive big-up to Paul, Dave
and the
rest of the Bloodstock 2007 green shirted crew who were very nice about
being
mobbed by our ilk at the Century Media stall). We stalked around the
slowly
filling festival basically snapping the best and least dressed people
we could.
The diversity of the metal community warmed my black and shriveled
heart, the
close knit
festival packed with the truest was really a sight to reignite the
flames of what used to be a raging inferno of hard rock mayhem; after
ambling
around the site in a daze of pride shooting group after mad-haired
group we
took it to the beer tent and generally killed some time and brain cells
before
the main stage opened up with it's first scheduled act.
Special
guest Chris Slade, drummer
of AC/DC was opening the stage (straight after some bloke and his
dad...)
accompanied by Birmingham’s own Exploder; a couple of well
played covers later
and good old Slade senior blesses the crowd with a stunted and retro
but
otherwise well received drum-solo. Up next were this year’s
unsigned winner
Sight of Emptiness; don't, whatever you do, be put off by the unsigned
status
of the band, for the second act at the whole festival they rocked the
stage
appropriately hard bringing their own brand of melodic death metal all
the way
from San Jose, Costa Rica. On chatting to the band,
 we
discovered that
they'd
shelled out at least 15 grand in dead presidents just to
get here, but not too
much that they couldn't hit us up with a complimentary copy of their
debut
album 'Trust is a Disease'. After the explosive set we decided it was
time to
make another of our frequent visits to the marquee housing the lava
stage, and
more importantly the bar, where the crew stopped off for a few more
beers, and
I went hardcore on the jaegermeister, making it back three hours later
just in
time for a seriously ear-bleeding set from Firewind followed by the
headliners
that night who need no appraisal from me, Testament. As they drew their
set to
a close, and I neared the dregs of my beer, the cramp setting in my
spine told
me loud and clear that it was time to make a merry way back to the
campsite for
some post mosh inebriation. Like an exclamation mark at the crux of a
dirty
metal head infested sentence, Alice in Chains' Man in the Box floated
from the
stacks at the beer tent all the way to my plastered ears as I passed
out
halfway into my tent, ready for day two and the massive hangover that
was
inevitably to come.
The pirates
will remain unforgiven;
it must have been 10 o'clock in the morning when I first stuck my
pounding head
out of my tent, which in a hilarious (not) juxtaposition to the night
before
had decided to convert itself into a pressure cooker intent on bleeding
me dry
of every gram of toxic sweat in my body. The cries of "Yar, wench"
and other such swashbuckling catchphrases were growing ever closer, but
in my
half conscious stupor I was congratulating myself on the newfound
ability to
block them out... imagine my surprise when a loaded pirate's cap gun
went off
right in my ear, starting me right out of bed and ten foot into the
air.
disgruntled and deafened I made a slow way to the porta-loos for a nice
old bit
of festival hospitality, though after opening doors to mountain after
mountain
of reconstituted festival grub I made my way to the surrounding woods
and said
hello to nature. Disheveled but in no way disheartened I dragged my
splitting
temples off to the small cafe stand where me and Kelly met up with the
rest of
the crew for some early morning preparation; Ben and Kate arrived on
the scene
with the savior of the morning, a five pack of jam doughnuts and a bag
full of
pastry and we made our way back to the main arena for Kates Clothing
vs.
Bloodstock round two.
After a
heavy dose of the hair of
the dog I pushed my way to the front of the crowd just in time for Wolf
to
blast the wax from my
ears and the crust from my eyes. These hard rocking
Swedes absolutely blew the stage apart and remained completely
un-phased when
the power cut out
mid-song; spurred by the spontaneity of the moment the singer
makes his
way to the front of the
stage, Carlsberg in hand and incites the
crowd into some heavy unified
roaring, followed closely by the
second drum solo
of the weekend. Acoustic or not, those skins were heard right to the
back of
the crowd and as the life came surging back into the
speakers
Wolf proceeded to
tear it up louder and heavier then ever. Pumped once more with pure
adrenaline
me and the crew
made our way over to the unsigned tent to hang with the crowd
from Scruffy Murphy’s. If you’re not familiar with
the Birmingham scene then
I’ll just let you know, Scruffy's is the only place to head
bang on a nightly
basis; the bloodstock stages were littered with regulars. On the way
back from
the operatic metal of Epica we bumped into a London mate, Ted Mauls'
Luca,
buzzing his nut off and brandishing a good sized bottled of Jack
Daniels. A top
heavy pint each of J.D. and a quick photo of our collective arses later
and I
was ready to make my way down to the Lava stage to catch the
hardcore metal
stylings of Blind sight. I promised Bob the bassist that I’d
go down and take a
few snaps for the website, didn't expect to be drawn into the moshpit
quite so
hard. Those Ilkeston rockers know exactly how to
keep the crowd swinging,
contending excellently with the end of Nevermore's electric
set. A good
rock-out and a quick mosh with Wes from Speed Theory saw me thrown back
into
the main throng with just enough time to take some in crowd photos
before Lacuna
Coil strode onto the stage. The second Cristina Scabbia's gorgeously
dark form
hallowed over the crowd below the skies seemed to darken with the
promise of
something epic. They opened the set with a convulsive rendition of To
The Edge
and pre-empted the three song encore with their own outstanding
re-working of
Depeche Mode's Enjoy The Silence. Two songs into the encore and the
entire
crowd joins in a heavy chorus of recent hit Our Truth - if you know the
song
you'll have an idea of how huge that moment was, and if you
don’t it's about
time you crawled out from under that rock. Having been blessed with a
crew pass
from Luca, Kelly and I snuck backstage to see if we couldn't grab five
with the
lovely Ms. Scabbia. After a quick chat, body aching once more, the crew
parted
ways and me and Kelly made our bedraggled and thoroughly rocked way
back to
camp where the neighboring campers kindly invited us to enjoy a burger
from
their BBQ and some random with a Jesus cut followed me across a field,
apparently for no better reason then to stroke my flailing hair... I
could've
sworn he was after my woman, but after Kate threatened to smack him one
he soon
wandered off into the crowd once more. All in good fun.
The next
day it seemed as though
the
skies had stopped bothering to keep the weather pleasant. As if they
knew none
of us would let the rain stop the rocking they opened up and unleashed
a grey
and soaking hell on us all, a test of our commitment to the Bloodstock
cause. I
dragged my hangover down to the main stage to show some
support for Scruffy’s
regulars Benediction, where defiance was the name of the game; halfway
through
their set they announced that they had six songs left and only five
minutes to
play them in; so for the next fifteen minutes the entire crowd was
filled with
a serious sense of anarchic pride as the Birmingham
death metal group proceeded
to 'stick it to the man' in true metal style... the circle pit for
'Suffering
Feeds Me' was  a sight to
be revered, and as they closed their lawless set I felt
charged with the kind of energy only a moshpit at the crack of noon can
invoke. On then
to the unsigned tent to consume the wake up shift of alcohol and rock
out hard for friends and personal favorites of the Kates Clothing crew,
dark
and dirty rock and roll merchants Nemhain, fronted by the famed
Morrigan Hel.
If you know your stuff then you'll know that these guys rocked the Intrepid
Fox
for us at
the Necessary Evil brand launch, a performance rivaled only by the
raw energy perceived this day at Bloodstock.
With Adrian Erlandson literally
pouring sweat over his skins the unsigned marquee nearly blew its pegs
as their
excellent rendition of Die Die Die My Darling had the crowd singing
right along
with them. And as if by some stroke of excellent timing, as soon as
they left
the stage Pendulum's Slam hit the speakers, which was my cue to get a
heavy
freak on. Soaked to the bone or not,
the afternoons events had set me right up
for the rest of the day.
The
festival was fast drawing to a
close; between sneaking backstage for a cheeky photo with Anders from
In Flames, Nemhain
and the guys from Exit 10 I managed to pack my soaking tent back into
the bite
sized bag it somehow came so neatly wrapped in. The skies were closing
in with
black clouds and threats of a bone chilling night; of course, we had to
see In
Flames open their set, explosively I might add, and as we ambled back
to the
car to call it a weekend the entire festival was engaged in a beautiful
rendition of a personal favorite, Pinball Map. Just before smearing the
car
floor with our muddy boots Kelly and I gave our necks one last work out
as the
chorus trailed of into the perfect darkness. The drive home was a
knackered
one, but I think the people in that car and everyone on site knew that
they'd
borne witness to a part of something big, as though Bloodstock were a
great
pillar in the fight to keep the raging fire alive; no dilution, no
imitation,
just pure unbridled metal.
By Oisin
Hendrix
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Kates
Clothing - When Does Fetish Become Fashion
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Find out more about Lenore at her website www.lenore.org.uk
Find out more about Bianca Beauchamp at her website www.biancabeauchamp.com
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