Selkie's Spring 2024 show took place in September at the St. Regis rooftop ballroom in New York City. The collection drew inspiration from the famous Cottingley sisters, who, at the tender ages of 9 and 19, convinced the world that fairies might indeed exist! They did so by photographing their homemade paper cutout fairies in 1917 using their father's camera and showing the images to their parents, who did not believe them. These pictures ended up in the hands of an occult group and soon spread around Britain. We encourage you to listen to their story on the podcast 'Criminal' (https://thisiscriminal.com/episode-229-a-glamour-and-a-mystery-7-28-2023/) to hear more incredible details.
As children, fairies often serve as a gateway to a rich imagination, especially for little girls. I remember back in the UK, my breath puffing in the cold February rain, 9 years old, skinny legs in crochet socks searching for fairy mushroom circles in the dark woods. Even placing my hands on the tree in my back garden seemed to conjure otherworldly magic. Nature itself is magical, whether you believe in fairies or not, but for me and my friends, nature was a place to disappear inside our own stories.
The importance of belief in the supernatural cannot be understated. We must allow every generation to dive deep into their imagination because it marks the beginning of understanding one's own power; and believing in that power is the entryway to believing in oneself. Who would I be today if I had not been free to examine every nook of my mind? Selkie clothes have always been a way to embrace your inner child, a way to play dress up, as you did so freely once upon a time.
To transition the show from childhood to woman, I brought in 2 burlesque dancers, both performing strip-tease acts for the female gaze. The dances represent the different acts of the show; act one, "The Fairy Hunters," essentially - The child. Pearls Daily peels off her gossamer petticoats in a mimed rain dance, a total freeing of body and soul that transports us into the second act which was inspired by butterfly showgirls. The second dancer, Jezebel Express closes the show as a representation of complete and total self-love and self-expression.
This show ultimately celebrates imagination, with an ode to coming-of-age whimsy, transporting our audience on a fantasy trip through the early 20th century.
So, leave your chrysalis at the door, pour yourself a gin martini, and join us.
Escape into the magic of total self-love, watch the show and do some shopping.
