Steampunk fashion to be shown at Gate 5 festival
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WEIRTON -- Visitors to the Gate 5 Industrial Arts Festival in Weirton Saturday will have an opportunity to view some metal-inspired fashions.
Among the activity lineup is a Steampunk Fashion Show, to be held onstage at 12:30 p.m. at the Weirton Event Center.
"When the idea for the Gate 5 Industrial Arts Festival was first proposed, it was decided to include activities involving metals, sculpture, clay, and pottery, all industries in our valley that were once our mainstay," Molly Mossor, fashion show chair, said. "We also talked about scrap work using metal pipes, cogs, wheels, chains, and I suddenly realized that the Steampunk genre fit perfectly within the scope of our festival."
Steampunk is a science fiction genre combining fashion reflective of the Victorian time period, with steam-powered machinery.
Most of the costumes to be worn in the fashion show were designed by Christine Delguzzi, a board member and costume designer for Striplight Community Theatre.
The majority of the costumes are original designs and the creation of Christine Delguzzi, Board member and costume designer for Striplight Community Theatre. When the theater did Alice in Wonderland this summer, Christine's vision of wonderland was Steampunk and she has adapted several of those costumes or this show.
"Costume designers and fashion designers are the same but different. Both strive to make a statement, but fashion designers generally come up with trends for everyone to wear. Costume designers then take those fashion trends and use research and knowledge to breathe life into the clothing they make," Delguzzi said. "What costume designers do is magic. They create people out of clothing because they create the illusion that the person is someone else. I love being part of that magic."
Brandy Lee Dorsch of Hello Haberdashery is making original hats and headware for the show.
"Bringing together artisans who create -- in our case you could even say manufacture -- original products kinds is a wonderful opportunity," said Dorsh, who also is the event coordinator for the festival. "We have 20 vendors this year and we hope this encourages and grows our 'maker' community."
In addition to Hello Haberdashery, two other vendors, Zen in the Shade Design and Iridescence Jewelry of Wheeling, are providing steam-punk style pieces for the show.
Summit Art Gallery will feature a themed Steampunk Art and Industrial photography show during the festival, with an opening reception 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Artists featured will be: Amy Franey Cunningham, industrial photography, and steampunk jewelry from business, Zen in the Shade; Holly Zablackas, soft-sculptured steampunk dolls; Savannah Schroll Guz, acrylics and pen and ink, and an original Steampunk jewelry piece; Christine Delguzzi, costume design featuring steampunk; Brandy Dorsch, top hats and fascinators in steampunk style from her product line Hello Haberdashery; and Daniel Dorsch with steampunk masks and skulls.