On November 4, Friday evening at 8:00, Bay Area designers Prince Noir Designs showcased their collection “Judas the Horned Betrayer” at the Syncho MG: STYLISH MADNESS event at SUB/Mission in San Francisco. As paraphrased from their blogspot, their designs are mainly in the gothic lolita style, and cite influences from the  10^thcentury, Victorian era, the macabre, the bizarre, and all religions. Their very first collection, “Judas the Horned Betrayer,” was inspired by the question “Why did Judas betray Jesus?” As quoted from Prince Noir, “There are only two reasons why a person would betray a most beloved friend on such a grand scale. One being jealousy, the other being love.” From there, they designed outfits for six characters: Jesus, Mary Magdalene, the Dark Disciple, the Nun, the Holy Fool, and Judas.

Fashion designers are generally feared for the pretentious and demanding attitudes they might exude. But not Camille and Syu, the designers of Prince Noir. They were so warm and friendly! Their handmade designs are so creative and beautiful, and look and feel as though one can purchase them from stores. Also, not once did they ever ask the demeaning “Can’t you lose weight?” question to the models.

The event that evening did not only include a fashion show. Before the fashion show began, there were live performances by local rock bands Limnus and Kairu, art displays featuring local artists’ works, and when the bands were not playing, Bay Area DJs Rayden SINN and Crow1369 provided music to complete the whole ambiance. There was also a performance by Tokyo-based multimedia artist Tensei Sugahara, a performer well-known in the Tokyo underground who blends painting, shibari (Japanese bondage) and butoh (a type of absurd-grotesque dance originated in Japan) into his work.

When the fashion show began at approximately 10:30 PM, Prince Noir was the first designer to showcase their creations. The other two designers were Threadbonz and GlamRock Royalty. Prince Noir’s segment of the fashion show was set to a remix of Lady Gaga’s “Judas,” and each model walked down the runway as their character, each with a walk coordinated for their specific character’s personalities. Jesus was holy, Mary Magdalene was guilt-ridden, the Dark Disciple was secretive, the Nun was mischievous, the Holy Fool was playful, and Judas was malicious.

The fashion show was an honor to be a part of. Many people who attended the event enjoyed it, and lauded Prince Noir’s designs. If anything, I can’t wait to see what they will do next!

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