Gallery Serpentine, BioMech and Urbandon

Yesterday I checked out the bespoke sample sale which yielded me a black turban and a magenta sequinned cardi (to be seen in outfit posts later). Then I spent several hours trawling the length of King St, Newtown visiting the vintage shops – the one where I actually bought a few things being the Sarah Jane clearance store.

But the place that I enjoyed most was Gallery Serpentine with its BioMech event, which had alt model Ratchet being bodypainted by Jessica Watson Miller with Illamasqua products – in the window, no less!

They still had a few hours to go with the painting so it wasn’t completed here. Here are a few more photos (Cat Sweeny’s, from the facebook page), to help you see more of the delightful detail:

Cat Sweeny’s Steampunk photos were also displayed on the walls (click to see larger size):

I have to say I was blown away by Urbandon‘s steampunk jewellery too.  Urbandon is Don Pezzano, a self-taught assemblage artist and jeweller living in Sydney’s Inner West (and a lovely guy). Using found objects and recycled materials his creations have a Steampunk twist and a masculine sensibility. Drawing on Victorian cult and futuristic ideals allows him to create otherwordly, apocalyptic jewellery and gadgets.

He uses things such as doll’s arms and eyes which I really like, in addition to the usual brass cogs and watch parts.  I told him about Dolly Kei in Japan, which likes using antique doll’s faces on necklaces. Who knows? Maybe he’ll come up with a few DK pieces!

His pieces really are unique, definitely collectibles, and here are some items from the Urbandon Etsy store:

Anyway, check the etsy store and facebook page for more, and also go have a read of his very amusing and witty blog.

Then there was the store itself with its exquisite clothing. Everywhere you look there are beautiful corsets, gowns, sumptuous jackets, amazing patform shoes and boots, jewellery, accessories and more.

The steampunk elements even extended to shoes and boots!

I had to try a few things on, including the fantastic antique gold striped jacket, which clashed brilliantly with my zigzagged pants:

Aussie alternatives, I urge you to pay a visit to Gallery Serpentine sometime, and everyone can check out online the art of the people mentioned in this post. Now, to drool over some of those pieces again…