I wanted a retro-spiderweb theme, kind of like the set on the old Vampira show, and Liz totally delivered. She made the bib necklace and the belt, and supplied the dress, hairflowers, earrings, and some of the rings, too. Makeup was by the fabulous-as-always Beauty By Samantha White and hair was by the superb NM Beautybar.
I have two new pinup publications with some great new collaborators: Liz of Bombshell Pinup Photography and Sam of Beauty by Samantha White! Our images are featured in six-page spreads in both Retro Lovely No. 237 and Bombshell‘s February Valentine’s issue! And, we got a cover!
The first set was a lovely Gil Elvgren-inspired Valentine’s Day collection of images featuring a beautiful vintage satin comforter set acquired by Liz. I brought some cool fake roses, my vintage See’s Candy Valentine heart boxes, and a goodly chunk of my lingerie wardrobe, and here’s the result:
Sam’s makeup was amazing, Liz’s hairstyling was sublime, and my Bettie Page lingerie, What Katie Did Demi corset, vintage jewelry, trusty dusty Manolo Blahnik Sedarabys, and Catherine D’Lish lilac Cassandra robe did their jobs!
The second look was very bondage-y, inspired by our Pinup Queen, Bettie Mae Page. I brought my hand-tooled leather collar and black lingerie, and borrowed Liz’s PVC corset, shoes, and props. Sam gave me a bold red lip and Liz gave me Bettie waves. And we were off!
So here’s some fun news! I now have a Retro Lovely Showcase special edition dedicated entirely to my pinup work with great photographers like Marilee Caruso, Miss Missy, Bettina May, and Feathered Flash!
I have a couple of shoots coming in the new year and a set featuring my 1780s chemise a la reine that’s on the way, but now it’s time to share my last two pinup publications of 2023: Retro Lovely No. 231 and Godiva No. 61! Marilee Caruso Photography did the photos, hair, and makeup for both shoots!
The Retro Lovely flagship set is another Halloween homage, this time at location in an historic cemetery in Sacramento! This was our third attempt to shoot this set, after tries one and two were postponed due to bad weather. Five months after our first attempt (January), we finally got the weather we needed.
I love the results: black and white, witchy, vintage! The entire outfit is Micheline Pitt, with very cheap (signed!) Manolo Blahnik Camparis I got secondhand.
The Godiva set features Marilee’s boudoir at the studio, freshly-painted green this Summer! I wanted a “New Year’s Eve” afterparty vibe, and Marilee delivered with warm lighting and festive props!
My outfit consisted of lingerie by Dita Von Teese and a Demi Corset, stockings, and garter belt by What Katie Did Demi Corset. The shoes are my trusty Christian Louboutin Piou-pious.
As always, you can order these issues, my 2024 calendars, and any of my recent issues via my Linktree: https://linktr.ee/strangegirl
The photos ended up being playful and funny, as we very quickly moved away from me playing terrorized victim to the creature himself turning tail and running away. I’m guessing it was my big net and massive Dooneese Maharelle energy that scared him off? The world may never know.
Anyway, a fun way to bridge the gap between hot Summer days by the lagoon and Halloween.
IT’S CALENDAR TIME! Thanks to Retro Lovely Magazine you can now order your very own Catherine Morland pinup calendar featuring the brilliant photography of Marilee Caruso!
It’s $25 shipped and signed (I’ll personalize it if you wish – just let me know the name you want me to use!). Includes a sticker featuring my likeness by Marianne Von Crow.
First batch of orders will ship by the end of the month! Thanks so much for your support!