Rubin Singer Spring 2014 Collection: ‘The Serpent Queen’
I’m obsessed with the Queen of the Nile…maybe it’s the intrigue, the opulence or the Egyptian goddess part. Or perhaps it’s the dark snake imagery, I don’t know…but one thing I do know, is, Cleopatra was a badass. She killed herself by self-induced snake bite: A cobra to the heart! How much more badass can a girl be?
Therefore it stands to reason that couture fashion designer Rubin Singer would celebrate one of history’s most notorious rulers in this outstanding display of Spring 2014 fashions. Rubin stated, “My Serpent Queen is an enigmatic ruler of her universe. Seductively dangerous, she ominously enraptures all with her mystery and beauty.”
Take a look at these striking designs inspired by a faraway place and time. Read what my good friend, San Francisco fashion designer and interior decorator Giancarlo Vega, has to say about this unique roundup of couture, wildly imagined by Rubin Singer. Rubin, we love you!
A platinum leather bodice, above, is etched with pharaohs and encrusted with jewels.
Rubin, a virtuoso of drapery, lavishly cloaks the model in a jet display of diaphanous fabric–“a pharaoh’s cocktail dress,” said Giancarlo.
The colors of the Nile include white, teal, lapis and gold; Rubin’s Nile, however, is black, turquoise, and of course, rich metallics. A gold collar around the neck is reminiscent of the pharaohs’ jeweled bibs. “Seductive Egyptian cleavage brought to modern times with snakeskin accents is so sexy,” Giancarlo stated.
“The sparkle of the sequins on this dress remind me of the light hitting the waters of the Nile river,” said Giancarlo. “Such opulent fabrics convey the riches of ancient Egypt,” he stated, while gold cuff bracelets echo the jewels of that time period.
A gold lamé snakeskin dress with exaggerated shoulders and a deeply-draped back are a courageous tribute to the glistening metallics that permeated ancient Egypt. The model, “draped in a skin of sensuality,” Giancarlo said, “looks powerful and commanding in this particular silhouette.”
“Rich reptile skins,” above and below, “add texture–and in the most seductive way,” Giancarlo added.
I’m loving the rose gold tone of the scalloped dress below…
More rose gold, below, in Rubin’s unmistakeable style of drapery…
…the dress is at once clinging yet fluid.
Just look at the gown below! Spectacular, and befitting of a queen!
This is Rubin’s vision of a contemporary Cleopatra, and how she would have dressed if she lived today.
A shrunken vest of shimmering gold, below, is a structured silhouette in the hands of Rubin. “The Hieroglyphic golden bolero is just stunning…A story found in the details of beauty,” Giancarlo said.
Glistening turquoise and gold lamé, with a side bustle and floating train, below, are sublime.
This body-hugging dress in the same fabric is nothing short of breathtaking!
The model’s makeup, by Roberto Morelli, consists of the dark, kohl-rimmed eyes that are characteristic of the ancient Egyptians…
…and inspired by Elizabeth Taylor’s 1963 classic film, Cleopatra, below.
A blunt black wig frames the model’s face, again, harkening back to the film.
This collection is another powerful example of history and art influencing fashion, as seen in Dolce & Gabbana’s breathtaking Byzantine, Alexander McQueen’s tribute to houndstooth featuring Dutch artist M.C. Escher, Sarah Burton’s Elizabethan homage, and Jean Paul Gaultier’s entire body of work.
