The end of Spring was approaching in San Francisco and that meant that the annual Emerging Illusions Alternative Fashion Show was soon to happen. For those unaware, Emerging Illusions is meant to showcase up and coming fashion/costume designers from the Goth, punk and industrial scenes.

Again, I was honored to be asked to set up a mini studio backstage and shoot the models and designers, make-up artists and hair stylists and anyone else who wanted to pose.

The smell of make-up and hair spray filled to backstage area. Nearly every square inch of floor was covered by people, clothes and props. Activity was everywhere. Make-up being applied, hair being styled, models dressing and undressing, dancers stretching out. It was more difficult to negotiate than the dance floor when the DJ plays everybody’s favorite song.

And it was no wonder that it was packed. Each designer is limited to only five or six models and provides their own hair and make-up people. This year, saw 14 designers: Somnabulance, Wisp-her Wear, Gibbous, Severd, Eirik Aswang, Lisa Goblin, The Window Lady, Dragoness, Chelsea Aragon, saKAna Desgins, Larvae, Shawk Designs, Shadow Bound and Clotho Constrictor. Plus there were stage crew running the show, photographers & videographers and the occasional friend of someone.

As I set up my equipment, I looked over the outfits being worn by those already dressed. With fourteen designers, their designs were as diversified as you would imagine with outfits ranging from everyday wear to clubwear to costumes to things you’d probably only wear at Burning Man if you wear anything at Burning Man.

Though I really enjoy the energy backstage, my only regret in being backstage is I don’t get to see the show. This is because Emerging Illusions is not a simple fashion show. One thing that the organizer, Miqua, has done, is to add broader appeal by eschewing the catwalk. No models simply strutting up and down the stage in this fashion show. The designers are encouraged to create mini performance pieces to showcase their creations. So rather than a fashion show, you get a show that has fashion.

Luckily, after I had everything set up, I had some time to watch some of the rehearsals. And again, the range of performances varied as vastly as the style of clothes. From dolls coming to life and turning their little girl owner into one of them to handmaidens who feed their queen to sea demons to a post-apocalyptic, spy-thiller demon hunt amid snowing fallout. I was even asked to stand in for Vampirabat and Nixon Sixx during one rehearsal. Not an easy task, as I am the opposite of what comes to mind when the names of Vampirabat or Nixon Sixx even come up.

Even before the show started, I was taking pictures and shot nearly continuously for the next six hours. And with the exception of a wayward mannequin punching a hole in my backdrop and fisticuffs nearly breaking out between two groups of models over who was going to shoot next, it was a pretty fun-filled evening.

The show for 2009 is already looking to be the biggest of them all.

If you’d like more information on the show or the designers or where to purchase clothing, visit the Emerging Illusions website.

Full disclosure: I kind of liked that Buckcherry song “Crazy Bitch” when it briefly played on the radio in Los Angeles. Not sure if it played elsewhere or not. As I recall, Prodigy’s “Smack My Bitch Up” only got airplay in limited markets, so not sure if the word bitch impacts distro. Given that their label Eleven Seven Music is some sort of Warner subsidiary or other corporate term meaning a certain kind of backing, I guess they might not have had that much trouble with distro in 2006, but I didn’t note it at the time, so I don’t know. New factoid I learned today: Apparently, Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue is at least the nominal president of Buckcherry’s label Eleven Seven Music, which was founded by longtime music industry guy and master of marketing innovation Allen Kovac, a man who can probably think of the way to backdoor distro, even if a major label backer is gunshy. (Now I get why Motley Crue would tour with Buckcherry. That Nikki Sixx is smart. One of these days, I need to get with the program and start collecting royalties off of people who wish they were me.)

Although the “Crazy Bitch” song has some lyrics about enjoying an insane lover’s cat scratches, Joshua Todd has reiterated in various interviews that he does not actually like it when groupies come up to him and trying to put scratches all up and down his back. Seriously, people need to think about what they are doing before they start putting marks on someone with extensive body art. Yeah, they may be more likely to be into it, but they may also be stressed out about damaging their skin decorations. Additionally, even touring musicians, who look like they like to hang with the ladies, may not appreciate being sent home with marks of their guilt.

I have not watched the “Crazy Bitch” explicit version video carefully enough to pick out whether I know anyone in that one, but I remember when they were recruiting for it. Unlike their “Too Drunk to Fuck” song, Buckcherry actually shot an entire different video for the boobies version of “Crazy Bitch”. I am deeply not someone who normally thinks it is better to leave something to the imagination, but the nonnude version of “Crazy Bitch” is simply way way way hotter. It kind of fits better too because the nonnude version features the band being rounded up and dominated by naughty policewomen and the topless version features strippers dancing unenthusiastically in a strip club, while Buckcherry’s lead singer hangs out in the bathroom by the urinal.

When Forrest Black and I shoot naked people, we always try to stay way inside someone’s comfort zone. I like to stop short of what I think is the farthest someone would be comfortable and way short of the farthest they could be pushed to. Having thought about it for a day, I think that part of the problem is that Buckcherry’s management or record label or both are pushing them beyond their comfort zone. Joshua Todd looks almost charismatic when he is being dominated by a clothed policewoman, but he just looks scared and uncomfortable with naked breasts in the room with him. (Example linked after the jump in the comments, only for board members who have filled out the free signup and are of age.)

Then again, he did still participate in what I believe may be the absolute most pathetically awful example of a rock ballad ever performed. The only reason I say “may be” is that I can’t stand to listen past the first couple of notes, but it is the “OFFICIAL Sorry” video.