I have always wanted to be wildly and unreservedly glamorous!
In my world, to be glamorous means lavish outfits made with sequins and feathers and paired with fairy wings or tiaras. Nothing is understated but retains its elegant appeal my implying a theatrical quality.
This idea of glamour has been my dream for as long as I can remember!
My mother was a cabaret singer with backing burlesque-style strippers who stripped down to stars and tassels.
Just the average run of the mill mother then!
Her lead girl was called Eliana who could get her tassels to twirl in opposite directions.
Wow…what a party trick!
My mother was obviously impressed as she named her firstborn after her! I have been envious of that all my life! There are no nipple tassels connected to the name Eloise!
When I was 6, my mother took the whole family to Beirut in Lebanon. It was her favourite place in the entire world after having lived and worked there in her 30’s.
She took us to a club called the KitKat club as it had been her favourite when she was still singing. I remember sitting at a cosy little table right by the edge of a small stage. It was like something out of a movie. I was in awe of the dancers and felt slightly overwhelmed. Only in hindsight am I surprised at the fact a 6-year-old was allowed in a burlesque club!
There is one act that I vividly remember, it is one of my strongest childhood memories. It is more than a memory, it is a strong emotion that I feel right into my core.
A very glamorous lady came on stage wearing a belly dancer style of costume and performed the dance of the 7 veils. She removed 1 layer of silky chiffon after the next. The last layer of this beautifully soft and floaty material was a deep purple, she casually dropped it right over my sisters head.
Wow, I so deeply wished with all my heart that she had chosen me. I still do! I was in love with this exotic dancer and wanted desperately to be noticed by her, in fact, I think I wanted to be her.
As soon as she had finished, my mother took us all backstage. We were going to meet this goddess.
I think they knew each other from the old days.
We entered her small cave-like dressing room, and I was instantly struck dumb with shyness and overwhelmed by emotions.
There was no way I could speak to her, so I settled for gazing in stunned silence.
This was probably the exact moment that led to my love of everything theatrical, the exact moment that gave me my goal, my goal to be glamorous! That one evening at the KitKat club was like research into determining my future self.
I have the heart and soul of a performer and the ability to let imagination take over when talent takes flight.
I was brought up in the world of ballet but escaped to the excitement of cabaret the second I had the chance, trying to quench my thirst for everything dramatic.
Nowadays, I rely on my daydreams or inventiveness to allow my inner luvvie to thrive.
I love to create an outfit for any new experience, and I will create an experience whenever I can.
They don’t all require sequins, but they do all involve channelling different characters or personalities.
I’ve donned a farmers costume simply because I was going to be in a tractor and I have gone running in boxing gloves having my husband drive next to me playing the Rocky music. Everything can be made into an adventure.
