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Vintage Vivant is now one year old! Thank you, Austin, for all of the amazing costumes, dancing, and entertainment throughout 2011. We couldn’t have celebrated it up right without you! Here is a look back at our poster designs for each event, each designed by our lovely Angeliska.

January – Paper Moon
In 2005, two girls who shared a love of vintage clothing and the Jazz age met via livejournal while each was living in New Orleans and Portland. They became fast friends when they met in Austin in 2008. When we caught wind that Mickie Spencer of the East Side Show Room was decorating a new bar in the Red River district, we jumped at the chance to hold a monthly Jazz Age themed event. Teaming up with DJ Shorty Stump, front man of The White Ghost Shivers as DJ, and Devaki Knowles of Fun Loving Photos, as photobooth photographer extraordinare, Angel and Amelia set out to make an event that was memorable, interactive, and different for the city of Austin. After our first event, we were so impressed by the costumes & enthusiasm of our guests that we dreamed up bigger & bigger themes as the year went on.

February – Gangsters + Molls
We worked with local improv troup Parallelogramophonograph to stage a hold up of the joint, complete with fire arms and hostages. Two Left Feet performed a dance as Bonnie & Clyde, and burlesque cutie Sassy Delure enchanted guests with her sequined wiggles.

March – Goldiggers
Our pals in the East Side Dandies drummed up authentic hot jazz, and Balboa dancers nearly wore a hole in the floor dancing!

April – Bunnyhop Bash
Djamberry Caravan serenaded us with Django-esque tunes, and the Fatbottom Cabaret lead a very joyous bunny hop circle all around the venue.

May – Storyville Bordello
This was the theme where every aspect of Vintage Vivant really came together. Stride pianist Reese Gray, who cut his jazz teeth on the town of New Orleans at the tender age of 17, joined us as piano master to a stage filled with hussies decorated and bewigged by Charm School Vintage and Coco Coquette. Rebecca Havemeyer sang a rousing rendition of “Shave ‘em Dry,” and I saw more than one of y’all’s sweater kittens that night!

June – Great Depression
“What a depressing theme for a party!” some concluded when we handed them the flyer. We invited you to take a spin in garments that were on their last leg, dresses that had been mended and remended during the Great Depression. This was one of our favorite Vivants, especially as we posed with the literal MOUNTAIN of canned goods that patrons donated at the door for the Austin area food bank. We had a soup kitchen, old timey tunes, and feather fan burlesque from Riley Do Right, because, we can’t be depressed all of the time, can we?

July – Paris J’taime
We announced in late June that we would be taking a hiatus for July, and were met with a resounding “NO!!!!” from our fans. In attendance: several mimes, the wonderful & melodious Mistress Stephanie, and lots of cuties in berets.

August – Tramps + Vamps
This month, we teamed up with the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz for a showing of 1927′s silent film “It,” starring Clara Bow, and accompanied by Reese Gray on piano. It was a lovely date night, with dinner and a movie at The Alamo, and dancing & music at The Swan Dive.

September – A Night at The Circus
This month was amazing! 999 Eyes Freak Show made a surprise performance of music & side-show-ery. Colin manned the cotton candy booth, and Agent Ribbons played all of our favorite songs.

October – Halloween Witches’ Ball
The Vintage 15 (a 15 piece big-band style ensemble) stole the show, and the costumes of the night were truly amazing.

November – Forbidden Vices
Another fabulous tableau vivant by Coco Coquette, Black Swan Theory, and Charm School Vintage – this time, the ladies were outfitted as opium den loungers. Sick from Sick’s Pack performed naughty songs about drugs and booze with Reese Gray, and Frannie Brown temped us with a Snow White burlesque routine.

December – Hawaiian Holiday
A vacation from the holidays! This was one of the most decadent Vivants to date, with catered food from Hostess Miss Mostess (those cookies! that ham & pineapple thing! and the paper umbrella wreaths?! I’m dying!) and authentic tunes from a land that seems so far, far away in the chill of December.

January – Hot Girls Of Weimar Berlin
A stage full of naughty girls styled by Coco Coquette and Charm School Vintage took turns spanking one another, and Mistress Stephanie and her Melodic Cat sang a song especially penned for Vintage Vivant. Kitty’s burlesque to a very German “Oops, I Did it Again” had us on the

edge of our seats, but that was due in part because our bottoms were raw from all the swatting.

February – Life’s A Party!

This month we’re celebrating our 1 year anniversary
with a blowout birthday party bash inspired by the
colorful art deco soirees and masquerade balls of yore!
Prepare for decadent and absurd party games, copious
champagne, cake and surprises, confetti and streamers galore!
Wear your favorite party dress, fancy wigs, masques or
bizarre costumes! It’s going to be a wild and wonderful night.
Come celebrate one year of vintage fabulousness with us, won’t you?
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