Throughout the annals of art and lore, ravens have never been trusted – after all, they’re first on the scene at the hint of fresh blood, and they savor nothing more than the taste of raw meat. They are said to croak the voice of the murdered and the damned, and that unfathomable horrors should immediately befall anyone foolish enough to kill one. Ominous and foreboding yet handsome and sagacious, these enigmatic soothsayers have oft been revered as nobility. For generations, the British Government has even gone so far as to mandate a minimum of six are always kept at the Tower of London, for fear that without, the monarchy will fall, taking all of Britain with it. Once upon a time, atop this very tower, intrepid fashionista Pilar Macchione captured these great beasts’ souls inside her. She guarded these spirits all to herself for years, until just this last May 15th…when time stood still – as in one fiery fell swoop – she unleashed them upon us.

At seven, Ms. Macchione began sculpting dresses on dolls; later, she studied art and design at the Ent-Art Polimoda in Italy, then at University of the Arts, London, and eventually earned an MA in theatre/costume design at UCLA. She and her work have been featured in leading fashion magazines and on runways and syndicated TV shows in such faraway places as Russia, China, and England. She’s won numerous international design contests; in collaboration with NSK Textile Ltd in Delhi, India, she created a sizable collection for Italian buyer Miss Sixty; and now she’s been selected to present her latest collection in September at Couture Fashion Week at Manhattan’s Waldorf Astoria.

Inside the Gaslamp Quarter’s Salon de Marcus, a flock of slender models surrounds me. On each, smooth skin of different shades meet nearly all black fabric in straight lines like a thousand horizons: the perfect contrast. Some don spiny raven quills, others reveal more flesh, ALL are breathtaking. Model Traelee tells me “Her work is meticulous…so well put-together. Each feather is stitched in by hand.” From behind me, Pilar appears, smiling broadly. She tells me, “When I create a piece, it’s from the heart. I always do thorough research—sketch, fabric, manipulation, so that the concept correlates through-out the collection to bring the work to life. This collection is new for me; transpired by a piece and transformed into something beautiful. All my pieces have that powerful majestic mystique.”

To Pilar’s left, stands Gemma, whose face is split down the middle by a masquerade-style mask. When she turns, I am only able to make out her limpid blue retina splashed within a fountain of long, black, sinewy, jewel-encrusted eyelashes, surrounded by the rest of the mask. She says, “Wearing this, I am losing myself…who am I and who is the mask?” She giggles. “Pilar’s collection makes bold statements. You’ve gotta be a woman with guts and something to say.” Suddenly, the ubiquitous camera flashes trip my mind and the room begins to spin. Amidst a maze of flesh and a tumultuous flurry of ebony cloth and ruby-red lipstick, I know what it is to be the carrion but, strangely, I have never felt more alive. I know that after today, the legend of the ravens of the Tower of London is now forever changed. And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor shall be lifted - nevermore!

by Orin Louis

Take thy beak from out my heart

Feathery FantasiesPilar Macchione’s

Photo by Leo Malevanchick

{nouveh interview}: Pilar Macchione{nouveh interview}: Pilar Macchione

Model: Gemma Grey