Culture Jam: A Midsummer Night’s Dreamgirl

Ten things FASHION loves about Shakespeare’s Tytania, as played by Laura Claycomb in the Canadian Opera Company’s ethereal singing-to-life of A Midsummer Night’s Dream:

1. Her titian hair’s so hotly hued, it would make Coca Rocha cry. If you weren’t already tempted by scarlet tresses—the recessionista’s so-2009 way of going into the red—I promise, you will be after falling under this fairy queen’s spell.

2. She wears sequins in the daytime. So Balmain (balmain.com)…

3. …and her king, Oberon, rocks the Christophe Decarnin/Carine Roitfeld look too. Check out that Michael Jackson jacket! Embellished, majorly shoulder-padded, and boldly paired with man-leggings. Androgny: the new sexy.

4. Even in midsummer, Tytania’s wintry pale—her queenly wisdom must extend to the ways of sun protection. Good for her, and her alabaster skin. As for me, I’m suddenly looking at the tube of Vichy SPF 60 (vichy.ca) under my desk with a rather guilty eye.

5. Her ostrich-feather headdress, crafted by costume designer Dale Ferguson, brings back wistful memories of London Fashion Week and all its millinery gems. Stephen Jones (stephenjonesmillinery.com) would say aye!

6. Better still, Tytania styles her changeling child-servant in an embellished gold turban…. just like Kate Moss at the Met Gala last week.

7. The queen mother of fairies is a surprisingly modern heroine: brilliant, commanding, self-assured. Even the king’s so terrified of her, he has to resort to drugging her in her sleep to win their battle royale over said child-servant.

8. And sure, as a result, she falls in love with an ass—Bottom the donkey, I mean—but haven’t we all? At least the star soprano introduces him to a little haute culture, not least with the stylings of her violin-like voice.

9. Her artfully lined, teal-and-silver eyes are kinda Twiggy à la Lagerfeld, non? See: Chanel Fall 2009.

10. Finally, speaking of eyes, there’s not a trace of botox on the regal visage. Aging gracefully? Always in style.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is on stage at the COC until May 23, 2009. For tickets and information, click here.

Or, do you love Madama Butterfly more? Enter the COC’s “Diva for a Day” contest, on now through May 29, to win box seats to the opening, along with after-party tickets, a limo ride, and a host of other prizes.

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