A gorgeous, gory Valentine massacre

Love.Fashion.Murder gives Valentine’s Day “the finger” with a fashion show and dance party.

Love.Fashion.Murder gives Valentine’s Day “the finger” with a fashion show and dance party.

Are you dateless this Valentine’s Day? Don’t despair. Love.Fashion.Murder’s explosive event, the St. Valentine’s Massacre, will have attendees glad they do not have dinner plans.

Based on the name alone, the St. Valentine’s Massacre promises to be anything but lovey-dovey. Grotesque yet gorgeous are perhaps the two best adjectives to describe the fashion show, which will take place Valentine’s Day at the Top Hat Bar and Lounge in Center City.

“It is about bringing artists together in a non-competitive, free-style atmosphere to work together and network,” cofounder Rene Quick said about Love.Fashion.Murder, which was created by Quick and Jason Hallman in 2009. The pair want to combine their first love, hairstyling, with other art forms like fashion and music to create a spectacle Philadelphians have not seen before.

This gory fashion show is the first event by Love.Fashion.Murder, with Quick and Hallman creating hairstyles for the entire show.

“We will be doing a two-part show” Hallman said. “The first one will have an urban street flair, and the second show, with Renee Masoomian’s clothes, will have a more avant-garde hair design with flashes of neon colors, hats and accessories in the hair.”

The St. Valentine’s Massacre is the bloody arrow through the heart of Valentine’s Day. More closely related to a horror movie than a Hallmark card, this event aims to bring together all sides of the artistic spectrum, including hair, makeup, fashion, music and dancing, to create an over-the-top, theatrical horror show.

Aaron Morin will be the lead makeup artist for the night. Morin is a relatively fresh face on the fashion scene, but his talent is anything but inexperienced. Inspired by the classic looks of the 1920s and ‘30s, he has created a style all his own.

Morin, who was recently honored in Inked Magazine for his incredible skill, will bring his unique, innovative makeup techniques to the Massacre.

The night will also feature some of Philadelphia’s hippest boutiques, including Topstitch and Smak Parlour.

“We are so excited for the Massacre,” Abby Kessler and Katie Loftus, owners and creators of Smak Parlour, said. “We’re bringing ultra-cool, super-girly, fun, bright candy-colored looks.”

Masoomian’s fetish line and the vintage pinup styling of BabyLove’s Latex will also be showcased.

Local break-dance heroes, Illadelphlave will be busting some amazing moves all night, while DJ Jon Gill spins a mix of electro, 80s and house music to entertain.

“The best part of the show will be that when each guest walks into the venue, [they will see] we have Massacre-themed photography by Philthy.us photography,” Hallman said.

Quick and Hallman said the event will end with an amazingly gory finale that one will have to see to believe.

Hallman and Quick hope they can consistently improve with each new show, they said, because they are constantly meeting artists and recruiting their talent.

“Aside from inspiring others to do whatever the hell they want to do, we just want to be a big deal,” Quick said of the pair’s goals for Love.Fashion.Murder.

Quick, a San Diego native, moved to Philadelphia five years ago. She worked closely with the Razor and Blade duo creating various runway shows and Media Mayhem events. She currently works in Old City as a master stylist at the Lakshmi Hair Studio.

Hallman moved to the city six years ago from New Jersey. In 2009, he was included in the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York City and was accepted to the first-ever Philadelphia Fashion Week. He is currently employed at Aveda’s Art + Science Salon.

The two first joined forces nearly four years ago at a Razor and Blade hair event and decided to combine their incredible talent.

Quick has been to many hair shows and fashion shows. When creating the Massacre, she said she wanted to do something completely different and outrageous.

“Our show is different because it is a party,” she said. “You could stand in one place all night and still be very entertained, but the party is so fun that no one just stands around.”

“People should expect a very memorable fashion show.” Quick added. “It will be shocking.”

Katelynn Hartman can be reached at katelynn.hartman@temple.edu.

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