2003 Karl Lagerfeld, Carine Roitfeld as Marchesa Luisa Casati. Roitfeld in a slashed mink bolero by Rick Owens for Revillon over a brocaded top by Tom Ford for YSL. Costume jewelry by Buccellati; pearls by Chanel.

Tribute to Marchesa Luisa Casati.

“Her contemporaries couldn’t decide if she was a vampire, a bird of paradise, an androgyne, a goddess, an enigma, or a common lunatic. Her clothes were esoteric and memorable––i.e., the suit of armor pierced with hundreds of electric arrows; the iridescent necklace of live snakes; the headdress of peacock tail feathers accessorized with chicken’s blood. When she really wanted to outdo herself, she wore nothing…Venetians were regularly treated to Casati strolling through St. Mark’s Square perfectly nude beneath a fur coat, accompanied by two cheetahs.” (x)

KAIZFENG FASHION - Hercules Magazine Issue 9 by KAI Z FENG Via Flickr: www.facebook.com/kaizfengofficial