GaGaNews.com was lucky enough to recently catch-up with the superstar that is Darian Darling! You guys know her from her amazing blog, from being a part of the Precious Empire, and also as one of the New York scenes most amazing icons! Darian was g
racious enough to grant us an exclusive interview with her, where she speaks about several topics, from her fascination with everything blonde, to her blog, to Lady GaGa – plus much more. The interview was amazing, and we appreciate so much the fact that Darian took time out of her schedule to answer our questions!
Make sure to visit Darian’s blog, A Guide to Life for Modern Blondes, where she speaks about everything from blonde icons, to the amazing lifestyle she has. It’s one of the most entertaining reads you will ever find on the web and has recently celebrated its first birthday.
Once again, thank you so much to Darian Darling for this AMAZING interview!
Darian Darling: A Guide to Life for Modern Blondes – www.dariandarling.com
Darian Darling on Twitter – www.twitter.com/dariandarling
——————————-
Hi Darian, for those who don’t know you how would you describe you
rself and what you do?
I am a NYC based lifestyle blogger, muse, socialite (albeit a broke BUT gorgeous one) and personality. I am also a makeup artist, but these days, for the most part, I only work with Semi Precious Weapons.
You have a blog which admires and appreciates blonde icons past and present, when did you first admire and appreciate blonde hair?
I have always loved glamorous, confident and powerful women but especially blondes. If you had to trace the blonde obsession I’m sure it must have started while playing with Barbie and She-Ra dolls as a child. Obviously one was a fashion model while the other was a super-powered, sword wielding princess but both were extremely confident, beautiful and made interesting fashion choices. Then I discovered Madonna at 10 and that sent the obsession to a whole other level, since she always exudes ultra-blonde glaMOUR and über-confidence and featured iconic look after iconic look.
What motivated you to start the blog?
I started the blog as a way to incorporate all the things I love; makeup, style, glaMOUR, interior decorating, art and baking. Having worked as a makeup artist for 11 years in everything from retail to film to fashion, I have amassed quite a solid knowledge of beauty advice and style references which I though should be shared with the world. I’ve been a blonde (off and on) since I was 15, so I also know a lot about upkeep and maintenance. Another one of my passions is that I love to bake, entertain and decorate, so thought it would be interesting to see if I could incorporate the two polar opposite worlds of fashion and homemaking into something cohesive. I chose the topic of “blonde” just so the blog had a very specific voice and point of view, and yet was a subject that would be very broad and have a certain level of longevity. I also wanted to do something that would counteract all the shit-talking and negativity found on celebrity gossip blogs. I don’t want to make fun of people. I only want to celebrate them. Love and glaMOUR makes the world go round.
The million dollar question is are you a natural blonde?
Alas, no….but I was stra
wberry blonde when I was a child.
Who is your favourite blonde past and present?
My biggest blonde influences are the holy trinity; Madonna, Marilyn Monroe and Debbie Harry. All amazingly beautiful, glamorous, sexy, fashionable and talented women who had exciting lives and were really living! Growing up I always wanted that lifestyle and they inspired me to have it.
You are very much into your fashion; you are a New York fashion icon and trendsetter in the New York club scene, who is your favourite designer?
My fashion philosophy is more focused on individual style and what makes one feel gorgeous, not necessarily because of who designed it or what a fashion magazine tells you to buy. Some of my favorite garments I bought in a thrift store for $10 and have no designer label. This is not to say I don’t appreciate fashion designers as I enjoy the works of many of the greats who defined the look of their era; Elsa Schiaparelli, who basically invented the color Shocking Pink (or Hot Pink), Christian Dior (vintage “New Look” Dior and the modern stuff by John Galliano), Rudy Gernreich, Thierry Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier, Halston, Stephen Sprouse, Alexander McQueen, I also love the 50′s costume designer Travilla (who designed all of Marilyn Monroe’s costumes), Bob Mackie and all those bedazzled costumes he made for Cher and Lynda Carter. Basically anything glamorous, over the top and out of my budget.
You are super confident and you rock everything you wear, what in your opinion is the key to confidence?
I certainly wasn’t always as confident as I am now. In middle school I was terribly un-cool, short, fat, braces, glasses (the works) and I was made fun off endlessly. Like any tween I was desperate to fit in and there were definitely moments of me trying to wear what was cool or trendy (and failing miserably). Luckily I went to a very progressive high school based around appreciating individuality and respecting each other for your differences, instead
of tearing you down because of them. It was a bunch of 90′s counter-culture teens coming together in a big melting pot- punks, goths, ravers, hippies, homies, gay/straight….certainly a wide range of musical interests and sexual preferences as well as style choices. Having that wonderful high school experience (which is usually even worse than middle school) really allowed me to become as confident and individualistic as I am. I think the best advice I can give to all you kids reading this is just to love yourself enough to know that anything you do is fabulous, and that all the haters don’t matter, since they will never amount to anything anyway.
Who are your inspirations?
Too many to list (just read my blog. It’s all there).
You are friends with Lady Gaga and Semi Precious Weapons, how did you first meet?
I met both GaGa and SPW around the same time, somewhere in Spring 2007. I had been friends with Lady Starlight and Breedlove for about 5 years prior in NYC, not only because we were all makeup artists but also because they threw an amazing Glam Rock fashion party downtown (Breedlove and I actually knew each other way before NY as we both worked together at makeup counters at the same mall, as teenagers in San Francisco). One day, Starlight told me about this really talented young singer she just started working with and introduced us a short time later. I really loved GaGa’s energy and attitude so I checked out her MySpace and her songs were really fun and catchy. Soon after, Breedlove and I went to see them open up for this “garage-glam” band called Semi Precious Weapons, who were starting to get a big following in NYC. After that we all decided that we were kindred spirits and the most exciting, inspiring people we knew, and the rest is history.
What is your favourite and funniest memory with Lady Gaga and Semi Precious Weapons?
My most recent favorite moment was at Lollapalooza this August when GaGa, Starlight and I hijacked a golf cart and went speeding down the road to the BMI Stage (where GaGa and Starlight performed 3 years earlier to a bewildered audience), arriving just as SPW were starting their set, crashing the stage, and then witnessing the scandal that ensued; GaGa drumming with Dan and singing backup, making out with Justin, stage diving, then making out with Justin while crowd surfing! It felt like 2007 all over again. Definitely something that will go down in the history books of mode
rn music; as if Madonna had stage dove at Stone Temple Pilots’ Lollapalooza set in 1992! Also from that evening, watching GaGa’s emotional set from the audience with SPW, while she and Starlight did their “Metal Militia” routine from 2007. It was a VERY nostalgic evening.
How has it been as a friend witnessing their rise to fame?
It’s pretty surreal and magical. Not many people have friends that become superstars. I’m so extremely proud of them and they only inspire me to reach harder for my own dreams.
Lady Gaga has always credited her New York friends as one of her main sources of inspiration, how does it feel knowing you have inspired one of the biggest pop stars in the world?
I mean, that is obviously extremely touching and flattering! The main thing I think we all inspired in GaGa, and Starlight recently said as much in an interview, is rather than any specific outfit or hairstyle, we were all an eccentric group of artists that lived life very free, didn’t judge her choices, encouraged her to be herself and go for broke. GaGa was so much younger than the rest of us, I think she was really excited to finally be with people she could be “GaGa” around and that it was OK to do so. I like to think of it as “Alice falling down the rabbit hole”. GaGa is still in Wonderland and she’s NEVER leaving! The really magical thing is that we all inspire each other. Anytime you get that many manically creative people in a room together, you’re bound to all rub off on each oth
er.
If you had to pick a favourite song and video from Lady Gaga and Semi Precious Weapons what would it be and why?
Paparazzi is definitely my favorite GaGa video. Not only did I appreciate the Guy Bourdin/Helmut Newton/Eyes of Laura Mars references with all the dead but glamorous models but also the social commentary about fame, tabloid press and fame-whoring was particularly entertaining. Plus she looked so fucking hot in all that archive Thierry Mugler couture!! As far as just a GaGa song I would say Bad Romance, as I’m a sucker for a masochistic love song. Oh, and also a song she used to perform back in the day called Dirty Ice Cream, which we all thought would be her big hit…and it didn’t even make the album! Ha!
For SPW I would have to say their latest video Look At Me is my favorite (and not just because I did the makeup). Musically and visually it’s such a departure for them and I think it’s just really beautiful and sexy and different. Oh, and I really loved their video for the original indie version of Rock’N Roll Never Looked So Beautiful, if only for the fact that Justin gives head to a diamond encrusted hacksaw! For just an SPW song; Statues of Ourselves, since it’s about the weekly Thursday night rock party Starlight threw in Brooklyn last summer and where we (Me, Starlight, Justin, Breedlove, Alex Magnetic and Knehans) all became really, really close (we’re all subtly referenced in it). Oh, and Sticky With Champagne because it’s just an amazing party rock song.
For those who don’t know who and what is ‘The Precious Empire’?
The Precious Empire is a term Justin came up with many years ago to describe his social circle. It’s basically a collective of talented NYC artists from all fields, a clique, a gang….sort of like a modern day, Warhol-esque Factory…who plan to take over the world! Luckily we seem to be succeeding! Get the who’s who here http://dariandarlingnyc.blogspot.com/2010/06/nycs-filthy-family-precious-empire.html
What statement do you live by?
A quote from the 1958 film Auntie Mame is my personal mantra; “Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death”. We should all be fat on life.
What could you not live without?
Champagne
Describe a normal day/night in the life of Darian Darling?
Wake up around noon (probably later), go online and do all my social networking (Twitter, Facebook, etc.), research and brainstorm ideas for new blog posts, work on new recipes, get ready, go out and meet friends for shopping or a meal, go to one or many nightspots (I think my record is 5 in one night), possibly have “deakfast” (the elusive meal somewhere between dinner and breakfast), sleep.
What does the future hold for you, where would you like to be in ten years time?
I plan to continue writing my blog and eventually turn it into a fashion/beauty/lifestyle book series, which could eventually be turned into a TV show/media empire. In 10 years I just hope to be happy, healthy and still doing something I love…and be able to afford lots and lots of expensive shoes!
racious enough to grant us an exclusive interview with her, where she speaks about several topics, from her fascination with everything blonde, to her blog, to Lady GaGa – plus much more. The interview was amazing, and we appreciate so much the fact that Darian took time out of her schedule to answer our questions!Make sure to visit Darian’s blog, A Guide to Life for Modern Blondes, where she speaks about everything from blonde icons, to the amazing lifestyle she has. It’s one of the most entertaining reads you will ever find on the web and has recently celebrated its first birthday.
Once again, thank you so much to Darian Darling for this AMAZING interview!
Darian Darling: A Guide to Life for Modern Blondes – www.dariandarling.com
Darian Darling on Twitter – www.twitter.com/dariandarling
——————————-
Hi Darian, for those who don’t know you how would you describe you
rself and what you do?I am a NYC based lifestyle blogger, muse, socialite (albeit a broke BUT gorgeous one) and personality. I am also a makeup artist, but these days, for the most part, I only work with Semi Precious Weapons.
You have a blog which admires and appreciates blonde icons past and present, when did you first admire and appreciate blonde hair?
I have always loved glamorous, confident and powerful women but especially blondes. If you had to trace the blonde obsession I’m sure it must have started while playing with Barbie and She-Ra dolls as a child. Obviously one was a fashion model while the other was a super-powered, sword wielding princess but both were extremely confident, beautiful and made interesting fashion choices. Then I discovered Madonna at 10 and that sent the obsession to a whole other level, since she always exudes ultra-blonde glaMOUR and über-confidence and featured iconic look after iconic look.
What motivated you to start the blog?
I started the blog as a way to incorporate all the things I love; makeup, style, glaMOUR, interior decorating, art and baking. Having worked as a makeup artist for 11 years in everything from retail to film to fashion, I have amassed quite a solid knowledge of beauty advice and style references which I though should be shared with the world. I’ve been a blonde (off and on) since I was 15, so I also know a lot about upkeep and maintenance. Another one of my passions is that I love to bake, entertain and decorate, so thought it would be interesting to see if I could incorporate the two polar opposite worlds of fashion and homemaking into something cohesive. I chose the topic of “blonde” just so the blog had a very specific voice and point of view, and yet was a subject that would be very broad and have a certain level of longevity. I also wanted to do something that would counteract all the shit-talking and negativity found on celebrity gossip blogs. I don’t want to make fun of people. I only want to celebrate them. Love and glaMOUR makes the world go round.
The million dollar question is are you a natural blonde?
Alas, no….but I was stra
wberry blonde when I was a child.Who is your favourite blonde past and present?
My biggest blonde influences are the holy trinity; Madonna, Marilyn Monroe and Debbie Harry. All amazingly beautiful, glamorous, sexy, fashionable and talented women who had exciting lives and were really living! Growing up I always wanted that lifestyle and they inspired me to have it.
You are very much into your fashion; you are a New York fashion icon and trendsetter in the New York club scene, who is your favourite designer?
My fashion philosophy is more focused on individual style and what makes one feel gorgeous, not necessarily because of who designed it or what a fashion magazine tells you to buy. Some of my favorite garments I bought in a thrift store for $10 and have no designer label. This is not to say I don’t appreciate fashion designers as I enjoy the works of many of the greats who defined the look of their era; Elsa Schiaparelli, who basically invented the color Shocking Pink (or Hot Pink), Christian Dior (vintage “New Look” Dior and the modern stuff by John Galliano), Rudy Gernreich, Thierry Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier, Halston, Stephen Sprouse, Alexander McQueen, I also love the 50′s costume designer Travilla (who designed all of Marilyn Monroe’s costumes), Bob Mackie and all those bedazzled costumes he made for Cher and Lynda Carter. Basically anything glamorous, over the top and out of my budget.
You are super confident and you rock everything you wear, what in your opinion is the key to confidence?
I certainly wasn’t always as confident as I am now. In middle school I was terribly un-cool, short, fat, braces, glasses (the works) and I was made fun off endlessly. Like any tween I was desperate to fit in and there were definitely moments of me trying to wear what was cool or trendy (and failing miserably). Luckily I went to a very progressive high school based around appreciating individuality and respecting each other for your differences, instead
of tearing you down because of them. It was a bunch of 90′s counter-culture teens coming together in a big melting pot- punks, goths, ravers, hippies, homies, gay/straight….certainly a wide range of musical interests and sexual preferences as well as style choices. Having that wonderful high school experience (which is usually even worse than middle school) really allowed me to become as confident and individualistic as I am. I think the best advice I can give to all you kids reading this is just to love yourself enough to know that anything you do is fabulous, and that all the haters don’t matter, since they will never amount to anything anyway.Who are your inspirations?
Too many to list (just read my blog. It’s all there).
You are friends with Lady Gaga and Semi Precious Weapons, how did you first meet?
I met both GaGa and SPW around the same time, somewhere in Spring 2007. I had been friends with Lady Starlight and Breedlove for about 5 years prior in NYC, not only because we were all makeup artists but also because they threw an amazing Glam Rock fashion party downtown (Breedlove and I actually knew each other way before NY as we both worked together at makeup counters at the same mall, as teenagers in San Francisco). One day, Starlight told me about this really talented young singer she just started working with and introduced us a short time later. I really loved GaGa’s energy and attitude so I checked out her MySpace and her songs were really fun and catchy. Soon after, Breedlove and I went to see them open up for this “garage-glam” band called Semi Precious Weapons, who were starting to get a big following in NYC. After that we all decided that we were kindred spirits and the most exciting, inspiring people we knew, and the rest is history.
What is your favourite and funniest memory with Lady Gaga and Semi Precious Weapons?
My most recent favorite moment was at Lollapalooza this August when GaGa, Starlight and I hijacked a golf cart and went speeding down the road to the BMI Stage (where GaGa and Starlight performed 3 years earlier to a bewildered audience), arriving just as SPW were starting their set, crashing the stage, and then witnessing the scandal that ensued; GaGa drumming with Dan and singing backup, making out with Justin, stage diving, then making out with Justin while crowd surfing! It felt like 2007 all over again. Definitely something that will go down in the history books of mode
rn music; as if Madonna had stage dove at Stone Temple Pilots’ Lollapalooza set in 1992! Also from that evening, watching GaGa’s emotional set from the audience with SPW, while she and Starlight did their “Metal Militia” routine from 2007. It was a VERY nostalgic evening.How has it been as a friend witnessing their rise to fame?
It’s pretty surreal and magical. Not many people have friends that become superstars. I’m so extremely proud of them and they only inspire me to reach harder for my own dreams.
Lady Gaga has always credited her New York friends as one of her main sources of inspiration, how does it feel knowing you have inspired one of the biggest pop stars in the world?
I mean, that is obviously extremely touching and flattering! The main thing I think we all inspired in GaGa, and Starlight recently said as much in an interview, is rather than any specific outfit or hairstyle, we were all an eccentric group of artists that lived life very free, didn’t judge her choices, encouraged her to be herself and go for broke. GaGa was so much younger than the rest of us, I think she was really excited to finally be with people she could be “GaGa” around and that it was OK to do so. I like to think of it as “Alice falling down the rabbit hole”. GaGa is still in Wonderland and she’s NEVER leaving! The really magical thing is that we all inspire each other. Anytime you get that many manically creative people in a room together, you’re bound to all rub off on each oth
er.If you had to pick a favourite song and video from Lady Gaga and Semi Precious Weapons what would it be and why?
Paparazzi is definitely my favorite GaGa video. Not only did I appreciate the Guy Bourdin/Helmut Newton/Eyes of Laura Mars references with all the dead but glamorous models but also the social commentary about fame, tabloid press and fame-whoring was particularly entertaining. Plus she looked so fucking hot in all that archive Thierry Mugler couture!! As far as just a GaGa song I would say Bad Romance, as I’m a sucker for a masochistic love song. Oh, and also a song she used to perform back in the day called Dirty Ice Cream, which we all thought would be her big hit…and it didn’t even make the album! Ha!
For SPW I would have to say their latest video Look At Me is my favorite (and not just because I did the makeup). Musically and visually it’s such a departure for them and I think it’s just really beautiful and sexy and different. Oh, and I really loved their video for the original indie version of Rock’N Roll Never Looked So Beautiful, if only for the fact that Justin gives head to a diamond encrusted hacksaw! For just an SPW song; Statues of Ourselves, since it’s about the weekly Thursday night rock party Starlight threw in Brooklyn last summer and where we (Me, Starlight, Justin, Breedlove, Alex Magnetic and Knehans) all became really, really close (we’re all subtly referenced in it). Oh, and Sticky With Champagne because it’s just an amazing party rock song.
For those who don’t know who and what is ‘The Precious Empire’?
The Precious Empire is a term Justin came up with many years ago to describe his social circle. It’s basically a collective of talented NYC artists from all fields, a clique, a gang….sort of like a modern day, Warhol-esque Factory…who plan to take over the world! Luckily we seem to be succeeding! Get the who’s who here http://dariandarlingnyc.blogspot.com/2010/06/nycs-filthy-family-precious-empire.html
What statement do you live by?
A quote from the 1958 film Auntie Mame is my personal mantra; “Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death”. We should all be fat on life.
What could you not live without?
Champagne
Describe a normal day/night in the life of Darian Darling?Wake up around noon (probably later), go online and do all my social networking (Twitter, Facebook, etc.), research and brainstorm ideas for new blog posts, work on new recipes, get ready, go out and meet friends for shopping or a meal, go to one or many nightspots (I think my record is 5 in one night), possibly have “deakfast” (the elusive meal somewhere between dinner and breakfast), sleep.
What does the future hold for you, where would you like to be in ten years time?
I plan to continue writing my blog and eventually turn it into a fashion/beauty/lifestyle book series, which could eventually be turned into a TV show/media empire. In 10 years I just hope to be happy, healthy and still doing something I love…and be able to afford lots and lots of expensive shoes!
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