Burlesque meets punk in Trunkshow's retro-sexy style

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      Misty Greer is her own top promotional tool, and she knows it. When she's decked out in pieces from her label, TrunkShow by Misty Greer, people pay attention. It's hard not to.

      For starters, she towers over most women, especially when she's sporting her Swarovski crystal–encrusted platforms. That and the fact that she never leaves the house in an outfit that isn't “shiny, chic, and rebellious”, no matter what the occasion is.

      “Yeah, I'm pretty much my best advertisement,” says Greer, who sat down with the Straight at Scout Boutique (152 East 8th Avenue), which carries her debut collection for spring 2010. “I get stopped a lot. I try; it's my job.”

      According to the burlesque-inspired Vancouver fashion designer, she's an “everyday showgirl who loves the ritual of getting ready”. And that's exactly who she creates for.

      “For me, it's an evolution of all that old punk rock, that old goth, that hyper-cheesecake pinup look that everyone rocks at some point, and then taking that to the next level by bringing in modern elements,” Greer says.

      “It's kind of like mixing Dita Von Teese with a club kid from the '90s in New York,” she explains. “I call it ”˜lowbrow high fashion'. So they are fashionable pieces that are made really well.”

      With such a focused target market, she knows a potential customer when she sees one.

      “I can usually spot them coming a mile away—whether it's the coiffed hair with a little flower in it, the perfect red nails, or the awesome shoes,” she says with a laugh.

      This season, and probably for seasons to come, one of her signature pieces is her Bum Ruffle Jeans ($245). These stretchy, waxed, high-waisted skinnies boast Western-style front pockets (think Marilyn Monroe in The Misfits) and back pockets with metal skull buttons (think Jerry Only in the Misfits). In other words, horror-punk divas and cherry-bomb rockers can rejoice: these embellished jeans offer a fun take on a mainstream trend.

      “A lot of girls who are into dressing retro aren't necessarily thinking they want to run out and buy a skinny jean,” Greer says. “But this one's got that cute little ruffle, and it's very retro”¦ and cheeky.”

      However, some people are a little skeptical as to whether a denim frill running across their backside is a flattering look.

      “Some girls are like, 'Oh, it will make my butt look big,' ” Greer says. “And some girls are like, 'Oh, I have no butt and I don't want to draw attention to it.' ”

      But Greer stands by her design, maintaining the jeans are flattering on all onions—both big and small. Her silver-lamé pencil skirt ($165) is no doubt another great ass-enhancing piece in this collection. At the top of a high slit up the back sits a coquettish little bow that perfectly draws attention to a lady's backside, especially if said lady has a decent amount of junk in her trunk. Speaking of which, Greer is a huge champion of curvy figures.

      “It's a big part of what I do,” Greer says. “Often when I'm thinking of the perfect TrunkShow girl, she's got boobs and she's got a bum.”

      In addition to her va-va-voom burlesque-friendly pieces, Greer also offers some classics like a lace-trimmed bolero jacket ($145) with puffy sequined shoulders and three-quarter-length sleeves. It's designs like this that will appeal to women who don't shimmy their pasties on a regular basis (at least not in public).

      That said, Greer knows who butters her TrunkShow bread: the beautiful babes of Vancouver's thriving burlesque performance scene, a fishnets-and-garters world she's well-immersed in.

      “They love it [her label], and I love them for loving it—they're great,” she says, adding, “I just want to clothe every single one of them.”

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