TEAM BLISS!

So Tribe had their mascamp opening for their new band Bliss this evening. The crowd started filtering in quite early. I guess either hoping to catch more Roast Pork or knowing that the parking situation is always a pressure. Much to my disappointment there was no roast pork in sight. I would not be left with my belly in my hand however as there was a never ending flow of hors d'oeuvres and if you was REAL hungry there was the biggest mini roti I have seen in a while available for the taking. As an advocate of the Bliss concept I was very glad to see it well attended. The new Bliss mas camp is located next door to the Tribe mas camp within the same compound. It was not long before bandleader Dean Ackin said a few words and welcomed everyone and then invited us all to take a look at the costumes on display.

So thoughts after second look:

TITANS

Probably the best of the lot. This costume is attracting the largest majority of the attention. Almost everyone who has

made the decision to be in Bliss wants this costume. The designer is offering so many different options that it would be difficult not to find one that fits you. There is the two piece, the monokini, the cold shoulder, the plunge, the big backpack, the small backpack, the big head piece, the small headpiece, the big belt, the little belt and who knows what else! From my understanding you will be able to mix and match whichever you want. Love that customis

ation option but I just hope they can keep things straight! The costume is every bit as beautiful in reality and I was glad to see some nice detail on the belt and neckline. I was even more pleased to see that the monokini has and adjustable center piece for different torso lengths. I am loving the diamante crown for the Frontline!

SOLARIS

I was never a fan of this costume and I although i like it better now that I have seen it with a full bra, I am not really sold on it. It has an interesting all metal waistband which was made using a tubular chainlink that has recently become popular with costume jewellery. There is only a little bit of colour in the body wear as it is mostly gold on gold. As I said before I can only presume that the intention is to minimise the body wear to enhance the elaborate arm, leg and head pieces that the floor version comes with. Although quite generous for a floor, I don't particularly like any of them especially the headpiece. The arm and leg pieces are a good design but seems like it was not executed quite right.The feathers look too droopy and there is this "half of an orange feather" stuck on each piece for a sad looking contrast. Maybe its because its a prototype, but I thought the arm band material which is also used for some of the cut out spikes were not of the level of quality workmanship I have come to expect from Tribe. Overall the minimal contrast makes it bit dull in my opinion.

IZUMI CLAN

This is my personal favourite. I am really loving the colour combo.The wrought iron-like detail is very attractive. The waistband is literally held on by two leatherette strings on each side which makes it extremely skimpy!!!! I probably would have preferred a bit more to it because it makes the main emblem portion of the waistband with the long cloth look a bit like a 'pin the tail on the poonky' play piece. It is so nicely detailed and so pretty that I am more than willing to overlook that. The back is a mirror of the front. I would probably cut the cloth anyway (from the top as to not lose the ombre pattern) and maybe use the scraps to make the side ties fabric.The headpiece is also very pretty but I am tired of headpieces and would probably opt for a simpler option if available.Unfortunately the frontline bra was not on display but judging by the book cover (no pun intended) its very racy. If you gonna rock the frontline it would be a shame to do so without the wire bra.

PELE

Another popular option among the sexy ladies. The plunge bra is an eye catcher indeed! The costume is nicely detailed but very reminiscent of Machu Pichu (which as I said before can never be a bad thing) with a lot more diamante. I was able to take a closer look and noticed that there were some more traditional wooden (?) beads included on the hanging parts of the costume. You might think this is a bit

inconsistent with all the diamante bordered gems but it seems to work quite well. My only concern was the fit of the bra, I suppose the mannequin was not the right size but food for thought, those of us with not much volume in the upper booby area due to breast shape (not size) may have some gaps in the top as seen in the pics.The mohawk head piece looks great but again, I hope I would have an option.

CYLON

I think those on the fence about this costume should see it in person. Close up, it is much more attractive than I anticipated it to be and its really growing on me more and more.You might need a bit of swag to rock those shoulder pieces .The costume itself seems to be meticulously put together using materials that individually would be unassuming.I am really liking how the patterns of the squares and circles vary throughout the costume giving its robotic look. In the booklet the model

looks fierce but I am still trying to figure out what is the difference between the floor and frontline in the book. I assume its an error.

ICE WARRIORS

I think my first impressions have not changed much with this costume but the 'like' factor went up a few notches on seeing it in person. Pretty costume and a safe choice. My only concern is that I think either the head piece or the collar needs to be reduced in size. There is too much interference between the two and they overwhelm each other. In reality the collar does not stand as straight up as it appears in the booklet and I would hate to have to hold it up all day like the model does in the studio shots. Furthermore, I hope the strings used to tie the backpack on display become straps (as they typically are in

Tribe) as they will certainly cut into the skin.

CAPRICA

Edited to add:Yeah I somehow skipped this one.

I think the body wear is very nice and the beaded curtain on the waistband is done well. I have a similar concern as with Solaris about the quality of the arm ban material.The arm pieces themselves make the costume quite broad. Don't plan on being able to wlak side by side with your friends. The head piece is not my favourite style but is very elaborate. Overall still one of my favs.

Last, but apparently least, I would like to offer my condolences and say R.I.P to Traxson Warriors which although it made it to the main band launch,it did not make it into the Bliss mas camp or the booklet. It is fair to say that it has been deposed to oblivion where other costumes such as Flamingo have suffered the same fate. I don't think it shall be missed but this strongly suggests either the popular section (Titans) just got bigger or the band just got smaller. I am putting my money on the first possibility.....supply and demand. The Bliss website is due to be up on Tuesday with full pricing. For full gallery click here.