Today we’d like to introduce you to Silki Velour.
Silki, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started out as a publishing professional, probably because I’ve always loved creative writing. I was also good at fixing communication issues, large and small, so being an editor became a natural fit.
But in work and in life, I think I wanted to balance my meticulous side with an ability to show myself to people, flaws and all, and to connect through art. In 2015, I started performing burlesque, and it felt like the perfect avenue for creative expression.
My first act was an ostrich feather fan dance at Rogue Burlesque’s amateur competition at Club Cafe. I was so nervous that I don’t even remember being on stage. But through that show, and volunteering at other shows, I started to meet artists and entrepreneurs whom I respected.
They focused on celebrating what they had – even if they had experienced trauma and hardships — rather than wasting time wishing they were someone else. I ended up joining Rogue Burlesque, and then going solo.
Recently, I’ve been performing with Elsa Riot’s Top Shelf Burlesque. We’ve done pop-up shows at Saloon in Davis Square, as well as private shows for industry nights and special events. I’ve always adored burlesque costuming, and more recently, my work has come to focus on the smallest part of the burlesque costume: the pasties!
Has it been a smooth road?
Self-doubt is a big challenge. When it comes to being partially nude in front of an audience, I’m not afraid. But I have creative self-doubt. As with any art or craft, one of my challenges has been developing a special style, both in performances and in creating costume pieces for myself and for others.
And then, self-doubt can be amplified by the financial puzzle of being an artist. To keep it up, I’ve had to look for those few people who think what I’m doing is special, and really connect and collaborate with them.
What else should we know?
When I’m not performing burlesque, I’m making rhinestone pasties. No matter where you see burlesque these days, nipple pasties are a through a line, and people wear everything from electrical tape to sparkly tasseled gems, to shapes like bananas and aliens.
I started making my own pasties in 2015 and then started making them for friends, and now I make custom pieces for anyone, performer or not. I’m starting to put more into my Etsy shop so I can sell pasties to people across the country.
I specialize in ultra-sparkly pasties that walk the line between traditional and modern. I like using large Swarovski rhinestones and chunky shapes as bases. My signature is the X shape, which represents the black electrical tape that a lot of local performers wear instead of fancy pasties.
I wanted to honor that ingenuity, and I give discounts to Boston performers so they can get sparkly versions of the X’s if they want. Another popular piece has been my big pot leaf pasties. And tassels are always a hit because it’s insanely fun to tassel twirl whether you’re a performer or not.
As a craftsperson and a performer, I’m obsessed with the aesthetics of sparkle and elegant shapes, but also the symbolic and emotional meanings of clothing. Burlesque artists wear pasties, in most cases, because it’s illegal for women (by the narrow definition of that term) to show their nipples in venues where they’re performing. But men (by the narrow definition) can show their nipples when performing.
It might not be a big deal in itself, but unbalanced nudity laws are a small symptom of forces in our society that over-sexualize people without their consent, and gender the heck out of everything, clothing and body parts included.
Burlesque pasties, in my mind, open a (kind of funny) conversation about what nipples even mean. Creating beautiful pasties that make a wide variety of people feel happy and confident is my way of reclaiming a symbol of censorship and rigid gender rules.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Boston’s cost of living makes it harder for artists and small business owners to survive, especially if they don’t come from a privileged background. But I like that there are artists, entrepreneurs, and activists finding ways to confront that challenge here.
Contact Info:
- Website: etsy.com/shop/silkivelour
- Email: Silki@SilkiVelour.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/silkivelour/
- Facebook: facebook.com/silki.velour
Image Credit:
Hans Wendland, Oh Karina Photography
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