By Lisa Hix — Returning home from a dinner party one night, I wandered down 24th Street in San Francisco’s traditionally Mexican Mission District. I spied a store display lit up with flashing Christmas lights, and looking inside, I saw a life-size plastic skeleton with red lights for eyes. The skeleton was adorned with a fancy biblical robe and was holding a scythe and metal scale. It was flanked by several smaller skeleton figures with similar clothes and gear. "I do not believe it’s morbid to be...

Dying To Go Retro? This Modern-Day Morticia Gives Death A Makeover

By Hunter Oatman-Stanford — Caitlin Doughty gushes about death like it's her high-school crush. "I don’t just pretend to love death. I really do love death," writes Doughty. "I bet you would too if you got to know him." The young mortician's web site even includes a checklist of tips for improving your relationship with death, like magazine dating advice ("Spend quality time together," "Review your expectations," etc.). Like a character straight out of HBO's "Six Feet Under," Doughty is an unassuming Los Angeles...

Hayden Peters Talks About Skulls, Hairwork, and the Fashion of Mourning

By Maribeth Keane and Brad Quinn — Growing up with antiques collectors and costume designers, I developed a passion for the Victorian age and the 19th century. I collected Victorian silver—bracelets, watches, and other things. I worked very hard to pay as much as I could for the best pieces I could find. My interest in jewelry, especially memorial and sentimental jewelry, began when I saw a ring with “in memory of” engraved on the top. I thought it was a wonderful symbol of affection to wear for a loved one. This ring was...

Christie Romero on Differences Between Fine and Costume Jewelry Over the Decades

By Maribeth Keane and Jessica Lewis — I started out with general antiques and collectibles... I was a dealer for a while and bought and sold all kinds of things. Gradually jewelry became my focus. In the mid-1980s I started getting serious, and in 1988 I started teaching small classes, workshops, and seminars, primarily on costume jewelry but also some fine jewelry. Vintage costume jewelry was just beginning to take off as a collectible. Up until that time, most people thought it was junk. They didn’t understand what it was...