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Klaus Nomi's wigRodney Gordon[New York]: Rodney Gordon, ca early 1980s. Wig stored on wooden headform with hair line drawn on. Approx. 12 x 6 in.After performing on SNL to acclaim and notoriety, Klaus Nomi and Joey Arias continued to refine their show before they decided Nomi ought to cut a record. Arias says that after months of getting jerked around by labels, with deals almost coming through before falling apart, Nomi entered a fit of rage. Declaring, "I can't look at myself anymore!" he shaved his head right there in front of Arias. But just days later, his manager called to say that he thought he'd secured a record deal with RCA France, and that they wanted to meet him in ten days. Upon learning that Nomi had impulsively shaved his head, his manager insisted that he could not show up like that. So, he and Arias quickly had a wig made, which Nomi wore to the meeting — and every single day until his signature hair grew back (though he would soon have less and less of it). The wig was designed by milliner Rodney Gordon, who went on to design hats, masks, and headpieces for Broadway and other theatrical productions.Condition as described in catalogue note. For further information on the condition of this lot please email <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:info@boo-hooray.com">info@boo-hooray.com</a>. All lots are sold on an "as is" basis at the time of sale. Images form a part of the condition description for each lot, though images online may represent hues and shades which differ from the actual item.

Klaus Nomi's wig: the hilarious hairpiece that secured Nomi's first record deal

An exceptional selection of outfits and costumes, including several of Klaus Nomi's and Joey Arias' career-defining pieces.

Thierry Mugler, 1979. Red dress with matching leggings. Worn once by Joey Arias and stored securely since. Some minor wear commensurate with age and stage-use.Thierry Mugler dress and leggings worn by drag performer and artist Joey Arias in his appearance with Klaus Nomi in David Bowie's landmark performance on SNL. The groundbreaking, avant-garde 1979 performance opened with Arias and Nomi carrying Bowie to the microphone in a stiff, oversized plastic tuxedo to sing “The Man Who Sold the World” before taking their positions behind him.After opening his Paris boutique in 1978, French fashion designer Thierry Mugler became an international sensation in the 1980s and 90s, known for producing theatrical runway shows and designing garments for celebrity clients. While this outfit was purchased by Arias off the rack, Mugler would go on to design custom pieces for some of his most high-profile appearances, including the music video for George Michael’s “Too Funky,” Cirque du Soleil’s "Zumanity," "Arias with a Twist," and more. Arias became one of Mugler’s muses after the two met in the 1980s.Not only a stage-worn piece from a legendary, one-off performance from one of the greatest rock stars of all time, this outfit is an important artifact of fashion history and its intersection with queer performance.Condition as described in catalogue note. For further information on the condition of this lot please email <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:info@boo-hooray.com">info@boo-hooray.com</a>. All lots are sold on an "as is" basis at the time of sale. Images form a part of the condition description for each lot, though images online may represent hues and shades which differ from the actual item.

Joey Arias' dress worn on stage with David Bowie on SNL

[New York]: np, ca 1978. Transparent plastic cape costume stage-worn by Klaus Nomi.Sculptural plastic cape worn by Klaus Nomi over a skin-tight spacesuit during his 1978 debut performance in Club 57’s “New Wave Vaudeville” revue at Irving Plaza.This was a defining moment in Nomi’s career. That night he premiered his Nomi persona, performing his rendition of the aria “Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix” from Camille Saint-Saëns’ 1877 opera Samson and Delilah in his avant-garde guise. He ended the performance abruptly amid a crash of smoke bombs, strobe lights, and harsh sound effects.A remarkable and defining piece of Klaus Nomi's career.Condition as described in catalogue note. For further information on the condition of this lot please email <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:info@boo-hooray.com">info@boo-hooray.com</a>. All lots are sold on an "as is" basis at the time of sale. Images form a part of the condition description for each lot, though images online may represent hues and shades which differ from the actual item.

Klaus Nomi's plastic cape costume, worn during his New York stage debut

Keith Haring and David Spada[New York]: Keith Haring and David Spada, ca. mid-1980s. Circular chain link dress, black rubber circles and aluminum spirals.David Spada, a renowned jewelry and costume designer, was a close friend and frequent collaborator with Keith Haring. Together, the duo designed several pieces for supermodel and performer Grace Jones. Joey Arias, whom this dress comes from the collection of, reports that it was first made for Jones, before she gave it to International Chrysis (pictured here) — who then passed it to him. International Chrysis was a now legendary Bronx-born trans performer, a protege of Salvador Dali, and a close friend of both Haring's and Spada's. Jones herself was photographed by Robert Mapplethorpe in several unique Spada / Haring pieces and appeared in them on stage.Not only an entirely unique Keith Haring work and a piece by a legendary downtown NYC designer, the dress is also an intimate connection to the genius of the generation of queer East Village artists lost to the AIDS crisis. A remarkable piece with exceptional provenance.Condition as described in catalogue note. For further information on the condition of this lot please email <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:info@boo-hooray.com">info@boo-hooray.com</a>. All lots are sold on an "as is" basis at the time of sale. Images form a part of the condition description for each lot, though images online may represent hues and shades which differ from the actual item.

One-of-a-kind Keith Haring and David Spada dress

Thierry MuglerBillie Holiday-inspired design for Joey Arias at Wigstock[New York]: Thierry Mugler, ca. 1992. Grey sequin gown with flower details, designed by Mugler, stage-worn by Joey Arias.This Billie Holiday-inspired gown was designed by Thierry Mugler for Joey Arias' performance at the 1992 Wigstock, New York’s annual outdoor drag festival. In his cabaret-style act, Arias channeled the vocal style and powerful stage presence of the classic American jazz singer.After opening his Paris boutique in 1978, French fashion designer Thierry Mugler became an international sensation in the 1980s and '90s, known for producing theatrical runway shows and designing garments for celebrity clients. Arias became one of Mugler’s muses after the two met in the 1980s, and Mugler would go on to design custom pieces for some of his most high-profile appearances, including the music video for George Michael’s “Too Funky,” Cirque du Soleil’s "Zumanity," "Arias with a Twist," and more.Condition as described in catalogue note. For further information on the condition of this lot please email <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:info@boo-hooray.com">info@boo-hooray.com</a>. All lots are sold on an "as is" basis at the time of sale. Images form a part of the condition description for each lot, though images online may represent hues and shades which differ from the actual item.

Thierry Mugler's Billie Holiday-inspired design for Joey Arias, stage-worn at Wigstock

Stage-worn lightning bolt bubble suit, designed by Klaus Nomi[New York]: Klaus Nomi, ca. 1982. Bubble wrap and red tape, designed and fabricated by Klaus Nomi.Stage costume made of bubble wrap and trimmed with red tape, worn at New York’s Pyramid Club in the early-1980s. An excellent example of Nomi’s cutting-edge aesthetic sensibility, which epitomized the downtown New Wave scene.Condition as described in catalogue note. For further information on the condition of this lot please email <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:info@boo-hooray.com">info@boo-hooray.com</a>. All lots are sold on an "as is" basis at the time of sale. Images form a part of the condition description for each lot, though images online may represent hues and shades which differ from the actual item.

Stage-worn lightning bolt bubble suit, designed by Klaus Nomi

Klaus Nomi's logo wandPage Wood[New York]: Page Wood, ca. early-1980s. Wand made of wooden board affixed to wooden rod with gaffer tape. 32 ¼ x 13 ¾ in. Bumping at points; some surface scratches; tape on verso partially separating from surface.An iconic, one-of-a-kind Klaus Nomi accessory: his wand in the shape of a simplified silhouette of his head, designed by Nomi collaborator, Page Wood.Condition as described in catalogue note. For further information on the condition of this lot please email <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:info@boo-hooray.com">info@boo-hooray.com</a>. All lots are sold on an "as is" basis at the time of sale. Images form a part of the condition description for each lot, though images online may represent hues and shades which differ from the actual item.

Klaus Nomi's wig: the hilarious hairpiece that secured Nomi's first record deal

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