Stuff
VISITING THE SURFACE OF THE WORLD
My friend, Deborah, who literally lives at the bottom of the world, kindly sent me this beautiful drawing.
SYLVIE GUILLEM
Sylvie Guillem is a force of nature, a fierce and exquisite miracle. I’ve watched this over and over again.
BIG CAT PETE DAVIDSON
Pete Davidson wears The Vampire’s Wife Big Cat T-Shirt on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon this week.
MARY MARGARET O’HARA
I’ve been wandering around the house this weekend wondering what to do with myself, and missing my husband, and listening to the truly great Mary Margaret O’Hara.
GIRL IN AMBER – NELL SMITH
Listen to this gorgeous cover version of The Bad Seeds song, Girl In Amber, by the wonderful Flaming Lips in collaboration with a thirteen-year-old fan, Nell Smith.
THE GREAT WENDY CARLOS
Sitting in a hotel bed, listening to ‘The Shining’ movie soundtrack by the great hero-innovator of electronic music Wendy Carlos.
WARNING. LISTEN AT OWN RISK. No. 21
Thank you, Izzy, for this lovely letter and, indeed, a beautiful and heart-wrenching version ‘Song Of Devastation.’ I never thought anyone could touch the original version of ‘To Love Somebody’ by The Bee Gees.
THE WEIGHT OF GOD
Louis from Germany sent this very sweet letter to my husband’s glorious Red Hand Files.
THE SEEKERS
Big in the Cave household, the world’s most catchy song from the Australian pop/folk band The Seekers. ‘Georgy Girl’.
STAR, O STAR
A lovely letter from Rodrigo—our Brazilian friend and beauty excavator—sends a gorgeous ballad from Brazilian singer and composer, Victor Ramil.
IS THIS WHAT LOVE LOOKS LIKE?
Thank you, Nanni from Los Angeles for sending this beautiful and haunting song to my husband’s The Red Hand Files.
REASONS TO LOVE SALMA HAYEK No 633
The brilliant and beautiful Salma Hayek wears The Vampire’s Wife.
WHITE RABBIT
Can’t get enough of this piece of American psychedelia from the great Grace Slick and Jefferson Airplane.
IN PRAISE OF PAULA REGO
This morning, I’ve been looking at the amazing paintings and drawings of Paula Rego.
WARNING. LISTEN AT OWN RISK. No. 20
‘Hey, babe, a girl called Kate from Newcastle in Australia sent this letter to The Red Hand Files.’
THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS
A lovely letter came from a ‘hillbilly fan’ named Blair, who lives in Lagrange, Kentucky, to my husband’s wonderful Red Hand Files and he asked me if I would post it on Stuff.
THE GREAT TILDA SWINTON
The actor extraordinaire, Tilda Swinton, friend and force of nature, wears ‘The Vampire’s Wife Sunflower Opera Coat’ to the 74th Cannes Film Festival.
OBLIVION
This letter came from our dear friend Rodrigo who has sent this gorgeous piece of music from Argentinian tango composer, Astor Piazzolla.
LITTLE GREY DREAMS
Here is a melancholy, little grey poem, written by Boston poet, Angelina Weld Grimké.
REASONS TO LOVE SALMA HAYEK No 632
The fabulous Salma Hayek shows some extraordinary flexibility while wearing The Vampire’s Wife’s Peacemaker’s Coat.
MY BELOVED JOHNSTONE TWINS RECLAIMED!
I’ve just found my beautiful copy of The Johnstone Twins—An Appreciation, which I thought I had misplaced.
CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE
I spent my Sunday reading Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s beautiful, little ache of a book, ‘Notes on Grief’.
A HAUNTED HENRY LEE
My husband alerted me to this wonderfully haunting version of his song, Henry Lee.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRIS KRISTOFFERSON
“Hey babe, Kris Kristofferson is 85 today.”
That’s my husband. He loves Kris Kristofferson.
WE SHOULD HAVE A LAND OF JOY
The periodically brilliant Poem-a-day website has offered up this wonderfully inclusive poem by the great Langston Hughes.
THE LITTLE VIRTUES
Natalia Ginzburg, from her collection of her finest and best-known short essays, The Little Virtues, tells us wonderfully.
THE INSOMNIA DRAWINGS
Maybe it’s the heat of the night or maybe the waxing crescent moon but another sleepless night brings me to Louise Bourgeois wonderful ‘Insomnia Drawings’, spidery spirals, helixes, mazes, that hypnotize me back to sleep. Love, Susie x
A CHILD SWIMS BETWEEN TWO BOATS
I was listening to a recent song of Nick’s called Albuquerque, which refers to ‘a child swimming between two boats in a lake in Africa.’
SUFFERING MUST BECOME LOVE
I’ve just been reading about the modernist writer, Katherine Mansfield that died from tuberculosis, in 1923, aged 34 in Fontainebleau, France.
VENUS FRIGIDA
Venus Frigida (Cold Venus) is a 1611 oil on panel painting by Peter Paul Rubens, now in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.
HAPPY 80TH BIRTHDAY, BOB DYLAN!
This week was Bob Dylan’s 80th birthday and so many of his songs hold both my husband and me in their sway.
NADYA TOLOKONNIKOVA
Nadya Tolokonnikova is a Russian conceptual artist and political activist and the founding member of Pussy Riot: the world’s most prominent feminist protest art collective, which focuses attention on human rights violations at home and abroad.
GENTLE SPIRIT SORROW-FED
Emily Pauline Johnson, who also published under her Mohawk name Tekahionwake, was born on on the Six Nations Reserve, Canada West, in 1861. A poet, artist, and performer, she is the author of three collections of poetry.
MESMERISING RUSSIAN BOYS CHOIR
Tim from Denmark in Australia sent us this amazing piece of footage of a Russian Boys Choir singing Sacred Treasures III.
RADCLIFFE HALL AND UNA TOUBRIDGE
A few doors down from the London offices of The Vampire’s Wife in Holland Street lived Radclyffe Hall an English poet and author.
A STRAIGHTWAY TO UNHAPPINESS
A lovely letter came to me this week from actress and theatre producer Hayley Carmichael, with a salient Jungian truth attached!
IN PRAISE OF SQUIRRELS
Just to say, squirrels are my husband’s favourite animal. He thinks they are possessed. Many mornings, he sits on our doorstep and feeds them. Talks to them too.
ÖZGÜR BABA
He is a Turkish singer and musician named Özgür Baba and he has a cat, some chickens, some lemon trees and that he plays his instrument.
IT’S A FAMILY BUSINESS
There is a wonderful article in Vogue USA and Vogue UK this week about my husband’s troublemaking, iconoclastic online shop Cave Things
SOMETHING IN ME LIKE TRAINS LEAVING
A very special friend from of mine who lives at the bottom of the world (but sends me messages from her own bright skies)
POETRY OF LOGICAL IDEAS
Dear Nick and Susie, I hope you don’t mind me writing to you both, I’ve written quite a lot to Nick in the past as the odd inspiration has hit but this time
NOT EVEN THE RAIN HAS SUCH SMALL HANDS
Spring is well and truly here and as we step out of a long and perilous winter, an extraordinarily beautiful poem by the greatest of them all
WUNDERKAMMER
The “Stuff Page” looks like a Wunderkammer, a cabinet of curiosities for your community
TRIO MANDILI
My husband passed on this bittersweet message, that was sent to the Red Hand Files, from someone called Trond
I Eat the Stars
I just read this brave and beautiful poem by the Canadian astronomer and poet Rebecca Elson, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma
AMITAR SUMAN
Nepali-born actress, Amitar Suman looks lovely in The Vampire’s Wife Floral Falconetti Dress.
STOOD BACK IN AWE
There is much to ballet that is connected to my childhood. I always wanted to be a ballerina and had all the desire but, sadly, none of the application
FATE RATTLES AND THROWS ITS BONES
Will, who runs one of my husband’s fan clubs sent me this Elton John video, made back in the nineties
HURREM SULTAN
I received this beautiful letter from Siobhan about Hurrem Sultan. Thank you so much for your kind words, contributing to the Stuff Page
A WONDERFUL QUOTE FROM AHARON APPELFELD
Hi Susie, Just a wee one to send you this, below. I just finished reading Aharon Appelfeld’s wonderful little book of reflections
ARIANA PAPADEMETROPOULOS
Artist, Ariana Papademetropoulos wears The Vampire’s Wife Total Mayhem Dress among her wonderful paintings.
ATOP ON THE TOPMOST TWIG
It’s Sunday morning and I’m reading the poems of Sappho, made ever mysterious by their fragmentary nature.
NOT UNTIL THIS MORNING
My husband received a letter on his Red Hand Files, from someone called Gaz from Kiama in Australia.
LOVELY WOMAN IN A LOVELY DRESS
Beautiful Kenya Hunt wears The Vampire’s Wife Metallic Festival Dress.
WHAT KIND OF WOMAN?
What kind of woman wears The Vampire's Wife? I am interested in designing for any woman who has an interest in beauty.
MARY ANN HILLIER
Here is a lovely letter from someone called Allyson, sent to my husband’s wonderful Red Hand Files.
SWEETHEART COME
On February 7th of 1909, a 30-year-old mother of two by the name of Emma Hauck was admitted to the psychiatric hospital
RENOIR IN THE MORNING
Sitting in bed this Sunday morning and leafing through an old New Yorker article about Auguste Renoir’s nudes.
ALL WILL BE WELL
Julian of Norwich (1342 -1416) was a mystic and theologian and author of the first book written in English by a woman.
SOKO, ARE YOU A MAGICIAN?
Soko, the ferociously talented French singer, actress and mother to gorgeous little Indigo wears The Vampire’s Wife.
THE BEAUTY THAT THE WORLD CONTAINS
A message came to my husband today from our dear friend, Yoram. Nick suggested I post it.
THE ‘MITUSIA’ T-SHIRT COLLECTION—A CAT EVERY FULL MOON!
For years my husband and I have been enamoured by the work of the wonderful Polish artist Aleksandra Waliszewska.
GOODBYE SYLVAIN SYLVAIN
Here is a song from the founder, guitarist and style guru for the amazing New York Dolls who died last week.
THE WONDER OF SIAN CLIFFORD
The brilliant Sian. Clifford wins the BAFTA for her performance in the pathologically irreverent Fleabag.
WHO IS THAT MASKED WOMAN?
The great and glorious Nicole Kidman wears The Vampire’s Wife Silk Floral Mask .
A BEAUTY SO RARE
I urge you all to listen to this most beautiful and haunting piece of music by the great and sadly, late composer Jóhann Jóhannsson.
JENNA COLEMAN WEARS THE VAMPIRE’S WIFE
The brilliant Jenna Coleman who played Queen Victoria and now the murderer, Charles Sobhraj’s lover
LIFE DOESN’T FRIGHTEN ME AT ALL
I just stumbled upon this beautiful reading by that most luminous of poets, Maya Angelou.
AMELIA EARHART AND JONI MITCHELL
I’ve been listening to Joni Mitchell a lot over Christmas. I love this song, ‘Amelia’, a gorgeous thing about the great aviation pioneer and icon, Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, and as its a Joni Mitchell song, a crash and burn kind of love. Such wonderful words, about such a wonderful woman. Love, Susie x Amelia I was driving across the burning desert When I spotted six jet planes Leaving six white vapour trails across the bleak terrain It was the hexagram of the heavens It was the strings of my guitar Amelia...
A COLLISION OF GREATNESS
I’ve just been watching this extraordinary performance by Dionne Warwick of the Burt Bacharach and Hal David song, ‘Alfie’
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL
Thank you so much for hanging out on The Stuff Page and supporting The Vampire’s Wife.
QUASIMODO’S DREAM
From the early 1980’s comes this amazing song from The Reels—those much-loved, eccentric Australian pioneers of electronica.
AWAY, MELANCHOLY
I have been in London, working on The Vampire’s Wife display at Harrods. My husband has been writing.
LET THIS DARKNESS BE A BELL TOWER
Here is a letter and a beautiful poem by Rainer Maria Rilke, from someone called Julie.
PROTECTION BY MASSIVE ATTACK
This song, ‘Protection’ by Massive Attack is such a bold, powerful statement—so beautiful.
SLEEP MY LITTLE MAN-CHILD
I read a beautiful poem this morning from Bertrand N. O. Walker published in 1924 under his Wyandot name, Hen-toh.
THIS FIRE OF AUTUMN
Such a sweet and quietly despairing letter from Evy from Ghent that was sent to my husband’s endlessly generous Red Hand Files.
FALLING FAINTLY THROUGH THE UNIVERSE
I adore the final paragraph of James Joyce’s beautiful short story The Dead, so loved in all of literature.
THE VAMPIRE’S WIFE EARLY DRESS
Beautiful Amina Adan wears The Vampire’s Wife Early Dress. Thank you Amina!
NU METEEN! BY PUTTYLOLIAN
A lovely lady called Eva-Katrien Schröder sent me this amazing video by her son Julian.
DO NOT DESPAIR OF LOVE, HAFEZ!
Here is a lovely message from Kaley, with a poem about the capricious nature of things.
WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD
I adore this extraordinary footage of the great Louis Armstrong singing his late period hit ‘What a Wonderful World’
Vinegar Valentine
“In the Victorian Era, people sent anonymous 'Vinegar Valentines' postcards to their enemies.
WHO IS THAT MASKED WOMAN?
Wearing The Vampire’s Wife Gold Lace Mask is our very own house model, the impossibly beautiful Katinka.
GREEK EUPHORIA
Just reprinting this beautiful letter from Stathis from Athens that was sent to my husband’s Red Hand Files.
WHO IS THAT MASKED WOMAN?
Here I am sitting in the naughty corner at the wonderful Irma’s Kitchen in Lewes.
‘DRESS OF THE DECADE HITS THE HIGH STREET’ – BRITISH VOGUE
“Congratulations, babe. ‘Dress of the Decade’! Sold out!”That’s my husband.
AND NOT YOUR YELLOW HAIR
I love this wry, arch little poem by the great William Butler Yeats. I was reminded of it as I watched...
SUSIE ON THE SILHOUETTE
Since the start of your label, most of your dresses, whether short or long, are based on a very specific, victorian-looking silhouette...
GIFT FROM ARGENTINA
My husband asked me to post this beautiful song sent to his Red Hand Files by Ceci from Argentina.
LOVE OPENED A MORTAL WOUND
Here is a lovely poem thrown into the world by Poem-a-day from the Seventeenth Century Mexican nun and poet...
A TOWN CALLED LEWES
The Vampire’s Wife has officially moved their offices and showrooms to historic Lewes—the strangest town in England.
Who is that Masked Woman?
Beautiful Kate Moss is caught wearing The Vampire’s Wife mask, last week. We adore you, Kate!
‘WHERE THE WILD ROSES GROW’ IS TWENTY-FIVE!
It was twenty-five years ago, last week, that my husband recorded ‘Where the Wild Roses Grow’ with our friend...
SURELY THERE’S A TEAHOUSE
I just wanted to post this lovely letter to Nick that was sent to The Red Hand Files by Aleesha from Brisbane, Australia.
ON, ON INTO THE DARK
A sweet poem of awakening and transitory love arrived this week from the occasionally awesome poem-a-day website.
THE INCANDESCENCE OF CHILDREN
My darling mother sent this early Susie Cave work to me yesterday by email! I’m not sure why I am showing it to you.
WHO IS THE MASKED WOMAN?
Our beautiful Sam Snow, here at the Vampire’s Wife, wears the Silk Mask. We adore you, Sam.
Night Without End
Night without end. I cannot sleep.The full moon blazes overheadFar off in the night I hear someone call
THE DOOM AND GLORY OF KNOWING WHO YOU ARE
Spending Sunday morning in bed with Maria Popova’s superlative website Brain Pickings—an epic act of generosity.
WE LOVE GRETA BELLAMACINA
We love the fiendishly talented Greta Bellamacina here at The Vampire’s Wife.
JULY, 10 3:42 P.M
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
RAE ARMANTROUT
My husband asked me to put up this poem by the great Rae Armantrout from her new collection of poems.
IN PRAISE OF ELSE von FREYTAG-LORINGHOVEN
Last night, I was reading about the amazing Dada artist, poet and living artwork, Else von Freytag-Loringhoven.
CRISTIN MILIOTI WEARS THE VAMPIRE’S WIFE
Cristin Milioti, award-winning actress, writer, producer and singer wears The Vampire’s Wife.
WARNING. LISTEN AT OWN RISK. NO. 19
“Hey, babe.” That’s my husband. “Check this out. It is a song by the most famous Lebanese singer of them all, Fairouz.
TOOTS THIELEMANS AND MIDNIGHT COWBOY
This lovely message came through from Roseanna from Colorado. Yes, I love this footage from the great Toots Thielemans.
GEMS OF LOVE ALONG THE WAY
I love this little book on a Sunday—Thoughts of Idle Hours—published in 1915.
KATE TEMPEST—PEOPLE’S FACES
I love this call for. universal and inclusive compassion from the ferociously talented Kate Tempest
FREDERICO GARCIA LORCA – THE WIND WATCHES WATCHES
Last week was the anniversary of the death of the great Spanish poet Frederico García Lorca.
LET ME UNFOLD YOU
After hearing the beautiful Cocteau Twins song on The Stuff Page a couple of weeks ago...
WHO IS THAT MASKED WOMAN?
The wild and wonderful Floria Sigismondi, filmmaker and photographer, who directed the glorious Gucci Bloom film...
THE BRILLIANT HERA LINDSAY BIRD
Spent the weekend giggling and gasping my way through the delightfully atrocious high-voltage poetry of Hera Lindsay Bird.
GOD’S VOICE
Someone called Konstanzia sent this to my husband’s wonderful Red Hand Files and he asked me if I would put it up on The Stuff Page.
THE WANT OF YOU BY ANGELINA GRIMKÉ
A beautiful little poem of grief by Angelina Weld Grimké. I love the delicate hint or memory of nature filling the void.
FLORIA SIGISMONDI WEARS THE VAMPIRE’S WIFE
The amazing Floria Sigismondi, (who wrote and directed the wonderful biopic The Runaways...
Who is that Masked Woman?
The wonderful Devon Ross—a woman we’ve been seeing a lot lately wears The Vampire’s Wife Pink Gingham Mask.
THE VAMPIRE CAT T SHIRT
The Vampire’s Wife launch a new t shirt today. The gorgeous VAMPIRE CAT T SHIRT is based on a drawing by one of my favourite illustrators.
HOPE – A POEM AND A PAINTING
Hope by Alice Dunbar-Nelson. Wild seas of tossing, writhing waves, A wreck half-sinking in the tortuous gloom.
WHO IS THIS MASKED WOMAN?
The astonishing Eve Hewson wears The Vampire’s Wife Yellow Daisy Mask. Check out the wonderful series, The Luminaries.
LEAN YEAR - COME AND SEE
Vero from ‘somewhere in the world’ recommended this gorgeous song by Virginian duo, Lean Year.
TOM RUSH SINGS BILOXI
A friend sent me this song—such a great country lyric and gorgeous arrangement. Tom Rush singing Biloxi. Just had to pass it on.
EVE HEWSON WEARS THE VAMPIRE’S WIFE
The wonderful Eve Hewson goes as Bjork in The Vampire’s Wife Silver Metallic Falconetti Dress.
My Sweet Lord
I love this piece of writing on Nina Simone from my husband’s Red Hand Files, last week.
THE LAMENT OF THE NYMPH
Clara sent this beautiful letter to The Vampire’s Wife. Claudio Monteverdi’s song is so very beautiful.
WHOEVER HAS LOVE ALSO HAS PAIN
A dear friend sent me this gorgeous song, La Llorona, and these words. Do you know Llorona? It is such a mournful lament.
ASTONISHING THE GODS
My husband read me this beautiful passage from a book called ‘Astonishing the Gods’ by the Nigerian writer, Ben Okri.
COME, COME, WHOEVER YOU ARE
I love this little poem by Rumi, the 13th Century Persian poet and mystic—full of forgiveness and longing and inclusion.
KATE MOSS WEARS THE TOTAL MAYHEM DRESS
“Hey, babe, Kate Moss just told French Vogue that I’m the most glamorous women she knows!”.
BEAUTIFUL CATE WEARS THE TOTAL MAYHEM DRESS
The magnificent Cate Blanchett wears The Vampire’s Wife Total Mayhem Dress for the cover of Vogue.
O TO BE A RAINBOW
There is so much joy in this beautiful, buoyant new song from our dear friend, Soko. Thank you for bringing a smile to our faces.
THE FRIDA KAHLO LOVES STUFF T SHIRT
The Stuff Page has been a project that The Vampire’s Wife started nearly four years ago.
VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WONDERS
Just watched this extraordinary film—Valerie And Her Week Of Wonders. Inspired by fairy tales...
WHO IS THAT MASKED WOMAN?
My dear friend Bella Freud wears The Vampire’s Wife Heidi Mask. Bella, who taught me everything I needed to know about how to make fashion.
VALERIE REMEMBERED
When I was thirteen years old, I went on a camping trip to the South of France, in the summer holidays.
HIGHASAKITE – TOUGH BEAUTY
I just stumbled across this wonderful song by the Norwegian band Highasakite.