Vampires Have Feelings Too!

(This story is told from the perspective of an early 2000s teen magazine!)

Vampires always get the bad rep of condescending brooding beings who have too much class with such a lack of humanity that they don't care about the frivolousness of human affairs. And while this might be true for some, I'm looking at you Lestat, what about the freshly turned? The fledglings who struggle to assimilate to immortality and continue to use fashion as the gateway to their mind? Or the seasoned vampire who engages in fashion, but subconsciously clings to the human normativity? We will explore this trope and break it down with our beloved characters from the television adaptation of Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire!

While looking at the photo above we see, from left to right, Claudia De Point Du Lac De Lioncourt, Lestat De Lioncourt, and Louis De Point Du Loc. In the show they all interact with fashion in their own unique ways. Claudia constantly battles with her mind and body. Is she a girl or is she the woman that her mind has grown to be and her outfits is a pragmatic shift through the episodes. Louis battles with letting go of his humanity which is always seen through his clothes with the color and accessories. These two vampires are a great example of mental health and fashion in vampirism.

We start with Louis De Point Du Lac, our creole New Orleans pimp who became a vampire through a turbulent courting from his then-husband Lestat De Lioncourt. Throughout episode one of the show, we get to see Louis go through the terribleness that is constantly proving yourself, coming to terms with your sexuality as well as receiving the dark gift of immortality. It's 1910 and only the beginning of Louis' career.

In the scene above, Louis is at a poker table discussing business with the white partners of New Orleans. Still human, and dressed in brown pinstripes and a light brown tie, he dresses similar to the white men, but still with his own flare like the cane with a sword that he brandishes while out doing his rounds. While Louis tends to dress very flashy in general, here the watcher can see it's to blend in and secure his fragile place in society.

It's now 1920 and Louis is having a hard time accepting what it is to be a vampire. He's eating animals instead of people, becoming obsessed with his "human affairs", and overall becoming disgusted with himself and in turn, Lestat.

In this scene, Louis is visiting his family after being shunned time and time again for the death of his brother, Paul. He is constantly berated for the death of Paul and for the role he has to take to keep the house paid. His family, and the people in the quarry, call him "The Devil" . Couple that with his vampirism and he is "The Devil with the Dark Gift."

Louis is dressed in a red pinstriped suit, which is suitable, with tiny glasses to hide his green eyes from his family. He's "playing his part" and dressing the role. Through the scenes that include this suit you see Louis at his most self-deprecating yet prideful. He's the big time pimp who owns the biggest club in the quarry. This pride, though warranted, ends with a bigger price to pay.

And that price is Claudia. Claudia is the result of Louis pride and also of his love. At first, she is Louis and Lestat's way of fixing their broken marriage, found in the burning whorehouse created because of Louis' lack of control.

In her first scenes, Claudia truly portrays her mind of a 14-year-old of the time. They dress her in younger frilly dresses and has a childlike wonder about the world of vampires. When she turns 18, Claudia begins to realize and wonder if she'll always be this little girl. No one to love her but little boys and perverts trying to get their fix. Her "parents" don't help this as they didn't think about the repercussions of turning someone so young. Her femininity and mind is outwardly shown threw her dresses.

We watch as Claudia trues to dress her age of 19 in the photo above but still, she looks like a child playing dress up.

It's now the late 1940s and season two Claudia is assumed to now be in her mid-late 20s to early 30s. The role or Claudia re-casted but it doesn't stop her road of finding her vampire self. We've now traveled to France in search of other vampire covens, and they're found! Claudia at this point is able to speak her mind, dress more herself without the facade of playing dress up.

She takes the time to balance femininity while still being taken seriously. Her satin green bow is the touch of girl while the plain white blouse with little to no design is buttoned to the top with a longer darker patterned skirt is so she still looks her mental age.

Claudia was everything Lestat loved about vampires and everything he hated. Her naivety from season one was quickly gone after an incident. Season two Claudia is a woman trying to find what it means to be her in a world where no one is similar.

Interview with a Vampire deals with heavy topics and explores what it means to have self-discovery when your life is halted. When time is the only thing you had and now you have too much of it. The never ending cycle of thinking you've found it and it slipping through your fingers. Vampires are the epitome of emotion and their feelings should be acknowledged!